Strengthening Tennessee Families

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fcs.tennessee.edu

Tennessee Shapes Up

Gibson C

ounty, TN

Cooking matters to 24 Gibson County residents who participated in a pilot program to increase their healthy cooking skills.

Gibson County was one of only nine counties across the state to participate in the Cooking Matters pilot program to help improve the health of families and individuals receiving supplemental nutrition and commodity foods as part of Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. “Nutrition, health and wellness issues plague our county. A large number of individuals and families receiving SNAP and commodity food items don’t know how to prepare healthy meals with the food they receive,” said Extension Agent Barbara Berry. “Educating limited resource individuals and families who are responsible for planning and preparing family meals is priority,” she continued. The program, which helps families shop for and cook healthy meals on a budget, was presented in six classes of two hours each and included a grocery store tour. “This pilot project provided hands-on culinary and nutrition education through a series of six classes,” Berry said.

In addition to the grocery store tour, participants received take-home ingredients to prepare the meal at home. The classes were offered at the Polk Clark Community Enrichment Center located in Milan, and the county’s TNCEP program partnered with Share Our Strength to help deliver the program content. TNCEP and Cooking Matters funded purchases for kitchen supplies and food. Berry said the target class enrollment was eight to 15 participants, but a total of 24 people enrolled. Participants polled during the program said they learned more about selecting healthy options at the grocery store, how to read food labels and that it is possible to prepare a nutritious meal for a family of 4 to 6 for $10.00 or less.

Educating limited resource

individuals and families who are responsible for planning and preparing family meals is priority.

Clean & Healthy Homes

Tennessee Choices for Better Health

Tennessee Shapes Up

Because our home environments affect our health, this program area focuses on teaching about hazards, preventions and treatments for asthma, lead poisoning and household injuries. Of participants surveyed:

This program area focuses on information that addresses the prevalence of chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, arthritis and cancer in Tennessee. Of participants surveyed:

Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and decreasing consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks are key outcomes for this program area to help adults and youth in Tennessee improve health. Of participants surveyed:

Tennessee Saves

Tennessee Families

Because Tennesseans spend too much and save too little, this program area focuses on financial planning activities like bankruptcy and homebuyer education and high school teacher training. Of participants surveyed:

This topic area has helped provide afterschool programming to more than 800 at-risk children across the state, and in those programs, children are presented experiential, “learn by doing” activities. Of participants surveyed:

Learned how regular housecleaning can reduce health hazards

Have maintained a regular exercise routine

Increased vegetable consumption

Increased math and reading grades by a letter grade at the end of the year

Learned how to make a spending plan

Learned the importance of household moisture control

Plan to get age- and gender-appropriate cancer screenings

Decreased sugary drink consumption

Significantly reduced the number of office referrals

Increased their overall financial management skills

Learned the effects of environmental tobacco smoke on children’s health

Have had fewer doctor or emergency room visits

Increased fruit consumption

Increased literacy levels

Better understood credit reporting and scoring and wise use of credit

70%

70%

59%

42%

99%

94%

55%

67%

39%

96%

80%

92%

35%

72%

97%

Programs in agriculture and natural resources, 4-H youth development, family and consumer sciences, and resource development. University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture and county governments cooperating. UT Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.

Data Source: University of Tennessee Extension. (2015). SUPER Reporting System.

University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University Family and Consumer Science Extension Agents provide educational programs

for all ages in a total of five topic areas throughout the state.