4-H makes Idaho healthier
“We made whole-wheat pancakes at home.”
“At a summer migrant program, teachers shared that during lunch their students were being very conscious about their food options — reading labels on milk and juice containers and discussing low-fat amounts.”
“During an Eating Out lesson, a child, surprised at the fat in one meal, suggested a fruit smoothie instead of a shake.”
These are just a few examples of the kinds of impacts the 4-H Food Smart Families program had on Idaho kids in 2014.
Food Smart Families
U of I Extension 4-H Youth Development delivered the innovative healthy living program in partnership with U of I Extension’s Eat Smart Idaho—an educational program for the Gem State’s food stamp recipients. 4-H Food Smart Families integrates 10 trained college interns, U of I Extension nutrition advisors and 19 teens into teams to be advocates for healthy living. Most of the teens are 4-Hers trained with 14 hours of hands-on lab instruction.
Teens Teach
4-H teens each spent 20 to 100 hours sharing what they’d learned with 2,581 children in schools, recreation departments, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA, summer migrant programs, summer feeding sites for low-income families, housing authorities and 4-H programs across Idaho. Each child learned to make healthy snacks, took home 15 healthy recipes and learned ways to exercise more.
Health Topics
The teams used Up for the Challenge, an evidence-based healthy living curriculum from University of Maryland Extension. Survey results document a change in knowledge in food safety practices, hand washing, label reading for sugar and fiber contents, importance of a nutrient-rich diet and being physically active.
4-H delivered the continuing program thanks to a $166,000 grant from the National 4-H Council and ConAgra Foods Foundation.