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When Marques Clark was a kid growing up in St. Pete, he lived on food stamps at home and free lunches at school—in other words, low-quality food.

Now as an adult, Marques is on a mission to teach healthier options to kids, particularly Black children. So in 2014, he started YES CHEF Village. Short for Youth Enrichment Service (YES) Children’s Healthier Eating Foundation (CHEF), the program educates kids and their families about better food options through community dinners and other initiatives.

Marques, who also goes by the name Chef Omaka, stopped by The Zest studio in June 2024 to chat with Dalia Colón. In this conversation, Marques discusses his journey to a healthier lifestyle, the connection between nutrition and physical/mental health and the prevalence of food deserts in Black neighborhoods.

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