Newswise — As nearly 50 million K-12 public school students prepare to return to school this fall,(1) school officials are busy finalizing what foods and beverages to offer. This year, all foods sold on campus must reflect new school wellness policies that align with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and encourage adequate nutritional intake of nutrient-dense foods " especially those nutrients that children are lacking.
According to a recent national survey(2) of approximately 1,000 moms, more than 92 percent of moms say that dairy foods, such as milk, cheese and yogurt, are just as important as fruits and vegetables in school. In fact, dairy foods provide three of the five nutrients of concern for which children have low intakes: calcium, potassium and magnesium.
"Current consumption data shows kids are falling significantly short on the recommended daily dairy servings and, in turn, the critical nutrients for which milk is the number one source in American children's diets," says Connie Diekman, MEd, RD, LD, FADA, and president-elect of the American Dietetic Association (ADA). "Schools that include nutrient-dense foods from the Dietary Guidelines' food groups to encourage " fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat-free dairy foods and whole grains " in wellness policies have a tremendous opportunity to help kids get the nutrients they need."
Data shows that less than half of children ages 2-8 and only one-fourth of children ages 9-19 get the recommended three servings of dairy a day.(3) Dairy foods provide nine essential nutrients, including calcium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, vitamins A, D and B12, riboflavin and niacin (niacin equivalents). According to a 2006 American Academy of Pediatrics report, eating calcium-rich low-fat or fat-free dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt during childhood and adolescence will help build strong bones and reduce the risk of fractures and osteoporosis later in life. Additionally, ADA supports the MyPyramid and Dietary Guidelines' recommendation of consuming three daily servings of low-fat or fat-free milk or equivalent milk products, which is associated with overall diet quality, adequacy of intake of many nutrients and good bone health.
School Wellness a Priority
An encouraging survey statistic(2) indicates that the majority of moms plan to discuss wellness policies with audiences that include school administrators, health professionals, other parents and their children, signifying parents' planned involvement in nutrition matters at their child's school.
"School wellness policies have the potential to transform the way schools promote nutrition education and smart eating habits to provide a healthier environment for students," says Alicia Moag-Stahlberg, MS, RD, LD, executive director of Action for Healthy Kids, a nonprofit organization specifically addressing child nutrition by focusing on changes at school. "Parents and educators must work together to share knowledge and resources to help carry out these wellness policies."
Milk's New Look Gets Students to Drink More
As schools mark the start of wellness policies, a school menu staple " milk " is getting a new look with plastic bottles and flavor options that are getting students to drink more milk. Today, more than 4,500 schools across the country " serving 3 million students " have adopted the "New Look of School Milk." In a pilot test with more than 100 schools, school milk consumption increased by 37 percent.(4) In addition, seven out of 10 moms say children would be more likely to drink milk at school if it's served cold in a kid-appealing, recyclable plastic container as opposed to a traditional paperboard carton.(2) More than 60 percent of moms also say children would be more likely to drink milk at school if it were offered in different flavors, and they understand that flavored milk and regular milk provide essentially the same nutritional value.
"We know how important it is to make nutritious beverages available to kids in a variety of flavors and packages that appeal to them," says Camellia Patey, vice president for school marketing, National Dairy Council. "Kids have told us that milk in plastic bottles is easier to open and tastes better, and they'd drink more milk if it's offered the way they want it."
Nutrition Experts and Moms Share Similar Opinions
A separate survey of more than 2,000 ADA members,(5) when compared to the survey of moms, found that nutrition experts and moms share similar opinions.
"¢ More than 94 percent of surveyed ADA members say that dairy foods, such as milk, cheese and yogurt, are just as important as fruits and vegetables in school.
"¢ More than 60 percent of surveyed ADA members say children would be more likely to drink milk at school if it were offered in different flavors.
"¢ The majority of surveyed ADA members plan to discuss wellness policies with audiences that include school administrators, other health professional colleagues, parents and children.
Moms can visit 3aday.org to learn more about dairy's unique nutrient package and to get back-to-school tips for getting three servings of dairy a day. The site also offers helpful resources to learn about school wellness policies and ways to start a dialogue with other parents and school officials to ask for more nutrient-dense food and beverage options.
Sources:(1) U.S. Census Bureau, October 2004 School Enrollment(2) June 2006 survey of 1,018 women with school-aged children conducted by Impulse Research on behalf of the National Dairy Council®. The overall sampling error for this survey is +/- 3% at the 95% level of confidence.(3) National Dairy Council, unpublished data based on the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES), 1999-2002.(4) National Dairy Council and American School Food Service Association. The School Milk Pilot Test. Beverage Marketing Corporation and Roper ASW for NDC and ASFSA, 2002. http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org.(5) June 2006 survey of 2,205 American Dietetic Association members conducted by Impulse Research on behalf of the National Dairy Council®. The overall sampling error for this survey is +/- 3% at the 95% level of confidence.
About 3-A-Dayâ„¢ of Dairy
The 3-A-Day™ of Dairy nutrition education and marketing program was launched by the American Dairy Association®/National Dairy Council® (ADA/NDC) in January 2003. 3-A-Day™ of Dairy is supported by integrated marketing efforts including retail promotions, public relations, online marketing and advertising. The ADA/NDC is managed by Dairy Management Inc., the nonprofit domestic and international marketing, planning and management organization for U.S.-produced dairy products on behalf of America's dairy farmers. The 3-A-Day™ of Dairy logo is a mark owned by Dairy Management Inc. For more information, visit http://3aday.org.
About the American Dietetic Association
With approximately 65,000 members, the American Dietetic Association is the nation's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA serves the public by promoting optimal nutrition, health and well-being. To locate a registered dietitian in your area, visit the American Dietetic Association at http://www.eatright.org.
About Action for Healthy Kids
Action for Healthy Kids is the only national, non-profit organization specifically addressing the epidemic of overweight, undernourished and sedentary youth by focusing on changes at school. Action for Healthy Kids is a public-private partnership of more than 50 national organizations and government agencies representing education, health, fitness and nutrition, which support the efforts of 51 State Teams (including all states and D.C.) made up of thousands of volunteers.
Action for Healthy Kids was created in response to The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity, which identified the school environment as one of five key sites of change. Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher is the founding chair of Action for Healthy Kids. To learn more about Action for Healthy Kids and the initiatives of State Teams, visit http://www.ActionForHealthyKids.org.
For more information:Jodi GenshaftEdelman Public Relations312-233-1280[email protected]
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