What's for Lunch - Tues., 3/1

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Meatballs
Fresh Garlic Bread
(get sides from the salad bar)
or
SALAD BAR LUNCH!
Fresh Fruit

This is a whole grain spaghetti with meatballs - USDA commodity beef but 100% 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 salad bar typically 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 fresh fruit will depend on what is available.

Soup is available every day- on Tuesday and Thursdays it is homemade Tomato Rice.  As an alternate entree, you can get a 1/2 wrap and the soup.  Wraps have romaine lettuce and a white flour tortilla.  Tuesday's wrap is Tuna.

The special entree for March is Abraham Lincoln's Fruit Plate -- carried over from February by popular demand. It includes:  APPLES, ORANGES, GRAPES & FRESH STRAWBERRIES
served with 100% Whole Wheat Carr’s Crackers & Mozzarella Strips plus your choice of sides.

A really good day for school lunch.

New Salad Bars are Here!!!

As you may recall, North Shore Schools recently won four brand new salad bars from the Salad Bar Project and Whole Foods - one for each elementary school and the middle school (the high school already had one.) Although we only heard recently that we had won, the bars have already arrived. Here's a picture of one at the Glenwood Landing School.  Most of the cafeterias will need some re-organization to accommodate the salad bars as part of the lunch line but the food services dept. is already hard at work.

The grant application requires that the bars be used to serve salad every day for two years. Great news for our students.  Many thanks to the administration for applying.

Food Manufacturer Tricks

Like half of New York, we took the kids to Florida to see their grandparents over the February break.  After the 7 year old announced we could not use Grandma's jam to make the 3 year old's PB&J sandwich (high fructose corn syrup and many, many other sugars),  we headed to the grocery store.(We don't even have time to talk about the peanut butter -- which tasted like a Reese's peanut butter cup. Btw - you can buy Reese's "peanut butter". But don't.)  I start wandering the aisles of Publix reading labels since I can't find what I usually buy. I pick a strawberry jam that is mostly strawberries and basically no added sugar and then I see ---

Ohh, I think - organic! I read the ingredients:

Ingredients:  ORGANIC SUGAR, ORGANIC CONCORD GRAPE JUICE, FRUIT PECTIN, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM CITRATE.

That's right - the first ingredient is organic SUGAR. It's deceptive.  This is not good for you and using organic ingredients comes off feeling like a trick they are playing on consumers.

And by the way -- this was the jam we rejected - the packaging makes it look like an all fruit jam - but it's not. It says "pure" preserves. Watch out for meaningless advertising terms by food manufacturers.

Here are the Ingredients: Patterson Apricots, Sugar, Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Pectin, Citric Acid.

Read the labels. Caveat emptor.

What's for Lunch - Mon., 2/28

White Meat Chicken Nugget “Bites”
Sweet Potato “Fries”
Pineapple Chunks

Welcome Back!

These are better chicken nuggets than last year -- but they are still fried, frozen Tyson "quality" chicken nuggets.  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. 

Plus, baked frozen USDA sweet potato fries and canned pineapple.

But you don't have to eat this.

Soup is available every day. You can still get the alternate entree of a 1/2 wrap and soup for lunch.   Wraps have romaine lettuce and a white flour tortilla.  Wednesday's wrap is Boar's Head Turkey.

Or, you can try the fruit plate which has been very popular and looks terrific.  It includes:  APPLES, ORANGES, GRAPES & FRESH STRAWBERRIES served with 100% Whole Wheat Carr’s Crackers & Mozzarella Strips plus your choice of sides.

Weekend Reading

Reading

Let's not eat Tyson chicken products. Recently fined (again) for $5 million for bribing officials at a Mexican chicken processing plant. See the New York Times article for details and then scrutinize our school's lunch menu for "chicken nuggets" and "chicken patties." These are Tyson products and although they did not come from Mexico, they are fried and Tyson "quality" chicken.

