FNP FY 2003 Success Stories

Improving Dietary Quality
A mentally challenged participant, four months pregnant, was referred to the nutrition program. Both she and her husband were heavy smokers and their diet consisted mostly of fried or junk foods. In addition, they were heavy coffee drinkers. The couple was very willing to try new ideas suggested by Jeanette, the nutrition program assistant, and worked hard to change their lifestyle. The woman decreased her smoking from a pack a day to four or five cigarettes a day. She limited herself to two cups of coffee in the morning and then switched to milk or water. The couple began to add more fruits and vegetables to their diet and eat less fried foods. Additional help with shopping skills and use of their food stamp dollars helped this family provide a better life for themselves and their new son.

Improving Dietary Quality
One young Mom who frequently drank soda pop and provided it or Kool-Aid in a bottle for her toddler learned from Mirna, the nutrition program assistant, the effect of sugary drinks on teeth. The visual effects of decaying teeth helped the mother choose water, milk or juice for her toddler. She also weaned the toddler off the bottle and uses a small cup for the child’s drinks. She found sitting next to him at mealtime allows her to assist him when he needs help and also gives her time to sit and chat with him.

Improving Dietary Quality
A premature baby prompted Judy, a young mother, to request nutrition education when she became pregnant a second time. Tracking her food intake in diary form helped Judy see how low her consumption of fruits and vegetables were. She worked with Cindy, the nutrition program assistant, to learn more about good nutrition and how to have a healthy pregnancy. She increased her consumption of milk, fruit and vegetables and ate less candy and pop. Judy provided her child a better start and delivered a healthy, full-term daughter.

Improving Dietary Quality
Rebecca, a student and single mom with two children, was interested in stretching her food dollar and providing some variety in her meals. Working with Linda, the nutrition program assistant, Rebecca learned that a few small changes would make a big difference in her family’s health. She started buying and serving more fruit. She discovered whole wheat bread was very good, her children ate it well, and it improved her daughter’s digestion. After learning how much sugar was in each Mountain Dew, she cut back on soda consumption and started drinking more water. Rebecca states that the program is reinforcing what she already knew and has provided new ideas to feed her family more nutritionally.

Improving Dietary Quality/Food Resource Management
A 20 year-old pregnant woman was overwhelmed with her situation. It was her first pregnancy, she had just left an abusive relationship and she was homeless. Rebecca, the nutrition program assistant, provided encouragement as she discussed nutrition for the participant and her unborn child, shopping skills to use her limited resources wisely, and the effects of lifestyle choices on her unborn child. As the participant accomplished small goals, her self-confidence grew. She stopped smoking, drinking, and using substances and her baby was healthy and of normal birth weight. She realized breast feeding was best for her baby and initially breastfed until her physician recommended she switch to formula due to low weight gain. Learning to read nutrition labels, plan meals, and making a grocery list, along with a predetermined amount of food stamps/money set aside each week, helped ensure an ongoing supply of healthy food to eat. She is trying very hard to practice healthy eating so she can be a positive role model for her daughter as she grows up. Tracking her money and developing a spending and savings plan left her feeling more in control even though there was no more money. She has weathered job loss due to a business closing and hospitalizations during pregnancy. Today, she is enrolled in a community college, has arranged for appropriate childcare, has stable housing and continues to make positive lifestyle choices.

Improving Dietary Quality/Food Resource Management
In an effort to reach more teen and young adult parents with nutrition education, Julie, a nutrition program assistant, partnered with another agency to establish a Stork’s Nest program in her county. According to a survey given to all new Stork’s Nest participants, lack of food and adequate nutrition is one of the most often cited sources of family stress. This is often due to a lack of knowledge and experience among this very young group of parents. In addition to making healthy food choices and using effective resource management principals, participants are encouraged to become aware of and use community resources, such as the WIC program, to enhance their ability to feed their families. After participating in the nutrition education lessons, young parents report an increased knowledge of the importance of good nutrition for their children and a greater awareness of community resources available to help them meet the needs of their family.

Improving Dietary Quality/Food Resource Management/Food Security
Melodie, an unemployed single mother of four boys ages 2 months to 16, struggles to make ends meet. She and her family frequently utilize the local soup kitchen and food pantry. Health concerns are also a problem for her. Melodie’s initial 24-hour food recall, along with food items spread throughout her kitchen, provided some insight for Lin, the nutrition program assistant. High fat and sugary snacks, chips and processed foods were the norm. Reading some of the food labels, Melodie was quick to see not just the volume of carbohydrates, but also the high fat and low fiber of the foods she was eating. A price comparison of food items regularly purchased at the local corner grocery store where she usually sent the boys and at Aldi’s showed a significant savings. Lin encouraged Melodie to involve her older children in food decisions and meal preparation. By switching to oat bran bread, Melodie found the boys were satisfied with two rather than four sandwiches. Higher protein meals and more vegetables also helped the boys and Melodie to be less hungry shortly after a meal. Choosing snacks from the snack pyramid was less painful for the boys than feared and helped meet the food pyramid servings. With easy directions and simple to prepare foods, her oldest son discovered he enjoyed meal preparation once the menu was written out and the ingredients had been purchased as planned. Although Melodie still uses the food pantry as a resource, she is able to get food ingredients to prepare meals at home. Melodie still has health issues to conquer, but she is proud of the progress she has made in the knowledge of nutrition and subsequent decisions.

Food Resource Management/Food Security
Patty, a single mom with three children, constantly struggled with her food stamp budget and never had enough food to get them through to the end of the month, even with using all the food pantries in the community. During a group lesson on shopping smart, another participant shared how she saves money because she clips coupons. She offered to help Patty get started by helping her through the process of finding, clipping and organizing coupons. A lesson on meal planning helped Patty plan her meals around the coupons she’s clipped. Patty was excited to tell Judy, the nutrition program assistant, that in the past four months she has had enough food stamps to get her through the month, even having extra one month, and she hasn’t had to use a food pantry.

Food Security
A divorced mother of two contacted Doris, the nutrition program assistant for help when she had delinquent bills and limited groceries in the home. The two worked together to determine financial needs and then brainstormed to find creative ways to improve her financial situation. They developed both short and long term goals and adjusted the spending plan to get her through the crisis and provide adequate food for her family. She used the lessons on meal planning and snack boxes to help provide nutritious foods and meals for her family on a restricted budget.

Improving Food Safety
Sandra, Gloria and Olga, participants in a group nutrition education class reported that they typically left food at room temperature beyond the two-hour limit for food safety. Betty, the nutrition program assistant, shared information with them from the Fight BAC food safety lesson and incorporated food safety in the other nutrition lessons to reinforce its importance. Participants were provided with a roll of masking type and a marker to mark leftovers with the date they were put in the refrigerator. They were also provided a refrigerator thermometer and an oven thermometer and instructed how to use them. Sandra, Gloria and Olga were delighted with their new information and tools. Thermometers were used to determine the temperature of the food they were cooking and refrigerating. Leftovers were stored in the refrigerator immediately after eating and containers marked with the appropriate date.

Improving Food Safety
Storing leftovers for long periods of time in large, uncovered containers was the practice of one participant. Glenda, the nutrition program assistant, worked with her discussing the food safety risks of storing in large containers and how this could be avoided by using several small containers. They also discussed the appropriate length of time to store foods and the importance of keeping the containers covered. The participant now stores food appropriately in the refrigerator and has begun freezing foods, such as stew, if she won’t be using it within two days.

This site is funded by the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, USDA's Food Stamp Program, and Iowa State University Extension