“PASS THE VEGGIES PLEASE”

PATARA STRUNK

5-13-2019

EFNEP Assistant

Perry County, KY

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) states that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help protect against many diseases.   The same report says only 8% of adults meet the daily fruit recommendations and only 6.3% of adults meet the daily vegetable recommendation.  Despite the many health benefits, Americans are not consuming enough fruits and vegetables.  Many of the families we serve say that cost is a barrier to purchasing healthier food, especially produce.

The University of KY College of Agriculture Food and Environment Cooperative Extension Service Nutrition Education program assistant, in conjunction with Kentucky River Community Care, presented the Healthy Choices for Everybody curriculum to a group of 6 mothers for a series of 7 sessions.  Participants learned about healthy eating, healthy food preparation, food safety, and the importance of physical activity.  Classes also focused on budgeting to be able to purchase healthier food for their families. One participant stated she prepared the recipes she was provided, to serve more nutritious meals for her family.

Surveys were taken at the beginning of the series of classes and were repeated at the completion of the series.  Reports from the data collected showed an average of 83% or 5 out of 6 participants showed improvement in diet quality which also included increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, after completion of the classes.