As pupils return to school after the summer break, The Dairy Council is reminding parents, teachers and pupils alike that milk, and dairy foods, provide important nutrients to support children’s growth and development.
With World School Milk Day taking place on Wednesday 27th September, schools across the country will be taking part in a campaign launched by The Dairy Council.
World School Milk Day is a day created by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation to celebrate the role that milk plays in good nutrition for school children. In the UK, our history of school milk spans back over 100 years to the Provision of Meals Act 1906, which recognised milk as a nutritious product that could be provided to children to help meet their recommended nutrient intakes.
And today, milk and dairy products continue to play their role in our children’s diets.
Primary school children in particular need to get lots of nutrients and energy from their food to support their growth and development; their nutrient requirements are higher in relation to their body size than adults. As such, nutrient-rich foods, such as milk and dairy, are an important part of a healthy balanced diet.
Both boys and girls grow by about 5 - 6cm a year over the primary school years, and gain weight accordingly.
Did you know, milk and dairy foods contribute the most calcium and iodine to the UK diet compared to other food groups?
Why is this important for children?
Calcium helps to build bones and teeth, and iodine is needed for growth and brain development.
And, that’s not all that’s in a glass of milk.
A 189ml carton of semi-skimmed milk is a high in protein and a source of phosphorus, riboflavin, B12. Milk provides 42% of a 7-10-year olds recommended calcium intake, 24% of their recommended protein intake and 53% of their recommended iodine intake.
To celebrate milk and all of its nutritional goodness, The Dairy Council is launching a ‘Milk Memo’ campaign and giving away £250 worth of outdoor games for teachers and pupils to enjoy.
Want to take part? If so, you can either:
- share a milky message, or;
- post a milktastic photo, or;
- show their own moo-vie.
Entries will be posted on the dedicated ‘Milk Memo’ webpage: http://www.milkhub.uk/.
To take part, teachers should send their entry to
