What is ICAN?

The Ideas for Cooking and Nutrition Program (ICAN) provides hands-on, needs-based education in the areas of healthy food choices, food preparation, food safety, and food resource management. Limited resource individuals meet with a nutrition educator through a series of approximately six to twelve classes (four to six classes for youth). ICAN targets New Mexico consumers with limited resources and includes families with small children, pregnant teens, young people, singles and senior citizens. The Doña Ana county Cooperative Extension Service cooperates with local agencies including: Income Support Division's Food Stamp Program; Women Infants & Children (WIC); Head Start; Doña Ana county school districts; food banks and shelters; and local summer youth programs.

Nutrition educators promote the understanding of the relationship between diet and health, nutrition research findings and making healthy food choices. Participants learn to shop wisely and prepare quick, tasty, and nutritious meals and snacks. Practical, hands-on classes teach healthy food preparation techniques, including lowering fat, salt and sugar in the diet and increasing dairy, vegetable and fruit intake.

Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program (FSNEP)

ICAN is the umbrella name used in New Mexico to refer to both the Food Stamp Nutri-tion Education Program (FSNEP) and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Pro-gram (EFNEP):

Initiated in 1996, Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program (FSNEP) activities are part of New Mexico State University, Cooperative Extension Service’s (NMSU CES) ICAN Program. The New Mexico Human Services Department currently provides this program to food stamp participants throughout the State of New Mexico through a Joint Powers Agreement with the Regents of NMSU CES. This funding has allowed the ICAN pro-gram to expand statewide.

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is a unique program that currently operates in all fifty states and in American Samoa, Guam, Micronesia, Northern Marianas, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is designed to assist limited re-source audiences in acquiring the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and changed behavior nec-essary for nutritionally sound diets, and to contribute to the personal development and the improvement of the total family diet and nutritional well-being.