What's for Lunch, Thursday 10/31/2013

Southwest Taco Bowl

Corn Tortilla Bowl

Brown Rice, Tomato, Cheese, Salsa, & Romaine

Chipotle Vinaigrette

Zesty Black Beans

Sweet Corn

Add

Chicken on Request

 

Petite Banana

The brown rice is a great whole grain. The black beans are canned. I'm assuming the same for the corn .

The southwest-style chicken is from Tyson and described as diced, cooked "chicken meat." Read more about farm animals raised by industrial giants like Tyson,  antibiotics and hormones.  The bowl comes from Smokewood Foods. The ingredients are described just as "enriched masa flour" and they look like a big rectangular corn chip. They have 5g of fat and no sodium.   


 

 

 What's for Lunch, Wednesday 10/30/13

Flatbread Cheese Pizza

Add Chicken

on Request*

Caesar Salad

Strawberry Smoothie

Unlike many schools, we do make these pizzas. This is a white-flour pizza (not whole grain). 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).

Go with cheese.  The chicken is a pre-cooked breaded Tyson chicken product. The ingredients are: Boneless, skinless chicken breast filets with rib meat, water, modified food starch, sodium phosphates, salt. PREDUSTED WITH: Enriched wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), wheat gluten, salt. BATTERED WITH: Water, enriched bleached wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), modified corn starch, salt, dextrose, spices, garlic powder, xanthan gum, oleoresin paprika and annatto. BREADED WITH: Enriched wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), salt, spices, garlic powder, extractives of paprika, natural flavors (spice extractives). Breading set in vegetable oil.  Their serving size has 10g of fat (2 of which are saturated) and 620 mg of sodium.

What's for Lunch,  Monday 10/28/1

CBLT

Breaded Chicken, Applegate® Turkey Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato

on

A Whole Wheat Bun

With Cucumber Salad

And Red & Green Grapes

I do not know what the "breaded chicken" is
And I scoured the web for Applegate's Turkey Bacon and came up empty.
I know it's a healthier alternative to "regular bacon" - But the lack of information worries me.

More Amazing Pictures Frrom Food Day!

 Morning Lecture and Healthy Breakfast

Lunch Time with Homemade Butternut Squash soup.

And SUCCESS! 

167 "yummy" votes, 22 "not for me" and 8 "indecisive".

 Fun Crafts. Make a Clementine Orange "pumpkin"

 

More after-school Crafts!

And the amazing turnout of fresh food donations!

Way to go!!!!

What's for Lunch,  Monday 10/27/13

Brunch For Lunch

Cinnamon Challah French Toast & Applegate® Turkey Bacon

OR

Scrambled Egg & Cheese Wrap

Baked Potato "Puffs"

Cinnamon Apple Sauce

 Say "No" to meal declared to be "cake" for lunch by our committee's nutritionist - basically white flour bread.  The syrup is basically HFCS.  They are looking for an affordable maple syrup but do not have one yet - but they will be limiting the serving size this year in the meantime.  Actual lunch from our schools above. This meal has a lot of sugar, simple carbohydrates -- no whole grains

The turkey bacon is by Applegate.  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.)  They promote it as nitrate-free but this NYT article indicates otherwise - and cites the company saying their products have the same level (naturally) of cancer-causing nitrates as conventional brands. Read more about nitrates here.

I do not know if the wrap used for the egg and cheese is whole grain.  But they do use actual eggs like you would use at home. 

"Puffs" are commodity potatoes processed by McCain's into tater tots -- although they are labeled "frozen pre-formed potato rounds."  They are flash-fried before they get to the frozen part.  They have 7g of fat (one of which is saturated) and 190mg of sodium. Ingredients are: potatoes, vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following oils: canola, soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, corn). Contains 2% or less of dextrose, salt, sodium acid pyrophosphate added to maintain natural color.

Food Day 2013 SUCCESS!!

