Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com

Published - Thursday, March 06, 2008

Finding the right foods: Expert teaches healthy eating with food shelf items

Delores DuBois of Winona, right, tries a sample of potato soup made by Nutrition Education Assistant, Annette Shepardson, left, Wednesday at the Winona Services kitchen. Shepardson provides healthy recipes and samples each month that she makes using ingredients from WInona Food Shelf food assistance packages.

By Amber Dulek | Winona Daily News

A little boy once told Annette Shepardson how his dad gives him money everyday to buy doughnuts for breakfast for him and his sister.

Shepardson, a nutrition education assistant with the University of Minnesota Extension Service, convinced the boy how much better it would be to buy yogurt, juice and bananas instead.

“The boy came back and said to me, ‘My dad was happy to save money, and I like bananas,’” she said.

Shepardson keeps a folder of success stories like those to share with people who attend her popular nutritional programs. It’s her proof that eating healthy can be easy and affordable.

For the past two years, Shepardson has worked with 21 agencies in Winona County such as Winona Volunteer Services, Youth Diversity Quest, the Winona Area Learning Center and the Winona Law Enforcement Center to provide a variety of free hands-on nutrition courses for low-income families.

From learning how to read nutrition labels to navigating the grocery aisles on food stamps to discovering a new recipe using items at a food bank, Shepardson helps kindergarteners to senior citizens maintain a healthy diet even if they’re scraping to get by.

The demand for nutritional education is everywhere, Shepardson said, but she was surprised at the strong local response to her programs. Her schedule is booked until November.

“I can’t believe all the need here in Winona and the desire,” she said. “I think people are interested in nutrition but the perception I see is it’s too hard and too expensive.”

All people need is education, resources and a helping hand, Shepardson said, while stirring a crock pot full of creamy potato soup at the local food shelf Wednesday.

Once a month, Shepardson offers free food samples to individuals picking up food assistance at the local food shelf. Her 10-minute soup recipe used dry milk, processed cheese and potato flakes — all items available in the food shelf boxes. She also added corns, carrots and beans to supplement the flavor.

“I always have low-cost and easy-to-make foods that people are apt to do,” she said. “The ingredients are all things that you can keep in your cupboard and grab at a moment’s notice and make up.”

Shepardson stresses to people in her six-week food stamp nutrition education classes that simple, inexpensive diet changes can be a big boost in nutrition, like switching to wheat bread and pasta.

Eating beans, like garbanzo and black beans, offer 30 percent of the daily fiber need and costs 70 cents a can, she said. It’s a low-cost substitute for meat that’s low-fat and low in calories.

As a mom, Shepardson knows what it’s like to be frugal and short on time.

“A lot of people I work with just need food — healthier food they can afford,” she said. “I don’t judge the way they eat. I give them tools so they can make decisions for their life.”

Contact reporter Amber Dulek at amber.dulek@lee.net or (507) 453-3513.