Grow Strong Bones with Milk
Wisconsin Dairy Council kicks off a new school year.
Byline: Laura Wilford MS RD - Director, Wisconsin Dairy Council

Within a few weeks the 2008-2009 school year will be back in full swing. And we at the Wisconsin Dairy Council (WDC), the nutrition education department of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB), are gearing up to promote the healthful benefits of milk and dairy products in the diets of active kids and teens. We all know that a healthy school meal, accompanied by a serving of fresh, cold milk helps students refuel with important nutrients and build strong bones. To us, school lunch is not simply a meal, but a chance for children to learn about proper nutrition.

Statistics show that nine out of 10 teenage girls and seven out of 10 teenage boys do not get the recommended daily calcium that they need. Our six regional program managers located across the state are working with school districts to reverse this trend by providing nutrition-related resources and materials to teachers and school foodservice directors. We want to encourage students to make milk their beverage of choice. Our goal is to have every student in Wisconsin drinking at least one serving of milk at school every day.

This fall the WDC staff will offer Wisconsin schools a Grow Strong Bones with Milk promotional kit that encourages students to drink milk for better bone health. One thousand kits are being offered to school foodservice managers to promote milk in their school cafeterias. The kits include a life-size skeleton growth chart, bone-shaped pens and rulers for students and fun ideas that foodservice managers can use to remind students to drink 3-4 servings of milk every day to grow strong bones. The goal of this promotion is to draw attention to milk in school cafeterias and to make school cafeterias a fun place to eat.

In addition to the Grow Strong Bones with Milk promotion, WDC staff will be working with schools throughout Wisconsin on our Cold Milk Initiative. We will provide school foodservice staff with tools to check milk temperatures in serving lines to ensure that students have fresh, cold milk available every day. Schools will receive a quick reference temperature guide and digital thermometers to check milk temperatures. Cold cell barrels and milk crate wraps will also be provided to participating schools for use in their serving areas to keep milk fresh and cold.

Many other dairy nutrition-related resources and materials are available for school foodservice staff and for classroom educators. If you know of schools in your area that would like to order materials or you want to learn more about the programs available through the Wisconsin Dairy Council, visit WMMB's website at www.wisdairy.com and click on the Dairy Council link at the top of the home page. Or contact us by calling 800-373-9662 and asking for the regional program manager in your area.

Laura Wilford, Director of the Wisconsin Dairy Council, is a registered dietitian. Wilford works with a staff of six regional program managers outreaching to schools and media outlets throughout Wisconsin.