March 26, 2015 Greetings Youth Beef Team members! I hope you have had lots of opportunities to use your beef team training and are becoming more and more comfortable talking to others about our beef industry. I am really excited to tell you all about an important opportunity to be a voice and an advocate on a topic that will directly affect you! Here is your chance to make a difference not just for our industry but for every student in the nation! Every 5 years, our federal government reviews the Dietary Guidelines, which are the basis of My Plate (which you might know as the Food Pyramid). These guidelines tell us how many servings of each food group we should eat daily to maintain a healthy life. In the current process, the recommendation would exclude lean meat as part of a healthy diet. Not only is this bad news for beef producers, but it’s also a problem for YOU and other consumers. The Dietary Guidelines are used by SCHOOLS and other institutions to develop meal plans. If the proposed Dietary Guidelines are adopted, it may mean that no meats (except seafood) will be in school lunches! Sound good to you? If not, this is your opportunity to make a difference! The government is taking comments on the plan from now until May 8. I strongly encouraging ALL of you to go to the website and post your opinion! I’m including some talking points below that you can use: 1. Go to the comment submission webpage, by clicking here. 2. Write your comments in the box. 3. Fill in the designated boxes for your first name and last name. 4. You can add more identifying information if you want by clicking either of the bottom two boxes, or just click the “Continue” button and follow the instructions to submit your comment. Be an advocate and use your voice by commenting on the proposed Dietary Guidelines. Below are some things you may want to include in your comments:  As a student, the Dietary Guidelines matter to everyone but especially me. Beef is an excellent source of protein which helps build muscles and satisfies hunger. That cuts down on empty calories.  Lean beef is an excellent source of six nutrients: Protein, Zinc, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, Niacin, and Selenium. Those help brain function, improves immunity, and provide energy for your activities.  Lean meat is a nutrient-dense food source, providing high levels of essential nutrients with fewer calories than other sources. There are over 30 cuts of beef that are considered lean. Please contact me at [email protected] or 641-425-1533 for more information. Mary Greiman Youth & Outreach Coordinator Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation 2055 Ironwood Ct. Ames, IA 50014 Ph. 515-296-2266