Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County Nutrition Educator
Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program
by Pat Lamphier
Over the past 52 years more than a half-million children in New York families have benefited from the Expanded Food Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), a federal program delivered through Cornell Cooperative Extension that helps families with limited resources learn how to eat healthy meals on a budget and lead active, healthy lives.
Incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables in all meals and snacks is an important way to fuel your body in a healthy way. Purchasing local foods strengthens the
local economy, supports family farms, provides high quality, fresh food for consumers, allows you to connect with your food producer concerning the safety and nutrition of your foods, and preserves the natural environment.
EFNEP began in 1969 and quickly grew to be the largest nutrition education program in the country, helping participants increase their ability to select and buy food; learn skills in food preparation, storage and sanitation; and better manage their food budgets and related resources. EFNEP promotes the use of local foods.
How can you buy local?
- You can purchase from farmers’ markets or a local food exposition such as the TasteFLXpo that happens each winter in Corning. Follow the Finger Lakes Farm Country website and app for current information at com.
- Look for local food options at your favorite restaurants.
- Seek out locally produced food at your grocery store. Read labels to learn where your food was produced. And buy foods in season.
- Hunt and fish in your local area. Check with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for regulations, license information and hunting or fishing locations. Visit com for recipes.
- Check out com for local producers near you.
- Grow your own fruits and vegetables in gardens or pots. Raise your own livestock for eggs, milk, or meat.
- Enjoy local foods all year long by learning how to preserve food through freezing, canning or dehydrating. Be safe by using the most current food preservation methods available.
Adult EFNEP participants learn how to make food choices that improve the nutritional quality of the meals they serve their families. Youth EFNEP participants become engaged in a series of lessons designed to develop mastery, belonging, independence, and generosity. In addition to nutrition, food preparation, and food safety, youth topics may also include strategies for reducing screen time and being more physically active.
The positive impact that community educators have had on New York State families is significant. According to EFNEP statistics, a total of 320,000 adults have been enrolled in the program over the past half-century. This has led to 1.3 million family members and more than 500,000 children experiencing improvement in their eating and health habits.
“It’s a very rewarding job,” said Tina Snyder, nutrition program educator with CCE Tompkins. “In over 20 years I’ve seen a lot of success among the people I’ve worked with, myself included. I actually was a participant in this program when my son was small. I think the beauty of that is, I was where some of these participants are at and I’m able to translate that into helping them be successful.”
Participants also become energized with the information they are learning about their foods from the EFNEP classes. One Steuben County couple said they cut back on their sodium intake and learned the difference between whole milk and lower fat milk which still provide all the needed protein and vitamins. The changes helped them lose 30 pounds. The mother stated, “Eating healthy has been important to me and my whole entire family. Our kids are now having fruits and vegetables with daily meals. They’re eating apples like candy! We are eating at the table as a family and eating slower and actually talking.”
The need for such a program is great. “In New York State, 16% of the state’s population lives at or below the poverty rate, with 22% of children under the age of 18 living in poverty,” says Kimberly Kopko, associate director of Cornell Cooperative Extension and Outreach in Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology.
Similarly, the state’s rate of overweight or obese adults is 61%; among children aged 10-17 the rate is 31.8%. Being overweight or obese can lead to serious chronic healthy problems including diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. According to the U.S. Department of Health, nutrition education can mitigate these health problems associated with unhealthy intake.
What are some of the topics covered in these nutrition education sessions? They include:
- How to make the most of limited food dollars
- Using coupons,
- Using unit prices to determine the best buys,
- Reading grocery store ads,
- Understanding how grocery stores are designed,
- Hands-on food preparation of healthy snacks and meals,
- Recipe modification,
- The importance of physical activity in a healthy lifestyle,
- Ideas for increasing fruits and vegetables in meals and snacks, and
- Food Safety
Getting back to one fruit of the current season – apples. Did you know apples are the official fruit of New York State? Zestar and SnapDragon are two newer varieties you can find in supermarkets, and at farm stands, and farmers’ markets. Zestar and SnapDragon were developed by Cornell University and are sweeter with a “monster crunch.”
One large apple has 130 calories, 20% of your daily fiber needs, no sodium, fat or added sugars and is easy to take anywhere and eat for a snack. You can follow this link to find a U-Pick farm near you: https://www.applesfromny.com/find-apples/pick-your-own-apples/
Fall is also the season for several other fruits and vegetables. Before the frost: green and yellow beans, corn, eggplant, lettuce, peppers, spinach, summer squash, and tomatoes. All month long look for beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, kale, leeks, onions, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkins, winter squash, Swiss chard, turnips, apples, grapes, pears, and watermelon.
To learn more about the EFNEP program, visit https://fnec.cornell.edu/. In Steuben County you can visit the Food and Nutrition webpage.