Agricultural News
Dairy MAX Reminds Parents to Remember the Importance of a Balanced Breakfast This School Year
Fri, 02 Sep 2016 16:40:33 CDT
The 2016/2017 school year is kicking-off, and kids across the country are returning to class. As a parent, Susan Allen, Dairy MAX spokesperson and program manager of industry affairs, spoke with Farm Director Ron Hays, to help spread the message and remind parents in Oklahoma about how important a complete breakfast is, not just for children, but adults as well. She says that a balanced breakfast is a great way to help achieve the recommended three servings of dairy each day.
In an effort to proactively get involved in child nutrition, Allen says, Dairy MAX is working with local schools to bring breakfast out of the cafeteria and into the classroom. She reports that Oklahoma City Public Schools are now offering a free universal breakfast that all students may eat at their desks in class together. She says there are a multitude of benefits for children who eat breakfast.
"Kids that eat breakfast, have better cognitive function, they have better memory and they have better attention," Allen said. "Who doesn't want that for their kid and in fact, you know we could use that as adults, too."
Allen notes that breakfast at school is tied to increased math scores, decreased tardies, decreased trips to the school nurse and an overall increase in kids' performance at school. She says it also will decrease risk of cardiovascular disease and Type II diabetes.
Allen proudly states that the dairy industry and dairy farmers have been committed to child nutrition for 100 years and strongly encourages people of all ages to carve out time in their morning for breakfast, something she quotes 53 percent of Americans don't do these days.
"A great breakfast doesn't have to be difficult," Allen says, "just think about three food groups - dairy-grain and then a fruit. So it can be very simple but the payoffs are big."
To listen to more of Farm Director Ron Hays' conversation with Susan Allen on Dairy MAX's involvement with local school breakfast programs, click on the LISTEN BAR below.
Allen will join Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays for his weekly In the Field segment on KWTV News9 in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday morning at 6:40 a.m.
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