Based on county health rankings discovered by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Fairfield County is ranked 36th out of 46 counties in South Carolina for poor health outcomes such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Such issues may be due to the diet and lifestyle of its residents and the lack of resources for residents to create a balanced diet with their income.
Clemson Extension partnered with Carolina Community Actions, Inc. to provide programming to Fairfield County residents that focused on nutrition education and expanding their food dollars. The program emphasized the nutritional aspects of “eating the rainbow”, how to read a nutrition label, knowledge on shopping smarter, and how to increase one’s vegetable, fruit, and fiber intake. Fourteen people attended the program.
At the conclusion of the programming, an evaluation was completed to reference the thoughts and attitudes of the participants. Seventy-six percent of the participants stated that they plan to take actions on making changes based on the information delivered. Participants indicated an increased awareness of how to read food labels, knowledge of MyPlate, and how to prepare balanced meals on a budget.
