Author: Angela Baldauff
Planning Unit: Kenton County CES
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
According to the 2018 County Health Rankings study produced by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, 38% of children in Kenton County, Kentucky, live in single-parent homes. In order to provide a needed service to students, a Community Resource Success Coach for Gateway Community and Technical College contacted the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP-Ed) Nutrition Education Program (NEP) Assistant from the Kenton County Cooperative Extension Service to offer a basic cooking/nutrition class at the Gateway campus in Edgewood, Kentucky. The NEP Assistant offered the Healthy Choices for Every Body class as a 7-part series which met every other week. Almost all of the participants were single working moms (80%) who were also attending college. Another participant was a grandmother who was helping to raise her grandchildren.
During the series the NEP Assistant taught the participants the importance of being a good role model for their children. If they wanted their children to eat healthier, they must make better food and beverage choices. The NEP Assistant taught the importance of meal planning and shopping with a grocery list to save money at the grocery store. After the participants learned to read food labels, they realized some of the items they had at home in their cupboards were not healthy for them or their children. After the participants helped to prepare healthy recipes in class, they were challenged to make those same healthy recipes at home. The participants slowly began to make healthier choices for themselves and their children. At the end of the series almost all of the participants (80%) had increased their consumption of vegetables each day. All of the participants (100%) had increased their usage of a meat thermometer, and in planning their meals before shopping. As a result of the class the participants were able to make healthier recipes for themselves and their children.
Plans are being made to offer the series to more students at Gateway Community and Technical College to help future generations learn how to be a good role model.
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