Food and Health
Food is a daily need that all Mississippians have in common—we all need to eat, and most of us love to eat! But food choices also have a significant impact on health, from getting a breakfast boost that powers up our brains for a successful day to fighting heart disease. The MSU Extension Service strives to make sound, science-based information available and understandable to help Mississippians of all ages make positive decisions about their health and wellness.
Extension is the home of the Office of Nutrition Education, which administers two federally funded programs—the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-ED).
Extension also offers the ServSafe training for personnel working in our state’s restaurants, school cafeterias, and food businesses. We also provide the TummySafe training for those working in child-care centers.
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of infirmity.” — World Health Organization, 1948
The Family, Health, and Wellness (FHW) program within MSU's Cooperative Extension Service is committed to enhancing health and wellness through education, research, and community outreach in areas such as nutrition, food, and healthy living. This diverse field focuses on empowering individuals and families to build the resources needed to navigate life's ongoing challenges. FHW specialists, agents, and staff are deeply involved in local communities, working to improve the health and well-being of families, schools, and neighborhoods. Through evidence-based education, cutting-edge research, and collaborative partnerships, we are ‘informing decisions, shaping futures, and strengthening Mississippi’.
Publications
News
Greens are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber! (Photo by Adobe Stock)
Greens are about as Southern of a food as you’ll find. Growing up, my grandparents almost always had a bowl of greens at the lunch table.
This year’s theme is all about how food connects us -- through memories, traditions, and, of course, our health!
It’s March, and that means it’s National Nutrition Month! One of my favorite times of the year. This year’s theme is all about how food connects us. And when you think about it, food is much more than what’s on your plate.
Lettuce is a great source of vitamin A and K! (Photo by Adobe Stock)
Did you know lettuce was one of the first vegetables brought to America by Christopher Columbus? What a great fun fact!
Success Stories
In Rolling Fork, the Mississippi town in Sharkey County devastated by a twister on March 24, 2023, despair was not an option.
You don’t have to have diabetes to benefit from the principles of the Dining with Diabetes (DWD) program.
Dining with Diabetes covers healthy eating, physical activity, disease monitoring, medication compliance, and risk reduction, and the course empowers participants by giving them access to nutrition knowledge and resources for food preparation. Classes include research-based education, cooking demonstrations, and healthy recipe tasting. These tools can help people make positive changes by planning menus, counting carbohydrates, controlling portions, and reading labels.