Expanded Food and Nutrition Program (EFNEP)

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is a nutrition education program addressing nutrition and physical activity behaviors of low-income families. Through a community-based, relationship-driven, hands-on educational approach, EFNEP has directly impacted economic, obesity, and food insecurity challenges that hinder the health and wellbeing of this nation.

The Adult EFNEP utilizes Eating Smart - Being Active curriculum. It is an evidence-based, healthy eating and active living curriculum designed to be taught by paraprofessionals to limited resource adult learners. Curriculum content is based on the latest research findings from the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate. Each of the 9 lessons is designed to be taught in sequential order, building on previous lesson content. Activities include dialogue-based learning and hands-on activities. Lesson content includes physical activity, nutrition, healthy lifestyle choices, food preparation (cooking skill development), food safety, and food resource management.

The curriculum also contains three maternal and infant nutrition lessons as a supplement to the core nine lessons. These lessons are Eating Smart and Being Active During Pregnancy, Feeding Your New Baby, and Feeding Your Baby Solid Foods.

The Youth EFNEP utilizes Eat For the Health of It curriculum. The program goal is to have fun and promotes learning about the foods we eat every day. Topics explore how to increase consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods each day and also teach youth the basic skills of planning and preparing great tasting food for themselves, their friends, and their family.

Some of the topics* to be explored include:

• Build a Healthy Plate: Discuss the concepts of MyPlate and the dietary guidelines.
• What Is in that Snack? How to make wiser choices: Using the nutrition facts label, common snacks foods will be reviewed for sugar, fat, sodium, calories and serving sizes. Using MyPlate concepts discover alternate choices.
• Making Healthier Fast Food Choices: Discuss typical fast food meals, determine the amount of fat, sodium and sugar. What changes can be made? How can they influence family members to make changes?
• Rethink your Drink: common beverages will be reviewed for serving sizes, sugar, fat and calorie content.
• Including physical activity every day! How to balance the energy in and energy out to maintain a healthy weight.
• Food Safety, Should I eat that? Discuss food safety principles and foodborne illness.