Accessing Nutritious Food
Family Wellness
Linda Combs
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Food Preparation
Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
In Knott County 27.5% of children live in poverty. Nutrition Education Programs help families gain access to food and stretch food dollars; communities to decrease hunger; and local food assistance programs to educate recipients on healthy and safe food preparation methods. Agents, paraprofessionals and volunteers are pivotal in influencing policies, systems, and environments and in training consumers and producers to maximize local access to food products from farm to table.
•County population will increase average fruit and vegetable consumption by 1 or more servings per day
•County residents will improve food management skills and healthy eating habits
•Youth will be food secure when school is not in session
•People accessing emergency food sources will select from nutrient dense items
County residents will:
•Access more local foods
•Plant, harvest and preserve produce
•Apply improved food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and healthy eating habits
•Youth who access other food sources when not in school will be able to find resources.
•Households accessing emergency food sources will decrease.
County residents will:
•Understand the importance of sustainable local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being
•Learn to grow, prepare and preserve food
•Learn to incorporate unfamiliar foods or foods not currently eaten into a healthy diet
•Increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management
•Learn about community support services to increase food security
Initial Outcome: Eat more fruits and vegetables
Indicator: observation, program evaluation tools
Method: pre and post tests, follow up evaluations, observations
Timeline: on-going
Intermediate Outcome: food management skills will improve
Indicator: less use of food banks, healthy eating, food safety is a priority
Method: pre and post tests, follow up evaluation, observation
Timeline: on-going
Long-term Outcome: less obesity and chronic diseases
Indicator: less use of food bank, county data health reports
Method: pre and post tests, evaluation, observation
Timeline: on-going
Audience: families
Project or Activity:Economical Entrees
Content or Curriculum: UK extension materials
Inputs: Brittany Bowling
Date: Oct 2019
Audience: families
Project or Activity: Meal Kits: Are they worth it?
Content or Curriculum: UK extension materials
Inputs: Brittany Bowling, Leslie Co FCS
Date: Feb 2020
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: nutrition/food classes
Content or Curriculum: UK extension materials
Inputs: FCS agent
Date: on-going
Audience: families
Project or Activity: food safety/food preservation
Content or Curriculum: UK extension materials
Inputs: FCS agent
Date: on-going
Author: Linda Combs
Major Program: Food Preparation
Cooking 101 was developed and implemented at the direction of the Family and Consumer Science (FCS) extension council. Members of the council discussed that eating at home with the family unit promotes positive relations and the consumption of more nutritious foods. Cooking 101 began in late fall of 2018 and at the request of participants continues into fall of 2019. Cooking 101 is a “hands-on” monthly class where participants prepare recipes. The program is a colla
Author: Linda Combs
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
During the 2018-2019 program year the Knott County Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program assistants (SNAP assistants) taught 162 limited resource families how to serve more nutritious meals, to keep foods safe, and to utilize local food resources efficiently. Of these 162 families 131 completed the program while 96 are continuing in the program. 66% of graduating families made an improvement in the nutritional quality of their diet. 65% of families demonstrated an improvement in safe f
Author: Linda Combs
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
According to the 2018 Annual SNAP-Ed Report for Kentucky, at least one out of 3 Kentucky children are overweight or obese. Nearly half of Kentucky children consume fruits less than once daily, well below the 1½ to 2 cups daily recommended by USDA MyPlate.Children who consume low amounts of fruits and vegetables are at greater risk for many nutrition related health problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control, ”eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables daily can help redu
Author: Chadwick Conway
Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture
Drive-Thru “Plant and Grow Container Garden Kit" Give-A-WayContinuously looking for ways to support clients' success in raising various crops, the Knott County Extension Agent for Agriculture had to take a different approach this year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Agent had to get creative in order to meet the guidelines and regulations derived from the current situations. In doing so, the Agent also had to make sure that the needs and wants did not go unnoticed and with an i