A major goal of the Nutrition Education Program can be summed up with a direct quote from the Healthy Choices for Every Body Curriculum facilitator guide, “ Explain that MYPLATE is a good starting point for making healthy choices for participants and their families.” The Butler County Nutrition Education Program Assistant, the Butler County Family and Consumer Science Agent, Andrea’s Mission for Men, and Andrea’s Mission for Men’s Dietician, came together to accomplish this goal.

Each week The NEP assistant taught Healthy Choices for Every Body curriculum to Andrea’s Mission for Men Rehabilitation facility. The assistant observed an inconsistency in their diet, portion sizes, and affordability of groceries for the facility. The assistant’s goal is to teach the clientele to eat healthy and to prepare healthy meals for their families based on the USDA guideline of age and physical activity. Unaware of the increase of physical activity, the Dietician was only allowing the clientele a 2,000 calorie per day diet. The men were hungry, and would purchase junk food to compensate, and serve larger portion sizes than the facility intended. This resulted in over eating, weight gain, and running out of food at the end of the week.

With the permission of the facility, The Butler County FCS agent and the Butler County NEP assistant met with the facilities dietician with their concerns. Based on the above stated criteria, the menu was revised to reflect a 2600 calorie diet. The facility worked with the FCS agent and the NEP assistant to find ways to save money on groceries while feeding the clientele a healthy menu that adequately met their nutrition needs. Andrea’s Mission for Men began purchasing food in bulk and using serving trays to proportionately serve their clientele. This method resulted in teaching the men how to eat healthy, to shop on a budget, to not overeat, and most importantly how to use the USDA guidelines in preparing food for their families. The residents now have a healthier relationship with food. It has been observed they have lost or maintained an adequate weight, make healthier and wiser choices for their families, and spend their family’s monies more wisely.

The Butler County Nutrition Education Program Assistant, The Butler County FCS Agent, and Andrea’s Mission for Men worked together to make Healthy Choices for Every Body a reality to said clientele.