Weekend Reading

Reading

In the re-authorization of the Child Nutrition Act, the issue of the cost of a school lunch was addressed.  right now, if a child qualifies for a free lunch (family of four household income of less than about $30k/annually), the federal govt pays the school $2.72 for that lunch.  On the other hand, most schools charge "full price" kids far less. The result is that money intended for a hungry child's lunch may be subsidizing the lunch of kids who can afford to pay. On the other hand, there are lots of kids on Long Island whose families make more than $30,000 a year but might have trouble making ends meet. The law requires schools charging less than the federal reimbursement rate to very gradually increase the cost of lunch.  The blog Better DC School Food did a great job reporting  on the issue in Tax Breaks for Billionaires, Higher Lunch Prices for Kids.

To my mind, it brings up the whole issue of Janet Poppendeick;s book, Free for All.

The issue of PCBs in schools in the city has been heating up - read the WSJ's reporting here or get more background information here.

Watching

Check out An Apple a Day is Not Enough - A Poem by Taylor Mali in YouTube.

Fun

Happy Holidays. Enjoy the break.

Sara

Ways to Support Childhood Nutrition this Holiday Season

If you're thinking of making some year end charitable gifts, we've got some suggestions. We've discussed Long Island's two foods banks beforebut I'd like to mention these groups if you're looking to make a tax-deductible contribution before year-end and want to help nutrition advocates.

The New York Coalition for Healthy School Food 
These folks were instrumental in passing a robust Child Ntrutiion Act, are working to fix school food throughout New York, provide nturition education and healthy school unch recipes all on a shoestring. Help them out at their website.


Center for Science in the Public Interest
Also hard at work on the legislation behnd the school lunch program, this group also shines a bright light on the egregious beahvoir of fast food restaurants, works on food safety legislation and published most of the research  we used behind the additives that used to be in our school's food.  Visit their website. A donation also gets you their Nutrition Action newsletter.


Environmental Working Group
These nice people publish the "dirty dozen" lists of which conventional  fruits and vegetables to  avoid due to pesticide exposure as well as guides to safe suncreens and other products. Visit their websitefor more information or to make a gift. can For a substantial donation, you get a whole gift bag - dirty dozen bag tag, shopping guide on sunscreen, cookbook, reuseable shopping bags and water bottle, etc. Oh and CHOCOLATE.

I'm sure there are many other worthy groups. Use the comments section to make your recommendations.

Sara

What's for lunch - Thurs., 12/23

White Meat Chicken Patty on Whole Wheat Bun
Sandwich Fixin’s
Baked Sweet Potato “Fries”

Not so excited today.  This is Tyson fried chicken product. The ingredients are: Boneless chicken breast with rib meat, water, salt, and natural flavor. BREADED WITH: Wheat flour, water, wheat starch, white whole wheat flour, salt, yellow corn flour, corn starch, dried onion, dried garlic, dried yeast, brown sugar, extractives of paprika, and spices. Breading set in vegetable oil.

Sounds like you'll also get some lettuce and tomatoes. The sweet potatoes should be plain baked sweet potatoes that we season ourselves.

Enjoy the break.

Sara

People Still Asking What YOU Want for Christmas?

I want a composter. A really nice indoor one that does everything for me, and I can put anything in like the Nature Mill ones. Apparently, about 12% of the waste in this country is from food - the vast majority of which ends up in landfills according to this NYT article.

I'd like to see our school start composting, too, now that we're serving real food. The food services dept. is interested in trying a pilot program.

Please click comments below and add your ideas.

I'd also like to see Tyson fried chicken nuggets off the school lunch menu.

Sara

What's for Lunch - Wed., 12/22

Barilla Plus Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Fresh Garlic Bread
Broccoli Bites w/Dipping Sauce
Fresh Grapes

I'm excited about this lunch.  The noodles we're using for the Mac n cheese are Barilla Plus. The ingredients are:  Semolina, Grain and Legume Flour, Blend (Lentils, Chickpeas, Egg Whites, Spelt, Barley, Flaxseed, Oat Fiber, Oats), Durum Flour, Niacin, Iron (Ferrous Sulfate), Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid.  The sauce is made from Cabot Vermont Cheddar.

The broccoli is fresh! As are the grapes.

The dipping sauce is probably the organic ranch we normally use.

Sara

What's for Lunch - Tues. 12/21

BRUNCH FOR LUNCH
Homemade Challah French
Toast w/Orange Rounds
Applegate Turkey Bacon
Carrot Crunchers
Cinnamon Applesauce

It's hard to recommend what our committee's nutritionist has called "cake for lunch" but it is popular. At least it comes with fresh fruit and vegetables plus govt commodity applesauce. 

At Sea Cliff, the french toast last month was served with a large portion of syrup. Clearly, the school lunch program cannot afford really maple syrup and pretty much all artificial syrups are made with high fructose corn syrup - which we have talked about extensively here.  Our school has made great strides in getting HFCS out of a lot of foods but it is in this one.

The turkey bacon is by Applegate. It is nitrate-free. Here are the ingredients: Turkey (Turkey Used Never Administered Antibiotics, Growth Promotants or Animal By-products), Water, Sea Salt, Maple Sugar, Celery Juice, Onion Powder, Spices, Lactic Acid Starter Culture (not From Milk.)

Sara

Lunch Participation Rates - The Kids Need Time to Eat

As we discussed here, we should all support our much improved school lunch program in two ways:


1. Buy lunch - you can review the menus online and check here for more information on ingredients. I think you can easily find lunches this year you can feel good about.


2. Talk to your kids about taking - and at least trying if not eating - the fruits and vegetables served with each meal.  The school receives a small amount of federal money for each complete meal they serve. Plus, your kids will get a much healthier meal that will last them much longer.

All in all, our students get a healthy lunch and the lunch program has additional funds so that we can make even more improvements in the quality of the  ingredients and the number of foods we can make from scratch in our schools.


But I think there is one big barrier to having more kids buy lunch -- they need time to eat it.  Kids complain very consistently that by the time they are able to get their lunch and sit down, they don't have enough time to eat it. Better facilities might be a necessary long-term plan but for right now, I think we need the school to focus on what they can do to get lunch to kids a little faster.  I think we could start with just some simple time studies of how long it takes to get through the line and how long they have left to eat.

Sara

What's for Lunch - Mon., 12/20

All Beef Burger, Cheeseburger
or
Veggie Burger
Shoestring Baked “Fries”
Sweet Corn
Fresh Fruit

The burgers are made from 100% ground chuck - except the veggie burger which is Dr. Praeger's.   The are served on whole wheat HFCS-free buns.

The "Fries" are actually baked.
 
Plus, corn and fresh fruit

Weekend Reading

Reading

The White House published a fact sheet on the changes in the school nutrition program we'll see from the re-authorization of the Child Nutrition Act which governs the national school lunch program. We've talked about a number of provisions here before, but this list also references minimum requirements for our school's wellness policy and making it easier for parents to get nutritional information on our school's lunch.

The Times Well blog covered the stress of the holidays on our kids.  They also covered the claim that honey really is good for a cough.

Grist has a great Mythbusting post.  Guess what? Cheap food doesn't improve our quality of life.

Listening

Bhavani Jaroff of our healthy-cooking demonstration of last year interviewed Amie Hamlin, the director of The New York Coalition for Healthy School Food.  Here's her description:

The New York Coalition is a statewide nonprofit that works to improve the health and well-being of New York's students by advocating for healthy plant-based foods, including local and organic where possible. They are responsible for starting the farm to school program in Harlem and advocate for the elimination of unhealthy competitive foods in all areas of the school (not just the cafeteria). They support a comprehensive nutrition policy and educate to create food- and health-literate students. I am very excited to talk with Amie to hear her suggestions on more ways we can introduce healthy food programs into the public schools.

