In the United States, 7 out of the 10 leading causes of death are directly related to diet. This is largely because risk factors like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol are connected to the foods we eat. Evidence is drawing clearer connections to these risk factors and food insecurity. In Kentucky, food insecurity, or not having access to or the ability to afford nutritious food, largely contributes to diet-sensitive chronic conditions. Because of the known health outcomes observed among children and adults, food insecurity is now recognized as a leading nutrition-related health-care issue.

To address this concern, the Scott County Cooperative Extension Service hosted the Food as Health on a Budget workshop. The interactive program provided a broad overview of Food as Health and an understanding of how food can impact health, while informing participants about strategies they can use to save money while still making nutritious choices to support their health.

Program evaluations conducted immediately following the workshop revealed participants increased their understanding of nutritious eating and how to save money while also making nutritious food choices. Specifically, results showed 100% of individuals could identify nutrients the body needs more often to support health, and 100% of individuals could identify nutrients the body needs less often to support overall health. 100% of participants shared they could list ways to save money when making nutritious food choices. 100% of participants reported intentions to use strategies learned to save money while planning and shopping for food, while 100% reported intentions to put into practice information learned to save money while storing and preparing food.

Participants also indicated that they would plan out more of their meals and would consider the cooking process from planning to storage more often.