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More About SNAP-Ed in Grays Harbor

More about the WSU SNAP-Ed Program in Grays Harbor County:

  • Our program started in 1992 with funding from USDA-Food and Nutrition Service based on local cost-share and in-kind match to support the program.
  • The program includes hands-on activities, food preparation and tasting nutritious, healthy recipes that can be replicated at home.
  • The program emphasizes the recommendations found in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate including: make half your grains whole, eat more fruits and vegetables, choose lean protein and dairy foods, and limit fat, sugar and salt.
  • Program participants are encouraged to balance intake with activity level to maintain a healthy weight.
  • Teachers were given program evaluations and 100% responded. Teachers have adopted healthier behaviors: 95% reported talking about or modeling healthy behaviors, while 75% adopted one or more of the nutrition practices discussed in class such as eating more fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly, drinking less soda, choosing healthy meals and snacks, watching serving sizes, and eating breakfast, including smoothies.
  • Teachers also observed student behavior change. Students were more willing to try new foods, including those provided by the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program and made healthier meal and snack choices.
  • Parent newsletter evaluations were sent home with kindergarten through fifth grade curricula. Responses from parent newsletter surveys were encouraging. Of the 420 parents who responded: 67% buy healthy snacks more often; 74% eat more fruits and vegetables; 52% increased the amount of physical activity; 67% are more aware of portion sizes; 57% read nutrition labels more often; 51% changed some food preparations to lower fat, sugar and salt intake.