Just go to the PRN website, http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/eating-green/ and choose which show you want to listen to. Then press “download”. The show will come on, or you can download it to your iPod and listen in the car or whenever!

Fun

You could head out to the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary in Oyster Bay:

Saturday December 18 from 1pm-4pm: Sanctuary Traditions
Join us for this open-house style event, featuring storytelling; a caroling choir; crafting of ornaments and gifts; activities to help wildlife; and home-made baked goods, lovingly made by Sanctuary staff and volunteers! Suggested donation of $5 for individuals or $20 per family. Please call 516-922-3200 or email for more information and to register. The first 30 families to register will receive a free gift!

Or, the Nassau County Museum of Art has Family Sundays this month with docent-lead tours and activities at 1pm.

Coming January 2011 Winter Farmers’ Market 
 
A new LI winter market is starting in our area. It will be open every Saturday morning January to April 9 am–1 pm alternating between 2 locations: Huntington and Northport. There will be something for everyone. Vendors include but are not limited to Mostly Mrytles, Horman’s Best Pickles, Divine Brine Food Inc., Little Lexi’s Barkery, Lorna’s Naturals and more. There will be live entertainment, such as local author Selene Castrorilla and singer/songwriter  Alex Bodnar. There will be crafts for kids, too. This market is supporting your local growers and fresh, locally grown whole foods, produce and products.
Northport Farmer’s Market
Jan-April, Saturdays 9am-1pm
St. Paul’s Methodist Church
270 Main St, Northport, NY 11768

Huntington Farmer’s Market
Jan-April, Saturdays 9am-1pm
Sweet Hollow Hall, West Hills County Park, Melville, NY
(Off of Old Country Rd)
For more information or to become a vendor, contact Lona at liwintermarket@optonline.net.

What's for Lunch - Fri., 12/17

Pita Pizza (Plain or w/Meatballs)
Make Your Own Caesar Salad
Fresh Melon!

The pita pizza is made with  a HFCS-free, minimal ingredient pita from Kronos or Athena. It is not whole grain until they can find one that is tasty. The sauce is a Red Pack vitamin enhanced tomato sauce. The sodium at 140mg is much lower than we previously used.  Here are the ingredients: Tomato Concentrate (Water, Tomato Paste), Sugar, Soybean Oil, Potassium Chloride, Onion Powder, Salt, Citric Acid, Spice, Garlic Powder, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Black Pepper, Vitamin E (DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate), Natural Flavor, Vitamin A (Retinol Palmitate).  The cheese is a USDA commodity part skim mozzarella.  Ingredients are cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes. The sodium is 240mg/oz - I think we use 2 ounces.  Meatballs are 100% ground chuck.

Make your own caesar salad is pictured above - I think it looks great. The dressing is organic. Click here for ingredients.

And, fresh melon.

Even More Details on the Child Nutrition Act

The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act also contained a lengthy section on local school wellness policies.  You can read our current policy here.  We've talked before about whether our school should have a more robust food policy.  The new law should provide model policies to help local schools improve their own.  Our policy currently doesn't say much compared to Cold Spring Harbor's as a local example or compared to some national models.

Read for yourself:

6 SEC. 204. LOCAL SCHOOL WELLNESS POLICY IMPLEMENTA

7 TION.
8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Richard B. Russell National
9 School Lunch Act is amended by inserting after section
10 9 (42 U.S.C. 1758) the following:
11 ‘‘SEC. 9A. LOCAL SCHOOL WELLNESS POLICY.
12 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Each local educational agency
13 participating in a program authorized by this Act or the
14 Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.) shall
15 establish a local school wellness policy for all schools under
16 the jurisdiction of the local educational agency.
17 ‘‘(b) GUIDELINES.—The Secretary shall promulgate
18 regulations that provide the framework and guidelines for
19 local educational agencies to establish local school wellness
20 policies, including, at a minimum,—
21 ‘‘(1) goals for nutrition education, physical ac

22 tivity, and other school-based activities that promote
23 student wellness;
24 ‘‘(2) for all foods available on each school cam

25 pus under the jurisdiction of the local educational
1 agency during the school day, nutrition guidelines
2 that—
3 ‘‘(A) are consistent with sections 9 and 17
4 of this Act, and sections 4 and 10 of the Child
5 Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773, 1779);
6 and
7 ‘‘(B) promote student health and reduce
8 childhood obesity;
9 ‘‘(3) a requirement that the local educational
10 agency permit parents, students, representatives of
11 the school food authority, the school board, school
12 administrators, and the general public to participate
13 in the development and periodic review and update
14 of the local school wellness policy;
15 ‘‘(4) a requirement that the local educational
16 agency inform and update the public (including par

17 ents, students, and others in the community) about
18 the content and implementation of the local school
19 wellness policy; and
20 ‘‘(5) a requirement that the local educational
21 agency—
22 ‘‘(A) periodically measure and report on
23 implementation of the local school wellness pol

24 icy, including—

1 ‘‘(i) the extent to which schools under
2 the jurisdiction of the local educational
3 agency are in compliance with the local
4 school wellness policy;
5 ‘‘(ii) the extent to which the local
6 school wellness policy of the local edu

7 cational agency compares to model local
8 school wellness policies; and
9 ‘‘(iii) a description of the progress
10 made in attaining the goals of the local
11 school wellness policy; and
12 ‘‘(B) designate 1 or more local educational
13 agency officials or school officials, as appro

14 priate, to ensure that each school complies with
15 the local school wellness policy.
16 ‘‘(c) LOCAL DISCRETION.—The local educational
17 agency shall use the guidelines promulgated by the Sec

18 retary under subsection (b) to determine specific policies
19 appropriate for the schools under the jurisdiction of the
20 local educational agency.
21 ‘‘(d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND BEST PRAC

22 TICES.—
23 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consulta

24 tion with the Secretary of Education and the Sec

25 retary of Health and Human Services, acting

1 through the Centers for Disease Control and Preven

2 tion, shall provide, on request, information and tech

3 nical assistance to local educational agencies, school
4 food authorities, and State educational agencies for
5 use in establishing healthy school nutrition environ

6 ments that are intended to reduce childhood obesity
7 and prevent chronic diet-related diseases.
8 ‘‘(2) CONTENT.—The Secretary shall provide
9 technical assistance that—
10 ‘‘(A) includes resources and training on de

11 signing, implementing, promoting, dissemi

12 nating, and evaluating local school wellness
13 policies and overcoming barriers to the adoption
14 of local school wellness policies;
15 ‘‘(B) includes model local school wellness
16 policies and best practices recommended by
17 Federal agencies, State agencies, and non

18 governmental organizations;
19 ‘‘(C) includes such other technical assist

20 ance as is required to promote sound nutrition
21 and establish healthy school nutrition environ

22 ments; and
23 ‘‘(D) is consistent with the specific needs
24 and requirements of local educational agencies.
25 ‘‘(3) STUDY AND REPORT.—

1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the avail

2 ability of appropriations, the Secretary, in con

3 junction with the Director of the Centers for
4 Disease Control and Prevention, shall prepare a
5 report on the implementation, strength, and ef

 6 fectiveness of the local school wellness policies
7 carried out in accordance with this section.
8 ‘‘(B) STUDY OF LOCAL SCHOOL WELLNESS
9 POLICIES.—The study described in subpara

10 graph (A) shall include——
11 ‘‘(i) an analysis of the strength and
12 weaknesses of local school wellness policies
13 and how the policies compare with model
14 local wellness policies recommended under
15 paragraph (2)(B); and
16 ‘‘(ii) an assessment of the impact of
17 the local school wellness policies in ad

18 dressing the requirements of subsection
19 (b).
20 ‘‘(C) REPORT.—Not later than January 1,
21 2014, the Secretary shall submit to the Com

22 mittee on Education and Labor of the House of
23 Representatives and the Committee on Agri

24 culture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate
1 a report that describes the findings of the
2 study.
3 ‘‘(D) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA4
TIONS.—There are authorized to be appro5
priated to carry out this paragraph $3,000,000
6 for fiscal year 2011, to remain available until
7 expended.’’.

