Extension
It Starts With Us
Nutrition and Food Systems
Improving Physical and Mental Health
Cecelia Hostilo, Graham Cofield, Shelley Crawford
Local Food Systems
Cook Together, Eat Together
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Health
Trigg County is a rural county in Western Kentucky that has its share of health related issues. Statistics from Kentucky Kids Count from 2015-17 and 2016-18 report 38% of Trigg Countians lack physical activity, 77% are overweight, and 38% suffer from obesity. Only 7% of the population get the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. Kentucky By the Numbers data shows that 28% of Trigg Countians report less than good health. Since it is a commonly held belief that good healthy habits start early, the Trigg County Early Childhood Council wanted to help parents develop healthy habits with their preschool children. It is for these reasons that the Trigg County CES staff will focus on Nutrition and Food Systems for the next four years.
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. Trigg County individuals, families, and communities need tools and environments that support healthful dietary decisions.
- Routinely employ health 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 fats, added sugar, 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/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
Long-term Outcome: Availability and access to healthy food
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: utilizing access points (e.g., farmers markets, 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); number of pints of food preserved through water bath or pressure canning, freezing or drying.
Method: Self reported survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Audience: Trigg County Youth
Project or Activity: Food Preparation Clubs and projects, Culinary challenge
Content or Curriculum: National 4-H curriculum, Super Star Chef, Teen Cuisine, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud materials
Inputs: CES Agents, NEP assistant, volunteers
Date: September-June (ongoing)
Audience: Communities
Project or Activity: Farmers Market Outreach
Content or Curriculum: Cooking programs, Plate it Up! Kentucky Proud resources, Farmers Market Toolkit, Superstar Chef
Inputs: Nutrition Education Program and NEP assistant, CES agents. grant funds, Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Date: April-October during growing season each year
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Food Preparation for Better Health
Content or Curriculum: Cook together Eat Together, Dining with Diabetes, Super Star Chef, Champion Food Volunteer, Plate it UP! Kentucky Proud resources, resources for early care and education settings
Inputs: Programmatic materials, CES agents, NEP assistant, facilities, Trigg County Early Childhood Council
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Food Preservation
Content or Curriculum: Publications, trainings, Home-Based Micro-processing Training, Champion Food Volunteers
Inputs: CES agents, NEP assistant, volunteers, facilities, programmatic materials
Date: July- September for adults and youth
Audience: Adults and families
Project or Activity: Adult/Families Projects/Curricula
Content or Curricula: Healthy Choices for Every Body Curriculum
Inputs: NEP assistant, limited resource families, USDA Food and Nutrition Service
Date: Ongoing
Audience: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association/Volunteers
Project or Activity: Promoting Nutrition with Volunteers
Content or Curriculum: Champion Food Volunteers, Mastering Food Choices, food preservation workshops
Inputs: Volunteers, FCS agents, community partners
Date: Ongoing
Author: Cecelia Hostilo
Major Program: Super Star Chef
The COVID19 pandemic left many in West Kentucky in situations with which they had never before dealt. Early in the pandemic many stockpiled pantry staples in fear of shortages on grocery shelves. Many followed Kentucky’s Healthy at Home recommendations and did not leave their houses except for the most necessary errands. Once restrictions and recommendations loosened, many of our clientele still chose to limit leaving their homes because of the continual changes in inform
Author: Cecelia Hostilo
Major Program: Home-Based Microprocessor Program
Cadiz and Trigg County has a small but active Farmers Market that is open on Wednesday and Saturday mornings from April through October. We have two main produce vendors that are Amish. These vendors also sell value added items such as cut flowers and home canned goods. One vendor has been a certified Homebased Microprocessor for several years. After some informal discussions with the other vendor it was ascertained that he was not certified. The FCS agent in Trigg County
Author: Shelley Crawford
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
4-H Cooking Club, Baking Edition was created to meet several needs in Trigg County. First was the need to teach young people to prepare foods at home and not be as dependent on processed foods from the grocery and fast food businesses. Obesity and chronic disease is a problem for nearly half of all adults in the county. A second need was an economic one. Family finances are very unstable right now and inflation can be seen in our grocery stores. Youth who have a var
Author: Shelley Crawford
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
According to the American Heart Association, teaching youth how to prepare their own food will give them a skill they can use for a lifetime, they will be more likely to eat healthier as adults, and build self-confidence. (Cooking With Your Children; Web MD; May 30, 2008.) A California Department of Education survey indicated that 87 percent of fourth to eighth graders said that they cook and make some of their meals or snacks. However, youth who lack healthy cooking knowledge may rely on packag
