As a nutrition and health specialist for University of Missouri Extension in Cole County, Lynda Zimmerman oversees numerous programs designed to help Mid-Missourians live healthier lives.
Twenty-two years ago, when Zimmerman started with Extension, she might have shared a meatloaf recipe or answered a question about how to bake a pie.
"At one time, that's what the home-ec specialists did. Times have changed," she said.
Today Zimmerman's programs emphasize food safety, health and nutritional awareness. For example, her after-school "Kids in the Kitchen" program is geared toward helping youngsters prepare simple recipes with little supervision.
She works with Boys and Girls Club students who gather at South Elementary School. The recipes she shares are easy to adapt with different ingredients, are inexpensive to prepare and - most importantly - emphasize healthy choices.
For example, the same funny-face snack could be made with rice cakes, graham crackers or even toast.
"We give them the skills to ask their parents to buy healthier options," she said.
The program works, she said. Parental surveys indicate kids are making healthier choices for themselves.
"It's exciting to see. That's the goal. That's what we want to see happen," she said.
Other programs include the "Stay Strong, Stay Healthy" strength-training program for older adults and the "Eat Well, Be Well" program for diabetes sufferers.
The former program helps people understand the important role that strength training plays in keeping bones and muscles healthy.
The latter program concentrates on meal planning and cooking by teaching participants how to count carbohydrates or use the "plate method," which shows people how to reduce the amount of starchy foods they eat. The program also covers how often people should have their blood pressure measured and their feet checked.
Zimmerman has been serving the Cole County community for years, although she was previously "headquartered" in the Callaway County office. About two and a half years ago, she moved to the Cole County Extension office on Tanner Bridge Road.
A resident of Columbia, the change didn't make a big difference to Zimmerman's schedule, she said.
She is a dietitian by training and graduated from Michigan State University in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in dietetics and from Colorado State University in 1992 with a master's degree in human nutrition.
Although she worked briefly in hospital settings, she much prefers working in the Extension setting because she finds people are more receptive to changing their lifestyles.
"That's the best part of the job ... being able to see people make better choices and making a difference in people's lives," she said.
When she's not working with small groups, she enjoys hiking and biking Central Missouri's many trails. She is married to David Cordry and together they have a 16-year-old son.