Sara

What's for Lunch - Thurs., 12/16

White Meat Chicken Nuggets
BBQ Dipping Sauce
Herb & Garlic Potato Wedges
get more sides from the ...
Salad Bar Lunch!

These are better chicken nuggets than last year -- but they are still fried, frozen Tyson "quality" chicken nuggets.  They are served with a fresh fruit and a fresh vegetables - huge improvements over last year (see all "additives" labels for more details) but this lunch still trains kids to think they should eat fast food, junk food and kids' meals instead of more nutritious whole foods.  Here are the ingredients for the chicken nuggets so you can decide for yourself:  Chicken, water, salt, and natural flavor. BREADED WITH: Wheat flour, water, wheat starch, white whole wheat flour, salt, yellow corn flour, corn starch, dried onion, dried garlic, dried yeast, brown sugar, extractives of paprika, and spices. Breading set in vegetable oil.   The BBQ dipping sauce is organic.

But there is another choice - students can choose the salad bar as lunch.  Here's what they can probably expect:  The bar will have two kinds of cheese, chic peas, romaine lettuce, and raw vegetables among other things - including croutons. At Sea Cliff at least, the salad is put together by the cafeteria workers to order for the kids.  The dressings are Balsamic Vinegar, Ranch and Caesar. Click each one to be linked back to ingredient lists. Read about Balsamic Vinegar here: filtered water, organic soybean oil, organic balsamic vinegar, organic sugar, salt, organic white vinegar, organic minced garlic, organic garlic powder, organic onion powder, organic black pepper, organic red bell pepper granules, xantham gum.


The potato wedges are plain, frozen potatoes quarters - a USDA commodity food. We seaason and bake them.

More Details on the Child Nutrition Act

We've got some more details on the re-authorization of hte Child Nutrition Act now known as the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act.

Here are two excerpts from the bill that seem interesting:

WATER

 

22 SEC. 203. WATER.
1 ‘‘(5) WATER.—Schools participating in the
2 school lunch program under this Act shall make
3 available to children free of charge, as nutritionally
4 appropriate, potable water for consumption in the
5 place where meals are served during meal service.’’.

 

(Note: School lunch programs currently only have to provide milk as part of the meal. Water is sold in bottles a la carte at our schools.)

 

REPORTING ON NUTRITIONAL VALUE

 

10 ‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.— (1), the Secretary
13 shall—
14 ‘‘(A) include information pertaining to food
15 safety inspections, local wellness policies, meal
16 program participation, the nutritional quality of
17 program meals, and other information as deter

18 mined by the Secretary; and
19 ‘‘(B) ensure that information is made
20 available to the public by local educational
21 agencies in an accessible, easily understood
22 manner in accordance with guidelines estab

23 lished by the Secretary.

 

(Note: Our school previously posted ingredients and nutritional labels for all foods served at lunch but no longer do so. We should be able to see a lot more information soon.)

Sara

What's for Lunch - Wed., 12/15

Barilla Plus Rotini with Meatballs or Marinara
Fresh Garlic Bread
Zucchini Sticks
Strawberry/Yogurt Smoothie

The rotini is a white flour pasta with some protein by Barilla Plus. The ingredients are:  Semolina, Grain and Legume Flour, Blend (Lentils, Chickpeas, Egg Whites, Spelt, Barley, Flaxseed, Oat Fiber, Oats), Durum Flour, Niacin, Iron (Ferrous Sulfate), Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid.

Meatballs are ground chuck.

The sauce is a Red Pack vitamin enhanced tomato sauce. The sodium at 140mg is much lower than we previously used.  Here are the ingredients: Tomato Concentrate (Water, Tomato Paste), Sugar, Soybean Oil, Potassium Chloride, Onion Powder, Salt, Citric Acid, Spice, Garlic Powder, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Black Pepper, Vitamin E (DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate), Natural Flavor, Vitamin A (Retinol Palmitate).

The zucchini is fresh.

The smoothie will be made with either plain yogurt to which we add  honey or vanilla yogurt (no honey) if we can't get plain plus 1% milk and frozen strawberries.

What's for Lunch - Tues. 12/14

Open-Faced Fresh Turkey Breast Sandwich w/Gravy
Whole Wheat Hero Roll
Sauteed Broccoli
Apple Crisp

The turkey is unprocessed govt turkey.  We make our own gravy (remember last year's MSG-laden variety?)

The broccoli is fresh.  Remember last year - broccoli was a rare event and when served was a frozen variety from China.  I do think we should still try to get more green vegetables and fewer potatoes on the menu.

The apple crisp is tasty - it is a dessert made from canned apples.

What's for Lunch - Mon., 12/13

Applegate Hot Dog on Whole Wheat Bun
Herb-Baked Potato Wedge
Cole Slaw
Pineapple Chunks

The hot dogs are from Applegate Farms. The ingredients are just: beef, water, sea salt, less than 2% of the following: celery juice, sodium lactate (from beets), lactic acid starter culture (not from milk), onion powder, spices, garlic powder, paprika. They have 6g of fat(2.5g saturated) and 380 mg of sodium. They are dairy-, casein- and gluten-free.

The potatoes arrive as plain, frozen potatoes that we season and bake.   The pineapple is canned.

Weekend Reading

Reading

Botox Apples were big news this week -- catch up with this AP story.

There was controversy this week over salad bars in schools.

The Wall Street Journal was interesting htis week featuring these articles:
 - New Rules for Food Allergies
- Group Sports May Not Be enough Exercise for Kids
- Can Vitamin D Prevent the Flu
and....stop scrolling through this on your phone .....
- Mommy Thumb Syndrome

The Phys Ed blog at the NYT ran a post covering the latest research on whether energy drinks help athletic performance -- or not.


Listening

The Leonard Lopate show on NPR will be talking about food waste. Meanwhile, check out the winners of their holiday cookie swap.

Fun

I know shopping this time of year does not count as fun - but your kids can have fun while you do it at the Teddy Roosevelt Nature Sanctuary. Their website reads:

Sunday December 5 & 12 from 12pm-3pm: Drop & Shop!
Drop off the kids for fun nature activities, while you take care of holiday shopping! Sanctuary staff will lead your children in nature games, wildlife viewing, and holiday crafts while you take time for yourself during this busy season. Registration is required for children ages 5-12. $20 per child. Please call 516-922-3200 or email for registration.

What's for Lunch - Fri., 12/10

Something new --

Chicken Fajita Quesadilla
Chicken Strips with Black
Beans/ Monterey Jack Cheese
Baked in a Flour Tortilla
Romaine Lettuce & Salsa
Sliced Oranges


The chicken is govt chicken that arrives plain and frozen.  We marinate it in house with herbs and spices.  The beans are Pride of NY canned beans with nothing added. They use Monterrey Jack Cheese, a flour tortilla, Romaine letter (more nutrition than iceberg!) and organic salsa.

 

Plus, fresh, sliced oranges.

 

Let us know what your kids think! Click "comments" below to leave your thoughts.

Sara

What's for Lunch - Wed., 12/8

French Bread Pizza
Salad Bar
Fresh Apple


So, you can have sides from the salad bar with your pizza or get the salad bar for lunch.