"Made with Whole Grains!" "All Natural!" Turns out, these and other food manufacturer claims are meaningless. Read more.

Mark Bittman has a lovely new blog over at the Times.

Beware the danger lurking in the cereal aisle when you shop this weekend. Before you head out, you may want to read- “Trix is basically fortified candy with a sprinkling of corn dust.” But you weren't going to buy those cereals, were you? P.S. - "lightly sweetened" a la frosted mini wheats is another of the "meaningless " claims listed above.

Watching

More on meaningless food manufacturer claims -- but in a REALLY entertaining format.

Fun

The Planting Fields is holding a Mardi Gras this Sunday starting at 11am.

Email Congress

Budgets cuts loom everywhere.....

From Feeding America:

Congress recently proposed making significant cuts in federal spending in an effort to reduce the national debt. While balancing the budget is important, we must tell Congress not to do so on the backs of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. Cutting federal nutrition programs would be devastating to low income Americans struggling with hunger.

Send an email to your Members of Congress to urge them to oppose cuts to programs vital to food banks and low-income people at risk of hunger.

From the Center for Science in the Public Interest:

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote this week on a budget that would drastically cut federal funding levels for prevention and public health for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. We need your help to protect the nation’s health!

Please take a minute to send a message urging your Representative to oppose these cuts. Thank you for your efforts to support and improve the public’s health!

What's for Lunch - Fri., 2/18

Whole Wheat Grilled Cheese (Plain or with Ham)
Mini Corn Cobs
Raisin Box

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.   Plus raisins - domestic ones.

What's for Lunch - Thurs., 2/17

French Bread Pizza
(get your sides from salad bar)
or
Salad Bar Lunch!
Sliced Apples

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.   It is made on white-flour bread.

The salad bar will typically 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.  

Soup is available every day. This week they have homemade white bean chili with chicken. You can still get the alternate entree of a 1/2 wrap and soup for lunch.   Wraps have romaine lettuce and a white flour tortilla.  Thursday's wrap is tuna.

Or, try the fruit salad plate.

What's for Lunch - Wed., 2/16

Homemade Oven-Baked Ziti
Toasted Garlic Bread
Carrot Crunchers
Watermelon!

The ziti 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.

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).

Plus a fresh vegetable and a fruit.

What's for Lunch - Tues., 2/15

Burrito or Plate!
Chicken, Rice & Black Beans
w/Monterey Jack Cheese
Baked in a Flour Tortilla
or
Served w/out Tortilla
Chips & Salsa
Orange Wedges


I can add that we use brown rice and that the beans are Pride of NY canned beans with nothing added. The tortilla is white flour.  The salsa is organic.

Don't forget:

This week's soup: White Bean Chili with Chicken - homemade!

You can still get the alternate entree of a 1/2 wrap and soup for lunch.   Wraps have romaine lettuce and a white flour tortilla.Tuesday's wrap is tuna. 

or, try the fruit salad.

What's for Lunch - Mon, 2/14

White Meat Chicken Patty Parmigiana
Whole Wheat Spaghetti w/ Garlic & Oil
Cucumber Rounds
Fresh Fruit

"Chicken Patty" unfortunately means a fried Tyson 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.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Weekend Reading

Reading


Processed Foods lower toddlers' IQs. Read for yourself over at the BBC.

A new study reported on Well at the NYT shows that eating school lunch increases your risk of being obese - significantly. More so than a couple of hours of TV a day. Read more here.  Fortunately, we don't serve tater tots - but you should still skip the days with fried foods like chicken nuggets. The Well blog also had some great recipes for winter vegetables.


Um, did you know it is supposedly National Snack Food Month? Maybe that's why they moved the Super Bowl to February. So, now that it's over - click here to join the snack food boycott and say No to the Processed Food Industry's never ending efforts to get you to eat a lot of junk and apparently lower your kids' IQ.


