The American Heart Association launched Worth-a-Taste Wednesday, a nutrition education and food access initiative, at the Springdale Senior Center on Sept. 2, 2026. The program is intended for older adults and runs every Wednesday at 11:15 a.m. through April. It aims to give participants opportunities to explore healthy foods, learn practical tips and build confidence trying new produce in a supportive group setting.
The initiative is presented as a community-centered effort to help older adults make simple, sustainable lifestyle changes that can improve overall health and reduce risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and stroke. The AHA framed the program as part of its broader commitment to ensuring equitable access to health-promoting resources in local communities.
Worth-a-Taste Wednesday uses a repeated-exposure model that encourages participants to sample fresh, locally grown foods multiple times. The model is intended to help older adults overcome common barriers to healthy eating, including unfamiliarity with fresh produce, lack of confidence in preparing healthier foods and entrenched eating habits.
Key objectives described by the AHA include increasing participants’ confidence and curiosity about nutrition, helping them adopt small, manageable changes in food choices and preparation, and improving awareness of nutritious options available in the community. The program emphasizes joyful, social experiences with food so participants can learn from peers and feel supported while trying new items.
Worth-a-Taste Wednesday is a collaboration among the American Heart Association–Northwest Arkansas (AHA-NWA), the Springdale Senior Center and Spring Creek Food Hub. The program is funded by Walmart for Good. Produce featured during sessions is sourced through Spring Creek Food Hub, reinforcing connections between the program and the local food system.
By incorporating locally grown foods, the program seeks to strengthen community food networks while exposing older adults to seasonal and regionally available produce that they may not otherwise encounter.
Sessions take place every Wednesday at 11:15 a.m. at the Springdale Senior Center. During group gatherings, participants are offered opportunities to sample new foods, receive practical preparation and shopping tips, and connect with peers. The repeated-exposure approach means foods are presented multiple times to increase familiarity and acceptance over time.
Program activities explicitly include:
The AHA notes the program is designed to be simple and sustainable, encouraging small changes that can incrementally improve diet quality and overall well-being.
The AHA framed nutrition as a powerful tool to improve heart health and overall well-being. Worth-a-Taste Wednesday was presented as addressing specific barriers that can make healthy choices feel out of reach for older adults. Those barriers, as described in the source, include unfamiliarity with fresh produce, low confidence in preparing meals using healthier ingredients and long-established eating habits that may increase cardiovascular and stroke risk.
The initiative aligns with the American Heart Association’s broader mission to ensure everyone has the opportunity to achieve their best possible health. By meeting people in community settings where they already gather, the AHA aims to create accessible, practical interventions that support healthier behaviors and foster community engagement around nutritious local foods.
Beth Jones, community impact director for the American Heart Association in Northwest Arkansas, is quoted describing the program’s goals of creating joyful food experiences and supporting small changes that can meaningfully impact health and quality of life.
Worth-a-Taste Wednesday is a collaboration of AHA-NWA, Springdale Senior Center and Spring Creek Hub with funding from Walmart for Good. The program takes place every Wednesday at 11:15 a.m. at the Springdale Senior Center.
For more information, the source lists Beth Jones as the contact at Beth.Jones@heart.org.
About the American Heart Association
The source text includes the AHA’s organizational summary: the AHA is dedicated to improving health and longevity, works to ensure equitable health in communities, funds research, advocates for public health, and provides resources related to cardiovascular disease and stroke. The AHA’s community programming and partner-led approaches are described as part of its ongoing efforts to drive improvements in population health.
For media inquiries in the original source, Cyd King at cyd.king@heart.org was listed. Public inquiries were directed to the AHA customer service number provided in the source.