Check out some of the fresh food we collected. Amazing!

Great Jot Nutrition Committee!!

 - The Apple People -

What's for Lunch Friday, 10/25/13

Traoria Friday! 

Rotini & Meatballs 
OR 
Rotini Marinara 
With Mozzarella Stick 
Zucchini & Carrot Sticks with Ranch Dip 
Fresh Melon

This is a whole grain rotini by Zerega.  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, Spices, Salt, Citric Acid, Garlic Powder, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Black Pepper, Vitamin E (DL-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate), Natural Flavor, Vitamin A (Retinol Palmitate)

The meatballs are are processed, cooked and frozen by Tyson.  Ingredients are: Ground beef (not more than 20% fat), water, bread crumbs (bleached wheat flour, salt, yeast, dextrose, and soybean oil), seasoning (salt, dehydrated onion, dehydrated celery, garlic powder, spices, soybean oil), tomato puree (tomatoes and citric acid), grated parmesan cheese [(cultured part-skim milk, salt and enzymes), cellulose powder, potassium sorbate], grated romano cheese made from cow's milk [(cultured pasteurized part-skim milk, salt and enzymes), cellulose powder, potassium sorbate].   They have 9g of fat (3 are saturated) and 450 mg of sodium.

Carrots are domestic and served with a full fat organic ranch dressing.

What's for Lunch, Thursday 10/24/13

Quesadilla Chicken & Cheese

OR

Plain Cheese

Corn, Tomato, & Black Bean Salsa

Petite Banana

Cheese and chicken quesadilla w/ a flour tortilla - no whole grains. The tortillas are from Tyson and contain:  Bleached Enriched Wheat Flour (Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Contains one or more of the following: Cottonseed Oil, Soybean Oil), Mono- and Diglycerides, Contains 2% or less of the following: Salt, Baking Powder (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Corn Starch, Monocalcium Phosphate), Fumaric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate, Dough Conditioner (Wheat Flour, Calcium Sulfate, Sorbic Acid), Preservative (Sodium Propionate and Potassium Sorbate).  Sodium is 380mg. 5g of fat (1 of which is saturated).

The chicken is from Tyson and described as diced, cooked "chicken meat."

The salsa is organic 

 

Food Day celebration this Thursday October 24th!

Come to Sea Cliff School's Food Day lecture this Thursday in the cafeteria. 
We will start with a healthy breakfast at 8:45am followed by an informative lecture at 9:15am!

 And

Please donate a fresh fruit or vegetable item that is store wrapped for our Island Harvest fresh-food drive, during our Food Day celebration this Thursday October 24th!

We will have donation boxes by our security desk!

Help build a better world in this special health conscious way!

What's for Lunch, Wednesday 10/23/13

BBQ Chicken From the Farm...

Smashed LI Potatoes

Sautéed Carrots

Fresh Fruit Salad

In the past the chicken has been:
Some kind of frozen Tyson product. I believe it is supposed to be Tyson's "dark meat strips with grill marks" which have 7g of fat and 340mg of sodium, Ingredients are: Boneless, skinless chicken leg meat, water, seasoning (dextrose, salt, brown sugar, chicken stock, maltodextrin, flavors, yeast extract, molasses, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate), soy protein concentrate, modified food starch, sodium phosphates.BUT we have also gotten diced chicken breast for both Tyson and a company called Pierce before. AND we have also gotten a  USDA commodity chicken from Tyson and described as "fully cooked boneless skinless chicken dark meat chicken fajita strips -smoke flavor added." Here are the ingredients: "Chicken dark meat, water, seasoning [salt, spices, dehydrated garlic, dehydrated onion, sugar, chili powder (chili pepper, cumin, oregano, salt, garlic powder), lemon juice powder (corn syrup solids, lemon juice, lemon oil), modified corn starch, natural mesquite smoke flavor (maltodextrin, natural smoke flavor), natural flavor (from partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil)], modified food starch and sodium phosphates."  The "partially hydrogenated" oil is a source of trans fat.  Chicken has 7g of fat (2 of which are saturated) and 490 mg of sodium.  Read more about farm animals raised by industrial giants like Tyson,  antibiotics and hormones. 

