The National Dairy Council and the National Football League have teamed up to create the Fuel Up to Play 60 program. This nationwide movement is designed to help fight childhood obesity by empowering kids to take control of their own health. If your school participates in the National School Breakfast Program, and is enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60 for 2011-2012, you’re eligible to enter the National Dairy Council’s Fuel Up Breakfast Grant Program!
This grant is designed to help improve student access to high-quality, nutritious foods at school, and provides funds to help schools improve or expand their breakfast programs with an emphasis on sustainable, alternative breakfast options.
Schools applying for the grant program must have support from their school principal, district school nutrition director and school nutrition manager, have school enrollment of at least 500, have a breakfast participation level less than 40% and demonstrate an opportunity to raise breakfast participation. The deadline to apply is July 31, 2011.
In other dairy news, we are smack in the middle of National Dairy Month! I love, love, love dairy products: cheese and yogurt, and especially milk. There is a ton of information about National Dairy Month on the National Dairy Council website, and I encourage you to head over there and check it out in detail. Are you ready to celebrate “30 Days of Dairy”?
From the National Dairy Council tips sheet, which you can find here:
Did you know … that three daily servings of low-fat or fat-free milk and milk products every day are part of a healthy, balanced diet by helping deliver nutrients, promoting bone health, and reducing your risk of certain diseases?
Did you know … it’s recommended that people age 9 and older consume three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy every day, but that most people only consume two?
Did you know … that the following are examples of one serving of dairy? Like: 1 cup (8 oz.) low-fat or fat-free milk; 1 cup (8 oz.) of low-fat or fat-free yogurt; 1.5 ounces of reduced fat natural cheese; 2 ounces reduced-fat processed cheese; 1/3 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese.
Did you know … that you can add a serving of dairy in at least thirty fun ways, whether at breakfast (which we love here at Beyond Breakfast!), lunch, dinner, or as part of a healthy snack? To check out these great recipes download the NDC’s 30 Days of Dairy worksheet and get cookin’! You can follow the National Diary Council on Facebook and on Twitter for more information and good news about dairy.
We are going to be bringing you a lot more information about the NDC, and the Fuel Up to Play 60 program in the weeks and months ahead. There are currently over 60,000 schools–nearly 2/3 of American schools!–taking part in the Fuel Up to Play 60 Program and that number is growing every day. Stay tuned to Beyond Breakfast for information on participating schools, success stories, Fuel Up to Play 60 student ambassadors, and more!