The 8-week Eating Smart · Being Active (ESBA) course uses an interactive nutrition education and obesity prevention curriculum. The 90-minute sessions focus on three important areas – nutrition education, physical activity, and preparation of a low-cost, healthy recipe. Participants who complete the series also receive a certificate and cookbook.

Featured weekly topics include:

• Welcome to Eating Smart · Being Active/Get Moving!
• Plan, Shop, Save
• Fruits and Veggies: Half Your Plate
• Make Half Your Grains Whole
• Vary Your Protein Routine
• Build Strong Bones
• Small Changes Matter
• Celebrate! Eat Smart and Be Active.

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) partners with local community organizations to develop gardens in communities. Gardens can help reduce food shortages by increasing access to affordable fresh produce. More importantly, they give community members ownership of a space that empowers, educates, and engages them to make lasting, healthier choices supporting direct nutrition education’s goals.

The SNAP-Ed Coordinator collaborates with the community garden workgroups and provides them with nutrition education opportunities, such as the Eating Smart – Being Active course.

If your organization is interested in partnering with DPH on a community garden, please contact the SNAP-Ed Coordinator.

Voices for Food (VFF) is a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded initiative to help people access food in rural communities with high poverty and food shortages. Using the Voices for Food model, we help build and support local food policy councils. By engaging leaders, partners, and residents, we listen to the many voices necessary to improve food security and well-being in rural communities.

Please contact the SNAP-Ed Coordinator if you want to learn more about the Voices for Food initiative and local food policy councils.