Author: Stacy Trent
Planning Unit: Breathitt County CES
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention empty calories from added sugars and solid fats contribute to 40% of daily calories for children and adolescents age two through eighteen years which affects the overall quality of their diets. Approximately half of these empty calories come from six sources which include: soda, fruit drinks, dairy desserts, grain desserts, pizza, and whole milk. And most of these youth do not consume the recommended amount of water. To help address this issue the Wolfe County Cooperative Extension Service, Nutrition Assistant partnered with Middle Kentucky Community Action- Wolfe County Head Start and offered seven lessons using the Healthy Choices for Every Body curriculum for the parents of the youth attending Head Start. Some of the lessons that were offered included, knowing when to limit salt, fat, and sugars, the benefits of a healthy breakfast for them and their children, moving to low-fat or fat-free milk and yogurt, better beverage choices, and planning meals. The parents prepared and sampled recipes like yogurt parfaits, flavored waters, and salsa that they could make with their families. The parents learned how to limit the foods that have more empty calories from added sugars and solid fats like cakes and cookies and started offering more fruits and vegetables, they learned how to make healthier drinks for their families like fruit smoothies and flavored water using fresh fruits. They learned that eating healthy and cutting empty calories from their children’s meals and snacks will increase the overall quality of their diets. One mother stated, “My daughter loves making the fruit parfaits for breakfast instead of eating pop tarts, we use different types of fruits each time we make one.” Another mother stated, “We drink more flavored water instead of the pouch drinks.”
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