The second half of 2016 saw the introduction of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed.) and its class, Food Talk, to Coffee County.
Food Talk offers six lessons that cover topics such as meal planning, sodium and its effect on blood pressure, the importance of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, how to read a nutrition label, understanding fats, and food safety. These classes are taught in a relaxed session and typically last 60 minutes.
Participants hear a lesson, receive take home items to help reinforce the lesson presented and also sample two recipes prepared in a cooking demonstration. Recipes incorporate inexpensive and readily available ingredients and are cooked in less than 25 minutes, proving that healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming.
The classes are completely free to participants, thanks to a grant provided by the USDA. This program has been well received in Coffee County and continues to grow, expanding into neighboring Atkinson County in December of 2016.
Debbie Hendley, the SNAP-Ed. Program Assistant, has greatly enjoyed teaching this program to employees at Douglas National Bank and Williams Industrial Foods. She has also taught sessions at the Coffee County Senior Center, Coffee High School, Coffee County Health Department and City of Douglas employees.
If this program might be of service to you, call the Coffee County Extension Office at (912)384-1402.
– Submitted