An Interactive, Self-Paced Training Tool for Nutrition Education Paraprofessionals

The nutritional paradox in this nation is that although food is abundant, most Americans eat poorly. The American diet is characterized by high intake of fat and saturated fat, and low intake of calcium, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and fiber. The USDA¿s Healthy Eating Index gauges the adequacy of the American diet. The most recent Index reveals that only 10% of the U.S. population has a good diet, while 74% have diets in need of improvement and an additional 16% have a poor diets. It is evident that the food choices of most Americans are ill informed. The purpose for this study is to develop and test an innovative nutrition education CD-ROM for nutrition education paraprofessionals. It employs interactive multimedia technology to offer individualized, self-paced training. This CD-ROM presents a nutrition-education training curriculum based on authoritative content, sound pedagogical principles and best practices. It features the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for American, the Food Guidance System, different food groups, nutrition labels, food safety, food shopping and meal planning, the importance of nutrition and physical activity to health, and adopting a healthy lifestyle.