Virginia Cooperative Extension Family and Nutrition Program

The Family Nutrition Program’s mission is to teach limited-resource families and youth how to make healthier food choices and become better managers of available food resources for optimal health and growth. Our programs focus on basic nutrition, physical activity, safe food handling, and thrifty food shopping.

-Eating Smart, Being Active (ESBA) is the primary curriculum for adult programs that we use throughout the state. ESBA lessons encourage adults to make healthy nutrition and lifestyle choices. The program is discussion-based, includes hands-on activities like cooking and meal planning, and offers practical advice for making healthy behavior changes.

-In the Kitchen is designed to help caregivers of children ages 12 and under with basic cooking skills, including knife safety, food safety, recipe reading, and simple cooking techniques.

The Family Nutrition Program is offered through Virginia Cooperative Extension, an educational outreach partnership between Virginia Tech and Virginia State University.