Shopping


From Slow Food Huntington's email -

Long Island Winter Farmer’s Market
The locations alternate between Huntington and Northport
From one of our members:
-- I've been to the first market at West Hills -- the Organic Vegetables were amazing! Grows year round in high tunnels. There is also great cheese and bread, and live music!
Among the vendors are: All You Knead Artisan Bakery (Beacon, NY), Horman’s Best Pickles (Glen Cove, NY), Madura Fams (Orange County, NY), Migliorelli Farms (Dutchess County, NY), Ronnybrook Dairy (Hudson Valley, NY), Sannino’s Bella Vita Vineyard (North Fork), The Big Cheese (selling Long Island-made artisan cheese)

Northport Farmer’s Market
Jan-April, Saturdays 9am-1pm
St. Paul’s Methodist Church
270 Main St
Northport, NY 11768
Dates: Feb. 12 and 26, March 12 and 26, April 2 and 16

Fun

LET’S EAT! Films on Food by Slow Food Huntington
Sunday, February 13 at 7:30 pm
Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington
The Dark Side of Chocolate
Guest Speakers: Chocolate Sommelier, Roxanne Browning
Filmmaker, U. Roberto Romano

The Dark Side of Chocolate is a shocking documentary that investigates how thousands of children are being purchased from their parents in poverty stricken West Africa for a pittance, or in some cases outright stolen and then enslaved on cocoa farms. Is the chocolate we eat produced with the use of child labor and trafficked children? Award-winning Danish journalist Miki Mistrati decided to investigate. His hunt for answers brought him and U Roberto Romano to Mali in West Africa, where hidden footage reveals illegal trafficking of small children to the cocoa fields in the neighboring Ivory Coast. Kids as young as seven years old work illegally in the plantations where they face a dangerous job cutting down the cocoa and carrying heavy loads. Some are victims of trafficking and most of the kids are never paid.
Denmark, 2010, 45 min. The official website http://www.thedarksideofchocolate.org/

Following the film, there will be a discussion with Filmmaker U Roberto Romano and Roxanne Browning, NY’s chocolate sommelier. Roxanne will lead a mini-chocolate tasting of an Ecuadorian chocolate from a Direct Trade chocolate producer, The Kallari Association.

Advance ticket are available at the box office or on line at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/154610
$9 Cinema Members / $13 Public (Includes Reception & Chocolate Tasting)

Watching

Slow Food USA is promoting a TEDx viewing n Saturday to change how we eat:

Do you think we need to change the way we eat in this country? On February 12, that will be the topic of discussion for an amazing array of speakers - including Slow Food USA's President Josh Viertel. It's part of the TEDx events: short, carefully prepared talks to share 'ideas worth spreading'. And the good news is you can be a part of it! Joining Josh at the one day event will be over 20 high-profile speakers including the makers of "King Corn", the first farmer to receive a MacArthur 'Genius' Fellowship, and the USDA's coordinator of 'Know Your Farmer, Know your Food', all sharing ideas about how we can shift our industrial food system to one that provides good, clean, fair food for all. This is a fantastic opportunity to stimulate these conversations in your local area. And a great excuse to get together with like-minded people in your community! Click here to find out how to host or attend a live 'Viewing Party' on Saturday February 12: http://tedxmanhattan.org/viewing-parties/ Can't make a Viewing Party? No problem! We'll be live-streaming the TEDx talks on our website, so you can take part in the conversation from the comfort of your own home. TEDx talks feature thought leaders at the cutting edge of their industry. This day is focused entirely on food - a testament to the importance of finding new ways to redefine the way we grow and eat food. The thought-provoking speakers can be broadcast right into your home, cafe, town hall - or wherever you want to gather to share these ideas in your community. Click here to find out more: http://tedxmanhattan.org/viewing-parties/
Thanks for being a part of the solution,
The Slow Food USA team
PS - There's an amazing event happening in Manhattan on February 12 - but it will be just like you're there, when we be beam it live from coast to coast! If you'd like to host a live 'Viewing Party' in your area, or find one to attend, click here.

