New concepts for nutrition education in an era of welfare reform.

In response to welfare reform and the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program's (FSNEP) goal of increasing clients' self-sufficiency, a literature review and small exploratory study were conducted to gain insight into a potential approach that would go beyond current nutrition education methods. Interviews with 17 FSNEP participants showed a widespread willingness to share food-related skills that others wanted to learn, some interest in cooperating on food-related projects, and frequent cases of social and geographic isolation. Based on these preliminary findings, we suggest the development and evaluation of nutrition education programs that appreciate and build on existing abilities of participants, provide opportunities for self-directed learning and activities, and build social support, social networks, and trust among participants while linking them to the broader community.

Price of amino acids as a basis for planning protein adequate diets.

This paper considers the needs of field level nutrition educators in developing countries for an easy method of giving usable dietary advice suited to specific family compositions, incomes, production patterns, seasons, and food preferences. It describes the development and application of a tool which combines available data on seasonal food prices, amino acid requirements, and amino acid compositions of foods. The accuracy and implications of the tool are discussed.