According to Feeding America, hunger is an issue in every community across the Commonwealth. There are 700,000 Kentuckians who are food insecure — which means that 1 out of every 6 of our Kentucky neighbors do not always know if they will have enough food. This is where practicing food resource management skills is so important among our communities.

This year the Floyd County Cooperative Extension Office Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program partnered with the Mountain Center for Recovery and Hope rehabilitation center. The Healthy Choices for Every Body curriculum was utilized. One particular lesson from this curriculum had a substantial impact on the adults here. That lesson was “Eating Better on a Budget for Every Body: Save More at the Grocery Store”. This focuses on budgeting topics such as cooking dinner at home instead of going out, comparing food prices, planning meals before shopping, looking in the refrigerator and in the cupboard before shopping, and using a grocery list.

After implementing this lesson, ninety-six percent of the adult participants showed improvement regarding food resource management. Particularly, one hundred percent of participants now use a written food plan before shopping. Eighty six percent of participants check for sales on foods before they shop. Also, seventy one percent of participants check the cupboard before shopping. Overall, they learned impactful tips and tricks that they could do to increase their overall food security, all while on a budget.