Trimble County CES

Title:

Accessing Nutritious Foods

MAP:

Improve Physical and Mental Heath

Agents Involved:

Proctor, Hance, ANR agent

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Nutrition and Food Systems General

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Recipes for Life

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Cook Together, Eat Together

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Horticulture, Consumer and Home

Situation:

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.

Trimble County has an obesity rate of 33.9%, 11.8% with diabetes and 34.8% of the population are inactive. Local schools are delivering free or reduced lunches at a high rate. Elementary schools assist 63% of the students and there is a 55% rate countywide. This is an economic issue, but shows the importance of children getting healthy meals. On any given day, less than 15 percent of school children eat the recommended servings of fruit; less than 20 percent eat the recommended servings of vegetables. Kentucky adults rank among the 10 highest for poor consumption of fruits and vegetables. The dietary guidelines provide advice for making food choices that promote good health, a healthy weight, and ways to reduce risk of disease. Nutritional programs help families gain access to food and stretch food dollars; and local food assistance programs to educate recipients on healthy and safe food preparation methods.

Long-Term Outcomes:

• 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
• Improve food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and healthy nutritional habits

Intermediate Outcomes:

• 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
• Youh make better food choices
• Apply skill of food resource management, food safety, and food preparation to afford healthy, nutritious food choices

Initial Outcomes:

• 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 in addition to unfamiliar foods not currently eaten. 
• Increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management.
• Youth and adults are inspired to choose nutritious foods.

Evaluation:

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

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Communities – Limited resource individuals

Project or Activity:  Commodity Day, DARE to Care food distribution

Content or Curriculum: Nutrition information distribution, Cooking programs, marketing, increased access (e.g. location, hours, EBT), Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud resources

Inputs: Proctor, Nutrition Education Program (NEP), grant funds, facilities, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Tri-County Community Action Agency

Date: Monthly 2021-22

Audience: Families and Individuals

Project or Activity:  Health Rocks

Content or Curriculum: Health Rocks

Inputs: Hance, Agents, Volunteers and State Specialist 

Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year

Project or Activity:  Food Preparation for Better Health

Content or Curriculum: School Health Fairs, Cook Together Eat Together, Recipe for Life, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Resources, resources for early care and education settings (LEAP), USDA MyPlate guidelines

Inputs: Proctor, Programmatic materials, community partners and volunteers, CES publications. Family Resource and Youth Services center, faith-based organizations, health coalitions, Trimble County School System, Trimble County Headstart, USDA materials

Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year 2021-2022

Project or Activity:  Cook Together, Eat Together

Content or Curriculum: Cook Together, Eat Together curriculum, Nutrition Education resources, trainings

Inputs: Proctor, facilities, programmatic materials, NEP resources

Date: July 2021

Project or Activity:  Victory Gardening

Content or Curriculum: Publications, Trainings

Inputs: Proctor, facilities, programmatic materials, NEP resources, ANR resources 

Date: Spring 2022

Project or Activity:  Cooking with Cast Iron

Content or Curriculum: Publications, Trainings

Inputs: Proctor, facilities, programmatic materials, NEP resources

Date: August 2021

Audience: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association/Volunteers

Project or Activity:  Promoting Nutrition with Volunteers

Content or Curriculum: International Cuisine publications, Food preservation workshops, Monthly Leader Lessons

Inputs: Proctor, KEHA lesson materials, CES publications, NEP resources

Date: September 2021 - May 2022

Audience: Trimble County Residents

Project or Activity: Trimble County Farmers and Artisans Market

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Proud Farmers Market rules and regulations

Inputs: Hance, USDA Guidelines, Trimble County Farmers' & Artisans Market Board Members, Local vendors

Date: May 18 - First Saturday in November each year.

Success Stories