Nutrition

What is SNAP-Ed?

SNAP-Ed is the nutrition promotion and obesity-prevention component of SNAP. States provide nutrition education and obesity prevention interventions for low-income people who are eligible for SNAP or other means-tested federal assistance programs. SNAP-Ed delivers a variety of important programs to SNAP-eligible individuals and qualifying communities that are designed to:

• Increase the consumption of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products.
• Decrease the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.
• Increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviors
• Improve food resource management skills and improve food preparation skills
• Increase access to affordable and nutritious food

FY2023 Impact Report

SNAP-Ed in the Southern Finger Lakes:

• Includes 12 diverse, multilingual educators who cover 6 counties, including Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, and Yates. The team utilizes a multi-prong approach in which we provide:
• Nutrition Education: Using evidence-based curricula, we teach a variety of topics: healthy eating on a budget, smart shopping for vegetables and fruit, healthy meal planning, basic cooking and food safety skills, weight control, and physical activity.
• Policy, Systems and Environmental Efforts: Through policy, systems, and environmental change approaches, we seek to go beyond programming and influence community-level health promotion where we work, live, learn, and play.
• Social Marketing: Combining ideas from commercial marketing and the social sciences, we use social marketing techniques and a variety of mediums to create distribute messaging that influences positive behavior change.

SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as Food Stamps). It is part of the U.S. domestic hunger safety net and provides economic benefits to eligible, low-income individuals and families for food purchases. For information on SNAP eligibility, please contact your local DSS office and/or your local NOEP educator.

Last updated May 28, 2025