Nutrition Education
Nutrition Education Purpose:
The goal of the nutrition education program is to enable food program participants to obtain better nutritional status through increased understanding of basic nutrition principles and through effective use of food products. The following are essential to achieving that goal:- Reinforcement of basic nutrition guidance;
- Instruction on the use of commodity supplemental foods, including food preparation techniques, recipes, meal frequency, and food cost savings;
- Recognition of the special health and nutritional problems of lower-income individuals, such as high blood pressure, sodium/potassium ratios, anemia, and obesity;
- Dissemination of information on preventative health care and on community programs such as food conferences, food cooperatives, and local presentations;
- Consumer resource information and assistance; and
- Motivational messages on topics such as health care, physical activity, mental health, homemaking, education, employment, and cultural activities.
Nutrition Education Plan:
Local agencies are required to provide participants with nutritional information materials at least once per quarter. WSDA FA will provide Lead Agencies quarterly CSFP participant newsletters in sufficient quantities and contains relevant information about seasonal produce availability, MyPlate nutritional facts, recipes, inspiration for physical activity, and other resources beneficial to low-income seniors such as, Farmer’s Market Nutritional program information. CSFP newsletters are available in English, Spanish, Russian, and Ukrainian.Local agencies have the flexibility to utilize the WSDA FA provided resources or WSDA FA approved resources from an alternate source or by the local agency. WSDA FA will provide technical assistance, basic nutrition support, general public assistance information, recipes, and other resources, as available, to support nutrition education at local agencies. WSDA FA will maintain these and other nutrition resources on its’ website. The state will integrate materials developed through its’ partnership with SNAP-Ed into other programs administered by WSDA FA, including CSFP. A significant amount of nutrition resources has been translated into multiple languages. Local agencies and participants will be able to access nutrition education materials online at https://agr.wa.gov/services/food-access/hunger-relief-resources/recipes-and-nutrition/nutrition-resources as well as basic nutrition information included in their distribution package.
Local agencies are required to share written information and make referrals on various programs, where applicable, including SNAP and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). WSDA FA will maintain this information on its webpage and update it on an annual basis. Access Food Near You | Washington State Department of Agriculture
To ensure that the nutrition education provided is effective, WSDA FA will provide CSFP Lead Agencies with a brief survey for all participants to complete on an annual basis, timing will coincide with the collection of the annual Racial/Ethnic Group Participation form FNS -191. The Participant Survey (AGR-2248) includes an option for local agencies to add a question regarding the specific effectiveness of local agencies’ unique nutrition education efforts. The state will collect the data and work with the Department of Social and Health Services SNAP-Ed unit or similar organization to analyze the data, including working with a nutritionist or entity that provides qualified nutrition expertise to evaluate the effectiveness of the nutrition education plan and recommendations for improvement at both the state and local level. The state will provide the results of the evaluation to local agencies and include any relevant regional data. The local agency will utilize the evaluation results to adjust their nutrition education efforts to ensure effectiveness. A review of local agency nutrition education materials is also conducted as part of the compliance review process.
Participant Input:
Local agencies are required to gather input from participants on the types of nutrition education that they would find beneficial; this ensures nutrition education is up to date with the needs of individual communities. Local agencies are responsible for issuing the annual Participant Survey provided by WSDA FA and compiling the participant input which is then sent to WSDA FA for analysis. Local agencies are encouraged to incorporate the recommendations from the survey, when appropriate, into the nutrition education provided during CSFP distribution to participants in their community. Local agencies may funnel any additional participant input received outside of the survey period to WSDA FA to help make program improvements in a timely manner.Nutrition Education Materials Available:
We want to ensure our Lead Agencies have the tools they need to, not only feed the food insecure residents of Washington State but provide information that supports nutrition and overall health improvements. Each applicant receives the Welcome to CSFP (AGR PUB-739) senior resources handout during the initial certification. Food pantries, meal programs, and their participants have access to a variety of nutrition education materials on our webpage.Our WSDA Nutrition Resources webpage, showcases a variety of tools developed for food pantry staff and volunteers to encourage the consumption of healthier food options in their pantries. These tools are currently available in English, Spanish, Russian, and Ukrainian with plans to expand to additional languages in the future. The resources include:
- Cook WA Meal Kit Recipes: Recipes created or modified by Washington chefs utilizing Washington grown produce and USDA Foods that can be packaged together in a meal kit with complete ingredients for a family meal.
- Chef Quan’s Kitchen Recipes: WSDA FA collaborated with Quan Hoang, the Washington State Governor's Mansion Executive Chef to create recipes using Washington grown produce.
- The MyPantry Series: The series carries forward USDA’s MyPlate messaging, using items commonly found in food pantries. The series is comprised of posters and recipe cards targeted toward clients who have low literacy skills, are non-English speaking, speak English as a second language, or are over 60 years old.
- Product ID Posters and Brochures: This series features produce specifically grown in Washington with nutrition facts, storage information, and cooking tips.