According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate.gov, eating healthy can be a challenge especially when you do not know what to eat or how much to eat. Every person needs nutrients from a variety of foods, no single food can provide all the nutrients needed, so it is best to eat a variety of foods every day. The Jefferson County Nutrition Education Program (NEP) assistant partnered with a nonprofit agency, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, for young adult individuals receiving services. The young adults completed a 3-day in person nutrition class using the Healthy Choices for Everybody curriculum.

The program aims to provide nutrition education as well as diet quality which focuses on whole fruits, vary the veggies, making half your grains whole grains, vary your protein routine, moving to low fat or fat free, including oils as part of your healthy lifestyle, and limiting extra calories as well. The NEP Assistant made these sessions as interactive as possible by engaging the young adults in the lessons, using the icebreaker “What’s On Your Plate?”  and using visuals to reinforce the messages taught. The USDA’s MyPlate lesson was taught to participants, and the NEP Assistant shared with the group about other topics such as how much food to buy per person, creating a weekly menu and shopping list, planning for leftovers, and how being active for at least 30 minutes each day and other healthy choices for adults. 

At the conclusion of the program, twenty-four young adults completed the class. The exit survey shows that twenty-four out of twenty-four in the group, had a 100% success rate, showing improvements in eating fruits, vegetables, red and orange vegetables, dark green vegetables, drinking less regular soda, and fruit juices and cooking dinner at home. One client shared with the NEP Assistant, "I have lost 5 lbs. this week, just by taking time out to look at my calories from the ‘Choose Your Plate’ activity and now I know how much fruit, veggies, grains, dairy, and protein I am to eat every day; as well as 30 minutes of physical activity, and I feel great.”.