We haven't seen the "from the farm" BBQ chicken before, but I will look into it. 

The Smashed LI Potatoes are also new

 

What's for Lunch, Tuesday 10/22/13

From the Ranch to you...

Hamburger

OR

Cheeseburger

With all the trimmings

Homemade Cole Slaw

Oven Baked “Fries”

From the Farm...NYS Apples

After much work, discussion and research, our district has discontinued the use of most USDA commodity beef for a variety of health reasons and contracted with a New York State farm to provide beef raised without antibiotics and hormones. It is more expensive and there is less beef on the menu as a result but it is a huge improvement in the quality of our lunches. So, enjoy your hamburger on a whole grain bun.

The potatoes are from McCains. The ingredients are: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (contains one or more of the following: Canola Oil, Soybean Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Sunflower Oil, Corn Oil), Corn Starch - Modified, Dehydrated Garlic, Spices, Salt, Dehydrated Onion, Rosemary, Dehydrated Red Bell Pepper, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Paprika, Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate Added to Preserve Natural Color.   Note that the autolyzed yeast extract is potentially similar to MSG. They have 3.5g of fat and 160mg of sodium.

 

This is how our school lunch was served today!

This is what our school lunch was served in from Tyson. When our school uses their fried chicken products in sandwiches for lunch, they are encouraged to wrap them up to make them look more like fast food from name brand outlets. Why? Because they'll sell more. That's right -- looking more like fast food is supposed to be a plus for school cafeterias.  Several years ago, Stanford researchers proved even very young kids preferred (identical) food that had been put in McDonald's wrappers. Marketing execs regularly talk about this to how to use this information to sell more stuff -- like in this article.   

What's for Lunch, Monday 10/21/13

All White Meat Chicken “Bites”

Freshly Baked Whole Wheat Bread sticks

Caesar Salad

Strawberry Smoothie

We have a lot of good lunches in our school but this is not one of them.
The chicken is a Tyson "fully cooked chicken breast nugget fritter with rib meat" with 10g of fat and 420mg of sodium.  The ingredients are: Boneless, skinless chicken breast nuggets with rib meat, water, modified food starch, sodium phosphates, salt. PREDUSTED WITH: Enriched wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), wheat gluten, salt. BATTERED WITH: Water, enriched bleached wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), modified corn starch, salt, dextrose, spices, garlic powder, xanthan gum, oleoresin paprika and annatto. BREADED WITH: Enriched wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), salt, spices, garlic powder, extractives of paprika, natural flavors (spice extractives). Breading set in vegetable oil.
And then we have The Return of the Tater Tot - a product we thought we had sent packing years ago.   This processed potato product comes from McCain's - a product called Harvest Splendor Bites.  The ingredients would then be: Sweet Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Contains One Or More Of The Following Oils: Canola, Soybean, Cottonseed, Sunflower, Corn). Contains 2% or less of Corn Starch - Modified, Dehydrated Potatoes, Dextrin, Maltodextrin, Molasses, Salt, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate Added To Maintain Natural Color, Sugar, Tapioca Starch - Modified, Xanthan Gum.  We do bake them but I don't know yet if they are pre-cooked (fried?) before being frozen and shipped to us.

 

Look what your children have to look forward to tomorrow!

Don't Forget Fresh Fruit Fridays!

Pack a fruit of veggie in your child's snack bag. Can't hurt to try!

"Giving up too soon Ms. Worobey said she has often heard parents say, “My kid would never eat that.” While it may be true right now, she noted that eating preferences often change. So parents should keep preparing a variety of healthful foods and putting them on the table, even if a child refuses to take a bite. In young children, it may take 10 or more attempts over several months to introduce a food".

