Food Nutrition Education Program (FNEP)
Julie Royse, FNEP Coordinator
University of Missouri Extension Family Nutrition Education Programs (FNEP) reached 1,199 low-income participants with nutrition education in Cole County during 2008. FNEP provides information on nutrition, food safety, and physical activity for lifelong health and fitness.
Nutrition education for youths provides information in kid-friendly terms and lessons with hands-on activities. Activities include opportunities for taste-testing healthy foods and practicing skills that lead to good health. Education for adults includes nutrition, food safety, physical activity, and food resource management.
During 2008, 1,185 youths and 14 adults were served through schools, community groups and agencies. Students in the following schools received nutrition education classes: Belair Elementary, East Elementary, Eugene Elementary, Thorpe Gordon Elementary, Blair Oaks Elementary, West Elementary and Moreau Heights Elementary.
The Food Power Adventure was held at Belair Elementary School. At each station in Food Power Adventure, a volunteer presenter engaged the students in a five-minute activity that taught and reinforced healthy behaviors and choices. Food Power explains the path food takes from the farmer’s field to the sports field.
Show Me Nutrition Education Displays updated school staff on nutrition and health information. Teachers and staff share what they learn from the displays with their students by using information in the classroom or by modeling healthy behaviors to their students.
Evaluation data collected across the entire state reflects the positive impacts that occur in every county with FNEP. For youths who participated in FNEP, results summarized for the state revealed the following positive impacts:
Three thousand three hundred forty-eight (3,343) teachers reported that:
Student changes reported by teachers |
||
|
Student changes |
% of teachers observed each type of student change |
% of teachers whose students talked about this change |
|
More aware of nutrition |
92% |
85% |
|
Make healthier meal and/or snack choices |
62% |
73% |
|
Eat breakfast more often |
45% |
48% |
|
More willing to try new foods |
73% |
68% |
|
Improved hand washing |
87% |
78% |
|
Improved food safety other than hand washing |
34% |
38% |
|
Increased physical activity |
58% |
60% |
|
Teachers’ Changes (self-reported) |
|||
|
Behavioral change |
% of teachers who made each type of change |
% of teachers already practicing behavior |
% of teachers model/talk behavior in front of students |
|
49% |
89% |
||
|
Make healthier meal and/or snack choices |
47% |
47% |
88% |
|
Eat breakfast more often |
33% |
53% |
73% |
|
More willing to try new foods |
40% |
49% |
79% |
|
Improved hand washing |
33% |
66% |
90% |
|
Improved food safety other than hand washing |
35% |
60% |
69% |
|
Increased physical activity |
38% |
41% |
79% |
|
Make/offer healthier food choices for students |
49% |
37% |
|
*Evaluation data was collected on students who participated in a variety of curricula from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12.