For the pizza,  the sauce is a Red Pack vitamin enhanced tomato sauce. The sodium at 140mg is much lower than we previously used.  Here are the ingredients: Tomato Concentrate (Water, Tomato Paste), Sugar, Soybean Oil, Potassium Chloride, Onion Powder, Salt, Citric Acid, Spice, Garlic Powder, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Black Pepper, Vitamin E (DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate), Natural Flavor, Vitamin A (Retinol Palmitate).  The cheese is a USDA commodity part skim mozzarella.  Ingredients are cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes. The sodium is 240mg/oz - I think we use 2 ounces. 

The bar will have two kinds of cheese, chic peas, romaine lettuce, and raw vegetables among other things - including croutons. At Sea Cliff at least, the salad is put together by the cafeteria workers to order for the kids.  The dressings are Balsamic Vinegar, Ranch and Caesar. Click each one to be linked back to ingredient lists. Read about Balsamic Vinegar here: filtered water, organic soybean oil, organic balsamic vinegar, organic sugar, salt, organic white vinegar, organic minced garlic, organic garlic powder, organic onion powder, organic black pepper, organic red bell pepper granules, xantham gum.

Can't beat a fresh apple.

What's for Lunch - Tues. 12/7

Lunch will consist of:

All beef burger, cheeseburger or veggie burger
Shoestring "fries"
Strawberry yogurt smoothie

The burgers are made from 100% ground chuck - except the veggie burger which is Dr. Praeger's.   The are served on whole wheat HFCS-free buns.

The "Fries" are actually baked.

The smoothie  will be made with either plain yogurt to which we add  honey or vanilla yogurt (no honey) if we can't get plain plus 1% milk and frozen strawberries. 

Sara

Don't Miss: November's Alternate Entree

Each month, in the upper left corner of your menu, is a new "alternate entree". These change to encourage kids to eat as wide a variety of foods as possible.

Last month we had a bean burrito - and it was really good (I had it myself.)

I think this month's alternate will also be popular -- so make sure your children know about it!

Soup and Half a Sandwich!
Chicken and Rice soup with fresh vegetables -- homemade!
Half a Boar's Head Turkey Sandwich on Whole Wheat (or with rice cakes)
Plus choice of sides from daily menu

What's for Lunch - Mon., 12/6

Our school will be serving:

Whole Wheat Grilled Cheese Sandwich - Plain or with Ham
Mini Corn Cobs
Cinnamon Applesauce

The sandwich is made with Cabot cheddar on whole wheat bread.  The optional ham is Boar's Head brand.  We use Nature's Own Whole Wheat Bread for these. The ingredients are: STONE GROUND WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, BROWN SUGAR, YEAST, WHEAT GLUTEN, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: SALT, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN OIL OR CANOLA OIL), DOUGH, CONDITIONERS (SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, CALCIUM, STEAROYL-2-LACTYLATE, MONOGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM IODATE, ETHOXYLATED MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM PEROXIDE, DATEM), CULTURED WHEAT FLOUR, VINEGAR, CALCIUM SULFATE, MONOCALCIUM, PHOSPHATE, YEAST FOOD (AMMONIUM SULFATE), SOY LECITHIN.

Served with fresh mini corn cobs -which sound fun and are no doubt part of the effort to serve kids fruits and vegetables in the appropriate size.  - and cinnamon applesauce.

Sara

Weekend Reading

Reading

Our district's resident food services consultant and lunch reformer, Julia van Loon, send in this link for the Top 10 Food Additives to Avoid. Better yet, she's actually helping our school's lunch avoid them!

La Vida Locavore is following the ugly politics behind the fight to get the Child Nutrition Act passed and with it better nutritional standards and more money for the national school lunch children which feeds 30 million kids a day. You can read this post but check the whole blog for updates by the time you get this.

Bittman's blog also covers the debate arguing we should tax soda rather than cut food stamps of all tings to pay for school lunch.

School lunch can be fixed - not just in Berkeley or Sea Cliff. Its vastly better in DC this year  thanks in part to legislation passed last year and now under attack and now thanks to Ann Cooper's lastest job - Boulder, CO.  It seems mainly to be about a desire to change on the part of the community and a lot of hard work by the folks running your lunch program.

Watching

Food Network and other cooking show devotees might want to see The Kings of Pastry at the Cinema Arts Theater in Huntington this weekend.

Are Cows the New Nukes? If you prefer to watch Mark Bittman rather than read his blog, click here.  He also covers his three basic rules of eating.

Fun

The Sea Cliff School has its craft fair is Saturday from 10-2.

Sara

Child Nutrition Act Passes- What Do We Get?

From the flurry of emails and blog posts that have gone out since yesterday's passage of hte Health Hunger-Free Kids Act - here's what it looks like the new legislation will bring us:

(from the NYCHSFs) The CNR will now:

• make it easier for more children to participate in the meal programs
• make it easier for schools to administer the program (saving them funds)
• regulate junk food in schools (previously it only regulated the meals and other food programs in schools, but not vending or a la carte sales)
• provide some funding for Farm to School programs
• provide an increase in reimbursement - 6 cents, the first in 30 years (all other increases were for inflation)
• address the fact that monies intended for children receiving free and reduced price meals are subsidizing the meals of the children who are paying full price

(from Chef Ann Cooper's blog)

• Requires the Agriculture Department to develop science-based nutrition standards for all foods sold on a school campus during the school day – which will lead to significantly reducing the availability of high calorie junk foods and sugary beverages on school campuses.
• Strengthens local wellness policies to help schools, communities and parents identify and implement strategies to make a real difference in helping children to develop healthy behaviors when they’re away from home.
• Improves food safety requirements for school meals by improving recall procedures and extending existing food safety requirements to all places where school meals are prepared or served.

I'm sure there's more details to come!

Sara

What's for Lunch - Fri., 12/3

Happy Chanukah!

Menu says:

BBQ Chicken
Baked Potato Wedges
Make Your Own Caesar Salad (pictured above)
Sliced Apples

This is frozen chicken to which we add BBQ sauce. The potato wedges also arrive frozen but otherwise plain.  The caesar salad and apples are fresh vegetables and a fruit.

Sara

Child Nutrition Act Down to the Wire

From the NY Coalition for Healthy School Food:

CNR - Update & PLEASE make one more call!

Thanks to Kristen Mancinelli, MS, RD from NYC FOR CNR, of which New York Coalition for Healthy School Food is a member, for this update: 

I wanted to share the latest update on CNR. There was an hour debate in the House on 3307 (the Child Nutrition Reauthorization) this afternoon. Republicans generally criticized the bill for increasing government spending, and Democrats generally supported it for improving nutrition and programs for kids. There were mentions of the SNAP (food stamp program) offset from both sides: Representative McGovern said he'd work with the Administration to replace the funds, and there was criticism from the Republican side that the SNAP extension itself, and thus the portion of it used in 3307, was "borrowed money". A number of members spoke of specific provisions in the bill. You can watch the debate in archive video at this link http://houselive.gov/.

Republicans were allowed one amendment, and Representative Kline proposed a change to the section on the Child and Adult Care Food Program requiring background checks for child care workers providing meals. Because any change to the bill would require it go back to the Senate, this move was intended to prevent the bill from passage. (This is technically called a "Motion to Recommit", or MTR, meaning 'recommit' the bill to committee.)

As a result of the MTR, Leadership postponed the vote on 3307 until tomorrow (Thursday), with a plan described in House Majority Leader Hoyer's statement: "We will complete action on the Child Nutrition bill tomorrow. We will bring up the Republican motion to recommit as a stand alone suspension bill. After that vote, we will return to the Child Nutrition bill where we left off, voting on the motion to recommit and final passage. This will allow a good, bipartisan bill to reach the President's desk without delay."