Petitions

From the Environmental Working Group:

One report started it all. In December, EWG published the first national investigation of the suspected carcinogen chromium-6 -- also known as hexavalent chromium -- in drinking water in 35 cities around the country. Recently, Senators Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., introduced Senate Bill 79, the Protecting Pregnant Women and Children From Hexavalent Chromium Act of 2011. The Boxer/Feinstein bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency to act within a year to set a safe limit for chromium-6 in drinking water. Your senators need to hear from you today that clean, safe drinking water is crucial.
Click here TODAY to tell your senators to co-sponsor the Protecting Pregnant Women and Children from Hexavalent Chromium Act of 2011, introduced by Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein.
EWG supporters like you submitted tap water samples from their communities. This groundbreaking, people-powered report detected chromium-6 in 31 of the 35 city water supplies tested. Even though this report stirred controversy, our findings were confirmed by a number of water utilities' own testing. Within hours of its release, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced a new plan to help local utilities assess chromium-6 in drinking water nationwide. That's a good first step. But EPA must go further. Last week, I testified on our chromium-6 report before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, chaired by Senator Boxer. And I am going to tell you what I told them: we were heartened by and support EPA's announcement following the release of our report and by its decision to regulate perchlorate, but it is not enough. The Protecting Pregnant Women and Children from Hexavalent Chromium Act of 2011 will make sure there is a safe legal limit on chromium-6 in drinking water.
I have had the opportunity to testify in front of Congress many times, but this was the most gratifying. I was able to stand with the EPA and others concerned with ensuring that all Americans have access to safe, clean drinking water. This hearing -- and this bill -- are a direct result of EWG's research. "Keep on doing what you're doing," Senator Boxer said to me in her concluding comments at the hearing. We need to keep the momentum going. I'm counting on you to help us -- and everyone else who drinks water.
Click here TODAY to tell your senators to co-sponsor the Protecting Pregnant Women and Children from Hexavalent Chromium Act of 2011.  Safe, clean drinking water is vital to EWG supporters like you. Don't let this opportunity pass you by. Take action today.

What's for Lunch - Fri., 2/11

All Beef Burger, Cheeseburger w/Fixin’s
or
Boar’s Head Turkey on a Bun
Baked Sweet Potato “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.

Soup is available every day. This week they have homemade minestrone. You can still get the alternate entree of a 1/2 wrap and soup for lunch.   Wraps have romaine lettuce and a white flour tortilla.  Friday's wrap is our fresh breaded chicken cutlet marinated with yogurt and spices and breaded with panko.

Cooking Class Recipes - Yogurt Parfait

Fresh Fruit Yogurt Parfait
By Bhavani Jaroff - IEatGreen.com

The parfaits were delicious, the kids loved them - and they couldn't be easier to make.

6 oz plain low fat yogurt
1-2 t. organic jam or preserves
1/2 - 1 t. honey or maple syrup (optional)
Assorted Fresh Fruit ( we had blueberries, strawberries and bananas)
Granola

Mix yogurt and jam in a bowl.  Layer into clear parfait cups alternating with the fruit of your choice.  Finish by decorating the top with assorted colors!

Enjoy!

What's for Lunch - Thurs., 2/10

Open Faced Turkey Hero or Plate w/Gravy (pictured)
“Smashed” Red Potatoes
Sweet Corn
Apple Crisp (pictured)

The Turkey is government-issued but without additives. The corn is canned but plain. I've tried the apple crisp - it's delicious - but keep your fingers crossed because Sea Cliff says they did not have time to make it when on the menu previously.

The potatoes are a new item I'm excited about - They are simply fresh bliss potatoes, coarsely mashed (skin on) after being boiled.  Seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic.


Soup is available every day. This week they have homemade minestrone. You can still get the alternate entree of a 1/2 wrap and soup for lunch.   Wraps have romaine lettuce and a white flour tortilla.  Thursday's wrap is tuna.

