I recently moved back to the Wilmington area to join the N.C. Cooperative Extension, New Hanover County Center and Arboretum as their family and consumer sciences (FCS) agent.
As a public health graduate of the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) and a previous FCS intern with the New Hanover County Extension office, I am excited to be back in the area and to take on this role.
The main focus areas of Cooperative Extension in New Hanover County are 4-H youth development, horticulture, natural resources, and FCS. If you are unfamiliar with the FCS program, the mission is to empower individuals to make positive lifestyle changes through the promotion of healthy behaviors and healthy communities. Each county’s FCS program looks a little
different, but the mission stays the same. Here in New Hanover, our programs focus on research-based education regarding nutrition, healthy living, chronic disease prevention, local foods, and food access.
One program I am excited to offer is “Med Instead of Meds,” which focuses on incorporating Mediterranean-style eating patterns to promote health and decrease the risk of many chronic diseases. This multi-series program highlights the seven simple steps to eating the “Med Way.” Some of the steps focus on changing your proteins, adding more fruits and vegetables, and focusing on whole grains.
Additionally, at each session there will be either a food demonstration or instructions to a delicious Med Way recipe. You can find many recipes on the Med Instead of Meds website; one recipe to highlight is the “chicken eggroll in a bowl.” This recipe is a healthy and easy twist on the classic eggroll. It focuses on lean protein like ground chicken or turkey, vegetables including carrots and cabbage, and you can serve it with a side of brown rice to make a well-rounded meal.
Another recipe that is a favorite of mine is the “quick burrito bowl,” which gives you the formula of a base (brown rice or another whole grain), vegetables, a protein (beans, lean meat, or seafood), and then toppings. This recipe is a great way to incorporate leftovers or items in your freezer into a quick and easy dish.
The programs, classes, and workshops I deliver will offer practical, research-based information that folks can easily implement into their daily lives. If you have requests for programming or would like to connect, please feel free to reach out.
Allison Mattocks is the Family & Consumer Sciences Agent for N.C. Cooperative Extension in New Hanover County, located at the New Hanover County Arboretum. They can be reached at allison_mattocks@ncsu.edu.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: UNCW grad returns to New Hanover to offer healthy-living programs
