About the Family Nutrition Program

Contact

Title:  Program  Assistant, Family Nutrition Program Phone:  937-224-9654 email:  schroeder.20@cfaes.osu.edu

Overview

The Family Nutrition Program (FNP) is sponsored by a grant from the Midwest Region Food and Consumer Service, United States Department of Agriculture. The Ohio State University Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Program Leader, Community Nutrition, Extension Food and Nutrition Specialists and program coordinators apply for the Ohio Food Stamp and Nutrition Education grant.  In Ohio the Grant is written as the Family Nutrition Program.  Currently Ohio has 66 of 88 counties participating. 

Family Nutrition Program in Montgomery County

Montgomery County OSU Extension FNP targets senior citizens and adults without children in the household who may be eligible for food stamps.  In addition FNP includes two nutrition lessons a year at each of the 21 Senior Resource Connection congregate meal sites, the Samaritan Clinic for the Homeless, the Life Enrichment Center, various senior housing complexes,  Depaul Center, Booth House  and other agencies serving adults throughout the county.

The Family Nutrition Program goal is to help qualified participants stretch their food dollars throughout the month. The classes help them develop knowledge, and skills, and change behavior necessary for planning, purchasing and preparing healthy meals.

In Fiscal Year 2008  1,593 adults and seniors attended at least one of 134 individual Family Nutrition Program classes. 89% of the participants completed end of program surveys.  95.5%  of those participants indicated that they learned some to a lot of new information. 

84% intend to make some to a lot of healthy meal planning, food shopping, food safety and meal preparation changes based on what they learned in class.  502 stated they planned to use MyPyramid when planning meals while 608 participants plan to utilize the low cost food shopping information to help them stretch their food dollars throughout the month.  

In addition 12,332 Indirect Contacts were made by distribution of the Family Nutrition Newsletter, Nutrition Calendars and Nutritional Information Brochures throughout Montgomery County including the Dayton Montgomery County Public Libraries,  Jobs and Family Services, WIC, various food pantries, homeless services and senior services agencies and Latino Community and Outreach Clinics. 

Two food budgeting/ meal planning/budgeting  lessons a month were taught at the Samaritan Clinic for the Homeless in Dayton.  The classes have been such a success  that the Samaritan Clinic is planning to provide a classroom with a teaching kitchen in their new facility this coming year to facilitate hands on learning.

Topics

• Understanding dietary guide lines
• Understanding th Nutrition Facts Food Label
• Using the USDA MyPyramid Food Guide
• Balancing the food we eat with physical activity
• Vegetables for health. Incorporating more plant-based foods into your diet
• Decreasing fat in your diet
• Decreasing sodium in your diet
• Healthy holiday eating.
• Food safety and sanitation
• Using a food thermometer
• Calcium in your diet
• Cooking for one or two people
• Food shopping on a budget. What is the cost of food at home?
• Topics are adaptable to community and economic changes

Partnering Programs

• Jobs and Family Services
• Senior Resource Connection
• The Samaritan Clinic
• The Other Place: Iowa Project and River Commons
• DePaul Center
• Catholic Social Services of Miami Valley Riverview Food Pantry
• WIC
• Sr. Independence
• Lunteran Social Services Sr. Housing: Redeemer Manor & Martin Luther Manor
• Places Incorporated
• Shiloh House