Author: Angie York
Planning Unit: Lyon County CES
Major Program: Youth Fruit & Vegetable Access
Plan of Work: Increasing Knowledge about and Access to Fruits and Vegetables
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
According to the Center for Disease Control, 60% of children ages 2-18 do not meet recommendations for the amount of fruits and vegetables they should take in daily. In order to overcome obstacles associated with this deficit, the Lyon County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent works closely with the Lyon County Preschool and Head Start program to offer monthly nutrition education for all children enrolled in their programs. Using LEAP programming as a guideline, each month the children hear a book about the benefits of good nutrition and exercise as well as taste a fruit, vegetable, or dish that likely is not offered in their homes. Some of the most liked fruits and veggies were blueberries, beets, and star fruit, while cabbage and turnips did not receive such high praise. When hummus was introduced to the students they were asked to place a sticker under the smiley face on the chart of they liked the bean dip, or under the frown face if they did not. 79% of the children reported they liked the hummus and wanted their parents to make this dish for them to eat at home. In addition to being introduced to new foods, the children work each month with myPlate to better understand the correlation between the foods they eat and how those foods fit into the food groups (or how the foods they eat don’t fit). Because of the success of this partnership, classes will continue to be offered monthly.
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