There remains no "plan" to restore SNAP funds in the lame duck session, as many groups are calling for. The SNAP offset is the major reason that, as of voting time, Representative Clarke and many members of the NY delegation were undecided. (Note from NYCHSF - please let your Representative know that we want the bill to pass, but also want the funding restored to SNAP). You can find their contact info here. 

I left off Kristen's closing which was directed to the member groups of NYC for CNR. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Thanks for making the very important last minute calls!

Amie Hamlin

Executive Director

What's for Lunch - Thurs., 12/2

The kids will be having:

Beef Tacos
w/ Lettuce, Salsa & Cheese
w/ Tortilla Shells or w/ Tortilla Chips

Honeydew Melon

The tacos are 100% ground chuck with lettuce and cheese. The salsa is actually organic by Green Mountain and the ingredients are: tomatoes, fire-roasted chiles, onions, tomatillos, jalapeno peppers, pasilla peppers, apple cider vinegar, cilantro, parsley, garlic, sea salt, spices.  The previous iteration of twin tacos used turkey - kind of - turkey plus a lot of other fillers. Tacos shells are hard, yellow corn shells but I have not gotten the ingredients yet.

The tortilla chips are a gluten free option and the melon is fresh.

Sara

What's for Lunch - Wed., 12/3

Sorry I'm late - I've been waiting to see this posted online:

BRUNCH FOR LUNCH
Homemade Challah French
Toast w/Orange Rounds
Applegate Turkey Bacon
Cucumber Sticks
Petite Banana

I have some concerns about this one.  At Sea Cliff, the french toast last month was served with a large portion of syrup. Clearly, the school lunch program cannot afford really maple syrup and pretty much all artificial syrups are made with high fructose corn syrup - which we have talked about extensively here.  Our school has made great strides in getting HFCS out of a lot of foods but it is in this one.

The turkey bacon is by Applegate. It is nitrate-free. Here are the ingredients: Turkey (Turkey Used Never Administered Antibiotics, Growth Promotants or Animal By-products), Water, Sea Salt, Maple Sugar, Celery Juice, Onion Powder, Spices, Lactic Acid Starter Culture (not From Milk.)

Plus fresh fruits and a vegetable.

Help Pass the Child Nutriion Act

From the NY Coalition for Healthy School Food:

Dear School Food Advocates,

The chance to pass the Child Nutrition Reautorization (CNR) Act is truly in its last days before the session ends. It is on the schedule for tomorrow (Wednesday). We only have once chance every five years. We want it to pass.

While not perfect, it's better than anything we've ever had. It's already been extended a year. The Senate has already passed it, we must encourage the House to do the same. While we are disappointed with the funding - only a six cents increase per meal - this is the first time in 30 years that there has been funding above and beyond the inflation rates.

Almost half of the $4.5 billion in funding (for the next 10 years) comes from an offset from the SNAP (food stamps) program. We believe that all children deserve to eat healthy food at school and at home. So it is disturbing to us that the funding comes from SNAP, which will put children at home at a disadvantage while doing more for them at school.

However, if we don't pass the CNR now, our chances of getting a bill this strong will likely decrease dramatically with the new Congress. Please support the CNR reauthorization, and urge your Congressional Representative to find the funds to restore the funding to SNAP - the food stamp program.

Find your Congressional Representative's contact information here.

Contact your Representative today, so we can have healthier schools tomorrow!

Best wishes,

Amie Hamlin

Executive Director

PS - we'll still have tons of work to do to work together with schools to implement the new changes - your support will help us do that and continue our other fantastic programs. Please consider a year end donation of at least $10, or a recurring monthly donation of $10. You can donate here. 

What's for Lunch - Mon., 11/29

The menu lists lunch as:

White Meat Chicken Nuggets
BBQ Dipping Sauce
Sauteed Zucchini with Garlic
Orange Wedges

 I believe we should all support the school lunch program with our participation, but this lunch concerns me.

These are better chicken nuggets than last year -- but they are still fried, frozen Tyson "quality" chicken nuggets.  They are served with a fresh fruit and a fresh vegetables - huge improvements over last year (see all "additives" labels for more details) but this lunch still trains kids to think they should eat fast food, junk food and kids' meals instead of more nutritious whole foods.

Here are the ingredients for the chicken nuggets so you can decide for yourself:  Chicken, water, salt, and natural flavor. BREADED WITH: Wheat flour, water, wheat starch, white whole wheat flour, salt, yellow corn flour, corn starch, dried onion, dried garlic, dried yeast, brown sugar, extractives of paprika, and spices. Breading set in vegetable oil.

 The BBQ dipping sauce is organic. Zucchini and the orange are fresh.


Sara

Weekend Reading

Reading

New research shows being grateful actually makes you healthier. Read more at the WSJ.

Save the apples! This Slow Food USA report shows how apple varieties in the US are becoming extinct -- and how we can help save them. A little Johnny Appleseed action.

I liked this post on donating nutritious foods this holiday season from Nutrition for the Future.

I'd like to tax junk food. Here's another way to do it.

You know, things like Coke on which there is apparently a new book that is fairly disturbing.


Watching and Eating

Sunday, November 28th, 2pm  -- Lets Eat! Films on Food: Honey Bee Day
Colony
The unexplainable phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder has left landscapes of empty beehives all across America, threatening not only the beekeeping industry but our food supply. As scientists and beekeepers search for the cause, Colony captures the struggle within the beekeeping community to save the honeybee and themselves. Colony documents a time of unprecedented crisis in the world of the honeybee through the eyes of both veteran beekeeper, David Mendes, and Lance and Victor Seppi, two young broth- ers getting into beekeeping when most are getting out. As Mendes tries to save the nation’s collapsing hives, the Seppi’s try to keep their business alive amidst a collapsing economy.
- Q&A with Beekeeper Rich Blohm in theater
- Apitherapy talk with Frederique Keller in Sky Room
- Browse honey products for sale, honey, mead, and body products tasting in Sky Room
- Mead Tasting and Reception to follow
Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Avenue
Huntington, NY 11743
$9 Cinema Members / $12 Public / includes reception


Fun

Saturday at 1pm, the Theodore Roosevelt Nature Sanctuary will have a program for kids on Native American tales describing how animals and people show their appreciation for nature.

Old Bethpage VIllage Restoration continues their 1860 Thanksgiving this weekend.

Sara

A Fun Way to Help Pass the Child Nutrition Act

From the Center for Science in the Public Interest:

We would like a share fun way to support child nutrition over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Our partner, Community Food Security Coalition, is organizing a photo petition to generate support for the child nutrition bill, which is on the House calendar to be voted on next week

To participate:
1)    Make a sign urging Congress to pass the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act / child nutrition bill (sample below).
2)    Take a photo with the sign (ask family and friends to do the same).
3)    Email your photo with your name and location (city, state) to photopetition@foodsecurity.org by Monday, November 29th.

Thanks very much for your help.

Margo G. Wootan
Director, Nutrition Policy
Center for Science in the Public Interest

More handouts from our Nutrition Speaker - Staying Strong through the Winter Season

If you missed last week's speaker, here the next installment of our handouts:


Staying Strong through the winter season

When looking to foods to stay healthy through a season, a good place to start is at your local farmer’s market. Foods that have thrived despite cold winds and rain help to strengthen your body to handle these same elements. As germs spread easily through our respiratory and digestive systems, keeping these systems clear should be a priority in warding off sickness, and in helping it pass quickly if it hits.
Temperature is also important. It is cold outside, and your organs like to be warm to work efficiently. Warm up with cooked food and warming spices, leave the ice cream for another time.

Winter season super foods:

Apples and pears – strengthening for both the lungs and large intestine, they are wonderfully warming when cooked.

Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, cabbage, bok choy) – strengthening to the immune system. Bake them, steam them, sauté them, put them into  soup!

