EFNEP

What is the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program?

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is a federally funded nutrition education program that has been helping families since 1969.  Trained paraprofessionals, who live near you, will work with you on a weekly basis. EFNEP is fun, free and flexible.

About 450 Lake County families are reached by EFNEP each year.  Ninety percent had a positive change in at least one or more nutrition practice (i.e., planning meals in advance, reading labels, or feeding their children breakfast).

Eighty-six percent showed improvements in their food resource management skills (i.e., not running out of food, shopping with a list, comparing prices when shopping).

Seventy-eight percent improved their food safety practices (i.e., properly thawing and handling of foods, using meat thermometers to check for meat doneness, and proper and appropriate washing of hands).

Recent cost/benefit studies of the EFNEP program have consistently shown that for every $1.00 invested in EFNEP, as much as $8.00 is estimated to be saved in health care costs.

The benefits of EFNEP were characterized as dollars to be saved by the potential delay/avoidance of chronic diseases as a result of the EFNEP participant adopting optimal food and nutrition behaviors.  EFNEP families also saved on average, $33.00 per person per month on their grocery bill.

In the words of one EFNEP participant, "I learned how to save money and stretch my food dollar."

http://www.nifa.usda.gov/nea/food/efnep/video_40.html

How Does it Work?

A Family Nutrition Advisor (FNA) who lives in or near your neighborhood will contact you. Your advisor will meet with you either in your home, at a site you both agree on or in a group meeting in a nearby Community Center.

• During a typical visit, you will:
  *Discuss a variety of food and nutrition topics
  *Do hands-on activities
  *Make low-cost, tasty recipes

• You will receive:
  *A Participant Notebook full of tips and recipes
  *Lesson incentives and an EFNEP graduation certificate from Purdue University upon completion of the  lessons

Who Is Eligible?

Any Lake County resident is eligible for EFNEP if they are pregnant or have children AND qualify to participate in:

• WIC

• Food Stamps

• TANF

• Head Start

• Hoosier Healthwise

What Will I Learn?

• *How to make your food dollars and/or food bouchers last until the end of the month

• *Basic nutrition information

• *How to prepare quick, tasty and healthy foods

• *How to improve food safety skills

How Do I Sign Up?

To enroll in the Lake County Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, please contact Janet Reed at:  219-755-3240.

Links

State Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program Department

Have a Healthy Baby

Iowa State University - Spend Smart and Eat Smart

USDA - SNAP Recipe Finder