Success StorySNAP-Ed Helps Individuals Eat for Health Post-Addiction



SNAP-Ed Helps Individuals Eat for Health Post-Addiction

Author: Courtney Rogers

Planning Unit: Franklin County CES

Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

Drug addictions can have a serious impact on decision making and the ability to care for oneself. The Franklin County Drug Court provides rehabilitation opportunities to individuals who committed low-level crimes but want to maintain sobriety, find work and be well. In a partnership with the Franklin County Extension Office, drug court participants attended seven SNAP-Ed nutrition lessons with cooking skill sessions. The goal was to re-establish positive relationships with food in individuals regaining their appetites post-addiction. As a result, every program participant reported that they adopted a nutrition practice like planning meals, reading labels, eating breakfast, or making food without adding salt. Further, 67% adopted as many as four of these behaviors. The participants also valued lessons about resource management, and 85% of participants began to use one or more food resource management practice, like panning meals, comparing prices, or using grocery lists to avoid running out of food.