The Johnson County Senior Citizen Center and the Johnson County Senior SNAP-Ed Assistant talked about the dangers of sodium, sugar and fats in their diets. The group of 14 seniors talked and learned about chronic disease from the foods they eat. They learned that all were having health issues that were the effects from one or more chronic health issues. All the members of this group are also on a regular prescribed medication for lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin for controlling diabetes.  

During our lessons we talked about limiting calories from added sugars, saturated fats and sodium. We talked about the types of fats and how to look for healthy unsaturated fats. We also learned how to identify sugars with different names and how to look for foods with natural occurring sugars that are found naturally in the foods we eat. We discussed reducing sodium in their diets by using herbs and spices along with foods like onions and garlic to enhance the flavor of their meals. All 14 seniors tried new ways to prepare recipes and enjoyed participating in the demonstrations during the meetings. By the end of our meetings all the participants stated that they were applying what they had learned and cooking their meals at home by making their favorites into new healthy recipes that they can still enjoy.