Published On: March 6th, 2014By

Owen Daniels, TE for Houston Texans, Motivates Calvert Elementary Students to Fuel Up to Play 60

Houston Texans tight end Owen Daniels delivered a message on the importance of eating a healthy breakfast during a Fuel Up to Play 60 event held at Calvert Elementary School on Thursday, March 6.

Daniels, a seven-year veteran who is the Houston Texans all-time leader in receptions and touchdowns by a tight end, not only shared his message, but also joined Calvert students Valerie Echeverria and Ryan Cortez in making yogurt parfaits and then joined students for breakfast at the conclusion of the event.

“It’s important to start your day off right by eating a nutritious breakfast,” Daniels said. “Be sure you get good fuel in your body so you have a lot of energy during the day.”

Daniels added that eating a healthy breakfast is not only good for the body, but also the mind.

“Be sure your mind is working well and eating breakfast every day can help you be ready to tackle your academics,” he said. “My day and my teammates’ day starts early and we have to be sure we have the right stuff in our bodies to get going.”

Fuel Up To Play 60

Houston Texans tight end Owen Daniels looks on as Calvert Elementary students Valerie Echeverria and Ryan Cortez make yogurt parfaits

Daniels also took questions from students, most of whom asked what he ate prior to a game and what he ate after a game. He said he eats light before he plays on Sundays and Monday nights, but that he eats heavily the night before a game.

Joining Daniels at the event were Dani Sheffield, Aldine ISD’s executive director of child nutrition services, Roberta Andeng, the nutritionist for the Texans, Lisa Wiedneri, with Cy-Fair ISD, Lisa Hastings, a sports nutritionist with Texas Children’s Hospital and dietitian Carol Bradley.

Sheffield said Calvert Elementary was chosen as a site to host the Fuel Up to Play 60 event because of the success it has had in implementing its alternative breakfast location program. Third- and fourth-graders are served breakfast in the gym, while kindergartners, first- and second-graders have their breakfast in the cafeteria.

“This helped to not only increase participation, but has assisted the school with traffic of students in the morning and at the same time helped us serve students more efficiently,” Sheffield said.

Fuel Up to Play 60 was founded by the National Dairy Council and the NFL, in collaboration with the USDA, to empower students to take charge in making small, everyday changes at school. Students can win prizes, like an NFL player visit, for choosing good-for-you foods and getting active for 60 minutes every day.

Fuel Up To Play 60

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About the Author: Mike Keeney

Director of Public Information Aldine ISD