Author: Amy Lawrence
Planning Unit: Simpson County CES
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
Food resource management and food safety are two critical areas affecting Kentuckians. According to Feeding America, (feedingamerica.org), 44 million people in the US are food insecure, including 13 million children. Food Insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture as "the lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life. Feeding America states that "Food insecurity is associated with numerous adverse social and health outcomes and is increasingly considered a critical public health issue." In Simpson County, Kentucky, the food insecurity rate is 14.1%. Additionally, the CDC estimates 48 million Americans suffer from a foodborne illness annually, with Kentucky Department for Public Health citing 1284 cases of reported foodborne illness in 2019. One organization that provides aid to low-income families is Head Start. The Simpson County NEP Assistant partnered with the coordinator of the county Head Start agency to provide a Healthy Choices for Every Body class series specifically reaching the families of Head Start preschoolers. In each of the seven 90-minute sessions, parents cooked recipes with their children and participated in topics involving nutrition, food safety, and food resource management. Exit data of this class showed a 100% improvement in food resource management skills as well as a 100% improvement in food safety practices by the adult participants. Strategies to improve food resource management during the series included understanding grocery store apps, utilizing coupons and store sales flyers, awareness of marketing tactics, strategic planning of menu and shopping trips, and resourceful use of available food. Food safety techniques for proper handling of produce, meats and poultry as well as sanitation practices and proper maintenance of food temperatures were discussed. This NEP assistant had a chance encounter at the grocery store with one of the families the day after the Food Safety lesson. Both parents eagerly demonstrated how they strategically separated and bagged the meat products from the produce based on what they learned from the prior evening’s class. They excitedly displayed how well-balanced their grocery selections were thanks to a prior class which focused on learning about MyPlate. A parent texted a picture later that day showed their toddler eating lunch from the MyPlate incentive that had been given to each family. Mom stated “it helps me remember to give him all 5 food groups.”
“According to U.S. Census estimates for 2022, the median household income in Kentucky is $59,341, 21... Read More
According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 24.0% of youth ages 10 to 17 have obesity in Kentuc... Read More
“According to U.S. Census estimates for 2022, the median household income in Kentucky is $59,341, 21... Read More
According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 24.0% of youth ages 10 to 17 have obesity in Kentuc... Read More