Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Just a few days ago, I was invited to participate in the Midwest Dairy Health and Wellness

 Advisory Roundtable on Sustainable Nutrition at the Arkansas Food Bank in Little Rock.

 The topic of sustainable nutrition involved presentations about what the dairy industry is 

doing in regards to sustainability and the role that food waste plays in our everyday activities.

I keep thinking about these facts...

Nearly 1 in 5  children in the U.S. face hunger.

In Arkansas, 1 in 4 children face hunger.

   About 40% of the U.S. food supply is never eaten and is thrown

 away at home,in grocery stores and restaurants.

I'm thankful for the health professionals that are working in  a variety of settings 

in our local communities to fight hunger and food waste

and 

                             the dairy farm families across America that work 365 days a year to
                                           provide nutritious dairy products that consumers want,
                              in a way that makes the industry,people and the earth economically,
                              environmentally and socially better--now and for future generations.
                                               

Fuel Up To Play 60 Fast Facts

Have you heard of Fuel Up to Play 60?  As a dairy farmer, I'm pretty pumped up about this in-school  program that encourages kids to choose nutrient-rich foods first and get out and play at least 60 minutes every day. Fuel Up to Play 60 is a direct response to dairy farmers' concerns that many U.S. children are overweight and undernourished.

Midwest Dairy Council states these top 10 fast facts:

Fuel Up To Play 60 Is...

1. An in-school program offered to all U.S. schools at no cost
2. Part of wellness efforts in more than 72,000 schools across the U.S.,including more than 10,000 in the Midwest
3. Founded by the National Dairy council and the NFL, in cooperation with the USDA.
4. Designed to empower students to choose nutrient-rich foods, such as low-fat dairy foods, fruits,vegetables and whole grains, and get out and play at least 60 minutes everyday
5. Led by students, and guided by adult school leaders
6. Motivated by research that says well-nourished and physically active students have stronger academic achievement
7. Customaizable through downloadable resources,tools and in-school promotional materials, plus fun incentives and rewards
8. Endorsed by Action for Healthy Kids,American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Dietetic Association,National Hispanic Medical Association,National Medical Association,School Nutrition Association,U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,and U.S. Department of Education
9. Aligned with First Lady Michelle Obama's childhood obesity platform, "Let's Move"
10. Complementary to other school wellness initiatives,including the USDA's Healthier U.S. School Challenge

You can find more information about the program and how your school  can become involved at Fuel Up to Play 60.