Teaching Kids Healthy Living: Fuel Up to Play 60

Today’s post is brought to you by Fuel Up to Play 60 and the California Milk Advisory Board. Read on the find out how you can keep the kids active and healthy at school! 

Teaching my kids how to live a healthy life has always been important to me. I keep fresh fruit and veggies available to them, include whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean meat in the meals, and make sure they drink lots of water during the day, especially when it’s hot outside. When we’re at home I encourage my kids to play outside as much as possible and stay active. As a work at home mom, I spend a lot of time on the computer. So I try to be a good example for my kids by going with them to play in the backyard or at the local park.

Now, when my kids are not with me I can’t be certain that they are practicing these habits I’ve taught them. Especially when they are at school with their friends where peer pressure can be strong. This is where the Fuel Up to Play 60 program becomes a useful tool to keep kids on track. This program was founded by the National Dairy Council and NFL, in collaboration with USDA and is designed to encourage kids to take charge of their health by making small changes in their every day lives. These changes are easy for kids of all ages, such as making smart choices when ordering lunch, or playing a game a recess instead of sitting at the lunch tables and talking.

Students who would like to participate in this program can register on the Fuel Up to Play 60 website where they will report their healthy eating habits and physical activity to earn points and even win some prizes! This program not only benefits the kids, but it can benefit California schools too. Qualifying California schools participating in Fuel Up to Play 60 may be eligible for up to $4,000 for the 2014-2015 school year to help support their health and wellness programs.

This competitive program is designed to support schools that implement plays from the 2014-2015 edition of the Fuel Up to Play 60  Playbook. These plays can range from creating a healthy breakfast program in a school to coordinating the 100 Mile Club, which challenges students to walk, jog or run 100 miles at school in a single school year to improve their health and well-being. My daughter’s school organizes two big events each year where all students run a course. Each class gets dressed up and the school makes it a fun event encouraging the students to stay active.

The Fuel Up to Play 60  program will not only encourage kids to stay on a track while at school, but it will also create healthy habits that can stay with kids for the rest of their lives. But the kids can’t do it alone. We as parents need to encourage and support our kids with programs like the Fuel Up to Play 60 in order to create a healthy environment at home, and in our community.

You can find more information on how to sign up and/or get your school involved on the Fuel Up to Play 60 website.

How will you ensure that your kids’ are living healthy?

 This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of California Milk Advisory Board.