The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is a free nutrition education program for limited resource families. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is designed to help children and families acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and changed behavior necessary for nutritionally sound diets. EFNEP has worked in local communities to teach participants skills and strategies to stretch their food dollars, eat nutritious meals, and improve their overall health. EFNEP is a program of Cooperative Extension through NC State University and N.C. A&T State University.

EFNEP focuses on the following 4 core areas:

• Diet Quality and Physical Activity: Improve diets and nutritional and physical wellbeing through the adoption of federal food and physical activity recommendations.
• Food Resource Management: Increase ability to buy, grow, prepare and store food that meets nutritional needs.
• Food Safety: Improve household food safety and sanitation practices.
• Food Security: Increase ability to have enough healthy food to eat either through purchasing directly or by accessing food assistance programs when necessary.

Participants learn by actively partipating. EFNEP offers youth programs, typically six sessions long and held in a community or school setting. Children and teen programs work within community groups and schools to create fun, hands-on and age-appropriate nutrition education opportunities. Participants learn to:

• Prepare basic meals and snacks in a fun setting
• Shop smarter on a budget
• Grow and store fresh food
• Follow and modify healthy recipes
• Recognize what ingredients are in the foods they eat
• Understand the importance of food safety
• Appreciate the benefits of being active

EFNEP educators are members of the community who serve and teach participants how to improve their nutritional health and well-being. Program participants acquire knowledge, skills, attitudes, and changed behaviors that support healthy eating and active lifestyles through a series of hands-on and fun lessons, EFNEP participants learn about:

• Healthy Eating and Cooking for Less
• Saving Money at the Grocery Store
• Being Active, Cooking and Planning Meals

If you are interested in learning more about EFNEP as well as interested in partnering with EFNEP, you can contact DeNisha Lisenby at dllisenb@ncsu.edu or call at (704)694-2915. I am an Anson Native and it gives me great delight to serve the needs of my own community of Anson County and I look forward to working with you.