Mobile Tour Stops in Miami

From March to August, America’s milk processors are traveling coast to coast with the “Drink Well. Live Well.” tour, encouraging Americans to not only live well, but drink well with milk.

DFI staff attended the 2010 Milk Mustache Mobile Tour kickoff event on Monday, March 1^st at Bayfront Park in Downtown Miami. This year, the tour includes a booth dedicated to promoting Fuel Up to Play 60. The FUTP60 booth includes information about our partnership with the National Football League as well as lots of fun goodies for the kids.

Will the Milk Mustache Tour be coming to a city near you? Click the following link to find out! http://www.whymilk.com/milk_mustache_mobile_tour.php

 

Florida Dairy Farmers at Gasparilla to Remind Runners to Refuel!

Dairy Farmers, Inc. was in Tampa on February 26 and 27 for the Gasparilla Distance Classic and health expo. The Gasparilla Distance Classic is a three-day event that gives participants a variety of races to choose from, ranging from a 5k to a marathon.

DFI was at the expo and finish line to help runners refuel with ice-cold, chocolate milk samples, courtesy of Farmland and Hood’s Simply Smart. Runners also got to have a little fun inside the expo by trying their hand at the prize wheel to win Got Milk? prizes and a chance to have their milk mustache picture taken.

Jacksonville Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville was on site to educate and entertain students.

Fourth-grade students Eve Watson and Ashley Hamilton of Yulee Elementary were recognized on March 5 as the first- and second-place winners of the Dairy Council of Florida’s “Jaxson de Ville Fuel Up to Play 60 Every Day” essay contest.

Jacksonville Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville joined the Dairy Council on site to honor the winners at an hour-long school-wide assembly. In addition, the winners’ classmates received a special visit and photo opportunity with Jaxson de Ville.

This contest was in conjunction with the Dairy Council of Florida’s Fuel Up to Play 60 school wellness program that empowers students to improve their fitness by choosing nutrient-rich foods such as low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains along with maintaining an active lifestyle. For more information on Fuel Up to Play 60, visit www.fueluptoplay60.com.

Runners will be treated to ice-cold chocolate milk at the finish line courtesy of Gustafson Farms. Will you be running the Gate River Run? Look for our tent at the finish line or our booth at the expo and learn how to Refuel with Chocolate Milk!

Inspired by the Junior League of Calgary’s Junior Chefs program, the Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen initiative began in 2006 with the goal of engaging kids in the preparation of healthy meals as a means to educate them and their parents regarding nutrition and healthy choices. Junior Leagues in more than 200 locations provide lessons and demonstrations related to preparation of healthy meals and snacks in partnership with local community organizations, chefs and nutritionists.

DFI will be joining forces with the Orlando Junior League and participating in the Kids in the Kitchen event on Saturday, March 6^th at South Central Park in Winter Park, FL  from 10:00AM – 2:00PM. http://www.jlgo.org/orlando/npo.jsp?pg=event&eventid=1289

Finding Time For Breakfast…It’s Worth It!

How many times have you heard “breakfast is the most important meal of day,” only you don’t have enough time in your morning routine to get everyone where they need to be and fed? No matter what your age, children and adults need to eat a nutrient-rich breakfast to ensure that everyone feels their best and performs their best at work, school or play. National School Breakfast Week is March 8-12 and to help you prepare for it, we want to give you a little background on what makes breakfast one of the most important meals you can eat.

Why Breakfast Is So Important

Breakfast is linked to many health benefits and studies show that eating a healthy breakfast (as opposed to high-sugar options) can help give you:

• A more nutritionally complete diet that’s higher in nutrients, vitamins and minerals
• Improved concentration and performance in the classroom or the boardroom
• More strength and endurance to engage in physical activity
• Lower cholesterol levels
• Improved weight control

What Should I Eat For Breakfast?

Eating a good mix of nutrient-rich foods is the key to a healthy breakfast and to preventing that mid-morning energy slump. Eating nutrient-rich foods means getting the most vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, without too many calories, from the foods you choose. Nutrient-rich breakfast foods include low-fat or non-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. Some quick and healthy choices include:

• A veggie omelet with cheese and a piece of whole-wheat toast
• A whole-wheat English muffin with low-fat cheese, a scrambled egg, and slice of tomato or lean ham
• Smoothie made with fruit and low-fat yogurt
• Salmon on 1/2 whole-grain bagel with light cream cheese
• Whole-grain cereal with fresh fruit and low-fat milk
• Oatmeal made with skim milk, raisins and nuts, with 4 ounces of orange juice
• Low-fat yogurt and a piece of fresh fruit
• Yogurt smoothie with low-fat peanut butter and a breakfast bar
• A glass of low-fat chocolate milk, a hard-boiled egg and a banana

What Breakfast Means For Kids

Eating breakfast is important for everyone, especially children. Eating breakfast every day can help children succeed in academics and extracurricular activities while improving their overall health. Students who regularly eat a nutritious breakfast can experience better attendance, decreased disciplinary problems, improved test scores and improved nutrient intakes resulting in better weight maintenance.

