~~Kentucky high schools rank among the highest in the nation for childhood obesity.  In an effort to improve that statistic, the Expanded Food and Nutrition assistant in Livingston County has focused attention on the 3rd through 8th grade level.  The classes were held during the after school programs at North Elementary, South Elementary and Livingston County Middle School.   The classes titled, Food for Thought met every other week.  In the lower grades, the focus was on trying new foods and better handwashing practices.  The 6th thru 8th grades were more involved with knife skills and safe food handling emphasized but still with a focus on trying new foods. At the end of the series of classes, 38% of the children responded that they eat more vegetables.  26.5 % eat more fruit.  28% drank more milk and 22.5% were more active.  In addition to the improved responses, the 6th thru 8th grade students also learned valuable cooking skills through hands-on activities. At each meeting they prepared and tried a new healthy recipe.  They learned how to handle a knife in the kitchen, how to chop vegetables and healthy ways to cook with less fat. Of these same students, 60% learned the proper way to measure, the difference between wet and dry measuring cups and 44% can follow a recipe more easily.  These lessons will be reinforced to students each year they are in the Nutrition class the Mustang Roundup Academy, Opportunity Zone and North Star Academy after school programs and by the time they are adults, good habits will become second nature to them.   Many of the students shared what they learned in class with their families and involved them in preparing a meal.