The most recent KY by the Numbers report states, a median household income for families in Greenup County is $42, 452. Greenup County is also one of many counties in Kentucky dealing with a high precedence of chronic disease such as heart disease and diabetes. Research has shown there is a natural link between nutrition and making behavior changes that lead to healthier lifestyle choices. The Greenup County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent along with the Snap-Ed assistant collaborated to hold a workshop once a month to provide education to the community at the Greenup County Extension Office.

Twenty four participants have been attending “Cooking through the Calendar”, a series that meets on the third Thursday of every month. The series is focused on skill building related to cooking, nutrition, and budgeting along with giving participants resources to learn avenues for making healthy lifestyle choices. The Snap-Ed assistant and Family and Consumer Sciences Agent utilized the Healthy Choices for Everybody curriculum and the 2018 Food & Nutrition Calendar. The focus is for participants to gain knowledge and skills related to portion control, meal planning/budgeting, having a balanced diet, and skills required to prepare meals safely at home. 

The participants work in small groups with instruction by the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent on how to prepare the recipe for the month. Each month we cover a new skill related to kitchen safety from knife skills to proper food handling. After the meal is prepared the participants sample their product and the Snap-Ed assistant leads a lesson from the Healthy Choices for Everybody curriculum. 91% of participants have reported an increase of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. 85% of participants have reported using meal planning and budgeting strategies from the course to help maintain a balanced budget in their home.

One participant stated “I always feel comfortable learning and asking questions in this class. It has always been difficult for me to try new recipes at home because I often didn’t know how to prepare the food items. This class has taught me how to prepare new food items into a balanced diet while having fun with my friends from class!”