1. Nutrition Education and the Idaho Food Stamp Program
MODULE 5
Nutrition Education and the Idaho Food Stamp Program
Updated: May 2017

2. Nutrition Education Programs in Idaho
1) Eat Smart Idaho
2) Cooking Matters
Though many people are unaware that nutrition education is a part of the Food Stamp Program, nutrition classes for individuals receiving food stamps take place all over Idaho. On the following slides, we will look at several of the largest programs.

3. Eat Smart Idaho
University of Idaho Extension implements Eat Smart Idaho across the state
Available to:
All Food Stamp
Program participants
Individuals who are
“likely eligible”
Sites with 50% or more individuals eligible for food stamps
Every state in the country has the option to participate in SNAP-Ed, a nutrition program for food stamp recipients established by the USDA. In Idaho, the Department of Health and Welfare runs SNAP-Ed by contracting with the University of Idaho Extension. U of I Extension has developed the Eat Smart Idaho Program. The goal of Eat Smart Idaho is to promote the self-sufficiency of food stamp recipients through community-based, informal experiential education. The program provides guidance designed to help adults with limited resources learn how to stretch their food dollars to provide tasty, low-cost, healthy meals for their families and choose physically active lifestyles.
All participants in the Food Stamp Program are eligible for Eat Smart classes. Individuals who are likely eligible for the Food Stamp Program are also able to participate, and Eat Smart Idaho has a waiver to offer classes at sites where 50% or more of the participants are eligible for food stamps.

4. Nutrition Advisors are trained and supervised by Extension Educators
Eat Smart Classes
Classes are taught at adult education programs, emergency food sites, Head Start, WIC clinics, low-income housing, and other community sites.
Topics include:
Dietary quality
Food safety
Food resource management
Physical activity
Common sites for Eat Smart Idaho classes include emergency food sites, food banks, schools, summer feeding programs, low-income housing units, and WIC clinics, among other locations. Classes can cover a wide range of topics related to nutrition and health, such as dietary quality, food safety, food resource management, and physical activity.
These topics are taught by nutrition advisors who are from the classes’ target populations. Nutrition advisors are trained and supervised by extension educators, and bilingual nutrition advisors are available at program sites with a high proportion of non-native English speakers.
The following video depicts the nutrition education program taking place in Homedale, Idaho.
[follow by video of Homedale nutrition education class.
Nutrition Advisors are trained and supervised by Extension Educators

5. Eat Smart Video

6. Eat Smart Idaho Classes
The classes are delivered in 3-8 sessions and include the following:
Hands on cooking and recipe demonstrations
Current research-based information
Handouts with recipes and websites
Interactive group discussion and learning
Take-home cooking kits

7. Nutrition Education Resources
Websites for SNAP-Ed Connection and ChooseMyPlate provide resources, recipes and lesson ideas for
nutrition educators.
In the video you just watched, you may have noticed the instructor using handouts and graphics to guide the lesson. The websites SNAP-Ed Connection and ChooseMyPlate provide such handouts on nutrition information, recipes, healthy eating on a budget, and lesson ideas for educators.

8. Cooking Matters
Created by Share Our Strength; offered in Idaho through The Idaho Foodbank in partnership with local agencies
Courses help low-income families and individuals learn how to make healthy meals
Classes are led by a culinary and a nutrition volunteer from the community
Course instructors teach cooking skills, practical nutrition information, food safety, and food budgeting strategies
Share our Strength, a national nonprofit organization striving to end childhood hunger in America, designed Cooking Matters, and Cooking Matters at the Store, to empower families with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to prepare healthy and affordable meals.
The Cooking Matters curriculum consists of courses designed to help low-income families learn how to make healthy meals using a wide variety of foods commonly available in grocery stores, at food pantries, or in WIC packages. Classes are led by a culinary and a nutrition volunteer from the community, and these instructors teach courses on cooking skills, practical nutrition information, and food budgeting strategies. At the end of each class, participants receive a bag of groceries including the ingredients for a recipe learned in class so they can practice the recipes they have learned.
[follow with cooking matters video]

9. Cooking Matters in Idaho
Classes are hands-on and interactive
Variety of Cooking Matters curricula available for different audiences:
Families
Kids
Teens
Adults
In Idaho, Cooking Matters is offered by The Idaho Foodbank
The Cooking Matters program consists of one (2-hour) class each week for 6 weeks. Classes are intended to be interactive, learner-centered, and hands-on. A variety of Cooking Matters curricula are available, including courses that target families, kids, teens, and adults.
In our state, the Idaho Foodbank has taken the lead in offering the Cooking Matters program. The Idaho Foodbank works in conjunction with community partners to provide these courses across the state. The Foodbank coordinates each course and recruits volunteer instructors, and community partners recruit participants for the program.

10. Cooking Matters Video

11. Cooking Matters at the Store
Grocery store tours that teach:
Buying nutritious foods on a budget
Comparing unit prices
Reading food labels
Planning meals
Contact The Idaho Foodbank
Cooking Matters at the Store, another program of Share Our Strength, involves guided grocery store tours to help families make healthy, affordable food choices at the supermarket. This program teaches key food shopping skills like buying fruits and vegetables on a budget, comparing unit prices, reading food labels, and identifying whole grain foods. These tours are facilitated by a wide range of local volunteers such as dietitians, community nutrition educators, and staff of community agencies.
Cooking Matters at the Store also offers a a tour specifically designed for families receiving WIC. In Idaho, Cooking Matters at the Store tours are coordinated by The Idaho Foodbank. Organizations or service providers that are interested in accessing the Cooking Matters at the Store tours can contact The Idaho Foodbank or visit their website.

12. Idaho Girl’s Healthy Recipe at the White House
The 2015 winner of the national Healthy Lunchtime Challenge was Idaho’s very own Josie Roll. The Contests goals are to promote healthy eating while involving family members.
Josie’s ‘Scrumptious Veggie Noodle with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce and Chicken’ recipe was served at the White House where she met President Obama.
Josie stated her favorite part of making the recipe is pounding the chicken, and that the recipe was inspired by her Aunt Maria.
The 2015 winner of the national Healthy Lunchtime Challenge was Idaho’s very own Josie Roll. The Contests goals are to promote healthy eating while involving family members.
Josie’s ‘Scrumptious Veggie Noodle with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce and Chicken’ recipe was served at the White House where she met President Obama.
Josie stated her favorite part of making the recipe is pounding the chicken, and that the recipe was inspired by her Aunt Maria.
Josie Roll of Moscow Idaho meets President Obama, July 10th 2015.

13. References Central District Health Department http://www.cdhd.ne.gov
Cooking Matters, Our Program, we-do
Interviews and Correspondence with Administrators from University of Idaho-Extension and The Idaho Foodbank (Fall 2011, Fall 2012, Summer 2013)
Share Our Strength, About Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters,
Share Our Strength, Cooking Matters at the Store,
The Idaho Foodbank,
USDA SNAP-Ed Photo Gallery, gallery