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 | Nutrition Education and Behavior (Colfax County) |
| Date | November 3, 2011, 11:02 pm |
| For Objective | Short-term Show short-term objectives |
| Impact Report | Kitchen Creations Diabetic Cooking School This year’s Kitchen Creations Diabetic Cooking School was held at the Raton High School Family and Consumer Science classroom in October of 2010 to meet the meal planning and diabetes management needs of a portion of the 1000 plus diagnosed diabetics and their families. The four-part, hands-on cooking school conducted in Colfax County and throughout the state continues to be funded by the New Mexico Department of Health - Diabetes Prevention and Control Unit in partnership with the NMSU Cooperative Extension Service, thereby making it possible to offer the classes free of charge to interested individuals. Fourteen participants gained skills in basic carbohydrate counting, reading nutrition facts labels, adjusting portion sizes, and planning and preparing meals that are lower in sodium, fat and carbohydrates. A certified diabetic educator (CDE) and registered nurse with Miner’s Colfax Medical Center in Raton co-taught each class with the home economist, while also assisting in setting up the kitchen areas, preparing refreshments, helping with the cooking portion of the classes, and cleaning after each class session. County demographics for the classes show that 43% of participants were diagnosed diabetics, while 50% had known family members with the disease. Participants ranged in age from 30 to 65 with a 64% Hispanic to 36% non-hispanic ethnicity ratio. While 57% of the class participants were female, consistent male attendance as a spouse, friend or parent speaks to the significance of sharing the responsibilities of preparing meals and becoming more knowledgeable about diabetes which helps the entire family to promote a healthier lifestyle. Participant evaluations showed that at the end of the class series the students were practicing the 50/50 plate method to control the amount of carbohydrates eaten at meals (54%); reading food labels (85%); using more herbs and spices to flavor foods instead of using salt and fat (54%); and watching portion sizes (54%). When asked what they liked most about the class, the participants said that “Actually preparing the recipes in class”, “Knowledge obtained about diabetes and how to control diabetes”, “Trying different types of food that I had never tasted and learned a lot about label reading”, and “The personal attention given by the teachers”. Many were also surprised to learn that the amount of added salt in foods was so high and that it is most important to focus on total carbohydrates, not grams of sugar, listed on a nutrition facts label. Lastly, a number of participants asked that additional diabetes related classes would be beneficial to them. |