Union County, NJ – Family dinners are the hallmark of the holiday season, and with that in mind the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders invites residents to participate in the national “Dine in with Us” campaign. Sponsored by the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS), “Dine in” encourages families to prepare healthy home cooked meals together.
December 3 is the day that AAFCS asks families across the country to “dine in with us” and prepare a healthy meal at home, to help launch the organization’s first annual Family & Consumer Sciences Day.
“The ‘dine in with us’ theme is aimed at promoting healthy eating habits all year long,” said Freeholder Chairman Christopher Hudak. “While eating out is always a nice treat, there are lots of benefits to dining in. Eating a home cooked meal with the family promotes good nutrition and helps to strengthen family relationships.”
For more information on Family & Consumer Sciences Day, and to learn how to share your “dine in” fun on social media, visit aafcs.org/FCSday or email pr@aafsc.org.
Families, school groups, and community organizations can also sign up online to participate in weekly prize drawings.
December 3 was chosen to celebrate Family & Consumer Sciences Day in honor of the pioneering 19thcentury scientist Ellen Swallow Richards, also known as “the Original Home Economics Superwoman.”
More information on family nutrition, including the Steps to Health and Wealth and Grow Healthyprograms, is available from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) of Union County at ucnj.org/rce.
“Ellen Swallow Richards was an extraordinary scientist who realized that access to knowledge is the key to a healthy, thriving household,” said Hudak. “I encourage you to visit RCE at ucnj.org/rce to find out about the tools and resources that are available to you.”
RCE is part of the national Cooperative Extension System under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is also a partner in Family & Consumer Sciences Day. RCE is supported in part by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders with Rutgers University through the NJ Agricultural Experiment Station.
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