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/health/healthspecial2/15eat.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

What's for Lunch, Friday 10/18/13

Homemade Mac N’ Cheese

Barilla® Pasta & Wisconsin Cheddar

Fresh Sautéed Broccoli 

From the Farm... NYS Apples

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 Wisconsin Cheddar.
 

 

What's for Lunch, Thursday 10/17/13

From the Ranch to you...

Taco Thursday!

Beef Taco, Corn Tortilla Shell

OR

Corn Tortilla Chips

  

Romaine Lettuce

Salsa & Cheese

  

Tangerine

Our district has contracted with a New York State farm to provide beef raised without antibiotics and hormones. It is more expensive and there is less beef on the menu as a result but it is a huge improvement in the quality of our lunches. We season and prepare this dish. 

The hard taco shells from Mission foodservice contain: whole grain corn, water, vegetable oil (one or more of the following: cottonseed oil, corn oil or palm oil), contains 2% or less of niacin, reduced iron, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin lime. No sodium - 6g of fat (2 of which are saturated)

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 tortilla chips are a gluten free option

What's for Lunch, Wednesday 10/16/13

Chicken Parmigiana on Whole Grain Roll

Romaine Salad with Chickpeas & Tomatoes

Strawberry

Smoothie

For the chicken, 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 chicken itself is a pre-cooked breaded Tyson chicken product. The ingredients are: Boneless, skinless chicken breast filets with rib meat, water, modified food starch, sodium phosphates, salt. PREDUSTED WITH: Enriched wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), wheat gluten, salt. BATTERED WITH: Water, enriched bleached wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), modified corn starch, salt, dextrose, spices, garlic powder, xanthan gum, oleoresin paprika and annatto. BREADED WITH: Enriched wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), salt, spices, garlic powder, extractives of paprika, natural flavors (spice extractives). Breading set in vegetable oil.  Their serving size has 10g of fat (2 of which are saturated) and 620 mg of sodium.

What's for Lunch, Tuesday 10/15/13

Pita Pizza

Whole Wheat Pita, Pizza Sauce, Mozzarella & Basil

Add

Meatballs on Request

Veggie Sticks with Dip

Raisins

We make these pizzas in our cafeteria. The pita is actually part whole wheat.  The ingredients are wheat flour [whole wheat flour and enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)], water, soybean oil, less than 2% of yeast, salt, sugar, dough conditioner (distilled monoglycerides, calcium salts, guar gum, wheat starch, sodium metabisulfite, ascorbic acid), preservatives (calcium propionate, potassium sorbate), vinegar.

For our various pizzas, we use  the 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).

Pizzas will have fresh mozzarella and basil -- but skip the meatballs. They are a USDA commodity food processed by Tyson. Ingredients are: Ground beef (not more than 20% fat), water, bread crumbs (bleached wheat flour, salt, yeast, dextrose, and soybean oil), seasoning (salt, dehydrated onion, dehydrated celery, garlic powder, spices, soybean oil), tomato puree (tomatoes and citric acid), grated parmesan cheese [(cultured part-skim milk, salt and enzymes), cellulose powder, potassium sorbate], grated romano cheese made from cow's milk [(cultured pasteurized part-skim milk, salt and enzymes), cellulose powder, potassium sorbate].   They have 9g of fat (3 are saturated) and 450 mg of sodium. 

Don't forget about our Fresh Fruit (or veggie) Fridays!

My son is a picky eater - but I keep trying!

If you would like your children to get skim milk, get blue box and pink for One percent.

Our fresh fruit today was nice containers of cut up cantaloupe.

