Nutrition is Puzzling

According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s County Health Rankings, 23% of Boyd County senior citizens are in poor health while the state average is 22%.

The director of a senior apartment complex asked the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-Ed) Assistant to conduct a series of classes using the Healthy Choices for Everybody curriculum to assist residents improve their overall health.  The  participants were given a sample of a recipe relative to that week’s class and a copy of the recipe to take back and incorporate into their meal planning.    

At the end of the series, the director approached the SNAP-Ed Assistant asking that she provide a healthy recipe as an insert in the residents’ monthly newsletter.  The SNAP-Ed Assistant copied recipes and added nutrition information on the back of the recipe page.  Upon returning to the facility, the residents remarked how much they enjoyed the word search puzzles that included words from the recipe on that page.   

Each month the SNAP-Ed Assistant selects a recipe and using a website-based word search generator, creates a puzzle using the ingredients and words from the directions.  One resident stated that she is “…cooking healthier because she works the puzzle and that makes her want to try the recipe.”   Another resident stated that instead of grabbing some unhealthy food, “…my new rule is that I have to try the puzzle recipe within three days of the newsletter coming out”.