University of new hampshire extension's expanded food and nutrition education program (unhe efnep) is a USDA-nifa program that offers nutrition education to limited-resource families and children

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University of New Hampshire $328,827 under the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (CFDA 10.514) on October 1, 2025.

The University of New Hampshire Extension delivers nutrition education to limited-resource families and children through interactive lessons led by paraprofessional educators from the communities they serve. Eligible adult participants receive or are eligible to receive federal food assistance, have monthly household cash income at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level, or are pregnant teens or foster youth in transition regardless of income or age. Program instruction covers planning nutritious meals, increasing physical activity, stretching food dollars, practicing safe food handling, and preventing obesity through healthy lifestyles. Participants achieve documented improvements across four core areas: diet quality and physical activity, food resource management, food safety, and food security. Annual data shows that more than 90 percent of adult participants and 80 percent of youth participants report improved behaviors following program graduation.

The award covers the period from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2030, with place of performance in Lee, New Hampshire. No sub-recipients participate under USDA-NIFA EFNEP program guidelines.

Adult participants must satisfy at least one of the following: (1) receive or be eligible to receive federal food assistance. (2) have a monthly household cash income that is at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. (3) be a pregnant teen or foster youth in transition, regardless of income or age. Unhe efnep promotes good nutrition and physical activity as a means of maintaining a healthy lifestyle free of chronic disease. Our goal is to help adults and their families establish & maintain healthy eating habits & physically active lifestyles. Participants learn to: (1) plan nutritious meals, (2) increase physical activity, (3) stretch their food dollars, (4) practice safe food handling, and (5) prevent obesity through healthy lifestyles. Unhe efnep nutrition education occurs through a series of interactive lessons led by a paraprofessional educator from the community they serve. Consistently, annual data shows that more than 90 percent of adults and 80 percent of youth report improved behaviors following unhe efnep program graduation. Individual and family improvements are seen for four core areas: (1) diet quality and physical activity, (2) food resource management, (3) food safety, and (4) food security. There are no unhe efnep subrecipients per USDA-nifa efnep program guidelines.