*Ryan Kerrigan knows the importance of getting your day off on the right foot with a good breakfast. He spoke at Guilford Elementary School in Sterling, Va., Thursday morning about utilizing proper nutrition.
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A hearty breakfast can be the fuel that starts off a great day.
The Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation and Ryan Kerrigan teamed up for Fuel To Greatness with Guilford Elementary School on March 19,2015.
That was the message from Washington Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan on Thursday to Guilford Elementary School students in Sterling, Va., as part of Fuel Up To Play 60's Fuel Greatness campaign.
Fuel Greatness aims to mobilize communities to take action and advocate for, as well as implement, alternative breakfast options in school districts nationwide.
Beginning the morning by making a Sunrise Dreamsicle smoothie – which included oranges and fresh yogurt – with the Fuel Up To Play 60 Ambassador Team, Kerrigan continually explained that if you want to get your day off on the right foot, you need to make sure you're not only eating breakfast, but a healthy one.
At Guilford Elementary, students will now get to have smoothies with their breakfasts.
"You guys are lucky, because health and nutrition and exercise are such a big point of emphasis here, and I have to tell you, these smoothies you guys are going to have available at breakfast are great," he said to an assembly of students, several of which were wearing Redskins gear. "They're not only good for you, but they taste great too. They'll be a great way to start of your day."
Kerrigan often arrives to Redskins Park in Loudoun County, Va., early in the morning during the offseason for one of his two daily workouts.
While the Purdue product's heard it before, too, he said getting a good breakfast is key. For him, he prefers and egg white omelette with oatmeal and blueberries when possible.
"I know you guys hear it all the time – breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it really is," he said. "It gives you energy to start your day, helps you get through class and also gives you energy to exercise later in the day, as which we know, is a very important aspect of getting your 60 minutes of exercise."
And while smoothies will be an option for them while attending Guilford, the students need to make sure what they're learning today will continue for years to come.
"Just continue to do little things like eat a healthy breakfast and get your 60 minutes of exercise a day, and you'll create some really beneficial lifelong habits," Kerrigan said.
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