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. Fruit and Vegetable Coupon Program, Spring 2021

    Apr. 15, 2021

    Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is encouraging eligible families to enroll in this opportunity to add more nutritious produce into their diets!

    The Fruit and Vegetable Coupon Program helps make produce more affordable for Ohio families.  Eligible families receive a Fruit and Vegetable Coupon booklet worth $40, redeemable at the Toledo Farmers’ Market. Coupons are mailed directly to your home and must be redeemed by June 30, 2021.

  2. Eat Smart, Be Active!

    Jan. 07, 2021

    NEW! ONLINE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY
    TWO OPTIONS AVAILABLE:
    WEDNESDAYS STARTING JANUARY 13 2:00 PM OR
    THURSDAYS STARTING JANUARY 14 6:00 PM
    Join us via phone, tablet, or computer!
    The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) can show you how to eat healthier and be more active even on a limited budget.

  3. Fall Home Food Preservation Hours - Online

    Oct. 07, 2020

    Similar to a spring/summer series, this fall, the OSU Extension Food Preservation Team is offering live online “Office Hours”. Each of these Tuesday sessions will be from 4:00-5:00 pm.  Sessions will start with a short presentation and the remainder of the time will be for open Q&A. The presentations are free but you will need to register. You are welcome to register for one or all of them. Register here: https://go.osu.edu/fall2020foodpreservationseries

  4. Join us for Farm Science Virtual Review, September 22-24, 2020

    Sep. 09, 2020

    For the first time in its nearly 60-year-history, Farm Science Review (FSR), scheduled for September 22 – 24, will not be held in-person. Instead, a FREE virtual show will be implemented this year.

  5. Free Seed Giveaway to Promote Ohio Victory Gardens this Fall

    Aug. 10, 2020

    ODA and OSU Extension Kick Off Ohio Victory Gardens Program

    Free Seed Packets Will Be Available for the Public

  6. Celebrate Local Foods Week

    Aug. 04, 2020

    OSU Extension Lucas County partners with partners across Northwest Ohio to celebrate Ohio Local Foods Week. (#localfoodsOH)

    August is a great time to celebrate Ohio Local Foods Week because of the availability of a wide vareity of Ohio-grown fresh produce. However, we encourage our community partners to purchase and promote local food throughout the year. Even during wintertime, Ohio local food is available. Whether it is fresh produce grown with season extension or baked, canned, frozedn, and dried foods, there are opportunites to enjoy Ohio food throughout the year.

  7. 4-H is Building the Future You!

    Jun. 23, 2020

    Join Lucas County 4-H during next month as we share tips and best practices about applying for college, resume building, and preparing for your future job. Every week we’ll host a Career Ready SPIN Club meeting, a virtual field trip to either a factory or a college, and as a bonus we will be hosting 2 Real Money, Real World virtual financial literacy programs. Fill out the registration below and get an email every week with the details on how to join that week's programs. Open to ANYONE in grades 9-12. You DO NOT have to be a member of 4-H to join.

  8. June 2020 Pressure Canner Dial Gauge Testing

    Jun. 15, 2020

    Home canning is a relatively simple process, but many variables can affect your finished product.  There are so many resources with unsafe information that it is important to make sure you are following the most recent safe home canning guidelines. One guideline for home canning foods safely is using a pressure canner to process low-acid foods, such as vegetables, meat, poultry, and fish.  These low-acid foods must be pressure canned at the recommended time and temperature to destroy Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism food poisoning.

  9. Home Food Preservation series 2020

    May. 15, 2020

    The statewide OSU Extension Food Preservation Team is offering live “Office Hours” events to be held bi-weekly through the end of July.  As we expect home food preservation to be a big topic this year, we really want to get people started off right, even if we can’t meet them face-to-face.

  10. 2020 Gardening During Covid-19

    May. 11, 2020

    New to vegetable gardening?  While we would love to announce an in-person class this spring or remind you to visit your local library for books, we currently cannot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. OSU Extension, Lucas County is committed to serving you during this time as our physical office(s) are closed.

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