Fuel Up to Play 60 Gets “Bad to the Bone”

I recently attended a fantastic event at Garrett Middle School in Austell, Ga. This school is participating in the Fuel Up to Play 60 program (FUTP60) developed by the National Dairy Council and the National Football League. FUPTP60 mobilizes youth and encourages them to eat nutrient rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat milk, cheese and yogurt, and to get 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

As a part of FUTP60, participating schools implement at least one healthy eating activity and one physical activity program to run for at least four weeks. They can create their own program or choose from a menu of options, such as Breakfast Anytime Anywhere, Let’s Do Lunch, Walk It Club, In-class Activity Breaks and more. Student-led teams conduct a school wellness investigation, select or create the programs they want to run and then promote their programs. Students and schools also can enter into the national competition at www.FuelUptoPlay60.com for the chance to work out with NFL payers, win a healthy school makeover and more.

Garrett Middle School students decided to create their own healthy eating program. They wrote three different plays that the drama club performed throughout the year. I attended the dress rehearsal for the “Bad to the Bone” play about building strong bones. The play started with students dressed as skeletons dancing to a remix of the song “Bad to the Bone.” Next, they hosted a bone health “game show” to win a lifetime supply of cows! What struck me most was watching the other students in the audience. They really got into it and learned lots about bone health from their fellow classmates. That is the whole point of FUTP60 – for it to be student led.

If you want to get your child or child’s school involved with Fuel Up to Play 60, visit www.FuelUptoPlay60.com.

Betsy Dietsch, RD

Super Smoothie

Have you noticed? Smoothies are everywhere. It’s because they are so delicious! What’s not to love – healthy yogurt, fruit, low-fat milk all in one glass!  

Smoothies are a great way to enjoy several nutrient rich foods at one time: milk (great for bone building calcium), fruit (loaded with fiber and antioxidants) and yogurt (packs a probiotic punch).

Try my favorite breakfast smoothie recipe. With around 350 calories you’ll get 18 grams of protein, 50% of your Daily Value for Calcium and 6 grams of fiber.

Tracy’s Banana Cappuccino Smoothie

1 cup fat free chocolate milk
1 – 6 oz. carton low fat cappuccino (or coffee flavored) flavored yogurt
1 small ripe banana, sliced

Blend until smooth! Enjoy.

No time to blend? Purchase smoothies already mixed like Dannon Frusion Smoothies. Quick and delicious, they are perfect for moms and kids who are on-the-go.

Another great option is the new Yoplait Frozen Yogurt Smoothie mix. Found in your grocery store freezer section, this smoothie has frozen yogurt chips (awesome new innovation) mixed right in with the fruit so all you need to add is milk. They’re yummy!

Smoothies come pre-made in many varieties or you can whip up a smoothie to suite your own taste. Either way, they are great for a quick breakfast or healthy snack. Enjoy a smoothie today. Cheers!

Tracy Noerper, MS, RD, LDN, SNS

2,000 Gallons of Milk Provided to Birmingham Families in the “Great Gallon Give”

This Birmingham family enjoyed the Great Gallon Giveaway.

Sunday afternoon I played Santa Claus at the McWane Science Center in Birmingham.  But instead of giving toys, this Santa gave ice cold gallons of milk!  Two local milk processors – Barber Dairies and Dairy Fresh – teamed up with the National Milk Mustache Campaign to make it easier for moms to give their families 9 essential vitamins and minerals by giving away free gallons of milk.  I met incredible families who had lots of questions concerning milk and the nutrition it provides.  

One mother who had three boys was surprised to learn that fat-free milk contains the same nine essential nutrients found in whole milk.  Remember, the only thing missing from fat-free milk is the fat.  

Another family with teens involved in school sports wanted information about chocolate milk.  I shared with them that a bottle of cold chocolate milk is a great-tasting source of carbohydrates, which helps with refueling after exercise.  In fact, kids who consume flavored milk tend to drink few empty-calorie, sweetened sodas and fruit drinks – a leading source of added sugars. 

Although my shoulder is stiff from giving away over 2,000 gallons of free milk, I know I helped raise awareness of the important role milk plays in building strong families.  Click here to see if the Great Gallon Give is coming your way.

–          Mary Martin Nordness, MA, RD, LD, CHES

TEA Talk Rocked

Arlene Murrell, center, participates in the TEA Talk panel.

Recently I had the opportunity to participate in the National Medical Association’s TEA (Turning Education into Action) Talk in Columbus, Ga. The event was geared toward increasing women’s awareness about health and nutrition, and the participants were hungry for information. As a member of the TEA Talk health panel, I had the pleasure of sharing the health benefits of dairy foods with an audience of more than 250 women. These women, many of them moms and grandmoms, wanted to understand how to feed their families healthy meals, what foods to buy and what to do about picky eaters. What a great forum for sharing information! I explained the importance of a nutrient-rich diet that includes low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, whole grains, bright colored fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean meats. As a Registered Dietitian, I think this is a basic nutrition health message that everyone needs to hear in an effort to keep it simple. The Live Well toolkit, an educational guide for health professionals developed by the dairy association and other partner organizations, was very helpful in explaining these simple nutrition facts.   

 Arlene Murrell, MS, RD, LD, CLE

The National Dairy Council Presents Free Webinar on Lactose Intolerance for Health Professionals

What is lactose intolerance, and what is the best approach to discuss it with clients? Join the National Dairy Council to learn new facts about lactose intolerance that may surprise you. The January 25 Webinar will explore ways to best discuss lactose intolerance with patients and clients as well as offer culturally relevant nutrition recommendations. Visit the Southeast Dairy Association’s Web site to learn more or register now.