Garlic – a natural antibiotic, add to sautés, to beans, and dips.

Ginger ‐ a great antiseptic, good for nausea and for clearing mucus in the lungs. Slice thin and boil to make tea or chop it fine and add with garlic to a veggie sauté. If you don’t want to eat or drink it, put your head over a boiling pot of ginger with a towel over your head and inhale the vapor.

Honey – helps to gather up mucus to get rid of inside the body. It is an effective antibacterial treatment for cuts and burns and does wonders for chapped lips and skin.

Mushrooms – boost immune function and are great cooked up with garlic and greens.

Peppermint – a wonderful digestive aide. Serve as tea with a spoonful of honey after meals.

Onion – great antioxidant and antiviral, they have a warming effect on the body as well.

Whole grains – especially brown rice is great at scrubbing the intestinal walls and besides being full of vitamins and minerals, is great at keeping elimination regular.

What to keep on hand in your medicine pantry:
- Probiotics to maintain healthy intestinal flora and fauna (especially if you take antibiotics).
- Vitamin D is important for a strong immune system (as well as for strong bones!) Foods that contain vitamin D include salmon, egg yolks, beef, cheese, and fortified sources such as milk, yogurt, and cereals.
- Essential fatty acids (omega 3’s and 6’s) offer important anti‐inflammatory support and are essential for proper nerve function. Try flax oil or an EFA blend. Cod liver oil has preformed important fats like DHA. Try Nordic Naturals or Garden of Life chewables for children with fruity flavors.
-Garlic mullein drops for your ears ‐ great for warding off infection.

A few cold season home remedies:-
Red onion cough syrup – Slice a red onion thinly. Drizzle with honey or with sugar and leave on a plate in the refrigerator overnight. The syrup that collects on the plate is great for coughs!
-Lung tonic: ginger lemon and honey tea ‐ Take an inch of ginger root, slice it thinly and add to a pot full of water. Bring to a boil and continue to let boil for 5‐10 minutes. Serve in a mug with a tablespoon of honey and the juice of ½ lemon. You can re‐boil the ginger slices for 2‐3 more batches.
-Garlic is a natural antibiotic – in its raw state. Chop finely and put on a spoonful of honey on an empty stomach. Chew well, chase with water, tea and breakfast.

Read more at:
www.ButterBeansKitchen.com
www.ButterBeansKitchen.blogspot.com

What our school lunch looks like now

I had the pleasure of trying November's alternate entree - the bean burrito. I really enjoyed it. The burrito has black beans (Pride of New York - nothing added), brown rice and Monterey Jack cheese. The corn is canned but without added sugar or salt. The salsa is organic by Green Mountain. The water was extra -- and basically I lucked out and went on practice feast day so I got some apple crisp.  So - if your kids don't want the main entree one day, show them the bean burrito and maybe they'll try it.  Since it has to be made and warmed up, it's not normally sitting out on the line like some of the other alternates.

Sara

What's for Lunch - Wed., 11/24

And the menu says:

Pita Pizza - with meatballs or plain
Carrot crunchers
Orange wedges

The pita pizza is made with  a HFCS-free, minimal ingredient pita from Kronos or Athena. It is not whole grain until they can find one that is tasty. The sauce is a Red Pack vitamin enhanced tomato sauce. The sodium at 140mg is much lower than we previously used.  Here are the ingredients: Tomato Concentrate (Water, Tomato Paste), Sugar, Soybean Oil, Potassium Chloride, Onion Powder, Salt, Citric Acid, Spice, Garlic Powder, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Black Pepper, Vitamin E (DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate), Natural Flavor, Vitamin A (Retinol Palmitate).  The cheese is a USDA commodity part skim mozzarella.  Ingredients are cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes. The sodium is 240mg/oz - I think we use 2 ounces.  Meatballs are 100% ground chuck.

Accompanied by a fresh fruit and vegetable.

Sara

More Handouts from our Speaker on Nutrition - Great Grains - Pt 2

If you missed Wed. night's speaker, here the next installment of our handouts:

The things you can do with one pot of rice! (or other favorite grain) Sunday through Tuesday night

Sunday dinner:
Brown rice, served with meat or fish and steamed veggies.
(½ cup dry rice makes 1 cup cooked rice. Allot 1 cup of cooked rice per person per recipe to see what you eat. If you’ve got too much, invite a friend for some rice pudding at the end of the week!)
*Put adzuki beans to soak (2 cups dry beans makes approximately 6 cups of cooked beans and will serve 6-8 people. You can freeze cooked beans if you end up with too many.)

Monday breakfast:
Rice porridge
(*Put beans to cook)

Monday dinner:
Beans and rice (mix cooked rice with cooked beans) served with roasted squash and sautéed greens.

Tuesday breakfast:
Egg scramble with rice, spinach + mushrooms (wrap this in a tortilla for a breakfast burrito)

Tuesday dinner:
Veggie rice stir-fry with leftover beans, chopped meat, tofu or tempeh
OR
Rice salad
Dessert: rice pudding!

Recipes:

Breakfast rice porridge:
Put cooked rice in a pot, and cover with water. Add a couple cinnamon sticks, and your favorite warming spices (cardamom, cloves, garam masala), add dried fruit (cherries, raisins, cranberries, gogi berries), add nuts and sesame seeds, and a drop of vanilla extract if you like. Let cook as long as you can, 7-15 minutes on medium or low heat (you do not want the heat too high, or your rice will get dry). When you are ready to eat, add maple syrup, and your favorite milk (cow’s milk, rice, soy, almond, hazelnut, oat) and enjoy!

Egg scramble with rice: (serves 2)
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1/3 cup cooked rice
¾ cup chopped greens (spinach, collards, kale, etc.)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Chop greens into thin strips. Put olive oil or butter in a hot sauté pan (medium high heat), add chopped veggies, stir-fry for one minute. Scramble the eggs and the rice in a separate bowl, and then add to the greens in the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot!

Veggie fried rice: (serves 4)
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch scallions, roughly chopped
1 cup leftover beans (or 1 15oz. can), diced meat or tofu or tempeh
1 cup chopped kale (without the stems)
½ - 1 cup chopped mushrooms (plus any leftover vegetables you have on hand)
4 cups cold cooked brown rice
4 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon mustard seed powder
Directions:
Put cumin and mustard with olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chopped mushrooms, then the chopped kale. Add the rice and the beans or meat or tofu or tempeh. When well mixed and
aromatic, add the tamari soy sauce. Add the chopped scallions last and enjoy!

Rice Salad:
Ingredients:
Cooked brown rice
a few sprigs of parsley, chopped
a carrot, grated
a black radish (any kind will do), chopped into small cubes
Green leaf lettuce (or other), chopped into thin strips
a handful of raisins
Toasted sesame seeds
Dressing:
2 parts olive oil
1 part lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Top with dressing. Enjoy!

Rice pudding: (serves 4)
Ingredients:
2 cups leftover brown rice
1 cup milk (cow’s milk, rice, soy, almond, hazelnut, oat)
½ cup raisins
2 tablespoons maple syrup or sweetener
1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring
2 tablespoons toasted and chopped
pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon tahini
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and heat on the stove for 5-7 minutes, or bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.

What's for Lunch - Tues., 11/23

The kids will get to try something new:

Oven-baked "Fried" Chicken
Cucumber Sticks
Garlic Potato Wedges
Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie

The oven baked fried chicken is made here with a breading of corn meal, panko bread crumbs, flour, buttermilk and some salt and pepper. It is oven-baked and not fried - hence the quotation marks. (The new menus are a lot of work for the food services staff - thank you!)

The cucumber sticks don't require further description.  There's not question that the number of ingredients is way down this year over least - a terrific improvement.

