EFNEP
EFNEP
Expanded Food Nutrition Educational Program
The Kentucky Nutrition Education programs target limited resource families and individuals with nutrition education. The goal is to educate limited resource families with young children to plan nutritious meals on a limited budget, acquire safe food handling practices, improve food preparation skills and change behavior necessary to have a healthy lifestyle.
Velma Mullins
Basic Budget Bites
We all like to save money on our food purchases. Here are some tips for you to try:
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Plan Meals Ahead
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Check cabinets for needed food
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Stick to your shopping list
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Use coupons when you can
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Check store sale flyers for specials
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Be practical - are you going to use the food before it goes bad?
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Buy larger quantities of food items you eat often
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Store food correctly so it doesn't go bad before it should
Check out these two websites:
Food Facts
Smart Shopping...In the past, some food producers made claims about their products to make them sound healthful, such as "light," "2/3 less fat," or "80% fat-free". Many times these products weren't lower in fat or sodium than other brands, and they cost more.
Things have changed. The food and Drug Administration (FDA) now requires that foods be clearly and honestly labeled so that consumers can tell exactly what's in them. all foods labels must use standarized serving sizes so that different brands can be accurately compared, and the Nutrition Facts label must be printed on the package.
Today, if a food producer wants to attach a health claim to a product, that product must meet certain criteria. Understanding the terms below will make you a smarter shopper and can help you choose foods that meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Free: an amount so small that it probably wo n't have any effect on your body, for example, "fat-free" or "calorie-free".
Low: a small amount of or low source of calories, fat, or cholesterol.
Reduced: a product that has at least 25% less fat, calories, cholesterol, or sodium than a comparabale food.
Light: a product that contains a third less calories or 50% less fat than the traditional version.
High: a product that has 20% or more of the Daily Value for a nutrient for example, "high in calcium" or "high in vitamin C." Other terms that can be used are "excellent source of" or "rich in."
Good Source: a product that contains 10-19% of the Daily Value for a nutrient. For example, "good source of fiber."
Healthy: a product that is low in fat, saturated fat, and sodium and has at least 10% of the Daily Value of certain vitamins and minerals.
Velma Mullins can be reached at the Laurel County Extension Office by calling 864-4167
Adapted from Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.