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The American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS)
has set a goal for 200,000 families to make and eat a
healthy meal together. They are asking families to enjoy a
meal together on December 3, 2018. This year, there is a
special focus on dining “device free” to build healthy
relationships. OSU Extension, Lucas County would love to see
our families be part of that national number!
December 3 was the date of Ellen Swallow Richard’s birthday
in 1842. She is known for her leadership in the field of
Family Consumer Sciences including founding the AAFCS. If
you don’t recognize the term “Family and Consumer Sciences”
you might be familiar with the original name, American “Home
Economics” Association.
Her birthday was chosen by AAFCS to celebrate
Family & Consumer Sciences Day in order to call attention to
something simple families can do to be physically, mentally,
and financially healthier - prepare and
eat a
nutritious meal together. Are you dining in?
If you cannot Dine In on December 3, be sure to schedule
another day that week.
“Dining In” can be as simple as planning to eat together as
a family. Add these other easy steps and you will be counted
as part of the national event:
·
Make the pledge
to prepare and enjoy a family meal together. To be part of
the nationwide celebration, check out our local page that
links to the simple sign-up at
https://lucas.osu.edu/DineIn
·
Pick up a Kit
for Family Meal Planning at OSU Extension, Lucas County.
What tools do you use for planning family meals? You are
invited to pick up a free “toolkit” of technology tips, dry
erase board for meal planning and additional resources at
our horticulture office, 5403 Elmer Drive (at the Toledo
Botanical Garden) on:
o
Friday November 9 - 12-4 p.m.
o
Saturday November 10 – 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
o
Friday November 16 - 2 p.m.-6 p.m.
·
Encourage your friends
to pledge. Share your favorite easy recipe! Invite friends
and family over to eat together.
·
Dine In
with your family and friends the week of December 3. Enjoy!
Remember, “Dine In” is designed to be simple. Make the meal
easy and fun.
·
Post your Story, Pictures or Menu
on Lucas County Extension Facebook for a chance to win a $50
gift certificate to a grocery store or farmers market in
Lucas County Ohio. If you share your photo on social media
use the national hashtags #FCSday, #healthyfamselfie and the
local hashtag #LiveSmartLucas for chances to win prizes.
Find all details at
https://lucas.osu.edu/DineIn
The whole family benefits from family mealtime by having
better nutrition, improving family communication, fostering
family traditions, and teaching life skills such as meal
planning, budgeting, and food preparation. These are all
important goals in Family and Consumer Sciences.
Use these five mealtime tips shared by M. Huepenbecker, 2018
Cedar Crest College Dietetic Intern with OSU Extension,
Lucas County:
Tip 1: Eat together as much as possible.
Studies show eating together helps children in school. Make
a habit to eat at a dining table or kitchen table.
Tip 2: Make it work for your household.
If dinner doesn’t work for your family, try a family
breakfast, lunch or snack time.
Tip 3: Get everyone involved in the meal.
Mealtime can be simple when everyone
helps and it does not have to be a lot of work! Get everyone
involved from planning the menu to preparation to clean up.
Tip 4: Have fun with meals and food.
Try new foods and different recipes! Save the serious talks
for another time. Encourage light conversation around the
table by asking silly questions.
Tip 5: Ditch the devices.
Eliminate distractions by turning off devices and
electronics. Use this time to engage in conversation and
build relationships with your family.
We would like to share one additional resource for health
and wellness in Lucas County. It’s time to sign up for the
free, annual six-week online Live Healthy Live Well email
challenge. In the past, at this time of year, the email
challenge has focused on “Zero Weight Gain” for November
through January. The authors of the challenge offer this new
topic in 2018: “Count CALM Down for the Holidays
Challenge.”
For many, the holiday season is a busy, stressful time of
the year, and it’s not uncommon for our health goals to take
a backseat to the celebrations and obligations of the
season. Do you want some tips and ideas to relax and enjoy
the holidays in a healthful way this year? Join the email
wellness challenge for healthy living tips and encouragement
to help you make you most of this holiday season. Sign up
here by November 16th (all lower case letters):
http://go.osu.edu/calmlucas18
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