Well it looks like the last days of summer are slipping away and the fresh new start of fall is beginning. This can only mean one thing, back to school shopping.

While out and about making mad dashes for the best sales on notebooks and pencils, I hope you all take the time to add some extra products to your cart - dairy products specifically.

By throwing in a few extra dairy products, you are ensuring a great and healthy snack for your students that can help them extend themselves both in and out of the classroom.

Dairy products are not only a super power in our physical bodies but our mental as well. Milk, as well as other dairy products, contains protein which helps keep us full and focused on our tasks, like the big math test next Friday.

They also contain calcium and vitamin D to build strong bones and muscles to help us excel in sports. Another key ingredient is phosphorus, which is crucial in helping us to maintain a healthy immune system, important to any dedicated student.

There are many easy tips to make sure your outstanding students get their three recommended servings of dairy a day. Start out the day with a big bowl of cereal with lots of milk on top. Then throw a few cheese sticks in for lunch. When they come home, be sure to have a fridge full of tasty yogurt for them to snack on while doing their homework. Before you know it, you have just had all of your servings of dairy you need for the day.

So in the scramble of backpacks, crayons and calculators be sure to swing by the dairy section of your local grocer and load up on back to school dairy products.

Have fun at school everyone, and remember to get your three-a-day of dairy today.

Emily Young is the current Dairy Princess for Cayuga County.