Cooking Class Recipes - Pizza

Whole Wheat Margarita Pizza
Bhavani Jaroff - IEatGreen.com

Preheat overn to 450F

Makes 4 9"-10" whole wheat crusts (or you can buy whole wheat pizza crust)

1 envelope dried yeast ( 2 1/2 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water
2 cups organic unbleached all purpose flour
2 cups organic whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup warm water

Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of warm water.  Stir in 1/2 cup of the flour, cover with a clean dishtowel and let it stand until the mixture foams up to about double (about 30 minutes.)

Combine the remaining 3 1/2 cups of flour with the salt.  Stir in the yeast mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of warm water. Stir until the dough masses together. Gather the dough into a ball and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough for 10 to 12 minutes.  Dust the dough lightly all over with flour and place in a bowl to rise, covered with a dishtowel for about 1 hour.

After the dough has risen, divide into 4 parts. Form the dough into a pizza by flattening it into a flat disk or roll out with a rolling pin.

Topping for 4 Pies

1 cup tomato sauce
1 lb mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese (optional)
toppings optional - olives, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, oregano, onions


Spread tomato sauce over crust.  Cover with mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Decorate with toppings.

Bake in a 450 degree oven on a cookie sheet for 6 - 8 minutes.  Remove from cookie sheet and lay directly on the rack for 2 minutes.

Enjoy!

What's for Lunch - Wed., 2/9

BRUNCH FOR LUNCH
Homemade Challah French Toast
Orange Rounds
Applegate Farms® Chicken-Apple Sausage
Cinnamon Applesauce


Join me in saying "No" to meal declared to be "cake" for lunch by our committee's nutritionist.  Plus, the liberal allocation of syrup is basically HFCS.  Look  back to the posts on the fruit salad alternate. Good day to try it.

Nonetheless, here are the details: You do get fresh orange slices. The applesauce is a USDA commodity product to which we add cinnamon.

The Sausage contains: Chicken, Dried Apples, Water, Contains Less Than 2% Of The Following: Honey, Salt, Spices, Parsley.

(Or - try this alternative. I have it from an exclusive source that the minestrone is excellent. )

Soup is available every day. This week they have homemade minestrone. You can still get the alternate entree of a 1/2 wrap and soup for lunch.   Wraps have romaine lettuce and a white flour tortilla.  Wednesday's wrap is Boar's Head Turkey.

Cooking Class Recipes - Pizza

On Friday night 50 kids showed up for our Healthy Cooking Class! First up was the pizza.

Everyone got to roll out their whole wheat dough:

add cheese,  tomato sauce and veggies:

And then make yogurt parfaits while we waited for the pizzas to bake:

Our instructor Bhavani Jaroff and intern Devin Sheppard sliced the fresh pizzas as they came out.

And, voila! Happy Kids -

Recipe to follow tomorrow

What's for Lunch - Tues., 2/8

Barilla Plus Rotini with Meatballs
Fresh Garlic Bread
(get sides from the salad bar)
or
Salad Bar Lunch!
Fresh Fruit

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 salad 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 fresh fruit will depend on what is available.

Soup is available every day. This week they have homemade minestrone. You can still get the alternate entree of a 1/2 wrap and soup for lunch.   Wraps have romaine lettuce and a white flour tortilla.  Thursday's wrap is tuna. 

February's Alternate Entree Gets Rave Reviews

I was recently granted an exclusive interview with two second graders at Sea Cliff School. Both had been excited to order February's alternate entree:

Abraham Lincoln's Fresh Fruit Salad Plate
APPLES, ORANGES, GRAPES & FRESH STRAWBERRIES
100% Whole Wheat Carr’s Crackers
Mozzarella Strips
Choice of sides

They made a pact to order it together one day last week and brave the lunch line hand in hand. Afterwards, one declared, "It was great!" The second said, "It looked like it does in a restaurant!" and vowed to order it again.  They did note that the received bread rather than crackers.

