New mexico state university, EFNEP project abstract the expanded food and nutrition education program (EFNEP) provides funds to have peer educators (PARAPROFESSIONALS) teach program participants how…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded New Mexico State University $614,390 on October 1, 2025, under the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (CFDA 10.514).

The award funds peer educators at New Mexico State University Ideas for Cooking and Nutrition (NMSU ICAN) to deliver nutrition education lessons to low-income families, with emphasis on parents and adult caregivers responsible for feeding young children, pregnant teens, and youth. Programming includes instruction on nutrition, food safety practices, and physical activity. NMSU ICAN serves low-income communities across New Mexico through evidence-based education delivered by paraprofessionals in accessible environments, serving participants from third grade through adulthood.

The performance period runs October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2030, with work performed in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The award targets low-income New Mexico residents; 35.9 percent of the state's population lives at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level, and only 32.3 percent and 36.1 percent of this low-income population consume adequate vegetables and fruits respectively. New Mexico's demographic diversity—including 9.4 percent Native American residents and just under 50 percent Hispanic or Latino population—shapes program delivery to Spanish-dominant speakers and culturally diverse communities. The five-year plan prioritizes helping youth and adults improve nutrition and food safety practices while increasing physical activity.

New mexico state university, EFNEP project abstract the expanded food and nutrition education program (EFNEP) provides funds to have peer educators (PARAPROFESSIONALS) teach program participants how to improve their nutritional health and well-being. EFNEP programming is provided as a series of lessons to low-income families, with an emphasis on parents and other adult caregivers who have primary responsibility for feeding young children, pregnant teens, and youth. EFNEP's peer educator approach allows new mexico state university ideas for cooking and nutrition (nmsu ican) to reach diverse low-income communities and provide high-quality, evidence-based education in a comfortable, accessible environment. New mexico is a southwestern state in which 35.9% of the population lives at or below 185% of the federal poverty level, almost 10% above the national rate. Vegetables and fruits are adequately consumed by only 32.3% and 36.1% of this low-income population, respectively. 28.7% of adults and 53% of youth in new mexico's low-income population are at a healthy weight. New mexico is also a demographically and culturally diverse state. IT is home to 23 federally recognized tribes, and 9.4% of new mexicans are native american, compared to a national average of 0.84%. Just under 50% of new mexico's population is hispanic or latino, compared to a national average of 18.7%. Many families in the state include spanish-dominant speakers and readers for whom english is their second learned language. In new mexico EFNEP, our five-year plan is focused on helping youth and adults improve nutrition and food safety practices, as well as increasing physical activity on the EFNEP diet recall. New mexico EFNEP works with youth from third grade through adulthood. New mexico is a unique state with many challenges and many resources to help our limited-resource citizens improve their health and quality of life. The EFNEP target population benefit immensely from the presence of EFNEP, which provides opportunities for increased knowledge, practice and access in the areas of food choice, food safety, and healthy behaviors. In 2024, 95% of NM EFNEP participants reported improvement in diet quality and 70% increased physical activity after participating in EFNEP classes. The NM EFNEP program is an essential and integral part of cooperative extension service's outreach to specifically benefit new mexico's most vulnerable population.