EFNEP - Crawford County
Jackie Young, Family Nutrition Advisor, Crawford County EFNEP
I have worked for Purdue as the FNA in Crawford County for a little over nine years and I am fortunate to have been provided ongoing training and a wealth of materials provided through Purdue and my supervisors. I have come to know many families here in the county through my work and they have taught me as much as I have tried to teach them.
Most people do not know what EFNEP means. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program began on a federal level in 1968 and exists in all 50 states. Its purpose is to help families focus on better eating habits, food safety, saving money on food, and staying physically active. In Indiana, we bring the program to each participant in their homes. In our county that seems to fit, since transportation or even a place for people to meet on a regular basis would be out of the question for most families. My visits last around an hour each week, and I am able to be fairly flexible in scheduling around families work or school activities.
As an FNA I am also trained to teach the Have a Healthy Baby program for expectant women. HHB began at Purdue in Indiana, but has now gone national, and its focus is in preventing low birth weight babies and improving the health of both the mother and her unborn child. I have been fortunate to work with teen or first-time moms as well as some who are in their forties, or even others who want to try breastfeeding on the second or third baby. Babies have that special magic that brings hope to everyone around them, and this is probably why HHB is so successful and has so much meaning to me.
Any family that qualifies for WIC, headstart, food stamps, or free or reduced lunch programs in the schools and has a child twelve years old or younger, or is a full time caregiver or guardian for such a child, qualifies to participate in the EFNEP program. Expectant parents that qualify for those programs listed would qualify for the Have a Healthy Baby program. There are 5 required lessons in the EFNEP program, but a great majority of the families in Crawford County complete the entire 16 lesson series. The HHB program contains 6 lessons, and all 6 must be completed, but many continue on into the EFNEP program and quite a few have completed 22 lessons in all. Each family is given their own workbook/cookbook that they can keep to use, and some choose to repeat the program after a couple of years to replace a book they have worn out from use.
If you have questions about EFNEP, or are interested in finding out ways to save on groceries, save time in the kitchen, or need help dealing with a fussy eater, feel free to leave your name, phone number, or address, and the best time of day for me to contact you at the Crawford County Extension Office (812)338-2352.
September 2007
Now that the kids have headed back to school and life begins to settle back into routine for the rest of the family, why not take this opportunity to add meal planning into your own schedule? Studies have shown that not only will this be the best way to save money on groceries, but families that plan meals ahead of time have the tendency to make better choices in the foods they are eating than those who do not make a plan. Only 6% of American families plan their meals one week in advance, and only half of American families plan more than 1 or 2 hours before the meal. Those that plan meals and make grocery list are not only saving money at the store, they are saving time both at the store and at home.
Grab a pen and paper and the sales flyers and ads for the week. Sit down in front of your calendar and think ahead for the next week or two. Are there some days when you will work late or perhaps have some sort of evening activity? Why not cook a double meal over the weekend or another day so that for the busiest of evenings you need only heat something up, or perhaps precook the meat for that day and either freeze or refrigerate. Imagine how less stressful it will be when all you need to do to put a nutritious meal in front of your family is to simply reheat and serve! You could go even further and not only cook extra for the busy days, but to give yourself that well-deserved night off from cooking. And don't forget that the chores that go along with meals can be divided up among the rest of the family--turn off the TV and get them busy setting the table, washing dishes, or sweeping the floor when everything is finished. Make it fun by turning it into a competition or a way to set and achieve a goal. Tell silly stories or sing while the dishes are being done, let everyone learn the responsibilities surrounding family life and working together, don't do it all yourself.
