As a dietetic intern at Samford University pursuing a master’s degree in Nutrition Science, I have spent the last few weeks working with CSM to help create a community-based nutrition education program for low-income individuals living in food deserts in the greater Birmingham area. Ironically, one serious health consequence of living in a food desert is obesity. Without ready access to nutritious foods, people living in food deserts often have diets that are high in calories but low in nutritional value.
With the mission of CSM to help to remove this barrier to healthy foods and nutrition education, it is important that we take into account the dietary knowledge and attitudes among individuals struggling with food insecurity and health challenges. By providing healthy cooking encouragement through nutrition education courses and workshops, we are looking to decrease barriers for making healthy affordable meals by empowering individuals with the skills to stretch their food budget and provide nutritious meals for their families.
In order to make a meaningful impact, the message must be tailored to the target audience. When creating this program, our goal is to ensure the curriculum is easily adaptable, practical, and provides new and motivating information specific to the needs of this population. After a preceptor rotation at WIC, I came to find that we take for granted and don't truly appreciate or understand how fortunate we are to have what we consider to be basic nutrition knowledge or basic staples in our homes, including adequate food preparation and storage areas. It is easy to assume that everyone has a refrigerator, freezer, stove, oven, microwave, etc. I came to find that you cannot make any assumptions when it comes to health and nutrition, home environment or access to education.
We found that the best way to help people see the importance of a healthy diet in their lives and the lives of their children is to provide nutrition education in a way that is simple to implement and economically feasible. By providing information on stretching resources, food budgeting and cooking skills in a non-threatening atmosphere, we are able to engage participants and break the cycle of unhealthy eating. The hands-on “Cooking Well” nutrition education program is designed to provide an accessible, non-threatening resource that empowers low-income individuals in our community with the knowledge and skills necessary to make healthy choices and nourish their families. CSM is strategically planning for an on-campus teaching kitchen build-out in an area of the warehouse that is accessible to the gardens and green-houses. (More info about that project to come!)
Working alongside Andrea Kirkland, Clinical Dietician and Menu Planner at eMeals, key CSM partner and sponsor of the new CSM “Cooking Well” program, we are developing a 6-week curriculum. Andrea’s former experience with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System creating and conducting interactive nutrition education programs for adults and students is an invaluable input in the development of the program. She has received very positive feedback about the nutrition aspects taught during the trial phases of our “Cooking Well” program. Andrea stresses that optimum health training involves teaching cooking skills as well as stretching resources, which falls directly in line with the eMeals culture and expertise in the practical side of nutrition while mastering the art of meal planning on a budget. eMeals also teaches that healthy food is beautiful— as you can see in their food photography above. Collaborating with eMeals as a leading food authority and nutrition resource has enabled CSM to leverage access to the under-served communities to offer a high level of training in healthy eating and lifestyle skills.
Anna McGuinness
CSM Intern
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| Anna and Ashley deep in the weeds of menu planning at eMeals |
