Home Economics & ICAN (Ideas for Cooking and Nutrition)
Our county's Extension home economics program helps strengthen family life. In a rapidly changing world, the challenges facing individuals and families in our county are great. With a problem solving philosophy, we strive to develop programs to deal with complex issues facing local families. We are helping people build leadership and other skills. We teach through group training sessions and local programs and community projects. We are dedicated to solving community needs, concerns and issues.
Food and Nutrition Education
Good nutrition is essential to improve and maintain health. Up to 15% of the residents of Taos County suffer from heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and hypertension all of which have links to diet. Obesity is also a major problem suffered by many residents of this County. Because of these illnesses and diseases, health costs are higher in rural areas, and quality health care is heretofore unaffordable to many residents, particularly senior citizens and minority groups. Many individuals are not motivated enough to seek medical advise or nutritional counseling on their own because of limited opportunities or geographic barriers. The need for good nutritional, research based education programs from a trusted agency are key to attracting and guiding residents into participating in proper dietary and nutritional practice.
Extension Food & Nutrition Education Program
High unemployment rates of up to 12% in Taos County contribute to the inability of people to practice appropriate consumer nutritional purchasing. The unavailability of affordable nutrition counseling centers also adds to the dilemma of improper food choices, preparation and handling. Individuals make poor food choices, which can lead to chronic disease problems such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Although benefits such as Food Stamps and WIC provide vital resources to some of those in need of food assistance, this resource is often not maximized. This is often due to recipients’ lack of knowledge of the relationships between health and four areas: basic nutrition, food safety, food preparation, and food resource management. In addition, many limited-resource individuals do not receive the encouragement and reinforcement needed to put such knowledge into practice. Education can help low income families and individuals maximize their resources to improve their nutritional status. The need for this type of educational program has long since been identified as a priority by individuals as well as extension advisory committees.
The Taos County Extension Office is working with Holy Cross Hospital's Dietician, Jennifer Birge, as co-sponsors of the Kitchen Creations Diabetes Cooking Class. The classes consist of four consecutive Tuesday evenings. For further information contact the Taos County Extension Office at (505) 758-3982 or Jennifer Birge at (505) 751-5868.