Guest Writer: Erin Roberts
In Granville County, approximately 35.8% residents are obese. To address this issue, NC Cooperative Extension partnered with Cornerstone Christian Community Church in Oxford to deliver a Faithful Families Eating Smart and Moving More series to parents with young children. One participant in particular, named JT, made several positive changes for her health during and after participating in the classes. She increased her fruit and vegetable intake and cut back on sweets, such as candy and Little Debbie cakes. JT used to drink several sugar sweetened beverages weekly. She now consumes water more often and adds Crystal Light flavoring to “jazz it up.” Portion control is a top priority for her as she eats food from a smaller plate without going back for seconds.
Healthy produce at a Faithful Families class
An example of a typical light meal for JT includes flatbread turkey bacon BLT and cantaloupe for dessert. Selecting baked chicken over fried, Weight Watchers meals and 100 calorie snack packs are just a few of the healthier choices she makes. JT even began eating Raisin Bran Oatmeal Crunch with lactose free milk for breakfast. Eating breakfast everyday provides fullness and prevents her from overeating during later meals. JT proudly states, “I see food totally different and I actually feel better now since I have been making better eating choices.” Lastly, she intentionally parks farther away when going shopping. Clearly, making simple changes has empowered this participant to take control of her wellbeing.
Erin Roberts is an EFNEP Program Associate at Durham County Cooperative Extension. Contact Erin at erin_roberts@ncsu.edu or at (919) 560-7978. 
