These informative classes are offered in partnership with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s Barbour County Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Educator.
The Today’s Mom program provides nutrition education to limited-resource moms-to-be, while contributing to their personal development, physical development, and to the nutritional welfare of baby.
Today’s Mom was originally developed in 1987 as a nutritional approach to combat infant mortality in Alabama. The leading contributor to infant mortality is low baby birth weight of less than 5 pounds. Today’s Mom teaches moms-to-be nutrition along with healthy lifestyle choices to help ensure successful birth outcomes. Eating well can help moms-to-be have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. In conjunction with diet, physical activity can help them have a more comfortable pregnancy and easier delivery. Today’s Mom aims to improve the dietary and physical activity habits of moms-to-be in ways that are sustainable before, during, and after pregnancy.
The program is comprised of a series of six lessons, each containing clearly stated goals. Each lesson consists of verbal and written instructions along with interactive activities designed to help moms-to-be learn to make healthy diet and physical activity choices for themselves and their babies. Today’s Mom lessons are designed for ease of preparation and implementation. Lessons are scripted to make delivery easy. Accompanying materials reinforce lesson concepts and make learning about healthy eating simple and fun. Each lesson includes hands-on activities, recipes, and more. Activities reinforce concepts in ways that are fun and interactive. Lesson themes build upon each other to provide moms-to-be with a comprehensive understanding of how to care for themselves and their babies pre- and postnatal.
Eating Smart • Being Active is an evidence-based healthy eating and active living curriculum for limited-resource adults offered through the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). Offered in a variety of settings, participants are taught one-on-one, in small groups and face-to-face or remotely. Referrals, community partnerships, and agency collaborations are welcome.
Developed by Colorado State University Extension, Eating Smart • Being Active focuses on simple messages related to food and nutrition and gives participants a chance to apply new information through interactive activities. Based on current health and nutrition research, the curriculum consists of nine core lessons, offered in six sessions, that each last 45 to 60 minutes. A sampling of nutritious recipes, lesson reinforcements, and physical activity are included at each lesson.