Extension
It Starts With Us
Promoting Nutritious Eating and Active Living
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Chadwick, Wooley, Rudolph
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Local Food Systems
Health
Nutrition and Food Systems General
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.
The Centers for Disease Control found in a nationally representative survey that only 29% of high school youth participated in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on each of the seven days before the survey. Participation in physical activity decreases as we age. Healthy living is one of three 4-H mission mandates. Components of Kentucky 4-H Health Core Curriculum include: physical activity, substance abuse, bullying, safety, and character education. Moderate physical activity can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, stress and high blood pressure. Early substance use in childhood/adolescence affects later drug use (National Healthy Living Task Force). Almost 30% of youth in the United States (or over 5.7 million) are estimated to be involved in bullying as either a bully, a target of bullying, or both (http://www.safeyouth.org/scripts/faq/bullying.asp). More persons aged 1-34 years die as a result of injuries than any other cause of death with motor vehicle crashes accounting for approximately half of those deaths (National 4-H Healthy Living Task Force). Individuals, their organizations and their societies effectiveness and wellbeing depend on character development (Charactercounts.org).
Adults will routinely employ healthy dietary practices that promote health and wellness (e.g. consume recommended daily fruits and vegetables and improve food management skills
Adults will reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity
Adults will learn how to grow healthy food at home
Youth will increase number of youth maintaining positive health habits
Youth will increase number of youth at a lower risk for serious disease and illness
Youth will increase number of youth at a lower risk for physical and emotional distress
Youth will develop into competent, capable, contributing adults as important developmental assets are met through their participation in 4-H Health programs
Adults will generate positive attitudes toward changing dietary decisions to be more healthful
Adults will increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods
Adults will decrease intake of solid fats, added sugars, and sodium
Adults will employ healthful cooking methods, feeding practices, and food preservation techniques
Adults will increase access to healthy food via local farmers markets, food retailers, and/or home gardens
Youth will increase adoption and mastery of healthy behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle
Youth will not engage in risky behavior when handling stress
Adults will increase awareness about relationships between food and nutrition practices and chronic disease
Adults will improve food and nutrition-related skills (e.g. gardening, preparation and preservation techniques, safe food handling, food resource management)
Adults will increase confidence in ability to employ healthy eating practices
Adults will increase motivation to access and prepare healthier foods
Youth will identify healthy lifestyle choices
Youth will understand risky behaviors and their consequences
Youth will aspire to have higher self esteem
Youth will identify healthy ways to handle stress
Outcome: Youth and adults will make nutritious choices
Indicator: Youth and adults will choose healthy ingredients and utilize healthy cooking techniques
Method: Surveys and discussion
Timeline: Ongoing
Outcome: Youth and adults will increase physical activity
Indicator: Youth and adults will choose and implement ways to be more physically active
Method: Surveys and discusssion
Timeline: Ongoing
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
Outcome: Knowledge and skills to grow food at home
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: implementing small container gardening into home; starting large at home garden
Method: Self-report surveys and program discussions
Timeline: Pre-post implementing cirricula or program
Audience: 21st Century Programs
Program or Activity: Culinary Classes
Content or Curriculum: FCS and 4-H Cooking Curriculums
Inputs: Volunteers, Extension staff
Date: Meets year-round
Audience: Community
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
Audience: Community
Project or Activity: Policy, Systems, and Environmental Approaches
Content or Curriculum: 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
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Food Preparation for Better Health and Physical Activity
Content or Curriculum: Cook Together Eat Together, Mastering Food Choices, Dining with Diabetes, Super Star Chef, Champion Food Volunteer, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Resources, resources for early care and education settings, grab and go bags, Laugh & Learn, Bingocize, Preschool Pages, Stories, Songs & Stretches
Inputs: Programmatic materials, paid staff, community partners, faith-based organizations, health coalitions
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
Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, programmatic materials, NEP
Date: July – September for adults and youth
Audience: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association/Volunteers
Project or Activity: Promoting Nutrition with Volunteers
Content or Curriculum: Mastering Food Choices, Food preservation workshops, Monthly Leader Lessons, newsletter
Inputs: Volunteers, paid staff, community partners
Date: Ongoing
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Cooking Projects
Content or Curriculum: Steps to a Healthy Teen, 4-H Cooking 101-401, Baking Projects
Inputs: Volunteers, paid staff, community partners
Date: Year-round
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Physical Activity
Content or Curriculum: SPARK AfterSchool, Media Smart-Youth, DanceFit, Centering on Me, 4-H Camp
Inputs: Volunteers, paid staff, community partners
Date: Year-round
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Container Pizza Garden
Content or Curriculum: Publications, planting and care workshops
Inputs: Extension staff, community partners
Date: Year-round
Author: Denise Wooley
Major Program: Cook Together, Eat Together
Eating more fruits and vegetables is a critical behavior for health promotion and disease prevention. Despite the importance of eating more produce, it is also one of the most difficult eating behaviors to change. It has been reported that cooking more meals at home is related to increased fruit and vegetable consumption. A social marketing program to promote budget-friendly, nutritious, home-cooked family meals, Cook Together, Eat Together, was offered by the Graves County Extension O
