National Dairy Council® and General Mills Foodservice to Award K-12 Schools $100,000 in Grants to Build Breakfast Programs

Published on Wednesday, 07 July 2010 15:10 Written by TradersHuddle Staff

MINNEAPOLIS-( Business Wire )-

General Mills Foodservice has committed $100,000 to help schools with students in grades K-12 build their breakfast programs through the National Dairy Council’s Child Nutrition and Fitness Initiative Breakfast Grant program. Schools currently participating in the National Dairy Council’s “Fuel Up to Play 60” program, an initiative designed to improve nutrition and physical activity schools, and looking to expand their breakfast programs can apply to receive up to $3,000 in funding.

To be eligible for the Breakfast Grant, schools must also have support from their school principal, district school nutrition director and school nutrition manager, have school enrollment of at least 500 and demonstrate an opportunity to raise their breakfast participation. The application deadline is August 15, 2010. Applicants will be notified by August 31, 2010, as to whether their school’s application has been approved or declined. Educators can visit www.fueluptoplay60.com for more information and to access the Grant application.

Research shows that eating breakfast is one of the best ways to fuel both the body and mind. Studies indicate that eating breakfast not only helps students get the nutrients they need, but also perform better in school. A study in Philadelphia and Baltimore public schools found that children who regularly participated in breakfast programs scored higher on math tests, were less likely to be tardy or absent, and had fewer reported discipline problems when compared with children who skipped breakfast.¹

Student participation in school breakfast continues to gain momentum. Today, about 10 million children eat breakfast on any given day in U.S. schools – about a third of the 30 million students who eat school lunch regularly.² Foodservice operators in America’s K-12 schools understand that a school breakfast program provides significant benefits to both schools and students. However, growing a successful school breakfast program can be challenging for even the savviest operator.

“Many schools want to further expand their breakfast program, but simply need a little help in getting it started,” said Kim Main, K-12 marketing manager, General Mills Foodservice. “Solutions to overcome barriers to school breakfast are not one-size-fits-all. The Child Nutrition and Fitness Initiative Breakfast Grant program can help provide resources to schools serving breakfast and grant funds to help them offer breakfast at school via nontraditional methods, whether it’s breakfast in the classroom, a grab-and-go breakfast from a cart or a second chance breakfast after the first class period.”

The Child Nutrition and Fitness Initiative Breakfast Grant program is open to schools within the United States who are enrolled in the National Dairy Council’s “Fuel up to Play 60” program for the 2010-2011 school year. “Fuel Up to Play 60” is a partnership between National Dairy Council and the National Football League to empower youth to take action to improve nutrition and physical activity at their school and for their own health.

“Fuel Up to Play 60 was developed to help create opportunities for students to get increased access to great-tasting healthy foods, especially at breakfast time, and get active so they can feel their best, have energy throughout the day and perform to the best of their abilities at school, on the playing field and beyond,” said Jean Ragalie, executive vice president of dairy health and wellness for National Dairy Council.

About General Mills Foodservice

General Mills Foodservice sells a wide array of high-quality products to operators in the foodservice and restaurant channels, delivering consistent quality and proven performance through its branded products including Cheerios^®, Yoplait^® yogurt, Nature Valley^® granola bars, Gold Medal^® baking mixes, Pillsbury^® biscuits and other sweet goods. The division generates more than $2 billion in annual sales.

About Fuel Up to Play 60

Fuel Up to Play 60 is a youth-led social marketing initiative designed to help prevent childhood obesity and help youth develop life-long healthy eating and daily physical activity habits. As part of the program, student teams work with adult leaders in each school to make kid-appealing, good-tasting, nutrient-rich foods more available. They also create opportunities for daily physical activity, such as walking clubs and after-school sports and dance clubs. Fuel Up to Play 60 encourages kids to get involved and make changes that will help make their schools healthier places. The program reaches youth directly and engages their help in leading and inspiring their friends. The United States Department of Agriculture, NFL and National Dairy Council are partners in the program, and it is further supported by several health and nutrition organizations: Action for Healthy Kids, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Dietetic Association, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Medical Association and School Nutrition Association. Visit FuelUpToPlay60.com to learn more.

About National Dairy Council

National Dairy Council® (NDC) is the nutrition research, education and communications arm of Dairy Management Inc™. On behalf of U.S. dairy farmers, NDC provides science-based nutritioninformation to, and in collaboration with, a variety of stakeholders committed to fostering a healthier society, including health professionals, educators, school nutrition directors, academia, industry, consumers and media. Established in 1915, NDC is dedicated to educating the public on the health benefits of consuming milk and milk products throughout a person's lifespan. For more information, visit NationalDairyCouncil.org.

¹ Murphy, JM, et al. The relationship of school breakfast to psychosocial and academic functioning. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1998;152:899-907.

² USDA (2006-2007 School Year)

General Mills FoodserviceMedia Contact:Bridget Winberg, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.