Healthy meal options, including dairy foods, support school success

School bells will be ringing soon. Along with the return to school comes a shift in daily routines, including mealtimes and mealtime options. Whether children and adolescents enjoy school-prepared breakfast and lunch or eat breakfast at home and bring a lunch, well-balanced meals will set them up for success in school. Parents may find themselves overwhelmed by planning meals for the busy school year, but by simply adding a dairy food to each meal, parents can easily increase a meal’s nutrition.

Parents may find themselves scrambling for meal ideas as the new school year routine gets under way. Dairy foods are an excellent choice to incorporate into meals, as they provide protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats plus vitamins and minerals. In addition, many dairy foods are extremely portable, such as yogurt and string cheese, making them perfect for meals on the go. Dairy options can also greatly simplify breakfast, which can be a hard meal to pull together on hectic mornings.

The federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy per day as part of a healthy eating pattern. Milk, in particular, adds to the quality of meals, as it delivers 13 essential nutrients, including calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein in every 8-ounce serving. Calcium, potassium, and vitamin D are nutrients of concern as most Americans — adults and children alike — do not consume enough of these nutrients on a daily basis. One 8-ounce glass of milk provides one-third of the recommended daily allowance of calcium, which helps support bone development.

Encouraging students to buy milk with their school breakfast or lunch is an easy way to add a nutrient-rich food to a meal. Milk also quenches thirst and can give students a boost in energy for afternoon activities. In addition, milk contains 8 grams of protein, which can help keep students full longer.

SLDDC Supports Schools

For this school year, SLDDC is supporting schools and families in two ways to ensure students are fueled for their busy days.

Approximately 500 school nurses in eastern Missouri and southern and central Illinois received a new back-to-school nutrition pamphlet from the SLDDC. This pamphlet provides families with quick, easy and nutritious options for breakfast, lunch and snacks. The SLDDC is encouraging the nurses to share the resource with parents at upcoming back-to-school events.

To help increase dairy consumption in the schools, the SLDDC also awarded 29 Dollars for Dairy grants to 18 Missouri and 11 Illinois schools. The grants help schools afford new equipment to prepare or serve dairy foods for students. The SLDDC has offered this grant program since 2012. Schools may request up to $2,000 per grant application.

This valuable grant program continues to backstop public and private school cafeterias in their efforts to provide the best meals possible for the students In the past, the grants have been used to purchase panini makers, smoothie makers, coolers, and breakfast carts to serve dairy breakfast options.