# Presentation: 919426

## Food and Nutrition Service

**Food and Nutrition Service**
**Office of Research and Analysis**
- December 2008

**Notes:**
FNS has released a set of 16 consumer tested core nutrition messages and supporting content for low-income mothers and children in a new publication entitled “Maximizing the Message: Helping Moms and Kids Make Healthier Food Choices.’”   

## 16 Core Messages

- Supporting Content on 3 Topics
- Implementation Guidebook
- Focus Group Reports

- FNS Core Nutrition

**Notes:**
Please note that the focus group reports will be posted at a later date.

## Core Messages 

- Provide consumer tested messages and related tips
- Reflect the USDA Strategic Nutrition Goals
- Support nutrition education priorities and policies

**Notes:**
Core Messages provide nutrition educators with consumer tested messages and related tips that are personally relevant, doable and resonate with the audience that help consumers take small steps to put the DGA and MyPyramid into action.  The messages:
 Reflect the USDA Strategic Nutrition Goals
 Support Program-based nutrition education and policies, and
 Have been approved by the joint USDA/DHHS Dietary Guidelines Working Group

## Core Nutrition MessagesDevelopment

- FNS Core Nutrition Messages Workgroup
- HQ and Regional Program Staff
- External Stakeholders
- Associations
- Academia
- Other Federal agencies
**Message and tips tested in 9 locations across the country**

**Notes:**
Development of the messages included extensive input from stakeholders.  FNS convened a workgroup consisting of experts in nutrition education, communication and the FNS programs that made recommendations regarding the behavioral focus, target audience, concepts and scope of the messages and content.  The core message workgroup consisted of :
 	HQ and Regional Program Staff
 	External Stakeholders
  Associations
  Academia
  Other Federal agencies (NIH, CDC)

The message and tips were tested in 9 locations across the country

30 focus groups included
  140 mothers and 
  73 kids
   All participants were low-income; and 2/3 participated in one or more nutrition assistance programs.

## Target Audience

-  Mothers of Preschool-age Children
- Mothers of Elementary School-age Children
- 8-10 year-old children

## Messages for Mothers of Preschoolers

- Role Modeling-Eating Fruits and Vegetables
- Cooking and Eating Together
- Letting Children Serve Themselves
- Offering New Foods

**Notes:**
  Role Modeling-Eating Fruits and Vegetables
  Cooking and Eating Together
  Letting Children Serve Themselves
  Offering New Foods

## Messages included in MyPyramid for Preschoolers

**Notes:**
Messages have been featured where appropriate in MyPyramid for Preschoolers.

## Messages for Mothers of Elementary School Age Children

**Messages for Mothers of ****Elementary School Age Children**

**Availability and Accessibility of:**

**Fruits**
**Vegetables**
**Low-fat/Fat-free Milk**

**Messages for 8 to 10 Year Old Children**

**Promoting consumption of:**
**Fruits and Vegetables**
**Low-fat/Fat-free Milk**

## About Supporting Content...

- Narratives (Mom Stories), Bulleted Tips, and Recipes
- Topics:
- Role Modeling
- Cooking and Eating Together
- Making Fruits and Vegetables Available and Accessible at Home
- Use in print materials, for classroom discussions, in anticipatory guidance and more.
- Mom-approved and consistent with DGAs!

## Maximizing the Message: Helping Moms and Kids Make Healthier Food Choices

- Provides background information
- Describes the developmental approach
- Summarizes lessons learned from the focus groups
- provides implementation and evaluation guidance

- For more information visit:
- _[http://](http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/corenutritionmessages/default.htm)__[www.fns.usda.gov/fns/corenutritionmessages/default.htm](http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/corenutritionmessages/default.htm)_

**Notes:**
Implementation Guidance provides approaches that are relevant to the nutrition assistance programs, can be applied to multiple communication methods, and provides options for educators.  The suggestions build upon current practices and suggest alternative approaches as well.

Implementation Guidance was peer reviewed by educators working in WIC, School Lunch, CACFP, SNAP, SNAP-Ed Implementing Agencies and by representatives from other Federal agencies including CSREES, NIH and CDC.

We encourage you to use these resource as part of  program-based nutrition education as well as cross-program education initiatives such as those outlined in the State Nutrition Action Plans.  We also invite you to share information about how you are using these products.  Send information, including samples of any materials to: oaneweb@fns.usda.gov.