The  potato wedges are government commodity potatoes (a cost savings - the staff has been trying to use our free commodity foods very carefully to avoid most processed products). They arrive frozen. They are completely plain potatoes that are only baked with our seasonings.  I actually tried them last month and they were very good.

The smoothie (new! exciting!)  will be made with either plain yogurt to which we add  honey or vanilla yogurt (no honey) if we can't get plain plus 1% milk and frozen strawberries.  Who doesn't like smoothies?

Sara

More Handouts from our Speaker on Nutrition - Great Grains - Pt 1

If you missed Wed. night's speaker, here the next installment of our handouts:

The magic of whole grains:  Brown rice, red and black rice, wild rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, corn, wheat berries, rye berries, barley.. These small seeds offer us lasting energy (being complex carbohydrates that breaks down slowly in our body), tons of vitamins (especially vitamin B’s
that are so important for brain function and hormonal balance), fiber and water that help regulate our bowels, a sweetness that satisfies a sweet tooth, and a grounded energy that helps keep our mind focused. They are easy to cook and are extremely versatile. If you’ve got a pot of grain, it is easy to whip a meal together in no time!

Grain  -- How much water for 1 cup grain -- How much time  -- Something great

*Amaranth  -- 3 cups -- 20-25 minutes. Rich in iron, fiber and lots of calcium.

Barley -- 4 cups -- 30-40 minutes. One of the oldest grains. This is great for soups. High in trace minerals manganese and selenium – great anti-inflammatory antioxidants.

*Buckwheat (known as kasha when roasted) -- 2- 2 ½ cups. Add buckwheat to boiling water, not to cold water or the grain will turn to mush. A hearty cold weather fruit seed (related to rhubarb and sorrel), there is no wheat in buckwheat. This is a non-glutinous grain. Very high in magnesium, this is a great food for your heart + circulatory system.

*Corn -- For a natural diuretic, boil corn on the cob with the silks. When cooked, drink the water. 20-25 minutes. High in vitamins A and beta-carotene. It is best eaten soon after harvest as the sugars
turn to starch immediately after harvest.

*Millet -- 2 cups -- 25-30 minutes. Looks like couscous, has a nutty/buttery flavor. This is a very alkalizing grain.


Oats (steel cut) -- 4 cups -- 30-40 minutes Rolled oats have been steamed, cooked and flaked. They absorb liquid easily and cook in 10 minutes. (1 cup rolled oats: 2cups water). Oats help maintain optimal cholesterol levels – great for your heart!

*Quinoa -- 2 cups -- 15-20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly in cold water before cooking. A super food from the Andes. The only grain the world health organization considers a complete protein. Opens into spirals that are great in soup, or as a pilaf.

*Rice (brown, red, black, etc.) -- 2-2 ½ cups -- 35-40 minutes Brown rice is neutral and versatile. It’s especially great for regulating the bowels, clearing the large intestines. Red varieties are nuttier, black are succulent.

Rye berries -- 2 ½ cups. Soak overnight, then cook for 1 hour A hearty grain, great in stews. Like other grains, rye is high in fiber, and helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

Wheat berries -- 3 cup.s Soak overnight, then cook for 2 hours. Are delicious. Very rich in flavor, a
wonderful building food.

*Gluten free.  Gluten is a hot word these days. Gluten sensitivities can cause bloatedness, constipation or diarrhea, a stuffy or a runny nose, fuzzy thinking, headaches, skin trouble, and even joint pain. If you suspect you may be sensitive, the best way to find out is to eliminate the food in question for a week, then eat it first thing in the morning, and see how you feel.

What's for Lunch - Mon., 11/22

The kids will be having:

All Beef Burger, Cheeseburger or Veggie Burger
Sweet Potato "fries"
Fresh Apple

The burgers are made from 100% ground chuck - except the veggie burger which is Dr. Praeger's.   The are served on whole wheat HFCS-free buns.

The sweet potato fries are raw, frozen, julienned sweet potatoes that we bake.

And the fresh apple is exactly that.

Sara

Weekend Reading and Fun

Reading

 We've covered vegetarian and gluten-free Thanksgivings - but I've got one more for you: Mark Bittman's sustainable Thanksgiving.

The Environmental Working Group (home of the Dirty Dozen list) has a piece on having a safer, greener Thanksgiving.

Great post on Nutrition for the Future on raising veggie-loving kids - something we could apparently all use help on given Wed. night's discussion.

Then, travel over to the Spoonfed blog which has a half dozen recent  posts on the insanity that is McDonalds' nutrition education.

Hey - more evidence that GE salmon might be bad for you and the FDA doesn't care.

Fun

The Garvies Point Museum in Glen Cove will host their annual Native American Thanksgiving Feast this weekend.  Try at least three kinds of popcorn, acorn squash roasted in an open fire, grind your own corn and find out what soup tastes like without any salt.  More details at the museum's website.

Old Westbury Gardens has a program for kids Saturday at noon on the sweet potato and its importance to Native Americans. Plus, there's a craft.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration will celebrate an 1863 Thanksgiving this weekend and next.

On Sunday at 2pm, kids can learn how to play Native American games at the Bailey Arboretum.

So, that should be more fun than anyone can really handle.

Sara

What our lunch looks like these days

This is a picture of Wed's lunch - the "practice feast". By all reports is was quite good. The beans were bright green and crisp. The baked potato was actually that. There was turkey and gravy and a really tasty apple crisp. I think it's a great picture of what school lunch should look like.

Sara

What's for Lunch - Fri., 11/18

Friday brings a new popular favorite:

Whole Wheat Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Carrot Crunchers
Fresh Fruit in Season

The sandwich is made from Cabot's  lowfat cheddar cheese.  We use Nature's Own Whole Wheat Bread for these. The ingredients are: STONE GROUND WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, BROWN SUGAR, YEAST, WHEAT GLUTEN, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: SALT, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN OIL OR CANOLA OIL), DOUGH, CONDITIONERS (SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, CALCIUM, STEAROYL-2-LACTYLATE, MONOGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM IODATE, ETHOXYLATED MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM PEROXIDE, DATEM), CULTURED WHEAT FLOUR, VINEGAR, CALCIUM SULFATE, MONOCALCIUM, PHOSPHATE, YEAST FOOD (AMMONIUM SULFATE), SOY LECITHIN.

Fresh, raw carrots and the best seasonal fruit available this week.

Please talk to your kids about taking the carrots and the fruit!  Whole fruit is better than juice - more fiber and less concentrated sugar.

Sara

Handouts from our Nutrition Speaker - Lunch Box Basics

We had a great speaker last night at the PCA meeting on making healthy meals and snacks for your kids. If you couldn't make it, we'll be posting the handouts here. Here's the first of four:

Lunch Box Basics

The ingredients:
• Vegetables easily chopped and eaten raw or lightly steamed: cucumbers, celery, carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, garden sprouts and broccoli.
• Good sources of fats: olives, toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds, cheese cubes and nuts (unless your school is a nut-free zone due to allergies).
• Sweet foods: grape or cherry tomatoes, fresh fruit, raisins and dried cranberries or apricots (no sugar added), yogurt - plain and sweetened by you at home with a little honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, chopped dates, berries, or applesauce (no sugar added).
• For protein and whole grains, kids love eating edamame from the hull or eating garbanzo beans with a little salt. For meat protein, all natural chicken and hot dogs are easy to pull together. Include whole grains like brown, barley, millet, quinoa, etc. and whole grain breads, crackers, and pretzels but be aware if the ingredient list has more than 5 ingredients you cannot pronounce.

