Objective: The research objective was to identify how healthy eating was understood in a disadvantaged community and how barriers to healthy eating might be overcome. Design: Participatory action research. Setting: Communities in Gurnos, Merthyr Tydfil, one of the most deprived areas in the UK. Method: Trainees on a participative methods course undertook hands-on research, directed by the course leader and local researchers. Respondents were from established local groups, including elderly, carer and toddler and residents' groups. Participants were asked to identify and rank healthy and unhealthy foods and to discuss barriers to healthy eating in their community. Results: Participants demonstrated fairly good knowledge of what constituted a healthy diet, but many found that this was difficult to achieve. Barriers included conflicting advice from professionals, lack of time, advertising, community norms and poor quality food available in school. Conclusion: In order to be successful, healthy eating initiatives need to embrace the multifaceted nature of this issue in poor communities, including food as an aspect of local culture. (Contains 2 tables.)