Ohio Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program
What do EFNEP participants learn?
Basic Nutrition
- Healthy eating habits
- Nutrients the body needs, their functions and food sources
- Healthy snacks for children
- Eating for two
- Nutrition facts for the family
Resource Management
- How to stretch the available food dollars and food stamps
- Menu planning
- Use of commodity foods
- Shopping techniques
Food Preparation
- Healthy cooking methods
- Food preservation
- Food safety and storage
- Weight reduction
- Low-cost recipes
4-H EFNEP teaches youth about:
- Nutritional value of food
- Food label reading
- Good eating habits
About EFNEP
Through an experiential learning process, adult program participants learn how to make good choices to improve the nutritional quality of the meals they serve their families. They participate in a series of 6-12 lessons based on the Food Guide Pyramid and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The hands-on, learn-by-doing approach allows the participants to gain the practical skills necessary to make positive behavior changes. They increase their ability to select and buy food that meets the nutritional needs of their families and gain new skills in food preparation, storage, safety, and sanitation. They also learn to better manage their food budgets, including the use of Food Stamps and WIC coupons.
The youth EFNEP program provides nutrition education to help children develop healthy eating patterns and skills in preparing nutritious meals and snacks. The youth EFNEP program emphasizes a variety of delivery modes for reaching youth, from traditional classroom settings and after-school programs during the school year to day camps and youth group activities during the summer. The youth curriculum emphasizes learning by experience and reflection, and is adaptable to a wide variety of educational settings.
The EFNEP Pilot Program utilizes the Eating Smart, Being Active curriculum developed by Colorado State University and the University of California-Davis, which incorporates the individualized approach of the My Pyramid food guide system. The curriculum consists of eight 60- to 90-minute lessons. Its teaching techniques are based on up-to-date principles of adult education and hands-on learning – designed to get results.
The Pilot: Healthy Food for Baby and Me is a nutrition and food safety project aimed at pregnant women. This project is sponsored by research teams at Colorado State University Extension and Ohio State University Extension.
Where is EFNEP located?
EFNEP is a part of the OSU Family and Consumer Sciences Program in 20 of Ohio's 88 counties: Traditional EFNEP Counties: Butler, Clark, Cuyahoga, Hamilton, Lorain, Lucas, Mahoning, Montgomery, Stark, and Summit. Pilot EFNEP Counties: Clermont, Coshocton, Hardin, Jackson, Lawrence, Ross, Scioto, Vinton, and Washington. Traditional and Pilot – Healthy Food for Baby and Me: Franklin County.
State EFNEP Coordinator
Maria Carmen Lambea, MD, MPH
Director, Ohio Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program
Department of Human Nutrition
315 Campbell Hall
1787 Neil Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1295
Phone: (614)-292-7535
Email: lambea.1@osu.edu