Extension
It Starts With Us
Nutrition and Food Systems
Nutrition and Food Systems
Julia Wilson
Nutrition and Food Systems General
Food Preparation and Preservation
Cook Wild Kentucky
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kentucky adult obesity rates rank among the 10 highest in the US; and, Kentucky youth rank among the 10 highest for obesity in the US. In Edmonson County 33.6% of adults are considered obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30). In Edmonson county 29% of adults report not participating in any physical activity. The CDC also reports Kentucky adults rank in the 10 highest for poor consumption of fruits and vegetables in the US. In addition to these health indicators, according to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Data Book (2015) 21.2% of Edmonson County families live below poverty and there were 2,191 SNAP recipients; and, approximately 29.3% percent of children and youth under the age of 18 live in poverty in Edmonson County. Almost 300 seniors receive the monthly benefits from Commodity Supplemental Food Program and during the school year, over 100 school-aged children receive weekly Backpacks for Hunger.
A foundation of nutrition knowledge, skills and competencies in topics such as food safety, handling and preparation, cooking methods and techniques, feeding practices, food science, and food systems are essential to changing dietary behaviors. With the increased trend of chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky, individuals, families, and communities need tools and environments that support healthful dietary decisions. CES agents are encouraged to reach diverse audiences to help combat chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky communities.
SNAP-Education programs help limited resource families increase access to affordable nutritious food, stretch food dollars, develop food preparation skills and improve food safety practices. SNAP-Education efforts also help communities address nutrition and obesity prevention issues related to the social, environmental, and policy work which supports limited resource individuals in making healthy lifestyle changes.
- Routinely employ healthy dietary practices that promote health and wellness (e.g. consume recommended daily fruits and vegetables and improve food management skills)
- Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity
- Generate positive attitudes toward changing dietary decisions to be more healthful.
- Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods
- Decrease intake of solid fats, added sugars, and sodium
- Employ healthful cooking methods, feeding practices, and food preservation techniques
- Increased access to healthy food via local farmers markets, food retailers, and/or home gardens
- Increase awareness about relationships between food and nutrition practices and chronic disease.
- Improve food and nutrition-related skills (e.g. gardening, preparation and preservation techniques, safe food handling, food resource management)
- Increase confidence in ability to employ healthy eating practices
- Increase motivation to access and prepare healthier foods
Outcome: Nutrition knowledge, skills, and competencies
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: use knowledge and skills to improve food-shopping management; utilize the food label to make healthy food choices; choosing smaller portions; increased food preservation knowledge; demonstrated recommended food preservation practices
Method: Self-report surveys; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Preparing and preserving food
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: preparing more home-cooked meals; modifying ingredients and/or preparation techniques to improve nutrition
Method: Self-report survey; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Dietary intake
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: eating 4-6 servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily
Method: Self-report surveys about fruit and vegetable intake or other dietary improvements; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Availability and access to healthy food
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: utilizing delivery systems/access points (e.g., farmers’ markets, CSAs, WIC, food pantries) that offer healthy foods; supplementing diets with healthy foods grown or preserved (e.g., community or backyard gardens, fishing, hunting, farmers markets); dollar value of vendor-reported sales or EBT, WIC, or Senior benefits redeemed at farmers’ markets; number of pints of foods preserved through water bath canning, pressure canning, freezing, or drying.
Method: Self-report survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Audience: Communities
Project or Activity: Farmers Market Outreach
Content or Curriculum: Cooking programs, marketing, increased access (e.g. location, hours, EBT), Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud resources, Farmers Market Toolkit, Super Star Chef
Inputs: Nutrition Education Program (NEP), paid staff, grant funds, facilities, Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Date: April – October/Growing seasons
Project or Activity: Policy, Systems, and Environmental Approaches
Content or Curriculum: Faithful Families, Kentucky Farm to School Task Force Resources, Health Coalitions, resources for early care and education settings
Inputs: Volunteers, grant funds, faith-based organizations, community partners, key stakeholders, SNAP-Ed Toolkit
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Project or Activity: Family Lifestyles Television Show
Content or Curriculum: Various Nutrition & Food Preparation Publications, SNAP Recipes, Plate it Up Proud Recipes
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, SNAP Education, program assistants, Kentucky CES publications and resources
Date: Monthly
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Food Preparation for Better Health
Content or Curriculum: Cook Together Eat Together, Mastering Food Choices, Dining with Diabetes, Super Star Chef, Champion Food Volunteer, Faithful Families, Body Balance, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Resources, plans for prenatal- and infant/toddler-specific curriculum, resources for early care and education settings
Inputs: Programmatic materials, paid staff, community partners, faith-based organizations, health coalitions
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Project or Activity: Food Preservation
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Trainings, Home-Based Micro-Processing Training, Champion Food Volunteers
Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, programmatic materials, NEP
Date: July – September for adults and youth
Project or Activity: LEAP
Content or Curriculum: LEAP Curriculum (youth)
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, SNAP Ed Assistants, volunteers, program assistants, Kentucky CES publications and resources
Date: 20-21 Academic School Year
Project or Activity: Teen Cuisine
Content or Curriculum: Teen Cuisine
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, Kentucky CES publications and resources
Date: Summer 2021
Project or Activity: UK NEP Adult Curriculum Classes/ Facebook LIVE
Content or Curriculum: UK NEP Adult Curriculum
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, SNAP Education, program assistants, Kentucky CES publications and resources
Date: Monthly
Project or Activity: SOKY Food Preservation Facebook Group
Content or Curriculum: Food Preservation Publciations
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, SNAP Education, program assistants, Kentucky CES publications and resources
Date: Monthly
Audience: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association/Volunteers
Project or Activity: Leader Lesson-June –Sensational Salads
Content or Curriculum: Various Nutrition & Food Preparation Publications, SNAP Recipes, Plate it Up Proud Recipes
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, SNAP Education, program assistants, Kentucky CES publications and resources
Date: June 2021
Project or Activity: Leader Lesson–Farmers Market – Get what you need to eat seasonally
Content or Curriculum: Various Nutrition & Food Preparation Publications, SNAP Recipes, Plate it Up Proud Recipes
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, SNAP Education, program assistants, Kentucky CES publications and resources
Date: May 2021
Author: Julia Wilson
Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation
Each year during the gardening season, Edmonson County residents reach out to the Edmonson County Cooperative Extension Service with questions about food preservation. During the 2020 gardening and canning season many families had a renewed interest in home food preservation. Due to COVID restrictions the FCS Agent was not able to accommodate in person food preservation classes in Edmonson County. Due to this the FCS Agent created SOKY Home Food Preservation. A Facebook group moderated by
