Discover the Power of Nutrition

See Lucas County Extension promote National Nutrition Month on WTOL's Good Day program.

Each year during March, we celebrate National Nutrition Month®, which is a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It invites everyone to learn about making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

The theme for National Nutrition Month® 2026 is Discover the Power of Nutrition, which highlights the power nutrition has in helping individuals and communities thrive.

Our food and beverage choices have the power to help us thrive. To get the most benefit from the foods and beverages you choose throughout the week, consider the following tips:

  • Choose healthful foods from all the food groups.
  • Alternate your food choices for a variety of nutrients. Including a variety of foods within each food group can help you to get the nutrients you need. 
  • Avoid fad diets that promote unnecessary restrictions. They may advertise quick and easy solutions, but they often don’t promote healthy or sustainable habits. 

Resources can be a big obstacle when it comes to healthy eating. But there are things you can do to stay nourished on a limited budget. 

  • Make a grocery list and stick to it so you buy only what you need. Check store sales when you’re planning your meals.
  • Modify recipes to use less expensive ingredients – for example, replace some or all the meat in a soup or casserole with beans, or use frozen or canned vegetables in place of fresh ones.
  • Learn cooking skills that work with the tools you have. Know how to prepare a variety of dishes and make use of budget-friendly ingredients.
  • If you’re eligible, consider signing up for community resources, such as SNAP, WIC, and local food pantries. Visit our Food Assistance Resource Guide to learn more.

Contact your local EFNEP team to learn where free programs are delivered in your community. 

  1. NEW! 2025 Version of the Lucas County Food Assistance Resource Guide Now Available

    Feb. 17, 2025

    The Lucas County Community Nutrition Team (SNAP-ED and EFNEP) are pleased to announce the 2025 version of the Lucas County Food Assistance Resource Guide is now available. Originally created in 2020, this guide provides our community with listings of

  2. Financial February Resources - WTOL Good Day

    Feb. 03, 2025

    WTOL Good Day - Tuesday, February 4th, 2025

    We appreciate Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) teacher Mrs. Schultz from Start High School joining us to share about the high school finance classes. 

  3. Winter Sowing Resource

    Jan. 07, 2025

    This morning, Amy Stone, our AgNR Educator with OSU Extension in Lucas was a guest on WTOL's Good Day. 

    One of the topics covered included winter sowing. Here is the resource that we referred to during the interview. 

    https://lucas.osu.edu/sites/lucas/files/imce/FCS/Winter%20Sowing%20Hando...

    Good luck with your winter sowing project! 

  4. Spotted Lanternfly Update, 09.10.2024, News To Know

    Sep. 10, 2024

    Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is in the adult stage. As of 09.10.2024 we have not had any reports of egg masses, but are anticipating seeing those soon. Adults are being observed in large numbers especially in the downtown area, east Toledo, and south Toledo, with numbers increasing in other areas of the county. 

     

    We continue to encouraging residents to become familiar with this non-native invasive insect - the spotted lanternfly (SLF), and look for the pest in their own landscapes or places they frequent.

     

  5. Healthy Lunch Box Ideas

    Aug. 21, 2024

    It’s back-to-school time and although we might be focused on kids’ lunches, packing a lunch for ourselves can be a cost-saving strategy. Suzanne Saggese, Community Nutrition Program Specialist at OSU Extension, Lucas County shares the following tips (links below) and on Good Day on W-TOL 11 (08/21/24)

  6. Spotted Lanternfly Update, 07.08.2024, News To Know

    Jul. 08, 2024

    Spotted Lanternfly is becoming evident across the county as 2nd, 3rd and 4th instar nymphs. As of 07.08.2024 we have not had any reports, nor seen any adults, but that will be coming soon.

     

    We are encouraging residents to become familiar with this non-native invasive insect - the spotted lanternfly (SLF), and look for the pest in their own landscapes or places they frequent.

     

  7. Poison Hemlock - News To Know

    Jun. 05, 2024

    Poison hemlock is gaining notoriety in NW Ohio and is seemingly popping up across the area. Currently it is in flower and towering along roadsides and other unkept areas. Flowers that are blooming now, will be setting seeds that will continue to produce plants into the future. 

     

    Want to learn more about this highly toxic plant? Check out OSU's Buckeye Yard and Garden Line (BYGL) Alert at https://bygl.osu.edu/node/2111

     

  8. Spotted Lanternfly Update - News to Know

    Jun. 04, 2024

     

    Spotted Lanternfly is becoming evident across the county as 1st instar nymphs have hatched from egg masses laid last year. As of 06.04.2024 we are seeing both 1st and 2nd instar nymphs.

     

    We are encouraging residents to become familiar with this non-native invasive insect - the spotted lanternfly (SLF), and look for the pest in their own landscapes or places they frequent.

     

  9. Vegetable Gardening "How To"

    Apr. 11, 2024

    Are you ready for the vegetable garden season? We have tips from Winter Sowing to early spring and summer and fall vegetables gardens. Need information on common weeds? Soil Testing? Insects? Check out our list of garden handouts here: https://lucas.osu.edu/vegetable-gardening 

  10. FOOD FUN, CANNING, AND GARDEN PESTS, ACTIVITIES!

    Mar. 06, 2024

    Looking for a fun, free, and face-to-face learning experience? Head to the new Glass City Enrichment Center at 815 Front Street, next to Toledo’s award-winning Glass City Metropark. Educational programs are the second Thursday of each month and offer a range of exciting topics —food, canning, garden pests, and more! Adults, youth, and their parents/caregivers are welcome.  Please register, as space is limited. Public parking is free, and the site is served by TARTA.

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