Purdue News
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October 16, 2001 Family Nutrition Program stretches food dollars, builds confidenceWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – More than 90 percent of Indiana food stamp recipients who have worked with a Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service program say they are saving money on their food bills. Jane Clary is a Purdue Cooperative Extension Consumer and Family Sciences specialist and the state coordinator for Indiana's Family Nutrition Program (FNP), part of the federally funded Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program that currently serves 52 Indiana counties. The program provides nutrition education for food stamp recipients and those eligible for food stamps with the goals of helping them develop healthier diets and using their food stamps more efficiently. Clary and consultant Jean Riepe recently evaluated the Indiana Family Nutrition Program and its economic impact. "Before entering the program, 37 percent of participants were able to stay within their budget for food purchases through careful planning and budgeting," Clary says. "After working with an FNP assistant, 93 percent of the participants reported their food stamps went further." The Indiana Family Nutrition Program emphasizes the importance of budgeting. After going through five or more lessons, 91 percent of participants said their money management skills improved. Clary says the study also concluded: In 2000, a total of 558 participants completed five or more of the free, voluntary lessons in 43 Indiana counties. FNP assistants provide instruction to individuals in their homes and to groups in Women, Infants and Children clinics, as well as at food pantries and community centers. The lessons include grocery shopping and food preparation and safety. "The program encourages behavior, attitude and nutrition changes," Clary says. "FNP helps improve children's nutrition and gives parents the knowledge and confidence to help their children through the different stages of their lives. If parents cannot feed their families this week, they are not likely to be focused on what their children’s health will be in 20 years." FNP is not a "one-size-fits-all set of lessons," Clary says. Assistants work with individuals on specific areas that benefit their personal situations. According to Clary's findings, FNP lessons helped more than one-half of the participants learn to use the national Food Guide Pyramid when planning meals. Before the lessons, for example, only 12 percent of the clients ate the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. After the lessons, 47 percent of the family diets included the five servings of fruits and vegetables. Participants also were taught to comparison shop, use store coupons, check prices, read labels and buy generic brands. Participants learned to make shopping lists so they could plan meals, buy more fruits and vegetables and stay away from "junk" food. "Participants said they ran out of food dollars and stamps after about three weeks, but after the lessons, they were able to stretch their money until the end of the month," Clary says. "There was even anecdotal evidence that some families required less medical attention because of the improvement to their diets." After completing the program, food safety and food preparation also changed for the clients. Clary says individuals learned to defrost food in the refrigerator and the importance of cleaning up the kitchen before preparing meals. They also learned the health benefits of baking or grilling food instead of frying it. "Clients feel positive about their experiences and improve their quality of life because of the program," Clary says. "Many said they enjoyed the program, liked learning and found the lessons interesting. They appreciated the FNP assistant teaching in the home and the support and attention they received." Clary also says the evaluation shows that FNP lessons create tangible benefits in terms of individual cost savings as compared to total FNP costs. A conservative cost savings estimate of individual food expenditures alone is 8 percent of total program costs. The highest estimate of food savings could almost pay for total program costs. Other areas that show cost savings are government assistance and illnesses attributed to poor nutrition. In Indiana, FNP partners with the United States Department of Agriculture, Indiana Family and Social Services and Purdue Cooperative Extension Service. Clary says food stamp recipients in the 52 FNP counties make up one-third of the state’s total food stamp clientele. Writer: Jennifer Doup, (765) 494-6682, jdoup@aes.purdue.edu Sources: Jane Clary, (765) 496-2488, claryj@cfs.purdue.edu Jean Riepe, (507) 372-2088, jrriepe@frontiernet.net Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu; https://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/AgComm/public/agnews/ Related Web sites: Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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