What is in Your Cup?

Author: Judy Stephens

Major Program: Food and Nutrition

The CDC reports that 3 in 5 Americans, aged 2 years and older, exceed the recommendation to consume less than 10% of their total daily calories from added sugars on a given day of which 24% comes from sugary drinks and 11% from coffee and tea. The Laurel County Nutrition Education Program (NEP) Assistant noticed that participants in one group were consistently bringing sugar-sweetened beverages to classes.

To educate participants on creative ways to limit added sugars, the NEP Assistant taught the lesson “Rethink Your Drink” as part of a 9-week nutrition education series delivered to limited-resource families using the University of Kentucky Healthy Choices for Every Body curriculum.  In addition to limiting added sugar, the program teaches food resource management, physical activity, food preparation, and food safety skills.

Participants were asked to bring only water to lessons and encouraged to try using fruit to enhance their water. Children attending the program with their parents were given cups with fresh blueberries, strawberries, and oranges at the bottom of the cup covered by crushed ice and water. This enticed the children to drink the water before eating the fruit.

Following the lesson, participants continued to bring water or fruit-infused water to the weekly classes. Evaluation results showed that 57% of participants were consuming less sodas in their diet at the conclusion of the program.