KA 703. Nutrition Education and Behavior

Adult Nutrition
It is critical to ensure that families have proper nutrition to grow and develop into healthy adults. The foods you provide early in life promote healthy lifelong eating habits and help manage healthy weights and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Extension staff provides several nutrition classes for agencies looking to educate their employees, students or staff and clientele in several capacities. Over 60 adults received completion certificates for attending 4 required sessions.

McKinley County SNAP Education
Obesity is increasing in our youth at an alarming rate and eating habits need to change for their survival. The majority of children eat considerably more calories than required to maintain their ideal weight. Extension staff and nutrition educators provide nutrition education for many of the McKinley County schools public, private and BIE. The students learn healthy eating habits, prepare healthy snacks and participate in nutrition games and exercise. To qualify for SNAP students need one hour of education, Cooking with Kids Tastings are one hour, Cooking with Kids Tasting and Cooking require 2 hours. All the programs are well received and the students especially enjoy the hands-on activities and reinforcements they are given. Teaching kids to eat healthier will help them to control their weight. All programs provided by extension include the New Mexico Performance Standards and Benchmarks adopted August 1196. Approximately 1,827 students grade per-12th completed one or all three of the curriculums during the school year or over the summer. Evaluation was provided by the ICAN staff, administered and collected by the nutrition educators and sent to ICAN specialist for reporting purposes.

Presentation on Motivation and Self-Esteem

Agent was again invited by the Shiprock Boys and Girls Club Director to do a presentation on motivation and self-esteem to the youth. The request resulted from the high rise of gang activities and prevalence of suicide that the director felt this topic would be beneficial to the youth especially it being Spring Break week. There were fourteen youth in attendance for this presentation. The youth learned the definitions of motivation and self-esteem. Part of the presentation was sharing biographies of athletes, quotes, and doing an interactive activity. Also a homework assignment was given for them to share what they learn on the topics with their family (parents and siblings, relatives, etc.) as a way to increase interaction and communication between family members, especially their parents. The presentation lifted their spirits and said they will return to school with a positive attitude and behavior.

Kitchen Creations

Every spring, NMSU tribal extension provides a program called “Kitchen Creations” for the Shiprock community. There were four classes held: the first class in April 2011, had 11 participants; second class had 8 participants; third class had 11 and final class had a full 11 participants. The classes teach participants about Diabetes and how to cook healthy meals with innovative fun and fast recipes. The Agent collaborated with Northern Navajo Medical Center’s Diabetes program so they provided a diabetes educator to teach from a curriculum. Participants learn about sugars and sugar substitutes; how to read labels when buying groceries; how to portion their meals using the 50/50 plate; how to use the “Food Pyramid” guide; and encouraged use of spices instead of the traditional use of salt for better taste. Informational handouts were given to participants as they also did hands-on cooking in preparing meals. Each participant had the opportunity to prepare meals from the Diabetes recipe book. This class encourage a healthy way of cooking to prevent further diabetes. It needs to be mentioned that due to funding cuts with NMSU tribal extension program, the Agent had to find an alternative way to buy food items for the meal preparations. Agent began seeking sources and was fortunate to find one which was the local grocery store, City Market. The deal was for City Market to provide a $50.00 gift certificate to buy grocery each time the class met. This also offset having to charge the participants a fee to attend the classes. All in all, the classes turned out successful where everyone benefited from this project.

Can It- Fall Canning

There was a widespread interest from the community for “canning” classes. So, the Agent arranged a fall canning schedule. Eight class dates were scheduled ranging from August to October 2011. The categories included the following: water bath, pressure canning for jams and jellies, fruit, and tomatoes. This was a first for the community which included a small fee for attendees. The first class was held on August 22th with six adults in attendance; the second class on August 25th had six adults; the third class on September 1st had eight adults, the fourth class on September 15th had five adults; and the fifth class on September 19th had five adults. The Ball Blue Book guide on preserving and the USDA canning guide to preservation were utilized for teaching. At each class session, handouts were given to participants as well as recipes and evaluation cards. Also given to the class were meat thermometers along with refrigerator thermometers. Prior to class instruction, the participants were given a brief introduction piece to share with the group on themselves and their experience, if any, with canning methods. At the end of each class was a question and answer period and time given for participants to share what they learned. The classes were successful that more classes had to be added to accommodate the interests.

