Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Adopting Healthy Lifestyles
Christy Ramey, Catherine Webster, Jason Phillips
Health 4-H Core Curriculum
Building Healthy Coalitions
Food Preparation
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
Health and wellness are concepts that apply to physical, financial and family well-being. Kentuckians are dying from heart disease & cancer at higher rates than all Americans and they have a lower life expectancy. 71% of high school youth don’t get enough physical activity and physical activity only decreases as we age. The obesity epidemic, increased consumption of unhealthy food, stress, and lack of built environments are other factors that threaten the quality & years of life of Kentuckians. Families need assistance in gaining access to food, stretching food dollars, preparing healthy foods and building nurturing families. Communities that work together with other concerned citizens & organizations are much more likely to bring public awareness to important health issues. All of these topics were identified by the County Extension Council as program needs.
The overall well-being of families will be increased as they gain skills and abilities to provide for the nutritional, physical, and developmental needs of family members. Youth will maintain positive health habits and be competent, capable, contributing adults as a result of participating in 4-H Health programs.
Individuals, youth, and families:
• make healthy food choices & build skills related to selecting and/or preparing nutritious meals
• increase their level of physical activity and decrease their stress
• keep tract of health through timely screenings and visits to health care professionals
• the built environment (sidewalks) will be enhanced by grants, community input and the involvement of city & county governments
Initial Outcome:
Individuals, youth, and families:
• report making healthy food choices
• learn new skills in purchasing and preparing foods
• gain knowledge about their personal health status
• will take advantage of opportunities to be screened for disease
• identify ways to improve physical fitness
• understand risky behaviors and their consequences
• aspire to have higher self-esteem
• identify healthy ways to handle stress
Outcome: Participants in SNAP Ed program identify healthy food choices and learn new skills in purchasing and preparing foods.
Indicator: : Food recall, family records
Method: SNAP Ed program reports and SNAP Ed Assistant records
Timeline: July 2016-June 2017
Outcome: Families will prepare healthy meals three times per week
Indicator: Family records and self- reporting
Method: E-mail and phone interviews
Timeline: Spring 2017
Outcome: Youth will adopt health lifestyle choices
Indicator: Youth report they won’t engage in risk behaviors, report feeling good about themselves, report knowing how to positively handle stress, and report making healthy lifestyle choices
Method: Follow up survey immediately after program then again up to 12 months afterwards Timeline: November 2017 - March 2018
Audience: Seniors and Homemaker Members
Project or Activity: Healthy Living Classes, Get Active Simpson, Get Moving Wildcats
Content or Curriculum: Small Steps to Health and Wealth, Get Moving KY
Inputs: Curriculum, participants, paid staff, food demonstrations
Date: July 2017-June 2018
Audience: 5th Grade
Project or Activity: Ag Safety Day
Content or Curriculum: UK Resources, Home Alone & Farm Safety Topics
Inputs: FFA Members & Advisors, Extension Agents, School District, Local Planning Committee, Local & State Emergency Service Organizations
Date: May 2018
Audience: Extension Homemakers
Project or Activity: Entrees for Less
Content or Curriculum: Extension materials
Inputs: Agent led, train-the trainer for clubs, food and nutrition information
Date: May 2018
Audience: Seniors in High School
Project or Activity: Truth or Consequences or STOP and YANKA-You aren’t a Kid Anymore
Content or Curriculum: Truth or Consequences or STOP Curriculum, Financial materials, Money Habitudes, Microwave cooking materials
Inputs: Extension Agents & Equipment, School District, Local Police Dept. & Jail, SHRUM
Date: February – May 2018
Audience: Families with young children
Project or Activity: Cooking with Your Kids
Content or Curriculum: Family Mealtime Curriculum
Inputs: Community Education, Agent led, volunteer helpers, Snap Assistant, food and equipment, Culinary Kitchen at the High School
Date: October, November 2017, February, March 2018
Audience: Community members
Project or Activity: Get Healthy Simpson Coalition, Built Environment, Smoke-free workplaces, Healthy Eating and Get More Active
Content or Curriculum: CEDIK materials and Leadership materials
Inputs: Community volunteers, money from grants, civic leaders, Agent led,
Date: Monthly year round
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Cooking at the Farmer’s Market
Content or Curriculum: LEAP and Snap-Ed materials
Inputs: Vegetable producers, Snap assistant, food, parents, volunteers, equipment
Date: July-October 2017
Audience: Middle School Students
Project or Activity: Farm to School Program
Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up materials, UK Extension materials
Inputs: School personnel, Producers, Agents, students
Date: Fall 2017
Audience: Snap recipients or candidates
Project or Activity: Nutrition Education
Content or Curriculum: Snap-Ed curriculum, LEAP
Inputs: Snap Assistant, Extension Agents, School District
Date: July 2017-June 2018
Audience: 7th Grade
Project or Activity: STOP
Content or Curriculum: STOP Scenarios
Inputs: Extension Agents, School District, Local Law Enforcement Agencies & Child Service Advocates
Date: December 2017
Audience: 6th Grade
Project or Activity: Health Rocks including the Youth Health Fair
Content or Curriculum: Health Rocks
Inputs: Extension Agents, School District, County Youth Action Team, County Health Coalition
Date: November 2017-March 2018
Author: Christy Ramey
Major Program: Environmental Sustainability & Responsibility
This year the SOKY Earth Day Fair teamed up with the Cherry Blossom Festival to offer the public a combined event that would bring vendors and artists together on the square in Franklin. The events were planned to give southern Kentucky residents a total package of experiences that could not only provide valuable information about how to preserve ad protect our environment, but also enjoy the talents of artists who create and those who are musically gifted. The event, which was co-ch
Author: Christy Ramey
Major Program: Food Preparation
Beef provides essential nutrients that support a heart-healthy lifestyle including protein, zinc, iron and Vitamin B. However, beef costs continue to increase making traditional muscle cuts cost prohibitive for many families. Knowing the best cut for the desired recipe or how to buy larger cuts that can be divided and saved or the preferred cooking techniques for tougher, less expensive cuts are all stategies that can be used to help consumers contain costs and stay within their budg