Food Cent$--implementing and evaluating a nutrition education project focusing on value for money

The Food Cent$ Project aimed to show low income earners a new way to allocate their food budget to obtain value for money and balance their diet. It also created an infrastructure for program delivery. Strategies included a recommended spending model, resources that addressed barriers to healthy eating, together with group activities to enhance knowledge and skills. Community volunteers, known as Food Cent$ Advisers, were trained to deliver the project by conducting budget and cooking sessions for people in their social networks. In 1992, the Food Cent$ Project was piloted in the Great Southern Health Region of Western Australia. It successfully reached its target group of low income earners who were identified as those holding Health Care Cards. Health Care Cards were held by 37% of the 150 trained advisers and 52% of the 373 people who attended the budget and cooking sessions. Evaluation results demonstrated positive changes in self-reported dietary, cooking and shopping behaviours.