Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) . . . Strengthening families for 40 years

The special supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a public health nutrition program under the USDA that provides nutrition education, nutritious foods, breastfeeding support, and health care referrals for income-eligible women who are pregnant or post-partum, infants, and children up to age 5. The national WIC office is celebrating 40 years of strengthening families. Watch the overview video of the WIC Program. Jefferson County WIC has offices in Arvada, Edgewater and Lakewood. If you or someone you know could benefit from this nutrition education program, please call 303-239-7143 for more information. Many working families qualify.

Jefferson County WIC provides:

• Quality nutrition education and services. 
• Breastfeeding promotion and education. 
• A monthly food prescription (package). 
• Access to maternal, prenatal, pediatric and other health care services. 
• Screenings and referrals as needed

“Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right” . . . JCPH Celebrates March as National Nutrition Month

JCPH dietitians and WIC educators (Women, Infants and Children) are celebrating National Nutrition Month by offering healthy recipes for you to “Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right” as this year theme encourages. Eating a variety of foods can help keep meals interesting by adding new flavors. Beginning March 17, JCPH Nutrition Services will provide food demonstrations and healthy recipes for their WIC clients in the Jeffco WIC clinics, Arvada, Lakewood and Edgewater. Visit the JCPH nutrition web page or our pinterest recipe board to get recipes for your family! Mix together a little physical activity, and you’ve got the recipe for a healthier Jefferson County!

Jefferson County Nutrition Services provides nutrition education and counseling, the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program and more. For more information or to enroll in the WIC Program, call our Lakewood office at 303-239-7143.

Here is a sample recipe from WIC Registered Dietitian, Kelsey Rivera.

Hummus

Hummus is a Middle Eastern bean dip rich in protein, iron and calcium. It makes a wonderful snack or appetizer. Serve with warm pita bread, crackers or veggies. 

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Ready In: 15 Minutes

Yield: 2.5 cups

Ingredients: 1 clove garlic 1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, half the liquid reserved 4 tablespoons lemon juice or orange juice for a sweeter dip

2 tablespoons tahini* 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon salt Black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. In a blender or food processor, chop the garlic to a fine paste. Add the garbanzo beans and reserved liquid and puree. Add the lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, salt and pepper; blend until creamy and well mixed.

2. Transfer the mixture to a medium serving bowl and serve with crackers, pita breads, or veggies. You can also store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com.

*Tahini is a ground sesame seed paste, similar to peanut butter and rich in calcium. Look for tahini in a glass jar or a can in the ethnic foods aisle of your regular grocery store.

If you cannot find tahini or choose not to use it, you can leave it out of the hummus but will have a slightly different taste and may need to add more olive oil to get a smoother product.

Safe Sex

Access to sexual and reproductive health services is essential for healthy populations. JCPH supports all women’s and men’s rights to such access. The Family Planning Program provides comprehensive contraceptive services to Jefferson County residents. Services include education, counseling, medical examination, treatment and birth control methods for men and women.
Reproductive health and birth control (family planning) services are available at our Arvada and Lakewood locations. Services are provided on a sliding fee scale and to people with Medicaid. No one is denied services due to the inability to pay.  In addition to providing birth control pills and condoms to prevent unintended pregnancies, the department offers alternatives through long acting birth control methods, including no scalpel vasectomy for men. Remember, some activities are definitely high risk for HIV, STIs and Hepatitis infection. Protect yourself and your partner . . . wear a condom and get tested!

·         For appointments in Lakewood: 303-239-7078 or in Arvada: 303-275-7500.

·         View the JCPH Sex Ed with Mel video on birth control

·         Youth and young adults in Jefferson County can also use Go Ask TISH to get answers about their sexual health.

·         Get with Public Health, like us on Facebook. 

Preventing Teen Pregnancy

We can all celebrate recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing that teen birth rates in the U.S. are down and have been declining for the past 20 years. Good news indeed, but hold the applause, the CDC also points out that the teen birth rate in the U.S. remains nine times higher than in other developed countries. Furthermore, while the number of pregnancies may have declined, the number of teens who are having a second child, or third, before they are 20-years-old is on the rise. This is called a repeat birth. The data show that one out of five teen moms have repeat births. According to the CDC, every day in the U.S., 183 "repeat" teen births occur with the majority of these (86 percent) being second births and 13 percent being a third child. Teen pregnancy and repeat births among adolescents are an important public health issue because they are closely linked to a number of negative social and health outcomes including, poverty and income, child well-being, responsible parenthood, health issues, education, child welfare, and others. Preventing unplanned pregnancies is considered a Colorado and Jefferson County winnable battle. 

Jefferson County Public Health’s Family Planning Program has been reaching out to teens and their parents with reproductive health education and services since the 1970’s. Different birth control methods, the importance of spacing pregnancies, how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and abstinence education are all topics that one of the JCPH family planning nurses can help with. Parents and teens are encouraged to call our clinic at 303-232-6301 with any questions about our family planning services or to make an appointment. As the month of May is Teen Pregnancy Awareness Month, JCPH would like to remind all of its residents that the best way to prevent teen pregnancy is through education. For more information, please visit our website or call 303-232-6301. Also, check out our “Teen Health Matters” educational display in several county libraries and the Courts and Administration Building.

JCPH Celebrates March as National Nutrition Month

Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day

JCPH dieticians and WIC educators (Women, Infants and Children) are celebrating the 40th anniversary of National Nutrition Month by offering healthy recipes for you to “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day!” This year’s theme encompasses the idea that each of us has our own food preferences, lifestyles, traditions and health concerns. “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day” focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing healthy eating habits.

Visit the JCPH nutrition web page or our social media sites to get recipes for your family! Mix together a little physical activity, and you’ve got the recipe for a healthier Jefferson County! Jefferson County Nutrition Services provides nutrition education and counseling, the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program and more.

Egg Safety

With the arrival of spring, many Jefferson County residents will celebrate by decorating eggs for Easter. Jefferson County Public Health asks that you keep these safety tips in mind when coloring your eggs:

Before decorating, decide whether or not you want to eat the decorated eggs later. If you do, follow these rules:

• Wash your hands between all the steps. 
• Be sure that all the materials you use are food safe. 
• Keep the eggs refrigerated as much as possible. 
• Dye the eggs in water warmer than the eggs so the insides don’t absorb the dye. 
• If you hide the decorated eggs, avoid contact with animals or lawn chemicals. 
• Throw out any “found” eggs that have cracked or have been out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. 
• Eat the refrigerated eggs within one week. 

Fresh eggs must be purchased, handled, prepared and stored carefully to avoid the possibility of foodborne illness. Even eggs with clean, un-cracked shells may contain bacteria called Salmonella. 

• Buy eggs only sold from a refrigerated case. 
• Make sure that the eggs are not cracked. 
• Refrigerate at 40ºF or below. 
• Wash hands, utensils, equipment, and work surfaces with hot, soapy water. 
• Cook eggs until the yolk and the white are firm. Scrambled eggs should not be runny. 
• Cook egg dishes until they reach 160°F. Use a food thermometer to be sure. 

Please see our Egg Safety fact sheet for more information or click here for information from Fight BAC, the Partnership for Food Safety Education.