The Pike County Cooperative Extension Service Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program partnered with the Pike County West Care Rehabilitation for an eighth year to provide the Healthy Choices for Every Body Curriculum.

Healthy Choices for Everybody curriculum educated clients to make better nutritional choices and improve their food-budgeting skills.  Clients learned that eating from My Plate will provide vitamins and minerals to their bodies to keep them healthy. Lessons taught them how to budget money at the grocery store, how to plan meals and control portions, read nutrition labels, keep food safe and why they need to limit their fats, sugar and sodium intake. Clients learned how proper exercise regimen and eating from My Plate can positively affect their minds and bodies.

Eleven clients entered the program with 100 % graduating. These graduates reported the following: 69% participants improved on diet quality, 76% improved on food safety , and 56% improved on food resource management .

When asked to share their experience, “I have not only learned how to eat healthier with less money, but I have also learned how to properly prepare and store food in order to prevent food borne bacteria from spreading to the point of unhealthiness”. “I am now able to prepare healthy meals for my family with proper portions that is good for them “.P