P002: Public Health Division

P002: Number of WIC clients participating in food tastings in WIC clinics with kitchens

Definition

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Story Behind the Curve

This measure includes raising awareness among Women, Infants and Children (WIC) recipients about buying and preparing WIC eligible foods in an effort to shape healthy eating behaviors for children and families.
Among New Mexico’s adults, 64.8% are overweight or obese (American Indian adults have the highest rates at over 74%). Similarly, over one in four adults in New Mexico ages 45 years and older has been diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases. Adults with lower socioeconomic status are at greater risk for adopting unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, becoming overweight or obese, and developing chronic disease. Almost 9 in 10 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients are children, elderly, disabled, or living with children.
The program was expanded into three additional WIC clinics in Anthony, Chaparral, and Las Cruces (now in a total of nine clinics). The regularly scheduled nutrition education classes have become systematized, and WIC participants have started to request the scheduled EBT card reloading appointments to coincide with nutrition education classes. A statewide WIC Nutritionist was hired, which will help advance and strengthen this effort across NM.
The program made progress by maintaining strong partnerships and holding regular stakeholder meetings to share information and successes, to address challenges, and to improve the implementation model. WIC participants are also actively seeking out nutrition education class information and committing to attend classes between their card reloading appointments.
The program will work closely with the recently-hired statewide WIC nutritionist to build support among WIC participants to attend food tastings and expand the model into additional WIC clinics. The program is exploring the possibility of partnering with DOH staff to provide nutrition education in all WIC clinics statewide.

Partners

NMDOH WIC Program
County-level WIC staff providing services in public health offices
NMSU Cooperative Extension Service nutrition educators
HKHC coordinators and/or health promotion staff in Curry, Roosevelt, Socorro, Otero, Sandoval, and Valencia counties

What Works

Support culturally appropriate healthy eating and active living in a variety of settings.
Promote and market healthier food and beverages.
Partner with food assistance programs within tribal communities and high-poverty counties to promote a diet high in fruits and vegetables among the low-income adult population.
Prioritize interventions that focus on families and social network.

Strategy

The Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity Program (ONAPA), WIC, and NMSU are coordinating efforts to provide nutrition education through the implementation of food tastings and cooking demos for WIC recipients using WIC eligible foods, primarily fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Action Plan

Q1: Work with NMDOH and SNAP-Ed partners to successfully launch and pilot food tastings for WIC recipients in WIC clinics with kitchens. Completed.
Q2: Implement food tastings and/or cooking demonstrations in six WIC clinics with kitchens. Completed.
Q3: Partner with regional WIC managers to market and promote implementation efforts to increase participation. Completed.
Q4: Recruit six additional WIC clinics to implement food tastings and/or cooking demonstrations.

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