Success Story Healthy Eating Habits of After School Programming
Healthy Eating Habits of After School Programming
Author: Michele Moore
Planning Unit: Butler County CES
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Outcome: Initial Outcome
The 2020-2025 dietary guidelines Healthy Eating Index Score Across Childhood and Adolescences ranks children ages 5-8 years at 55 and youth 9-13 years at 52 out of a possible score of 100. This indicates that diet quality in children in the US is not only poor but also diminishes as they age putting them at risk for health problems in the future. The Butler County NEP assistant partnered with two after school programs to help teach the children in these age categories the importance of eating healthy now and develop healthy eating habits. A group of eighteen K-2 students and a group of twenty 3rd through 5th grade students were taught Nutrition Education at Bear’s Den after school program. Both groups met 6 hours over the course of 6 weeks for 6 lessons. At the end of the sessions each group showed significant improvement in diet quality. Surveys indicate that the K-2 students had an increase of 83 percent. They increased knowledge in the identification of dairy products and vegetables. The group of 3rd-5th grade students increased their diet quality to 95 percent. Their greatest improvements were the frequency of drinking fruit flavored and sports drinks and improvements in eating fruits as a snack. The Butler County Nutrition Education Program Assistant and partners from Bears Den after school program worked together to teach the importance of developing healthy eating for children in Butler County and continues to work together to further educate this youth group with future planned endeavors.
Stories by Michele Moore
Addressing Food Insecurity Through Education: The Impact of Nutrition Programming at Morgantown Mission Food Pantry
Food insecurity remains a pressing issue in Kentucky, particularly in rural communities where povert... Read More
Healthy Eating Habits of After School Programming
The 2020-2025 dietary guidelines Healthy Eating Index Score Across Childhood and Adolescences ranks ... Read More
Stories by Butler County CES
Laugh & Learn
In the 2024 Early Childhood Profile for Kentucky, only 40% of children in Butler County are prepared... Read More
Cooking Under Pressure
A systematic review of the research published in 2021 on the benefits of in-home eating showed an in... Read More
Stories by Nutrition and Food Systems General

Celebrating Cultural Connections: Embracing Heritage Through Food and Nutrition Education
One-size-fits-all nutrition advice doesnt always capture the rich cultural traditions and meaningful... Read More

Teaching Neighbors, Strengthening Communities: The Power of KYNEP Storytelling
Across Kentucky, our Nutrition Education Program (KYNEP) educators are the “boots on the ground” emp... Read More
© 2024 University of Kentucky, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment