While most kids were getting ready to go back to school last week, IDFA participated in a Twitter chat organized by student ambassadors from the Fuel Up to Play 60 program and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service to promote the importance of dairy in schools and student diets. The hour-long chat held August 27 was filled with positive comments from a variety of dietitians, nutritionists, doctors, food bank workers and food organizations about the role of dairy in a healthy lifestyle.
The chat, titled “A Healthier School Day #HealthierNextGen,” posed eight questions that allowed participants to discuss the steps communities are taking to create a healthier next generation of children that allows them to grow, learn and reach their full potential. The Fuel Up to Play 60 program is sponsored by the National Dairy Council and National Football League in collaboration with USDA to encourage students to eat healthy and stay active.
IDFA participated in the chat as an opportunity to engage with organizations and individuals involved with school nutrition programs, while promoting the consumption of dairy products in schools. IDFA’s top tweet stated the importance of flavored milks in schools: “@USDANutrition If kids eat healthy at school, they may keep making good choices – fat-free flavored #milk instead of soda #healthiernextgen.”
Several other popular tweets by IDFA, as determined by the number of “favorites” and “retweets” by other participants, include:
- T1 @USDANutrition #Milk processors offer great-tasting, kid-approved flavored milk that has reduced sugar, fat & calories #healthiernextgen
- Nutritious food doesn’t have to be boring! Low-fat chocolate #milk is perfect balance of #nutrition & fun! #healthiernextgen @USDANutrition
- #Dairy foods – low-fat #yogurt & reduced-fat string #cheese – are fun to pack in lunches or grab @ snack bar #healthiernextgen @USDANutrition
- T7: Kids are happy that healthy treats like fat-free #icecream, frozen #yogurt & fruit bars will still be sold in schools #healthiernextgen
- Students love that #yogurt, fat-free chocolate #milk & reduced-fat string #cheese will still be sold in schools #healthiernextgen
- T8 @USDANutrition Parents can freeze #yogurt tubes & pack them in their child's lunch. Fun way to consume #dairy! #healthiernextgen
To view the entire Twitter chat, visit #HealthierNextGen and look for the August 27 tweets.
Participating in Twitter chats is one way that IDFA uses social media to support its members that market dairy products to schools. For more information about this chat, contact Molly Pfaffenroth, IDFA communications intern, at mpfaffenroth@idfa.org or 202-220