Classes teach participants about nutrition, meal planning, food shopping and food safety. The target audiences for the program are adults with limited resources. The Family Nutrition Program is sponsored by a grant of the Midwest Region Food and Consumer Service, United States Department of Agriculture.

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You may contact Dawn at the OSU Extension Office of Richland County, 419-747-8755,  for a listing of programs and classes being offered. All programs are offered to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis.

This is a question that many people are asking on a daily basis.  Just what is energy and how can we get more of it?  Nutritionists measure the amount of heat produced by metabolizing food in units called kilocalories.  The kilocalorie is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree on the Centigrade thermometer at sea level.  Most nutritionists will use the word “calorie” for kilocalorie.  It is easier to remember and easier to pronounce.

Do you know how many calories there are in different foods?  For example, there are four calories in a gram of carbohydrates, four calories in a gram of protein, one gram of fat has nine calories and a gram of alcohol has seven calories.  It also depends on the cut of meat, the toppings you put on food, whether it is low fat like a bagel or high in fat like hamburger.

Just remember that all foods provide calories and all calories provide energy.  But not all foods provide the right nutrients to the body such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, amino acids and fatty acids.

Many foods provide “empty” calories or “naked” calories, which mean they do not give any beneficial value.  Empty calories can contribute to being malnourished or overweight.  All calories will give you weight but how you spend those calories determine whether you gain or lose weight.  If you burn up more calories than you took in by exercising or another activity, then you will lose weight.  The same holds for gaining weight.  The more calories you take in during the day, but do not burn up through some physical means, will produce weight gain. 

So, be conscious of what types of food you eat, how many calories are involved, how many calories you personally need during the day, and how much activity you need in order to “burn up” those calories.  If you skip meals or do not eat   enough during the day, it may cause you to not have enough energy.  Be sure to check with your doctor or a registered dietitian if you have other health problems related to losing or gaining weight. 

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