Abstract:
Women Infants and Children (WIC) participants of the Farmer's Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) have significantly higher vegetable intake (P=0.040) than WIC participants not on the program. Moreover, significantly more WIC-FMNP participants were in the action category of the stages of change for vegetable intake (P=0.017) compared to their non WIC-FMNP counterparts. My thesis aimed at supporting the effort of WIC-FMNP participants to increase their vegetable intake by creating easy-to-follow recipes in a cookbook format that addressed the common nutritional deficiencies of the WIC demographic. The ingredients for the recipes feature vegetables approved for purchase by the Indiana State Department of Health, listed in the 2013 Farmer's Market Handbook specifically for the FMNP. Vegetables are purchased with WIC-FMNP cash value vouchers at the Minnetrista Farmer's Market of Delaware County, Indiana. The target audience for the cookbook is the WIC population; pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women and children under the age of five who also meet the criteria of being at or below 185% of the U.S. Poverty Income Level. Although the recipes mainly focus on the nutritional needs of the WIC participants, they are also adaptable for the use of the remainder of the family. It is expected that the cookbook that results from this project will encourage the audience to diversify their intake of vegetables as a direct result of experimenting with new recipes in the cookbook. In tum, a broadened taste palate for nutrient dense vegetables could help alleviate nutritional deficiencies and help the participants sustain lifelong nutrition quality.