Native Foods contest

Annually, the Native Women in Agriculture conference is held in the local area. In June 2011, the conference was held at McGee Park Multi-purpose building in Bloomfield, NM. Since the Agent serves on the committee of the Native Women in Agriculture, it provided for the opportunity to plan and host the first Native Foods contest at the Conference. It was something new and only two participants entered the contest. They each prepared traditional foods along with recipes which were judged. Afterwards, they were presented with awards that were donated from local organizations. It was a fun experience, even for the judges who enjoyed the event and voiced their interest in having this become a part of the Conference for the following year and thereafter. Due to the overwhelming positive response and it being a learning experience, the Agent will plan for it again. This time there will be advance advertising and a variety of categories included along with respective rules of each Native food entries.

Four major nutrition education and behavior efforts were conducted for the purpose of improving the health of Los Alamos County residents. Kitchen Creations, targets people living with diabetes and their families. It is a four-week series of education and hands-on food preparation. Through multiple community program offerings, the second effort, targets people living with diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases. The third educational effort targets seniors participating in the meal program of the Los Alamos Senior and Retired Organization. Via lunch hour presentations, seniors are provided with education on ways to improve their nutritional health and well-being. The final educational effort involves families with limited incomes who participate in a community food distribution program. These families are provided with colorful, easy to ready educational materials covering topics of nutrition, food safety, food selection, buying and preparation.


Kitchen Creations is a four week series targeting people living with diabetes. Each class provides diabetes management education, hands-on food preparation, and a sit-down dinner prepared by the participants. Twenty one individuals [1 participated. Class sessions included: The Food Guide Pyramid and the 50/50 Plate; Desserts and Carbohydrates; Vegetables, Grains and Beans; and Heart Healthy Cooking .

Evaluation -- An open ended evaluation questionnaire was given at the end of each class session. If participants’ questionnaire comments indicated a need for further clarification or if there were additional questions, these were discussed at the next class. A final evaluation, conducted at the last class asked participants how participating in Kitchen Creations has helped them manage their diabetes. Of the fifteen responses, over 50% of participants measured food portions, eat at least 2 serving of whole grains per day, use more herbs and spices to flavor foods instead of salt and fat and read food labels to find the amount of carbohydrates in a serving.

Funding for this program is provided by the New Mexico Department of Health Diabetes Prevention and Control Program.



In conjunction with the Los Alamos Heart two community educational programs were held in both Los Alamos and Española. “A Stroke Neurologist Talks About Stroke” was presented by a professor of neurology and neurosurgery from the University of New Mexico. The presentation focused on the risk factors for stoke and how to prevent it, what to do if you or a loved one is having a stroke and discussion on the new treatments for stroke. One hundred fifty six individuals attended the Los Alamos program. Sixty four people attended the Española program. The Cooperative Extension Service co-sponsored both programs. The home economist was responsible for publicity and speaker and registration logistics. Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) were provided to nurses and allied health providers. For further outreach, the seminar was video-taped and CD’s are available for viewing at several locations including the public Library and Senior Center.

A community program, Weaving Creativity into the Fabric of Healthcare seminar was held. Creativity experts and ovarian cancer survivor, articulated how creativity relates to their audience’s everyday lives and assures them success and wellness in the 21st century. A goal of the seminar was to have audience members come away with a feeling of inspiration, renewal and the confidence to make creativity a part of the fabric of their everyday lives. The Los Alamos Extension office co-sponsored the seminar. Sixty four community members attended the seminar. For further outreach, the seminar was video-taped and CD’s are available for viewing at several locations including the public Library and Senior Center. The home economist was responsible for publicity and speaker and registration logistics.

