Michigan State University Extension

Health and Nutrition

Mother shopping with childMichigan State University (MSU) Extension’s strength is its community-based approach to delivery and our unwavering efforts to serve the needs of children, youth, families and communities, regardless of whether they are urban, suburban or rural. In all of our programming, we promote healthy lifestyles for all and we equip Michigan residents to take control of their personal health through education.

 We help people apply knowledge and research so they can make positive changes in their lives. We empower families with the knowledge and tools they need to make healthy choices so they may lead prosperous lives and contribute to their communities.

MSU Extension’s health and nutrition programs are designed to teach:

Eating Right is Basic

Stretch your food dollars while keeping your family healthy with this fun course from Michigan State University Extension. Classes are offered throughout Michigan. Classes are free for those with low incomes. 

For more information and to register, call 1-888-678-3464 (888-MSUE-4MI) to connect directly to an MSUE office in their county. 

MSU Extension will show you how to:

Eat Right – Active Life

Battling obesity is a top priority in Michigan, and Extension is launching an initiative to teach healthy eating and lifestyle habits to individuals in the two counties with the highest rates of obesity.

Eat Right – Active Life, part of MSU Extension’s “I Know MI Numbers” initiative, is a 10-week course offered in Saginaw and Genesee counties. Taught by Extension staff members, the course is designed to promote goal setting, the importance of physical activity, nutritional basics, portion control and more.

Program participants learn key skills such as: Goal setting; Nutritional and physical activity needs that are right for you; The importance of consuming more fruits and veggies; Portion control; Learn your 2010 Dietary Guideline numbers; Food Labels 101; Healthy habits; and fat facts.

For more information and to register, contact Saginaw County Extension at 989-758-2500 or Genesee County Extension at 810-244-8500.

Dining With Diabetes

Dining With Diabities is a four-session course designed for people who have or are at risk of diabetes as well as their family members.

Through this class participants learn:

Participants also have an opportunity to sample a variety of healthy foods and receive take-home recipes so that they can make them themselves.

For more information and to register, contact your local MSU Extension office.

Personal Action Toward Health (PATH)

PATH provides the skills and tools to manage chronic health conditions. People who have participated in PATH workshops are better equipped to face the daily challenges of living with one or more chronic conditions. PATH is a six-week series that is facilitated by two trained leaders who have chronic conditions themselves.

Through PATH participants learn to:

For more information and to register, contact your local MSU Extension office.

Michigan Diabetes Prevention Course

The Michigan Diabetes Prevention Course developed by the Michigan Department of Community Health provides tools to help people at risk for Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes, commonly known as “borderline diabetes,” is a condition in which a person’s blood sugar is higher than ideal but not high enough to be considered diabetic. The Diabetes Prevention Course is a five-week course facilitated by trained educators.

The Diabetes Prevention Course focuses on:

For more information and to register, contact your local MSU Extension office.

Other MSU Extension courses: