The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program has been serving limited-resource families across the United States for over fifty years through community nutrition education. EFNEP was established in 1969 by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in response to growing concerns of diet quality and poverty nationwide. It began as a pilot program in Alabama and later spread across the U.S. with the help of land-grant universities’ cooperative extension programs. Today, NIFA funds EFNEP programs in all fifty states, and this funding delivers promising results in health outcomes and behavior change for families in need.
EFNEP targets four core areas to help improve health outcomes: diet quality & physical activity, food security, food resource management, and food safety. With research-based curricula, EFNEP delivers free nutrition classes to limited-resource communities.
Clemson Extension’s EFNEP program has been actively working in Spartanburg County to deliver hands-on, interactive nutrition lessons to Title I schools, after-school programs, community centers, and more. The adult curriculum used by Clemson EFNEP, Eating Smart, Being Active, includes nine lessons which highlight money-saving tips for grocery shopping and budget-friendly recipes for families. Clemson EFNEP also serves middle and high school students through the Teen Cuisine curriculum which promotes independence in the kitchen by improving food safety practices and cooking skills. Elementary-aged students in grades third through fifth may also participate in this program through the Choose Health: Food, Fun, and Fitness curriculum. These lessons introduce young learners to the importance of maintaining a well-balanced diet while helping them identify which foods and drinks could help them do so. At each level, these interactive classes include a food demonstration that allows participants to practice their cooking and food safety skills and a physical activity portion to promote regular exercise.
By maintaining ongoing partnerships throughout the county, youth and adults in Spartanburg have received free resources on diet quality, physical activity, food safety, healthy recipes & more. If you are interested in bringing these classes to your organization or school, please contact the EFNEP nutrition educator at your local Clemson Extension office!
EMILY DURANT FISH, NUTRITION EDUCATOR SPARTANBURG COUNTY
864-594-0421