Food, Nutrition, and Health
Whether young or old, male or female, tall or short, everyone needs to eat. Food is the cornerstone for survival. We also know that what you eat and drink and how much affects your health. Everyone can afford to eat better and everyone needs to be active, especially with skyrocketing health care costs. Food, nutrition, and health are important for each and every person:
• Almost one in five children are considered overweight
• Foodborne illnesses account for 76 million illnesses each year
• Seven of every ten Americans die from preventable chronic diseases like heart disease
Virginia Cooperative Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Programs offer education on a wide variety of topics to help you, your children, your schools, and your communities eat better, move more, and save money. We put research-based information to work.
A sample of programs includes:
• Cooking on a budget with Suppers Made Simple and the Family Nutrition Program
• Childhood obesity prevention with Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids and Food Friends and Mighty Moves™
• Safe food preparation and handling training to prevent foodborne illness, including ServSafe® for food service workers at restaurants and institutions and Cooking for Crowds™ for folks preparing food for large groups
• Physical activity programs like FIT Extension
• Buying and preparing local and seasonal food
• Nutrition for people with diabetes, including Dining with Diabetes™
• Weight management
• Food preservation
For more information about Food, Nutrition, and Health programs or other programs offered in your community and to find answers for living well, raising kids, eating right, and spending smart, contact your local Virginia Cooperative Extension Family and Consumer Sciences agent.