Nutrition Experts Call Families Back to the Breakfast Table This Back-to-School Season

NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For decades health experts across the country have been declaring the "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" mantra, but the reality is that more than 34 million Americans don't eat breakfast(1). The lack of breakfast makes a big impact on a family's day, and is an even bigger problem for growing children. Elizabeth Somer, registered dietitian and author of "Eat Your Way to Happiness," cautions that the most important item on a family's back to school list should be getting into the breakfast habit.

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"Everyone benefits from the nutrients that breakfast can provide," said Somer. The most recent 2010 Dietary Guidelines encourage Americans to eat a nutrient-rich diet by increasing fruit and vegetable consumption starting at breakfast and continuing throughout the day.  

The 1-2-3 Rule for a Healthy Start to Your Day

To help people squeeze breakfast into their daily routine, Somer developed the 1-2-3 rule. She recommends:

1. Include whole grains, such as cereal, waffles or oatmeal, to help fuel your day.
2. Eat protein such as milk or peanut butter to help you to feel satisfied.
3. Be sure to consume at least two servings of colorful fruits and vegetables.

One easy way to get two fruit servings is to have just one 8-oz glass of orange juice(2). "Many people don't realize the nutrient power-pack a glass of orange juice can provide," said Somer.  One hundred percent orange juice such as Tropicana Pure Premium has no added sugar or water, and provides a good source of four essential nutrients to fuel your day. One 8-oz serving offers a full day's supply of vitamin C, which can help support a healthy immune system and has as much potassium as a medium banana, which plays an important role in heart health. It's a natural source of two B vitamins: folate and thiamin.

Take the Fruit and Veg Pledge

To help jump start a healthy eating routine, and to help kids across the country have a healthy breakfast, Somer  teamed up with Tropicana to launch the Fruit & Veg Facebook pledge. For every person that pledges to squeeze more fruits and vegetables into their day by Dec. 31, 2011, Tropicana will donate one 8-oz glass of orange juice to schools in need through the USDA's School Breakfast and Summer Food Service programs (up to 184,375 8-oz glasses.) The School Breakfast and Summer Food Service programs support children in underserved areas across the country and offer a nutritious start to the day.

Quick Tips for Eating More Fruits & Veggies

Here are quick tips from Somer for incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet:

• Take it to Go:  If your family is on-the-go at breakfast time, mix your favorite crunchy whole grain cereal (like Quaker Oatmeal Squares), dried fruit and nuts in a resealable plastic bag. You can even throw in a few chocolate chips for a sweet treat.
• Check Your Freezer: Try a frozen whole grain waffle toasted with peanut butter and sliced banana on top.
• Heat It Up: Throw frozen berries in a bowl of instant oatmeal to melt them instantly.
• Juice Up Your Nutrients: Have a glass of orange juice with your cereal. Each 59-ounce container of Tropicana Pure Premium has 16 fresh-picked oranges squeezed inside.
• Go For Some Green: Step up to the salad bar to load up on leafy greens and fresh vegetables for a nutrient-loaded lunch.
• Shake Up Your Afternoon: Make a simple fruit smoothie – mix one banana, a handful of frozen berries, several spoonfuls of unsweetened yogurt and a half a cup of Tropicana Pure Premium 100% orange juice in a blender.
• Switch It For Veggies: Creatively substitute veggies for other, less healthy options – try spaghetti squash instead of pasta, or kale chips instead of bacon bits.
• Prep It Sunday: Set aside 10 minutes of your Sunday to prepare healthy snacks bags for the week, like cut up apples and lowfat cheese (sprinkle apples with orange or lemon juice to avoid browning), baked chips, celery or carrots to munch on with hummus or peanut butter.

See the Nutrient-Rich Juice Inside

In addition to Tropicana's nutrition education campaign, the brand is also celebrating a new, clear bottle that lets you see the nutrient-rich orange juice inside and is now available nationwide. It has a premium look and feel; the elegant and functional design was inspired by crystal carafes, borrowing features like the fluted neck and the curved frame.   The new bottle is made out of recyclable PET plastic, which is stronger and more durable than carton packaging. Plus, the clear plastic offers an at-a-glance view in the refrigerator, so it's easy to see when it's time to buy more juice. The bottle can be recycled in curbside programs nationwide or via PepsiCo Dream Machines available in public locations across the country.

For more information, visit www.tropicana.com or www.Facebook.com/Tropicana.

About Tropicana Products, Inc.

Tropicana Products, Inc., a division of PepsiCo, Inc., is the leading producer and marketer of branded fruit juices. Tropicana markets its products in the U.S. under a variety of brand names, including the Tropicana not-from-concentrate line of juices: Dole® juices and juice blends; Tropicana® Juices, Trop50 and Tropicana Twister® juice beverages. The Dole brand name is licensed from Dole Food Company, Inc. For more information about Tropicana, visit Tropicana.com.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that each generates more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade – also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in more than 200 countries. With annualized revenues of nearly $60 billion, PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called "Performance with Purpose." By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

(1)Sterling-Rice Group Survey, 2009
(2)The 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend that a majority of fruit servings come from whole fruit.

Tropicana PR Newswire Press Release Code: 683301

Contact:  Amy Dobrozsi
312-929-0517
[email protected]

SOURCE Tropicana