Nutrition Education for Families with Financial Problems

This nutrition intervention was part of a series of classes for low-income families and families with financial problems. Anecdotal evidence shows that families often change their diets to consist of less expensive and less varied ingredients in times of financial distress. This often coincides with a reduction in the consumption of fruits and vegetables. This intervention was designed to help families with financial problems learn to shop and cook with the resources they have without sacrificing nutrition.

Two nutrition education sessions were included as part of a course on budgeting to low-income families. Each session was two hours long and taught by a registered dietitian. The objectives of the nutrition sessions were to increase dietary variety, decrease the intake of saturated fat and increase the intake of vegetables during the main meals. Furthermore, it aimed to increase daily fruit intake. The key message of the intervention was that healthy eating does not need to be expensive. The first session was mostly informative and the second session was conducted in a local supermarket to focus on the practical applications of the ideas taught in the first session.

To increase dietary variety, decrease the intake of saturated fat and increase the intake of vegetables during the main meal among families with financial problems.

After families concluded the entire course, investigators called the families and asked them about their food intake at main meals. Their intake of saturated fats decreased and their intake of fruit juice increased as compared to levels reported before the course. However, vegetable intake did not increase after participation in the nutrition intervention.