Rural communities across the United States often face barriers to accessing healthy food, leading to elevated food insecurity and obesity-related health issues. Geographic and environmental challenges, high food costs, limited availability of healthy options, and low health literacy hinder informed nutritional decision-making. This study examined…

Mindfulness-based interventions are increasingly recognized for their positive impact on children's physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral health. However, no mindfulness-based lifestyle interventions have focused on improving both the physical and mental well-being of economically marginalized preschoolers. Therefore, this one-group study…

Food retailers are key stakeholders in the development, implementation, and effectiveness of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) nutrition pilot programs. Qualitative interviews were conducted to gather insight from food retailers regarding the feasibility of proposed strategies to improve food choices among SNAP participants. Two…

The Recipe 4 Success preventive intervention targeted multiple factors critical to the health and well-being of toddlers living in poverty. This randomized controlled trial, which was embedded within Early Head Start home visits for 12 weeks, included 242 racially and ethnically diverse families (51% girls; toddler mean age = 2.58 years; data…

Early childhood is an optimal time for establishing healthy eating habits which may prevent disease later in life. In Georgia, the child obesity rate?hovers at 13% with the majority being children from low-income Black or Hispanic families. Currently, the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" recommend children aged 2-5 consume 1-1.5 cups…

Mississippi leads the nation in child obesity, chronic diseases, poverty, and food insecurity. Stemming the long-term consequences of high obesity rates will require a cultural attitude and behavioral shift towards healthy eating. This study explored the perceptions, beliefs, practices, and self-efficacy towards healthy eating among limited…

This Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) Plan Guidance provides instructions to SNAP-Ed State and implementing agencies for developing and submitting State nutrition education and obesity prevention grant program plans, commonly referred to as State SNAP-Ed Plans, and preparing and submitting the…

Background: Place-based efforts offer promise in reducing childhood obesity. Yet, lack of public demand and support may hinder implementation. Aims: This study aimed to assess whether the emphasis on place-based solutions, community-wide strategies, and multisector engagement in the Healthy Schools Healthy Communities (HSHC) initiative would shift…

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is the nation's first federal nutrition education program for low-income populations. Without question, accelerating equity in programming has long been a priority of EFNEP. Historically underserved populations with limited financial resources are often people of color and at increased risk…

This Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) Plan Guidance provides instructions for developing and submitting State nutrition education and obesity prevention grant program plans, commonly referred to as State SNAP-Ed Plans. It describes Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) expectations regarding State…

This article describes a learning activity designed to foster practical healthy eating skills while living on a budget.

This Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) Plan Guidance provides instructions for developing and submitting State nutrition education and obesity prevention grant program plans, commonly referred to as State SNAP-Ed Plans. It describes Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) expectations regarding State…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a new interactive online program titled Healthy Eating on a Budget. It is an addition to the popular ChooseMyPlate.gov programs, such as the SuperTracker program. The Healthy Eating on a Budget program helps consumers plan, purchase, and prepare healthful meals. This article discusses materials and…

Consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables helps to reduce childhood obesity and improves academic achievement and attendance. However, providing fresh fruits and vegetables is challenging for some schools due to cost, administrative burden, and concern for food waste. To address these challenges, the Fruit and Vegetable Access for Children Act…

Background: We tested the effectiveness of the Go Wild With Fruits and Veggies! (GWWFV) Extension curriculum on increasing fruit and vegetable (FV) intake of third graders. Methods: An intervention study was used testing self-reported FV intake pre/post GWWFV. Recruited schools were randomized to control (12 schools, N = 369, third grade children)…