Family, friends and social media have a lot to say about what or how to feed children.  In recognizing the need for easily accessible, reliable resources for feeding children, Courtney Luecking and Anna Cason, Extension specialists in the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, created SNACK Club.   

SNACK Club stands for Supporting Nourished, Active Children in Kentucky. SNACK Club provides trustworthy, up-to-date information and resources for feeding children of all ages to support caregivers in providing safe and nutritious foods and positive eating experiences.  

“Feeding children is something we do each day. But that doesn’t mean we necessarily know what we are doing or where to turn when we have questions,” Luecking said. 

Cason added that is why the team “decided to make SNACK Club an always-available hub for caregivers with questions.” 

SNACK Club launched as part of the UK Family & Consumer Sciences Extension’s Big Blue Book Club series. It consists of University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment experts and UK Cooperative Extension agents whose goal it is to make Kentucky youth healthier. 

SNACK Club understands that children thrive when they have positive experiences with eating. The goal of its content, which includes podcasts, video series and educational articles, is to help caregivers raise happy, healthy eaters.  

Rather than an in-person or live virtual book club experience, Luecking and Cason opted for an eight-part podcast series that aired through Talking FACS, the UK Cooperative Extension Family and Consumer Sciences’ podcast.  

“It would be silly of us to expect all caregivers to have the time to sit down and read a book, or participate in a traditional book club,” Cason said. However, if people are interested in a book club experience of conversation, food and activities, they can reach out to their local Cooperative Extension office. 

Through partnerships with colleagues at UK HealthCare and friends across the Commonwealth, Luecking and Cason hope to extend the reach of SNACK Club. Experts like Suzanna Attia, pediatric gastroenterologist at UK HealthCare; Jamie Adkins, speech-language pathologist and certified lactation specialist at UK HealthCare; and Sarah Estill, pediatric dietitian at UK HealthCare have joined the SNACK club team. 

“In Kentucky, we know that many of our kids face unique challenges that can contribute to eating difficulty,” Adkins said. “For example, the diagnosis of food allergies has been increasing here, and that can be a factor in the development of feeding and eating disorders.” 

SNACK Club team members use the term caregiver to describe those who look after children. 

“Kentucky caregivers deserve to have the tools to advocate for their children and the resources available to help their children,” Attia said. “We are here to support caregivers and providers alike.” 

Whether you care for one or more children in a personal, professional, part-time or full-time role, SNACK Club is available for you. SNACK Club offers a podcast, written articles with nutrition and meal planning tips, kid-friendly recipes and more in its monthly newsletter. Subscribe here to join the community and stay up to date on upcoming events and exclusives. 

For more information about SNACK Club, visit https://dhn.ca.uky.edu/SNACKclub or locate your county’s Cooperative Extension office at https://extension.ca.uky.edu/county 

Writer: Grace Sowards, grace.sowards@uky.edu  

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