A rehabilitation house for men in Jefferson County participated in the University of Kentucky’s Nutrition Education Program through the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service. According to the 2018 STATE INDICATOR REPORT on Fruits and Vegetables from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 12.2% of Americans eat enough fruit and 9.3% Americans eat enough vegetables to meet the daily requirements.  The program, Healthy Choices for Everybody was offered. My Plate was one of the topics discussed and in the lesson the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables was emphasized.

The Nutrition Education Program Assistant informed the group that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet can help protect against a number of serious and costly chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and obesity. Fruits and vegetables also provide important vitamins and minerals that help the human body work as it should and fight off illness and disease, as well as a good source of fiber. The class prepared and sampled the vegetarian dish Skillet Enchiladas, which featured numerous vegetables. The group was surprised that a vegetarian dish could taste so good.  

Eighteen participates graduated from the class and the data from the exit survey showed a 72% increase in eating more fruit and a 61% increase in eating more vegetables. A participant in the class informed the Nutrition Education Program Assistant that he was now eating more dried fruit and nuts, and less candy and sweets