What's for Lunch, Thursday 10/10/13

Applegate® Hot Dog on Whole Wheat Bun
OR
Fresh Fruit Plate with Freshly Baked Whole Wheat Bread sticks and cheese
Sauerkraut, and Carrot Sticks

Pineapple Chunks In Juice

GF

w/o bun

What's for Lunch, Wednesday 10/9/13

Brunch For Lunch

Cinnamon Challah French Toast & Applegate® Turkey Bacon

OR

Scrambled Egg & Cheese Wrap

Baked Potato "Puffs"

Apple Crisp

 Say "No" to meal declared to be "cake" for lunch by our committee's nutritionist - basically white flour bread.  The syrup is basically HFCS.  They are looking for an affordable maple syrup but do not have one yet - but they will be limiting the serving size this year in the meantime.  Actual lunch from our schools above. This meal has a lot of sugar, simple carbohydrates -- no whole grains

The turkey bacon is by Applegate.  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.)  They promote it as nitrate-free but this NYT article indicates otherwise - and cites the company saying their products have the same level (naturally) of cancer-causing nitrates as conventional brands. Read more about nitrates here.

I do not know if the wrap used for the egg and cheese is whole grain.  But they do use actual eggs like you would use at home. 

"Puffs" are commodity potatoes processed by McCain's into tater tots -- although they are labeled "frozen pre-formed potato rounds."  They are flash-fried before they get to the frozen part.  They have 7g of fat (one of which is saturated) and 190mg of sodium. Ingredients are: potatoes, vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following oils: canola, soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, corn). Contains 2% or less of dextrose, salt, sodium acid pyrophosphate added to maintain natural color.

We make the apple crisp - it's a dessert and it's delicious by many reports. 

What's for Lunch, Tuesday 10/8/10

Chicken “Bites”

All White Meat Chicken

Sweet Potato Crinkles

LI Corn on the Cob

Cucumber Sticks with Dip

Strawberry Smoothie


We have a lot of good lunches in our school but this is not one of them.

The chicken is a Tyson "fully cooked chicken breast nugget fritter with rib meat" with 10g of fat and 420mg of sodium.  The ingredients are: Boneless, skinless chicken breast nuggets with rib meat, water, modified food starch, sodium phosphates, salt. PREDUSTED WITH: Enriched wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), wheat gluten, salt. BATTERED WITH: Water, enriched bleached wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), modified corn starch, salt, dextrose, spices, garlic powder, xanthan gum, oleoresin paprika and annatto. BREADED WITH: Enriched wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), salt, spices, garlic powder, extractives of paprika, natural flavors (spice extractives). Breading set in vegetable oil.

And then we have The Return of the Tater Tot - a product we thought we had sent packing years ago.   This processed potato product comes from McCain's - a product called Harvest Splendor Bites.  The ingredients would then be: Sweet Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Contains One Or More Of The Following Oils: Canola, Soybean, Cottonseed, Sunflower, Corn). Contains 2% or less of Corn Starch - Modified, Dehydrated Potatoes, Dextrin, Maltodextrin, Molasses, Salt, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate Added To Maintain Natural Color, Sugar, Tapioca Starch - Modified, Xanthan Gum.  We do bake them but I don't know yet if they are pre-cooked (fried?) before being frozen and shipped to us.

What's for Lunch Monday 10/7/2013

GRILLED CHEESE TWO WAYS

Plain Cheese

OR

Cheese & Boar’s Head® Ham

Romaine Salad with Chickpeas

Red & Green Grapes

The grilled cheese sandwich is made with Cabot cheddar on whole wheat bread.  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.
  
Boar’s Head® Ham Nutrition Facts

Serv Size 2 oz (56g)
Serving Per Container Varied

Amount Per Serving

Calories 60

Calories fom Fat 10

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 1g

2%

Saturated Fat 0g

0%

Trans Fat 0g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.5g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0g

Cholesterol 25mg

9%

Sodium 590mg

25%

Total Carbohydrate 2g

1%

Dietary Fiber 0g

0%

Sugars 2g

Protein 9g

19%

Vitamin A 0%

Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 0%

Iron 4%