Author: Abigail Ewing
Planning Unit: Jefferson County CES
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of adults in the United States meeting federal fruit and vegetable intake recommendations in 2015 was 12% for fruits and 9% for vegetables. In Kentucky, these percentages were 8% for fruits and 6% for vegetables. These are alarming statistics, and they reinforce why programs like the Healthy Choices for Everybody are so important. With the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations have been forced to rethink ways in which they can reach their target audience. The Healthy Choices for Everybody curriculum was implemented with Goodwill’s RISE (Reintegrating Individuals Successfully Everyday) program in Louisville by the Nutrition Education Program Assistant with the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service. Through seven different lessons presented virtually on Zoom during the pandemic, topics ranging from meal planning on a budget to food safety practices were discussed. Also included in each of these lessons were YouTube cooking videos from the Nutrition Education Program’s page. There have been five separate sessions of the virtual RISE program thus far, and new sessions are planned all the way until the end of the year. In the fifth session, Jefferson, Pike, and Fayette County all collaborated to expand the reach of the program. At the end of the program, each participant received insulated shopping bags filled with reinforcement items to use in their own kitchens, such as collapsible measuring cups and colanders. After completion of the program, 72% of the Jefferson County participants increased how often they consume fruit each day and 52% increased how often they consume vegetables each day. The Kentucky Nutrition Education Program is an effective program that directly affects fruit and vegetable consumption throughout the state.
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