Bravo!

2-7-11 Note: Our consultant, Julia van Loon, says the vendor failed toe deliver the crackers last week but they have shown up this week - although for now they are the "classic" version. For next week, we've been promised the whole wheat.

What's for Lunch - Mon., 2/7

Pita Pizza (Plain or w/Broccoli)
Cucumber Sticks
Orange Quarters

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.

Plus, a fresh fruit and vegetable!

Weekend Reading

Reading

Jill Richardson lays out our options in terms of a response to the USDA's decision to legalize genetically-altered alfafa into our food supply. Like other GE-foods, it will not be labeled in any way. I think she's right in calling for labeling -- but then I want school food labeled.

The Small Bites blog had a couple of pieces that just might convince you that Munchkins et al. are not good foods for children.  or anyone.

The same blog also posted an aisle-by-aisle guide to navigating the supermarket - in case you plan to shop this weekend.

Truthfully,  I had to look it up but it appears that the Super Bowl is this weekend.  So, if you need to bring something to a party, Eating Well has some healthy recipes ideas.  As do 366,000 other sites according to Google.

Downloads

Feeding America is offering a download of "Cookbook for a Cause" - and asking that you make a doantion to the nation's food bank network.  I have not looked at them but the recipes are billed as "easy and economical" as well as healthy.

Shopping

From Slow Food Huntington's email -

Long Island Winter Farmer’s Market
The locations alternate between Huntington and Northport
From one of our members:
-- I've been to the first market at West Hills -- the Organic Vegetables were amazing! Grows year round in high tunnels. There is also great cheese and bread, and live music!
Among the vendors are: All You Knead Artisan Bakery (Beacon, NY), Horman’s Best Pickles (Glen Cove, NY), Madura Fams (Orange County, NY), Migliorelli Farms (Dutchess County, NY), Ronnybrook Dairy (Hudson Valley, NY), Sannino’s Bella Vita Vineyard (North Fork), The Big Cheese (selling Long Island-made artisan cheese)

Huntington Farmer’s Market
Jan-April, Saturdays 9am-1pm
Sweet Hollow Hall
West Hills County Park
Melville, NY
(Off of Old Country Rd)
Dates: Feb. 5 and 19, March 5 and 19, April 2 and 16

Movies to See

Slow Food Huntington Brings you -

Movie Night at the Reconstructionist Synagogue
Tuesday, February 8 at 7pm
Food, Inc.
Film, followed by panel discussion

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.
admission: $5
Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore, 1001 Plandome Rd, Manhasset

Petitions to Sign

This email came from the Working Families Party:

When you fill up your tank at the station, have you ever been tempted to just grab the nozzle and take a swig? Thanks to hydrofracking [1], we can all be gas-guzzlers now. And you don’t even need a car.

That’s because, as a Congressional investigation just revealed [2], oil and gas companies – in their endless quest to “frack” – have pumped tens of millions of gallons of diesel fuel into wells that run straight into our nation’s water supply.

Now these companies want permission from Albany to bring fracking to New York. These diesel injections violate the Safe Drinking Water Act, and they put all of our communities at risk.

Will you sign this emergency petition to Governor Cuomo, asking him to put a permanent ban on hydrofracking in New York?

http://bit.ly/NoDiesel

Toluene. Xylene. Benzene. Do those sound like additives you want in your family’s water supply?

One of the companies caught in the act was Halliburton. Yep, that Halliburton. Maybe Dick Cheney asks for diesel with his tap water, but I prefer just a lemon wedge, thank you.

There’s no two ways around it – hydrofracking is dirty and dangerous to our drinking water. Thankfully, as the EPA sorts out its next moves in Washington, Gov. Cuomo can continue a fracking moratorium here in New York.