No Time For Breakfast?

If time is truly not on your side in the morning and you are tired of the drive-through routine, remember a great alternative is breakfast at school. School breakfast offers a healthy meal that is portioned and nutrient-appropriate for the student’s age, meeting 1/4 of their nutrition needs for the day. Kids love breakfast at school because it gives them the opportunity to eat breakfast and socialize with their friends at the same time. Over 99 percent of Florida schools offer a school breakfast program and 100 percent of all elementary schools offer breakfast because it’s the law.

Remember that eating a healthy, nutrient-rich breakfast is the best way to begin your day, so start today! Notice how much better everyone feels, looks and performs when they are properly fueled for their day of work, school or play.

To get started, try these breakfast recipes.

For more food, nutrition and health tips from the American Dietetic Association, click here.

References:

The Many Benefits of Breakfast, By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/many-benefits-breakfast, Reviewed on August 29, 2007, © 2007 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Junior Leagues’ Kids in the Kitchen initiative began in 2006 with the goal of engaging kids in the preparation of healthy meals as a means to educate them and their parents regarding nutrition and healthy choices. Junior Leagues in more than 200 locations provide lessons and demonstrations related to preparation of healthy meals and snacks in partnership with local community organizations, chefs and nutritionists. DFI staff members will be onsite at West Shore Elementary in Tampa on March 3^rd from 9:00a.m. – 11:00a.m.. We’ll be teaching 4^th and 5^th graders how to prepare a cheese roll up. Cheese roll ups are a healthy after school snack alternative.

Dairy Farmers, Inc. and Track Shack Team Up to Run Around the Pines

Dairy Farmers, Inc. participated in the Run Around the Pines race to promote Refuel with Chocolate Milk. Run Around the Pines is an adult 5K and a children’s one mile race produced by Track Shack in partnership with Florida Hospital. The event was held at Winter Park’s Showalter Field on Saturday, February 20, 2010.

To highlight the importance of nutritious foods for optimal healthy living, Track Shack encouraged runners to “Beat the Bunch of Bananas!”  Every runner or walker who finishes in front of the running bunch of bananas receives a Refuel with Chocolate Milk Cup courtesy of Florida’s Dairy Farmers. One lucky winner received a $250 gift card to Publix!

Once done with the race, runners stopped by the Dairy Farmer’s tent where they sampled ice-cold TG Lee chocolate milk and spun the prize wheel for a chance to win some great Got Milk? items.

Switching from Whole Milk to Low-Fat Milk

There is often a lot of confusion when it comes to comparing low-fat milk to whole milk.  There is a perception that, because certain milk is lower in fat than others, it contains fewer nutrients.

All milk has calcium and vitamin D for strong teeth and bones, protein for muscle growth and calcium, potassium and magnesium for healthy blood pressure.

Doctors and registered dietitians encourage drinking low-fat and fat-free milk because it has the same calcium, protein and vitamins and minerals as whole milk with less fat and fewer calories. 

Now that you know why to make the switch, here’s how to do it.

When moving to lower-fat milk, the key is to take your time.  Start with switching from whole milk to 2 percent.  If you are content with 2 percent, stick with it for a while and then switch to 1 percent and gradually to fat-free.

Another easy way to switch is to incorporate lower-fat milk with your food.  Add low-fat milk to whole-grain cereal with fresh fruit, in place of water when making oatmeal or in your scrambled eggs.
Another way to make the switch and have fun with the kids is to have them help you make pudding with low-fat milk.  You can also have them make their favorite smoothies with low-fat milk or yogurt, fruit and ice.  Getting your kids involved in the kitchen will teach them important healthy habits at a young age.

Try making the following Peanut Butter Banana Shake with low-fat or fat-free milk.

Dairy Council of Florida and Bucs Linebacker Educate Students at Smile Mile

Tampa Bay Buccaneer cheerleaders and linebacker Quincy Black joined the Dairy Council of Florida at Saturday’s Smile Mile race to speak to local students about Fuel Up to Play 60.  The program is provided by the Dairy Council of Florida, the NFL and the USDA and is designed to combat childhood obesity by encouraging kids to “fuel up” with critical nutrient-rich foods that are often missing from their diets and “get active and play” for 60 minutes a day.

The Smile Mile is a one-mile children’s race put on by the Track Shack and was open to all elementary school students between the ages of five and eleven.  Quincy spoke to the kids participating in the race about how important it is for them to develop healthy eating and physical activity habits now when they’re young so they last a lifetime.  Quincy and the Bucs cheerleaders started many of the kids’ races and cheered them across the finish line.  They also presented medals to the winners and took photos and signed autographs for the kids.

Once done with the race, the kids stopped by the Dairy Council of Florida tent where they could take milk moustache photos, win prizes from the prize wheel and drink low-fat milk, courtesy of T.G. Lee.