School Nutrition:
From the classroom to the cafeteria, school is the ideal place for kids to learn about and practice good nutrition. Dairy's single-serve, portable packaging make milk, cheese, and yogurt easy snacks and ideal nutrient-rich additions to school meals. Since its inception, the Dairy Council, at both the national and state levels, has been committed to nutrition education and school-based programs to establish a foundation of good health.
The most recent release of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2010) recognizes that kids' diets routinely fall short in calcium, potassium, vitamin D and dietary fiber. Milk is the #1 source of these first three nutrients of concern. For many children, school meals may be the best source of nutrition they get each day and the nation's leading health and nutrition organizations recognize the valuable role that milk, including flavored milk, can play in meeting daily nutrient needs.
Across the country, exciting changes are being made to integrate healthier options into school meals. Incorporating dairy is an essential part of this nutrient-rich school nutrition makeover.
The tabs to the left provide an in-depth look at the variety of programs supported by the National Dairy Council and your Dairy Council of Utah/Nevada as we all work together to consistently apply research and improve programming for nutrition education in youth.
**USDA Releases New Guidelines for School Nutrition Standards:** For the first time in 15 years, the USDA has released new nutritional standards for school meals helping to align schools' offerings with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans while also addressing childhood health. The new rule focus on increasing whole grains, continuing to offer low fat milk and fat free milk, reducing sodium, and offering meals that fall within appropriate calorie ranges.
- USDA Sample Menu - shows how food offerings will evolve over time
- USDA Final Rule & Resources
- The First Lady Drinks Milk! - Menu Changes continue to include low fat and fat free milk in schools
The New Look of School Milk & Recycling - Plastic bottles, variety of flavors & served cold:
- New Look of School Milk Brochure
- New Look of School Milk Frequently Asked Questions
- Going, Going...Green! With Recyclable Plastic Milk Bottles Fact Sheet
- The Benefits of Recycling Plastic Milk Bottles Fact Sheet
- Comparison for School Milk Programs of Paperboard vs. Plastic Bottles Fact Sheet
- New Look of School Milk Success Story: Greene County School District, Greeneville, Tennessee: Brenda Freshour, School Nutrition Director
- New Look of School Milk Success Story: Spring Independent School District, Houston, Texas; Melanie Konarik, MS, SNS, Director of Child Nutrition
Expanding Breakfast:
- Expanding Breakfast Fact Sheet
- School Breakfast Improving Students' Minds & Bodies, Dairy Council Digest, March/April 2008
- Expanding Breakfast Success Story: Newberry County Schools, Newberry, SC; Ann McConnell, Food Service Director
- Irving Independent School District, Irving, TX; Michael Rosenberger, Director of Food Service
Wellness
Thanks to the New Look of School Milk program, drinking milk at lunch has become the “cool” thing for kids to do. With new single-serve and portable packaging, healthy dairy foods such as cheese, yogurt and milk are more kid-friendly than ever. School nutrition workers report sustained success with better student nutrition and stronger meal participation.