Here are a few ideas for main meals:
1. Sandwiches: It is my experience that many young children do not readily eat sandwiches. That said,
flattening the bread and cutting them into small squares or triangles, helps. Try ham + cheese or
turkey + cheese with all natural meats. Hummus with sliced olives and cucumbers for the Mediterranean palate is great. A favorite is grilled cheese – make yours a healthier by adding pureed
carrot or butternut squash spread on whole grain bread. An alternative to PB&J for nut free schools is sunflower butter and jelly – check out Trader Joe’s sun butter!
2. Make a meal from last night’s dinner. Pasta, rice dishes, vegetable stir-fry’s, etc. You can heat it up from the fridge to freshen it up and put it in a thermos to keep warm until lunch.
3. Brown rice with a side of pesto for dipping raw veggie sticks or to mix with the rice if your child loves pesto. For a quick and delicious nut-free + dairy-free version: blend 1 cup of toasted pumpkin seeds with 2 bunches of basil and ½ cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil and salt to taste.
4. When the cold months arrive, serve soup in a thermos – there are lots of choices from vegetable
purees to beans and broth base soups, like chicken noodle. Again, think of last night’s dinner.
By picking items from these lists, you will not only save time, but you will cover the nutrition lunch basics including protein, whole grains, vegetables, good fat, something sweet and something raw. You may not get all of these every day, but finding a balance over the course of the week is a good goal.

What to drink:
While every child loves juice boxes (our children are no exception), they contain concentrated sugar that can deteriorate their concentration for school activities after lunch. Water is the best choice with lunch. If your child must have juice some of the time, find a brand that includes water, such as First Juice or Honest Kids.

Recipes:
Cucumber dill yogurt dip for raw veggies:
1 (8-ounce) containers plain yogurt, drained in a fine sieve set over a bowl, covered and chilled, for 6 hours (to avoid having excess water in the dip)
1 medium to large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped fine (squeezed dry between paper towels)
1 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill plus dill sprigs for garnish
1 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
In a bowl stir together plain yogurt and cucumbers, 1-2 teaspoons chopped dill, 1-2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and salt to taste. Let the dip stand, covered and chilled, for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours to allow the flavors to develop.

Quesadilla –
Start with 1 or 2 – 8 inch whole wheat tortillas depending on many quesadillas you want to make. Place 1 or half of one on a baking sheet. Add cheese and your child’s favorite toppings (such as diced chicken, olives, or tomatoes) and put the other one (or half) on top. Bake at 400 for 7 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and heated through. Let stand two minutes and cut into triangles. Layer in lunch box with parchment paper to avoid the pieces sticking together. Serve with the cucumber dip above or sour cream.

What's for Lunch - Thurs., 11/18

We're having:

Beef Tacos
Taco Bar Fixin's

Salad Bar
Raisin Box

The tacos are a new and improved with 100% ground chuck.  I will update in the comments when I get the ingredients for the shell.  The salsa is Green Mountain organic salsa and the ingredients are: tomatoes, fire-roasted chiles, onions, tomatillos, jalapeno peppers, pasilla peppers, apple cider vinegar, cilantro, parsley, garlic, sea salt, spices.  The previous iteration of twin tacos used turkey - kind of - turkey plus a lot of other fillers. Tacos shells are hard, yellow corn shells but I have not gotten the ingredients yet.

We also get a salad bar today.  The bar will have two kinds of cheese, chic peas, romaine lettuce, and raw vegetables among other things - including croutons. At Sea Cliff at least, the salad is put together by the cafeteria workers to order for the kids.  The dressings are Balsamic Vinegar, Ranch and Caesar. Click each one to be linked back to ingredient lists. Read about Balsamic Vinegar here: filtered water, organic soybean oil, organic balsamic vinegar, organic sugar, salt, organic white vinegar, organic minced garlic, organic garlic powder, organic onion powder, organic black pepper, organic red bell pepper granules, xantham gum.

Raisins are Sunmaid.

Sara

Calling All Nassau Co. School Food Reformers!

Do You Live in Nassau County, NY?

 

Are you or others at your school working to improve the quality of your school's lunch?

 

We'd love to meet you!

 

We are the Sea Cliff Elementary's nutrition committee - a part of our PCA (our name for PTA). We have been working for over a year now to improve the food in our school district and we've made some significant improvements but we want to do more.  We'd like to meet with other nutrition committees or like-minded people.

 

Our goals for such a group include:

- improving the quality of our school's food, our cafeteria and nutrition education through networking and creating new ideas with similar groups

- creating a food purchasing co-op for schools here that is invested in healthier alternatives - our improving the existing co-op.

- passing legislation in our county to help improve school lunches including a requirement that all schools post the ingredients in their lunch to their website

 

If you are interested in forming a Nassau County School Food Reform Coalition, please email us or leave a comment below.

 

If you'd like to read more about our work, please visit our blog at www.scsfood.blogspot.com or the nutrition page at our PCA's website - www.seacliffpca.org.

 

Sara

 

Angry Mom on the Radio Today

Hi, everyone - this is from Bhavani Jaroff who did our healthy cooking demonstration last year. She has a weekly radio show and this afternoon will be interviewing Dr. Susan Rubin of Two Angry Moms fame.

I'd like to invite you to listen to my radio show tomorrow at 5pm! This week, I will be interviewing Dr. Susan Rubin, holistic nutritionist, founder of Better School Food, a coalition of health professionals, educators, and concerned parents, whose mission is to raise awareness about the connection between better food and better health, and one of the two "Angry Moms" featured in the documentary Two Angry Moms.

Every week, I talk about food; preparing it, cooking it, growing it and of course I have some great recipes to share with you. 

So please, listen in!  Log onto, www.progressiveradionetwork.com .

 Remember, it is every Wednesday from 5-6 pm EST.

If you miss the show, you can always listen in at a later date by going into the archives. It usually takes 24 hours for the current show to be put on line, but all the past shows (along with recipes) can be gotten off of the website.

Just go to the PRN website, www.progressiveradionetwork.com , click on archives, scroll down to iEat Green with Bhavani, and choose which show you want to listen to. Then press “download”. The show will come on, or you can download it to your iPod and listen in the car or whenever!

What's for Lunch - Wed., 11/17

Wednesday is being billed as our "Practice Feast":


Oven Roasted Turkey Breast w/ pan gravy
Baked Potato
Fresh String Beans
Apple Crisp

Sounds tasty - but I have no details.   This week's questions remain unanswered . . .so I do not know the source of the turkey or gravy. The vegetables sound fresh. The apple crisp sounds like a treat.


Sara

Mural for Sea Cliff Elementary Cafeteria - Call for Submissions

Mural for Sea Cliff Elementary Cafeteria Call for Submissions

Objective- To beautify the cafeteria with love from the students and parents. This is a join project of the Sea Cliff School Nutrition Committee, Red Bow Studio and the Sea Cliff School Art Department.

Proposed Idea/Theme: The Sea Cliff Children’s Garden…Grow What You Love

The theme of the mural will be a garden. To create this mural, we will have a background designed by artist Patricia Kaegi Weiss and decorated with artwork by Sea Cliff Students.  The background will be a garden with trees and bees and other oddities, but will be inhabited by the creations of the Sea Cliff students. All students are welcomed to contribute ! Draw or paint something that you would like to grow in or live in your “garden”. It could be climbing vines of sweet peas or a wren or bunnies, there are no rules other than we need to be able to replicate the artwork on a wall.  We will try to include all artwork, but paintings that are difficult to recreate or do not work with the “theme” will not be used.  This will be at the discretion of the supervisors of the project.

The goal is to make this a creation with as much community participation as possible.  We want the students to be inspired every day they attend school and eat in the cafeteria.

Please Leave contributions in the art room with Ms.Giurlanda, in the front office or at Red Bow Studio by December 1 !

Email- lpgiugliano@yahoo.com with questions or to volunteer with this exciting project.