BeefFit Kids Program Making a Big Difference for Montana Students
May 14, 2026
A simple one-ounce beef stick is making a meaningful impact for students facing food insecurity in Montana classrooms.
The BeefFit Kids program, supported by Montana ranchers through the beef checkoff, is helping provide high-protein snacks to students across Yellowstone County and surrounding communities.
The effort focuses on delivering nutrient-dense beef snacks through backpack meal programs, food pantries, and now even school breakfast and lunch programs.
Jenny Stovall, who helped launch BeefFit Kids, says the program was designed to provide healthy, protein-rich snacks to students who need them most.
“BeefFit Kids is a program that was created about a year ago in order to provide a nutrient-dense, high-protein, healthy smart snack for Montana youth that need it most,” Stovall said.
Stovall says schools like Shepherd Schools are using the beef sticks in classrooms to help students stay fueled throughout the day.
“Here at Shepherd, they really utilize the beef sticks in their classrooms as a way to sustain their kids throughout the day,” she said.
Despite Montana’s strong agricultural economy, food insecurity continues impacting many families across the state.
“School District 2 alone serves 700 kids a week,” Stovall explained. “That’s elementary K through five with backpack meals and food pantries.”
She says the program became especially important for students who may not have reliable meals outside of school hours.
“That’s where I really got involved with providing beef sticks for kids that really don’t have something to sustain them over the weekend,” Stovall said.
Rather than sugary snacks, BeefFit Kids focuses on protein, iron, zinc, and essential nutrients designed to provide lasting energy and nutrition.
“The BeefFit sticks are the overall smart snack that can provide the ten essential nutrients and the zinc, iron, and protein specifically that sustain them throughout the day,” she said.
And according to Stovall, students are eager to grab them whenever they can.
“They are kid approved,” she said. “They will just keep asking for more and more and they’ll be in their backpacks.”
Currently centered in Yellowstone County, the program is already positioned to expand into schools across Montana.
“Right now I’m just localized in Yellowstone County and I have enough supply to help surrounding schools as well as throughout the whole state of Montana,” Stovall said.
She also credited Montana cattle ranchers and beef checkoff investments for making the program possible.
“I just really want to thank our cattle ranchers in Montana because without the funds that they give for the beef checkoff, I would not be able to sustain this program for BeefFit Kids,” she said.
Programs like BeefFit Kids are showing how beef checkoff dollars are helping support nutrition, education, and local communities right here at home.
Source: Western Ag Network
