Back to School Snacking: Fighting After-School Hunger

It’s that time of year again! Children and families everywhere are preparing to head back to school. Children will be on the move and learning new things each and everyday. After a long day of fun-filled learning, children are more than likely to come home famished. After school snacking is a daily ritual in most … Read More


Picnic Safety

Summer has officially arrived! Like many of you, I like spending time outdoors especially having cookouts, picnics and other activities centered around food. Good food, fun, and family are my summer favorites. But before planning any outdoor food activity, here are a few simple tips to consider to ensure that unwanted bacteria won’t have a … Read More


Quick and Easy Summer Salad

Summer is the time when I am looking for great recipes to add to my go-to list. My new found Tomatoes, Onion & Cucumber Salad has been on my rotating list for side-dishes for a few months now, and it’s delicious every time I make it. It tastes great with everything from grilled fish to chicken. … Read More


The cheapest way to improve your health, drink water!

Lucky for us, in America water is free just about anywhere you go. Drinking water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages will not only help your wallet but could help to improve your health. Although there are currently no set requirements for water consumption, the Food and Nutrition Board recommends that the average women consume 91 ounces daily … Read More


Are canned fruits and vegetables healthy?

My husband, who grew up in rural North Carolina spent many of his summers with his grandfather. He saw acres of farmland with fresh vegetables including cabbages, collards, green beans, okra, field peas, squash, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupes, Muscadine grapes, peaches, etc. He and his grandfather would get up early in the mornings to … Read More


Go Nuts!!

Nuts are my favorite snack to munch on in between meal times. They are bite-size nutritional powerhouses, packed with heart-healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. When I choose this vitality-boosting snack, I stick to a handful mix of unsalted nuts to get the best valuable vitamins and minerals in my diet. All nuts have different … Read More


Break the fast: Start the day off smart!

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. My mother always made sure we started our day with foods such as eggs, oatmeal, cereal, pancakes and breakfast meats like bacon and sausage. But, breakfast can be so much more than these traditional foods that can take more time to prepare that we often have in … Read More


Fuel Your Way Back To School

The food we eat helps supply our brains with the energy they need to function well. During the school year, children spend roughly 35 hours per week in school where they are focusing, learning, communicating, and thinking. All of these tasks require children’s minds to be alert, and a balanced diet to supply them with … Read More


Try a pita pocket sandwich

Sandwiches are a common staple food on a lunchbox menu for children, but I’ve noticed sandwiches have gotten a reputation as being boring or bland because children get tired of eating the same old sandwich for lunch every day. Sure, spreading some peanut butter and jelly on bread or just slapping on a few cold … Read More



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Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)

North Carolina State University
Agricultural and Human Sciences Department

Cooperative Extension at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES)