Family and Consumer Sciences

The Family and Consumer Sciences Program strives to ensure that all Maryland residents are healthy and economically successful at every stage of life through education, research, and outreach programs. We accomplish this by working with youth and families to prevent and manage chronic diseases through healthy food and physical activity choices, handling food safely, teaching financial and health insurance literacy, and creating safe and healthy places to live, work, play, and learn.

Explore Montgomery County Programs - Nutrition

Dining with Diabetes

Dining with Diabetes is an evidence-based, national program provided for adults with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes and their families. The program teaches skills to identify and understand important information about managing or preventing diabetes.

Participants (18 years or older) will learn menu planning, carbohydrate counting, portion control, label reading, healthy fats, and the importance of fiber in managing diabetes.

This program includes four weekly, 2-hour sessions and a three-month follow-up class.

Dining with Diabetes complements and does not replace other diabetes education and management programs. Individual meal plans or guidance will not be provided.

DASH-Plus

DASH-Plus (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension - Plus Physical Activities) is a high blood pressure management program created by the University of Maryland Extension.

Participants (50 years or older) will learn what hypertension is, how to monitor blood pressure, what the DASH diet is (focusing on sodium, fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, dairy, fats, sweets, and shopping), and exercise demonstrations.

This program includes five weekly, 90-minute sessions.

Capture the Flavor: Herbs & Spices

Capture the Flavor: Herbs & Spices

Participants will learn how to:

Use herbs and spices to create your own international flavors

Apply best practices for herbs & spices storage

Explain how herbs & spices can be a food safety concern if handled improperly

Recognize health benefits of cooking with herbs & spices

This program is a 90-minute session.

Fresh Conversations

Fresh Conversations is a nutrition education program for older adults. In Maryland, the program is administered by the University of Maryland Extension faculty and Fresh Conversations Certified Trainers. Maryland older adults receiving services from the local senior centers or sites where they congregate under Area Agencies on Aging are eligible to participate in the program.

This monthly program offers an array of nutrition, wellness, and health-related topics to older adults at senior centers and sites where they congregate. The sessions are filled with lively discussions, interactive activities, physical activity tips, mind-stimulating games, easy low-cost recipes, and an area to write down and track goals. Each month, participants will receive a vibrantly colored newsletter featuring relevant research-based health information.

Interested in one of our nutrition programs?

Please use this form to indicate nutrition programs that you are interested in. Our current programs include:

Dining with Diabetes (Type 2 Diabetes)

DASH-Plus (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension - Plus Physical Activities)

Capture the Flavor: Herbs & Spices

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Interested in a Nutrition Program?

We conduct various programs throughout the year. Please click on the link below if you have an interest in a specific program.

Program Interest Form

Food Safety Hotline

The toll free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is available for questions about meat, poultry, or egg products year-round Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This service is available in English and Spanish. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854).

Questions can be emailed to MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov

For more support visit USDA at https://ask.usda.gov/s/contactsupport

Explore Montgomery County Programs - Financial Wellness

Personal Finance Professional Development Series

Personal Finance Professional Development Series - Spring 2025

NEW for Financial Mentors All sessions 7:00-8:00 PM ET

April 1 - Habit Shift Mindset

Facilitator: Carrie Sorenson, UME

May 6 - Introduction to Maryland ABLE

Guest Speaker: Kelly Nelson, Maryland ABLE

June 3 - Introduction to Cryptocurrency, and its Relationship with Gaming and Problem Gambling

Facilitator: Dorothy Nuckols, UME

New events to be posted soon, please check back!

For more information and registration:

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Contact information: Dorothy Nuckols, dnuckols@umd.edu

Personal Finance Seminar for Professionals

We will hold our 37th annual Personal Finance Seminar for Professionals on May 15, 2025.

The University of Maryland Extension (UME) has a time-honored reputation for bringing together an impressive selection of presenters each year for the Personal Finance Seminar for Professionals (PFS). Be inspired by fresh ideas, new resources, and enhanced skills! We invite you to join us for UME's 2025 Personal Finance Seminar for Professionals.

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Your Money, Your Goals

The mission of University of Maryland Extension's Your Money, Your Goals program is to provide financial tools and resources to social workers, human service providers, and community volunteers, along with training on how to use them to help others achieve financial wellness.

Your Money, Your Goals is a set of financial empowerment materials for organizations that help people meet their financial goals by increasing their knowledge, skills, and resources.

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Master Money Mentors

University of Maryland Extension Master Money Mentors are volunteers who work one-on-one with individuals to help them improve or develop financial goals and basic money management. Master Money Mentors can also serve the community by providing group financial education classes and participating in community outreach events.

The University of Maryland Extension Master Money Mentor Volunteer Training Program is for individuals who wish to sharpen their own financial skills and empower others to build strong financial foundations.

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Eviction Prevention

The objective of housing Eviction Prevention education is to provide financial management classes to tenants to acquire knowledge, and skills in better decision-making in budgeting income to pay rent timely, minimize consumption, and maximize saving.

The second objective is to provide professional development seminars as financial management skill enhancement to frontline staff working with rental housing and human services agencies. Staff is encouraged to become mentors to the tenants in need of assistance with financial management.

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