Fairhope Intermediate earns FUTP60 smoothie grant

Fairhope Intermediate School has been honored as a recipient of a $2,000 Fuel Up to Play 60 Smoothie Grant.

The Fuel Up to Play 60 program offers participating schools the opportunity to win awards to help support implementation of smoothie programs. The grant helped Fairhope purchase the new Vitamix Extra Large Capacity Blender System. The new system will help the school streamline its smoothie initiative.

“We had a lot of positive feedback form the students after they sampled the smoothie. They were excited to learn that it would be a new item available for breakfast,” said Fairhope Child Nutrition manager Jennifer Banks. “Offering items that kids like will encourage them to eat breakfast.”

Studies show that breakfast helps to combat childhood obesity and encourages healthy eating. Students who do not eat breakfast miss 25 percent of their daily nutrition. A single smoothie provides significant daily levels of calcium (30 percent), Vitamin D (25 percent) and protein (16 percent).

Smooth and Smart, a dairy promotion established by the Southeast Dairy Association in conjunction with the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, offers participating schools the materials to begin implementing the program. The program increases the overall dairy consumption at schools while treating students to healthy and enjoyable beverages. Find out more about Smooth and Smart on www.southeastdairy.org.