Those looking for recipes and advice on how to prepare healthy, family-friendly meals can get their fill at the upcoming Dinner Tonight! Healthy Cooking School from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 13 at the Family Service Neighborhood Place, 3014 Rivas St. in San Antonio.
The free event is being presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Bexar County with additional sponsorship from the Family Service Neighborhood Place, Superior HealthPlan, Gonzaba Medical Group and Gonzaba Foundation. It has been endorsed by the Mayor’s Fitness Council.
“We will have live food preparation demonstrations of healthy recipes, and attendees will participate in a taste test,” said Angie Gutierrez, AgriLife Extension family and community health agent for Bexar County. “We are pleased the event has the Mayor’s Fitness Council endorsement, plus we have received word Sen. (Jose) Menendez will be attending as well as Teri Castillo, who represents District 5 on the San Antonio city council.”
Limited spots for the event are available, so those interested are encouraged to register online at https://tx.ag/BexarDinnerTonight.
About the Dinner Tonight! Healthy Cooking School
Gutierrez said healthy cooking school events are part of AgriLife Extension’s statewide effort to promote at-home family dining by providing easy, healthful and economical meals.
“This event will have activities and information that will interest people of all ages,” she said. “Participants receive a Dinner Tonight! cookbook and goodie bag, and door prize drawings are held throughout the event.”
As each recipe is prepared, cooking school participants will be given samples to taste. In addition, a separate vendor area will be set up for attendees to visit before and after cooking demonstrations.
“At-home family dining is becoming a lost art, and it could do much to address issues related to family cohesion and youth and adult obesity,” Gutierrez said. “Many people are overwhelmed when they think of menu planning and making healthy, cost-effective meals for themselves and their families. That’s why our agency developed the Dinner Tonight! program.”
She said Dinner Tonight! Healthy Cooking Schools were developed to bring people together in a fun environment where they can learn more about healthy meal planning and preparation.
Collaborating with Family Service Neighborhood Place
“We’re very happy the Family Service Neighborhood Place is allowing us to use their location to present this program,” Gutierrez said. “It is a local community center designed to address the specific needs of the surrounding neighborhood.”
According to director Josh Inguanzo, the Neighborhood Place also brings together resources and services to empower families and address the social determinants of health, including where people live, learn, work, play and age.
He said the Dinner Tonight! Healthy Cooking School will benefit attendees in the areas of health, neighborhood and community.
“We appreciate programs like these that bring people together and give us the opportunity to have a conversation with those in the community about health and healthy eating,” Inguanzo said. “Many times, these families have not had that conversation at home, so this opens the door to address important health-related issues.”
He said he considers AgriLife Extension and its program an important contributor to the Neighborhood Place.
“The agency has been engaged in a lot of health and wellness programming at the center, and the and the Dinner Tonight! Healthy Cooking School is just one example. We appreciate their involvement and feel their programs greatly benefit the community.”
For more information on Dinner Tonight! and Dinner Tonight! Healthy Cooking Schools, contact Gutierrez at aogutierrez@ag.tamu.edu or call 210-631-0400.
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