Guernsey County OSU Extension Program to Promote Healthy Eating on a Budget

ZANESVILLE, OH – March is National Nutrition Month.

To help highlight this, the Guernsey County OSU Extension Office will be hosting a program on Tuesday, March 10th at the Crossroads Library in Cambridge.

Caitlin Mathews-Smith, an Educator in Family & Consumer Sciences with the Extension Office, says their goal is to share with the community on how you can properly nourish your body, without breaking the bank.

“This year’s theme is to discover the power of nutrition and I just wanted to share because OSU Extension FCS, our goal is to help facilitate opportunities for us to apply science based education to improve the quality of life for our communities.” Mathews-Smith said. “We’re going to be doing a program called “Build Your Pot of Gold”, it’s a little St. Patrick’s theme, but the idea is that we’re eating a rainbow of different fruits and vegetables and we’re stretching our food dollars, so making sure we can access healthy, affordable foods.”

Mathews-Smith says the program will also focus on growing your own garden, to help promote eating at home and going out less.

She also provided some tips to help stretch those dollars a little further.

“Planning what you’re going to eat, so looking at what you already have available in your pantry and then deciding what meals and snacks that you’re going to make for the week, depending on what you have available.” Mathews-Smith said. “Decide how much you’re going to make, consider doubling the recipe that way you have that extra to share with neighbors, family, friends, and then you can even swap and then extend those food choices, and not get burnt out on leftovers.”

The “Build Your Pot of Gold” program will be at 5PM on March 10th at the Crossroads Library, located at 63500 Byesville Rd in Cambridge.