Nutrition

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The Office of Nutrition Education includes two federally funded programs, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) for persons eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The programs, in collaboration with community partners, focus on preventing nutrition and physical activity-related chronic diseases, improving food security, and creating supportive environments to make healthy choices easier where people eat, live, learn, work, play, and shop.

EFNEP

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) administers the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP); land-grant universities conduct the program in all states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. EFNEP provides practical, hands-on nutrition education that changes behavior. By working through families, EFNEP addresses health disparities associated with some of our most pervasive societal challenges – hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and obesity. EFNEP remains as relevant and essential today as it was in the 1960s when the program began.

Mission

Promoting sound nutrition and health practices to limited-resource families through education.

EFNEP contributes to the health of the nation by helping low-income families improve their nutritional well-being. This is accomplished by a series of hands-on, interactive lessons. EFNEP contributes to the reduction of health disparities typically associated with those who have limited financial resources.

SNAP-Ed

In cooperation with the Mississippi Department of Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Extension provides Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed). SNAP-Ed consists of nutrition education delivered by paraprofessional nutrition educators.

Mission

Provide education to individuals eligible for any means-tested federal assistance (food stamps, WIC, etc.) to help improve their dietary practices and ability to manage available food resources.

Local SNAP-Ed programs identify and deliver nutritional information to audiences based on local needs. This process is facilitated by a collaborative partnership of the Mississippi State University Extension with agencies and organizations representing the needs of SNAP-eligible individuals. Nationally, the focus of SNAP-Ed is to:

aid those who are SNAP-eligible establish healthy eating habits and more physically active lifestyles
prevent or postpone the onset of chronic diseases in those who are SNAP-eligible by establishing healthier eating habits and a more physically active lifestyle

The key behavioral outcomes for Mississippi participants in SNAP-Ed are:

Make half your plate fruits and vegetables; eat whole grains; and switch to fat-free or low-fat milk products
Increase physical activity and reduce time spent in sedentary behaviors as part of a healthy lifestyle
Maintain appropriate calorie balance during each stage of life

SNAP-Ed in Mississippi is sponsored by Mississippi State University Extension, the Mississippi Department of Human Services, and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), religious creed, disability, age, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (833) 620-1071, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to: