Nutrition Connections
The Nutrition Connections program in Strafford County targets limited-income adults, families, and youth. We provide no-fee, life-skills education in:
- Nutrition
- Meal planning, food shopping & food budgeting, cooking
- Food safety
- Becoming more physically active
Nutrition Connections motivates & empowers program participants to:
- Eat healthier & exercise regularly to:
- Improve weight control, mood, energy, school & job performance;
- Reduce risk & improve management of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis which drive our spiraling healthcare costs & reduce quality of life.
- Read & understand food labels to select nutritious foods
- Save $$$ at the supermarket & still make healthier choices
- Plan & prepare quick, low-cost meals that are tasty & nutritious
- Prevent foodborne illness which affects 1 in 4 Americans annually
Adult programs: We provide education to groups at agency locations and other venues but also work one-on-one with individuals & families in their homes. Learning activities are tailored to the needs of the participant(s). A typical program consists of 4-6 sessions of 1½ to 2 hours over 4 to 8 weeks. If cooking is requested, the agency or participant is responsible for providing equipment and food. We also offer a no-fee nutrition correspondence course.
Youth programs: We provide nutrition education to preschoolers at Head Start centers & income-qualifying daycare centers, and to schools with at least 40% of students receiving free or reduced-fee lunch. 
We also offer the HEALthy Schools program to help schools improve their nutrition & physical fitness environment. Features include an online fitness/wellness course (worth 45 CEU’s), a nutrition-theme bookbag program that helps meet reading requirements, and $100 worth of nutrition education supplies for each 40 hour devoted to the program.
Eligibility for Nutrition Connections Programs
- Adults: Families & individuals with incomes up to 185% of Federal Poverty Guidelines ($40,793 for a family of 4) or most people receiving some form of public assistance such as WIC, TANF, Food Stamps, APTD, Medicaid, SSI, fuel assistance. Healthy Kids
- Youth: Head Start centers & elementary or middle schools with at least 40% of students receiving free or reduced-fee lunch.
For further information, please contact:
David Leonard, Educational Program Coordinator, Nutrition Connections
Tel. 603-749-4445
Online Resources
BMI (Body Mass Index) & healthy weight calculator for children
Cooking & Recipes (our Quick & Easy Meals guide)
Cooking & Recipes (Univ. of Nebraska
Farmers’ markets & local food guide (Seacoast area)
Fish benefits & safety guidelines (wallet card for ocean fish)
Fish safety guidelines (NH lakes)
Food (home canning & other food preservation
Food safety (storage guidelines)
Health information (Mayo Clinic)
Health information (HealthFinder)
MyPyramid (personalized eating plans, healthy eating tips)
