Washington, DC, Aug. 13, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --               Making a quick bag lunch for kids isn’t hard, but making a lunch that will nourish and be enjoyed by children can be tricky.   The North American Meat Institute, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, has created a new “Beef Up the Lunch Box” series of lunch recipes and menus that incorporate prepared beef favorites likes summer sausage, roast beef, pastrami and corned beef into nutritious and delicious recipes that kids will eat and enjoy and that will help keep hunger at bay during the day.

            Good nutrition is essential for proper growth, concentration and learning.  Although a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chips and cookies lunch may tempt children,  it offers lackluster nutrition  and can’t keep the hunger away like a  nutrient-dense menu featuring the complete protein found in meat .  Including meat in a meal  offers children many key nutrients  the protein  they need for growth ,  the most absorbable form of iron called heme iron , which is key for good energy and  cognition , and the micronutrient B12, which is only found in animal products and has been shown to  enhance brain development and cognitive function.

             Developed by a Culinary Institute of America trained chef and veteran mom, The “Beef Up the Lunch Box” menu ideas and recipes go beyond the traditional sandwich and use great taste and interesting presentations to entice the pickiest of eaters.   Compared to a peanut butter and jelly lunch, these healthy recipes offer more high quality protein, fiber, fewer calories, less sugar and more key nutrients.

            Short, humorous how-to videos and recipes offer tips on making the lunches that include:

       “We recognize the daily challenge of making nutritious meals that kids enjoy and we hope these creative and nutritious recipes and menu tips will help ease the lunch-making challenge for Moms and Dads everywhere,” said Meat Institute Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Janet Riley.  “So beef up your kids lunch boxes and help power their bodies and brains throughout the day.”

About The Beef Checkoff:

The Beef Checkoff Program (www.MyBeefCheckoff.com) was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. In states with qualified beef councils, states may retain up to 50 cents of the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval. 

ABOUT NAMI

The North American Meat Institute (NAMI), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, is the leading voice for the meat and poultry industry. Formed from the 2015 merger of the American Meat Institute (AMI) and North American Meat Association (NAMA), the Institute has a rich, century-long history and provides essential member services including legislative, regulatory, scientific, international and public affairs representation. NAMI’s mission is to shape a public policy environment in which the meat and poultry industry can produce wholesome products safely, efficiently and profitably. Together, the Institute’s members produce the vast majority of U.S. beef, pork, lamb and poultry and the equipment, ingredients and services needed for the highest quality products.

  "Internal links within this document are funded and maintained by the Beef Checkoff. All other outgoing links are to websites maintained by third parties."

 

Eric Mittenthal North American Meat Institute 202-587-4238 emittenthal@meatinstitute.org