Ten Tips for Living Well, a full page article, was written by the home economist for publication in The Essence for Los Alamos & White Rock. This quarterly publication celebrates people, places, businesses, organizations, and activities that are essential to life in the Los Alamos community. The article provided a countdown of ten tips that will improve a person’s well-being and health.

Immune Boosters was a presentation given to ten seniors at the White Rock Senior Center. The program discussed the key nutrients beneficial for improving the immune system. The information was presented utilizing a Power-Point presentation prepared by the home economist. A handout was developed summarizing the key points of the presentation. The presentation was the regularly scheduled monthly program of the EANM and was open to the public.

Canning and Freezing of Fruits and Vegetables were presented to the Los Alamos Master Gardeners at their October meeting. Fourteen people attended the program. The home economist utilized the “So Easy to Preserve” videos and a questions and answer session to teach the topic. Extension Food preservation handouts were made available for participants.

The New Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), was a program provided to the Extension Association of Los Alamos. Eleven members and guests attended the program presented by a staff member of Los Alamos Medical Center, Cardio-Rehabilitation. The new CPR only uses chest compressions and does not require air exchanges. The home economist arranged for the speaker.

Los Alamos Health Fair -- the home economist prepared a table display “To Drink or Not Drink” consisting of four learning stations – healthy drink station, juice station, serving size station and beverage session. The purpose of the display was to help participants learn about the sugar content of beverages and how to make wise drink choices. One hundred sixty six (166) people stopped to view the display, ask questions and/or pick-up educational materials.



Quarterly lunch-hour presentations were presented to seniors from the Los Alamos Retired and Senior Organization. Healthy Eating for the Holidays was presented to forty two (42) seniors. The program illustrated how holiday foods high in fat and sugar can add up to a possible weight gain. Whole Grains – Battling Dangerous Belly Fat was given to fifty six (56). The program discussed some current research linking lower visceral adipose tissue (VAT) (belly fat) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) to people eating 3 or more servings of whole grains and who limited their intake of refined grains to less than one serving a day. Also presented was a discussion on twenty different whole grains, their health benefits, basic cooking directions and serving suggestions. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 – Part I presentation was given to forty three (43). 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is the federal government's evidence-based nutritional guidance that promotes health, thus reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity through improved nutrition and physical activity. Because more than one-third of children and more than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, the newest (7th) edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans places stronger emphasis on reducing calorie consumption and increasing physical activity. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 – Part II was given to sixty four (64). All four programs utilized a PowerPoint presentation and handout created by the home economist for participants as well as for homebound seniors participating in the meal delivery program.



The Los Alamos Extension Service Home Economics Advisory committee made a recommendation to include easy-to-read nutrition educational materials in the food boxes distributed through the monthly LA Cares food distribution program. One page, double sided inserts were created by the home economist for this distribution. Twelve topics for inserts have been determined. Inserts distributed include: Vary Your Veggies; Focus on Fruits; Make Half your Grains Whole; Get Your Calcium-Rich Foods; Go Lean with Protein; Watch Your Fats, Sugars and Sodium; Vegetable of the Month—Eggplant; What Should You Be Drinking? Water, Milk, Juice; and Balance What You Eat with Physical Activity. Additionally, one month the food distribution program had large amounts of cabbage to distribute. To encourage participants to take and use this commodity, the home economist prepared an additional insert, Vegetable of the Month—Cabbage to provide to people taking this vegetable. Inserts include information on what makes a serving for each of the different food groups, tips on buying, serving and preparing foods, as well as easy to make recipes that include food items typically provided in the food boxes. Approximately 90 families receive food boxes with average participation of 283 individuals being serviced. All participants are very low income (below 50% of median income).

The Los Alamos Heart Council co-sponsors a Heart Healthy Cooking, Eating and Living School. The three hour program each year rotates between Los Alamos and Española. The school, held in Española this year, was taught by the Rio Arriba Extension Home Economist and a nurse from the Española Hospital. The Los Alamos home economist provided the curriculum she and a registered dietician developed. Detailed lesson plans and a PowerPoint presentation were provided to the Española presenters. Seventeen people participated in the cooking school.