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Subject Matter
Subject matter content appropriate for the Family Nutrition Program includes nutrition, food safety, food preparation, meal management and food purchasing. Instruction should reflect the nutritional needs and cultural heritage of the audience.
Content areas appropriate for teaching participants are:
- Nutrition knowledge, skills, attitudes and practices necessary to improve diets.
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid to plan for daily food needs.
- Knowledge and practice in food selection and preparation.
- Knowledge of and skills in food shopping strategies.
- Use and care of equipment used for food preparation, storage and utilization.
- Meal management, food safety, and sanitation practices.
- Gardening techniques.
- Nutrition education appropriate for the life cycle stage which complements other programs and information from health delivery systems.
- Referral to other resources and assistance programs.
- Use of commodity foods in family meal plans. (Where applicable)
- Knowledge of resource management relating to family food budgets, adaptations for uneven incomes and local food availability.
- Incorporating physical activity into daily routines, always with a nutrition focus.
FNP does NOT conduct food preservation education or workshops or answer food preservation questions.
FNP staff members may distribute food preservation literature, printed material, as long as it is the most updated version.
Educational Materials
NDSU Extension Service:
- provides research-based educational resources which reflect USDA recommendations, current knowledge on nutrient requirements and other related information.
- facilitates identification and/or development of research-based food and nutrition publications, printed materials, computer programs, displays, and other materials to serve as resources.
- shares materials among sites to avoid duplication of effort. Materials developed for statewide FNP use require peer review according to NDSU Extension Service guidelines. Materials developed at the county level also require review and approval by the Family and Consumer Science Agent and state Food and Nutrition Specialist prior to distribution.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Education Core Element Descriptions
Core Element |
Definition |
Dietary Quality |
Applies to the nutritional value of food acquired and how well overall diets of SNAP participants compare to MyPyramid and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Physical activity falls within this element with certain restrictions. |
Food Purchasing |
Applies to the practices related to thrifty shopping for and management of food dollars. These include such skills as making shopping lists, reading labels for nutritional value, planning menus and basic cooking. |
Food Security |
Applies to the general well-being of a household in terms of assured access to an adequate supply of food at all times in order to support a healthy, active life. This includes a readily available supply of nutritious and safe foods and the assured ability to acquire these foods in a socially acceptable manner. Promotion of participation in SNAP to eligible nonparticipating persons as part of nutrition education is a critical aspect of this element. |
Food Safety |
Applies to how food is handled. For example, it deals with issues such as hand washing, the length of time food may be left without refrigeration, the temperature at which food should be stored and whether food is properly and fully cooked. |
These four “core elements” form the basic range of educational categories in food stamp nutrition education.
SNAP Education is intended to:
- Assist SNAP households to adopt healthy eating and active lifestyles that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid. (Dietary Quality)
- Enhance practices related to thrifty shopping and preparation of nutritious foods by SNAP households. (Food Purchasing)
- Insure that SNAP households have enough to eat without resorting to emergency food assistance and making sure people eligible for SNAP but not participating are made aware of its benefits and how to apply for them as part of nutrition education activity. (Food Security)
- Improve SNAP households’ safe handling, preparation and storage of food. (Food Safety)
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