Success StoryMaking Healthier Choices



Making Healthier Choices

Author: Clarissa Cheatwood

Planning Unit: Jefferson County CES

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

This story is about a group of women who live in a recovery facility for substance abuse.  These women have little to no access to fresh fruits, vegetables and are unable to receive healthy meals for their specific health issues. They have no income and depend on donations.  The EFNEP Assistant from Jefferson County Extension Office has been conducting nutrition classes ongoing for the last eight years.  The class is every Wednesday for one hour.  The nutrition assistant has been teaching these women how to eat, cook healthy meals. She also taught planning meals, eating better on a budget, keeping food safe, reading labels, know the limits, my plate and breakfast made easy, from the Healthy Choices curriculum.  Along with the lessons the assistant brought recipes had the women participate in helping prepare food demonstrations for in class tasting. The women were always willing to help set up and prepare. They were given notebooks to keep their lessons and recipes.  This made the women feel good. After their seven lessons were completed, the assistant presented them with certificates and a gift bag with reinforcements, to take home and use with their families or to start in their new apartments.   Most didn't like to miss a class and were very respectful, grateful and always engaging during lessons. They were able to make healthy choices of food, with the food they receive from donations,  






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