UGA Cooperative Extension
Talbot County Extension Office:
Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program
Mission Statement
The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is federally funded and conducted through Cooperative Extension in every state and U.S. territory. For over 30 years, EFNEP has been helping families learn how to eat healthier meals and snacks, stretch their food dollars, and reduce the risk of food-borne illness and chronic diseases. Families and youth acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and changed behaviors necessary for nutritionally sound diets.
"Get the Most Out of Your Food Dollars and Still Eat Healthy"
The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), offers free nutrition education plus hands-on cooking activities for children, teens and adults. EFNEP offers workshops to day care centers, Head Start and pre-K programs, and church organizations. EFNEP teaches food safety, healthy eating, and how to get the most out of your food dollars. This is great information that the entire community will benefit from. If you want to eat healthier, learn food safety, and get the most out of your food dollars especially with the rise in food prices, then this program is definitely for you!
Unless children are adequately nourished, they cannot learn.
EFNEP teaches fun food experiences for children through:
- Preschool day care center programs
- School-based classes
- After-school community classes
- Summer workshops and daycamps
Families are eating healthier diets for less money than they spent on food before!
Adults enrolled in EFNEP learn how to:
- Plan low cost meals
- Prepare quick & healthy meals and snacks
- Shop for best food buys
- Keep foods safe to eat
- Eat right and light to control sugar, salt, fat, and calories
Improved diets of pregnant women can lower the risk of babies being born with birth defects or of low birth weight.
Pregnant women enrolled in EFNEP learn how to:
- Eat healthy for moms-to-be
- Properly feed infants and pre-school children
- Provide positive food experiences for children
For over 30 years, EFNEP has been making a difference in people's lives. Over 80% of EFNEP graduates are able to stretch their food dollars farther and make healthier food choices by the end of the program.
The benefits of becoming involved in EFNEP:
- Receive free recipes and shopping tips
- Classes to fit any schedule
- Small group instruction
- Graduation certificate upon completion
Adults
In these demanding times with the challenges of increase food prices, EFNEP provides a variety of tools and ideas to help families cut food costs and provide healthy meals and snacks for family members. Participants enrolled in EFNEP will enjoy a rewarding experience.
Participation in the program should result in:
- Improved diets and nutritional welfare for the total family.
- Increased knowledge of the essentials of human nutrition.
- Increased ability to select and buy food that satisfies nutritional needs.
- Improved practices in food production, preparation, storage, safety, and sanitation.
- Increased ability to manage food budgets and related resources such as food stamps.
Other benefits
- Receive free recipes and shopping tips
- Classes to fit any schedule
- Small group instructions
- Graduation certificate upon completion
Nutrition, Diet, and Health
- Reducing the risk of food borne illness
- Decrease risk of chronic disease:
- Heart
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Parenting skills and support group for teen mothers
- Improving nutrition and exercise habits
- Increasing knowledge of food budgeting
- Safe food and handling
- Food preservation
TAMS - Teenage Mothers
The average weight gain for pregnant women enrolled in EFNEP, specifically for pregnant teens, falls within the recommended weight gain range for pregnancy. The average birth weight of babies is 1-1/12 pounds above low birth weight. Improved diets of pregnant women can lower the risk of babies being born with birth defects or of low birth weight. Pregnant women enrolled in EFNEP learn how to:
- Eat healthy
- Properly feed infants and the benefits of breastfeeding
- Properly feed pre-school children
- Provide positive food experience for children
Through the use of innovative ideas, EFNEP staff bring fun food experiences that teach children healthy food choices. Programs are conducted in a variety of settings:
- Pre-school child care centers
- School-based classes
- After-school community classes
- Summer workshops and day camps
- 4-H classes
Newsletters
If you would like to set up a work shop or want more information, please contact Rhea Bentley at rbentley@uga.edu or call (706) 653-4200.
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