EFNEP Works for Montana 2024

Montana State University Extension Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program

The Challenge

  • 65% of Montana youth do not participate in enough aerobic activity to meet guidelines
  • 68% of Montana adults are overweight or obese
  • 66% of Montana adults do not meet the vegetable intake recommendations
  • 74% of American Indian adults are overweight or obese
  • 14% of Montana children in grades 9-12 are overweight or obese
  • 1 in 9 Montanans face hunger/food insecurity

The EFNEP Solution

  •  Teach
    • low-income youth and adults in the locations, online or in-person, that they eat, live, learn, work, play, and shop.
  • Collaborate
    • with community and statewide partners to leverage resources and increase program reach to eligible audiences.
  • Contribute
    • to the reduction of health disparities associated with those who have limited financial resources

The Results

Graduates from nutrition classes improved their healthy habits.

  • Adults
    • 44% ate veggies more often
    • 48% ate fruit more often
    • 74% were more physically active
    • 75% improved food safety practices
    • 95% improved food management practices
  • Youth
    • 47% improved physical activity behaviors
    • 46% improved food safety practices
    • 81% made healthier food choices

A third grade boy in a youth nutrition class in Eastern Montana had never consumed an orange before and didn't know what it was. He said, "This is the first time I have ever eaten one of these. I am going to ask my mom to buy some oranges because today I learned why they are good for us, and I like them!” -Nutrition Educator

EFNEP By the Numbers

  • 8.8k visits to buyeatlivebetter website in 2022
  • 37.3k Pinterest post views 
  • 3,063 Facebook post views
  • 267 adults participated in an Eating Smart Being Active series
  • 1,080 youth participated in a Youth Understanding MyPlate series
  • 440 nutrition and physical activity classes held
  • 854 adult and youth graduates from nutrition & physical activity series

Program Impacts

EFNEP empowers a mother of three to keep her family physically active. The family was new to the area, and she did not feel comfortable going out alone with the children. Recognizing her situation, the EFNEP nutrition educator shared an online physical activity resource designed for children. This allowed the mom and her children to stay active together while indoors. The following week, the mom excitedly shared that she and her children had tried several activities from the site and thoroughly enjoyed them. She expressed her excitement about discovering fun and safe ways to engage in physical activity with her children, fostering both health and bonding within the family.

EFNEP enables a mother with a disability with four children to gain confidence in the kitchen. Prior to the nutrition classes, this mother did not feel comfortable in the kitchen or preparing meals for her family. Each week in class, she actively participated in preparing recipes for tasting, which gradually built her confidence. After a few weeks, she shared with her nutrition educator that the hands-on practice in class had empowered her to start cooking dinners at home using fresh ingredients, including raw meat—m something she had previously avoided. By the end of the series, she expressed pride in her ability to provide her family with healthy, real foods instead of relying on processed options. This shift not only improved her family’s nutrition but also enhanced her sense of self-reliance and accomplishment.

EFNEP supports a WIC referred mother of a three-year-old to learn new ways to use her benefits. Prior to the nutrition classes, she had never used the whole grain benefits provided through WIC, believing her family would not enjoy whole grain products. During the course, she sampled recipes featuring whole grains and learned how to incorporate them into meals her family would love. Inspired by the classes, she began using her WIC benefits to purchase whole grains exclusively. By utilizing all her WIC benefits for the first time, she maximized the financial support available to her family, ensuring that no resources went to waste. This shift allowed her to stretch her household food budget further while providing healthier meals for her family. The program's impact reached beyond the kitchen, empowering the mother to confidently advocate for her son's nutrition and stand firm against unhealthy food choices offered by family, enhancing her parenting and decisionmaking.

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Montana State University and Montana State University Extension prohibit discrimination in all of their programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital and family status. Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cody Stone, Director of Extension, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717.