Nutrition Recommendations Critical to Teach Low‐Income Adults in EFNEP: U.S. Dietary Guidelines Expert Panel Opinion

Abstract

ObjectiveAn expert panel was convened to prioritize which nutrition messages from the 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines were most critical to teach low‐income adults to improve diet quality and reduce chronic diseases.MethodsSix experts were recruited nationally with the professional expertise needed to prioritize the Dietary Guidelines that were most‐critical to teach a low‐income audience through the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), a federally‐funded national nutrition education program. Expert panel members had specific expertise in the following areas: serving on the 2010 US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, developing current national consumer nutrition messages from the Dietary Guidelines, evaluating and conducting national nutrition research related to the prevention of chronic diseases and underserved populations, leading nutrition education programs targeting low‐income adults, and EFNEP administration. The experts individually prioritized 23 specific Dietary Guidelines nutrition recommendations and discussed differences among their rankings until reaching consensus.ResultsOverarching nutrition recommendations to teach a low‐income audience for the purpose of improving health and reducing the risk of nutrition‐related diseases were: focus on nutrient dense foods low in calorie density and cook and eat more meals at home. Specific recommendations were: 1) increase vegetable and fruit intake, 2) eat a variety of vegetables, 3) consume at least half of all grains as whole, 4) increase low‐fat dairy or fortified soy products, 5) eat a variety of protein foods, 6) identify key points on food labels, 7) prepare, serve, and consume smaller portions of food and beverages, 8) reduce snack foods and sweets, and 9) avoid sugar‐sweetened beverages.ConclusionsThis research has implications for developing appropriate nutrition education content for low‐income audiences. The expert panel results will guide the development/revision of nutrition education curricula content and evaluation tools used by EFNEP and may influence other programs serving this audience.Support or Funding InformationAgricultural Experiment Station Multistate Project: NC2169 EFNEP‐Related Research