With this shocking new report, the movement to protect drinking water is gaining new momentum – but we need to make our voices heard in Albany, where oil and gas lobbyists no doubt think their money can trump our safety.

Join us in asking Gov. Cuomo to keep our state’s water safe and clean:

http://bit.ly/NoDiesel

Thanks,

T.J. & the Working Families team

Notes:
1) Hydrofracking = short for hydraulic fracturing – a dangerous natural gas drilling technique.
2) New York Times: [link]

What's for Lunch - Fri., 2/4

Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Sauteed Broccoli w/Garlic
Watermelon!

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.

Plus, FRESH broccoli sauteed with garlic. The fruit is fresh watermelon.

Soup is available every day. This week they have homemade chicken noodle. You can still get the alternate entree of a 1/2 wrap and soup for lunch.   Wraps have romaine lettuce and a white flour tortilla.  Friday's wrap is our fresh breaded chicken cutlet marinated with yogurt and spices and breaded with panko.

February has a new alternate entree: Abraham Lincoln's Fresh Fruit Salad Plate in honor of the president's love of apples. It includes:  APPLES, ORANGES, GRAPES & FRESH STRAWBERRIES
served with 100% Whole Wheat Carr’s Crackers & Mozzarella Strips plus your choice of sides.

What's for Lunch - Thurs., 2/3

Freshly Breaded Chicken Cutlet
Baked Potato
Celery Sticks
Cinnamon Applesauce

Our wonderful food service staff is making the chicken cutlets from scratch in house with fresh chicken!  They are marinated in yogurt, spices, panko and corn meal. Plus,  A fresh baked potato and celery sticks. You can also choose the applesauce- a money-saving USDA govt commodity that we dress up with some cinnamon.

Soup is available every day. This week they have homemade chicken noodle. You can still get the alternate entree of a 1/2 wrap and soup for lunch.   Wraps have romaine lettuce and a white flour tortilla.  Thursday's wrap is tuna.


February has a new alternate entree: Abraham Lincoln's Fresh Fruit Salad Plate in honor of the president's love of apples. It includes:  APPLES, ORANGES, GRAPES & FRESH STRAWBERRIES
served with 100% Whole Wheat Carr’s Crackers & Mozzarella Strips plus your choice of sides.

Cooking Class for Kids is THIS Friday

Join us on Friday in the cafeteria at 6pm! Bhavani Jaroff will return with a new set of recipes to that will teach your kid show delicious eating right can be. The menu is still be developing but may include items like bread, yogurt parfaits and possibly pizzas.

$5 per child. RSVP to Denise Rieger.

For more about Bhavani, see her website.  Or, you can see pictures of her last visit here and check out the recipes she used as well. 

What's for Lunch - Wed., 2/2

Beef Tacos w/Lettuce, Salsa & Cheese
Choice: Hard or Soft Tortilla*
Fresh Fruit

* Gluten-free without the shell

The tacos are 100% ground chuck with lettuce and a low-far govt cheddar 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.  Tacos shells are hard, yellow corn shells but I have not gotten the ingredients yet.

Plus fresh fruit - depending on what they can get.

Soup is available every day. This week they have homemade chicken noodle. You can still get the alternate entree of a 1/2 wrap and soup for lunch.   Wraps have romaine lettuce and a white flour tortilla.  Wednesday''s wrap is Boar's Head Turkey.


February has a new alternate entree: Abraham Lincoln's Fresh Fruit Salad Plate in honor of the president's love of apples. It includes:  APPLES, ORANGES, GRAPES & FRESH STRAWBERRIES
served with 100% Whole Wheat Carr’s Crackers & Mozzarella Strips plus your choice of sides.

Plus, you can still get on any day:

-Whole Grain Peanut Butter & Jelly Wedges

-Tuna on Pita or Whole Wheat w/Salad Fixin’s

-Egg Salad Plate w/Mini Rice Cakes, Pita Wedges or Whole Wheat Bread and Veggies