Food and Health
Food is a daily need that all Mississippians have in common—we all need to eat, and most of us love to eat! But food choices also have a significant impact on health, from getting a breakfast boost that powers up our brains for a successful day to fighting heart disease. The MSU Extension Service strives to make sound, science-based information available and understandable to help Mississippians of all ages make positive decisions about their health and wellness.
Extension is the home of the Office of Nutrition Education, which administers two federally funded programs—the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-ED).
Extension also offers the ServSafe training for personnel working in our state’s restaurants, school cafeterias, and food businesses. We also provide the TummySafe training for those working in child-care centers.
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of infirmity.” — World Health Organization, 1948
Publications
News
An important part of holiday gatherings is ensuring everyone stays healthy.
The holiday season is a time for social gatherings and sharing meals together! If you’re like me, you enjoy hosting events at your home. I host an annual Thanksgiving dinner for my friends, and it’s always one of the highlights of my year!
Electric pressure cookers can save time and money, but it can take a little time to learn to use them.
Check out these facts about electric pressure cookers and get some tips on how to use these popular countertop appliances.
Did you know seafood provides many great health benefits?
October is National Seafood Month! Mississippi is proud to have a vibrant costal community supported by the seafood industry.
Success Stories
In Rolling Fork, the Mississippi town in Sharkey County devastated by a twister on March 24, 2023, despair was not an option.
You don’t have to have diabetes to benefit from the principles of the Dining with Diabetes (DWD) program.
Dining with Diabetes covers healthy eating, physical activity, disease monitoring, medication compliance, and risk reduction, and the course empowers participants by giving them access to nutrition knowledge and resources for food preparation. Classes include research-based education, cooking demonstrations, and healthy recipe tasting. These tools can help people make positive changes by planning menus, counting carbohydrates, controlling portions, and reading labels.