Note: This site is for reviewing legacy plan of work data from 2007-2011. If you are looking for the current plan of work interface, visit pow.nmsu.edu.

Impact Report

For plan KA 703. Nutrition Education and Behavior (Valencia County)
Date October 28, 2010, 8:22 pm
For Objective Medium-term Show medium-term objectives
Impact Report Kitchen Creations One month after attending the first Kitchen Creations classes, 50% of participants reported that they had increased their fruit and vegetable consumption. Over 60% reported that they were working to control and maintain awareness of their portion size. Over 50% had adopted new food preparation techniques (specifically, seasoning food with spices vs. oils and salt) and were consciously following the 50/50 method of meal planning/eating. Furthermore, over 40% of participants were using the Diabetes Food Guide Pyramid. Less than 40% reported an actual increase in physical activity but maintained they knew the importance and benefits of doing so. Additional findings after one month from participating in the program are that over 70% were now reading food labels to find the amount of carbohydrates in a serving and 50% were now eating at least 2 servings of whole grains per day and 2 servings of non-starchy vegetables. One participant reported, “My use of fats was not good! (I was using) too much butter on everything. I am not yet, but will soon start, using more herbs and spices to flavor foods instead of salt and fat. I just never knew how to use spices prior to this class.” Another participant called and left the following voicemail message one month after beginning class, “ I couldn’t wait to tell you how happy, happy, happy I am with the class, materials, cook books and my new knowledge regarding my diabetes. My husband is going to love these recipes and I’m so excited because I’ll feel comfortable preparing them after what you’ve taught me. I’m so grateful I was able to attend this class and I’m so looking forward to attending the next series of classes (Kitchen Creations II). I can be healthier and happier because of what I learned. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!” ICAN The statewide adult behavior survey administered to participants during the past year indicated a positive change in behaviors including: an increase in paying attention to portion size, an increase in eating at least 4 cups of fruits and vegetables each day and a 55% increase in preparing healthy meals at home each day. Additionally, 30% of participants report an increase in comparing prices at the grocery store and using nutrition labels when deciding what foods to buy. A participant who graduated from the program 3 months ago shared the following, “Immediately after a class I went home to find my wife crying because we didn’t have enough food to make one meal and no money was left on their EBT card. We have a family of four to feed and everyone was feeling hopeless. I used the ‘tools’ I learned in our ICAN class and with a small piece of leftover meat, two potatoes and random scraps of vegetables, I prepared a pot of stew that was more than enough for my whole family to eat! I learned how to shop better on a budget and to make food stamp dollars last longer. I also used the information on how to properly cook and store foods so there is less waste. My family has started playing games and planning meals together.”