Mirror staff reports:

Students from Todd Beamer High School traveled to Rainier View Elementary School on Dec. 11 to spread a message of nutrition and fitness.

Seattle Seahawks mascot Blitz and Sea Gal cheerleader Tamaria joined the festivities and sparked excitement for the Fuel Up To Play 60 event. They talked about their favorite breakfast foods and veggies with the Rainier View kids from all grade levels. Students and staff even showed off their own touchdown dances.

The program is sponsored by the National Dairy Council and NFL, in collaboration with U.S. Department of Agriculture, to promote healthy food decisions and encourage students to achieve 60 minutes of physical activity daily.

A Fuel Up to Play 60 grant worth $4,000 was awarded to Todd Beamer by the Washington State Dairy Council to help with the school’s outreach. Under the leadership of program advisor Leslie Deakins, Todd Beamer students are working to inspire elementary children to eat more nutrient-dense foods, advocating such changes as drinking milk instead of soda.

Todd Beamer students prepare a healthy breakfast as part of their curriculum. Physical activity is tracked in all health classes with pedometers while food intake is logged as part of the nutrition unit.

More than 70,000 schools participate in Fuel Up to Play 60 nationwide.

(Pictured: Blitz the Seahawks mascot, along with Sea Gal cheerleader Tamaria, talk to students about healthy eating habits Tuesday at Rainier View Elementary School in Federal Way.)

FYI: School lunches

This year, Federal Way Public Schools adopted new nutrition standards for student meals. The new requirements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture — like offering more fresh fruits and veggies, whole grain breads, pasta and tortillas, healthier beverages, and less fat, sugar and salt — were already regular practices in local schools.

Students are required to take a serving of a fruit or vegetable. Meals feature a greater variety and more servings of fruits and vegetables highlighting dark green, vibrant red/orange vegetables and legumes/beans.

More whole grain foods are also available, alongside plain low-fat and fat-free milk. Saturated fat and sodium have been reduced, and all meals contain 0 grams of trans fats.