More news from our food services consultant, Julia van Loon:
Last year, our kids regularly ate the following USDA commodity foods which the government thoughtfully (?) donates to schools:
Green beans - canned with 380 mg of sodium. Although previously described as 'steamed' when in fact they had been boiled in the can by the manufacturer and then heated in a steamer at our school. Keep in mind that cans like these are often lined in BPA which has been banned in Canada as toxic.
Mixed fruit - canned with added corn syrup AND sugar. These and the other canned fruits were decribed as "chilled" -- because they needed to be refrigerated after the can was opened.
Pears - canned with (my favorite) high fructose corn syrup.
Peaches - canned with corn syrup and sugar.
This year? Gone. Eliminated. And, in fact, the leftovers have been donated. A big thank you to North Shore Schools, Dr. Melnick, Ms. Buatsi, Ms. van Loon and the entire food services staff.
We are however still using USDA commodity corn which has apparently been improved over the previous iteration which included both added salt and sugar. Nonetheless, 40% of the corn in the US is genetically-modified.
More terrific news to come....
Enjoy the fresh fruit,
Sara
Sea Cliff Nutrition Committee. The Apple People
Showing posts with label USDA commodities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USDA commodities. Show all posts
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Change Comes to Lunch In Sea Cliff!
For the past two months, we've been posting each Wednesday on the "additive of the week" and detailing the problems with highly processed and canned USDA commodity foods in our kids' school lunch - too much added, salt, pervasive added sugars - including high fructose corn syrup, MSG, nitrates, hydrogenated vegetable oil, genetically modified corn and soy, etc. Today, almost a year after we began working for change, we're announcing the end of the worst of these in our school's lunch with more details to come on how our district is accomplishing this change.
The following post was written by Julia van Loon, a food service consultant and reform advocate our district has hired to move our school's lunch toward fresh, minimally processed, wholesome foods. - Sara
Finally! This country has put school food on its agenda as one of the most important issues to address. It’s about time. Great, talented and capable players, committed to broadcasting the importance of this issue, are working in the field, writing blogs, going on twitter and climbing the Hill to speak out and beyond. My colleagues tell me to blog, tweet and speak out. I should start blogging and tweeting. I’m putting that on my list.
Speaking out? Not a problem. I speak out and practice what I believe as a school food reform advocate every day of the year. With thirty years in the field of hospitality and the passion to say ‘yes” to the school communities that invite me to join their efforts for school food reform, I always feel privileged to step up and help commander the front line. This is where I can perform my best work.
But, who are the enemies? We, as a collective group of advocates and believers, have found it easy to point our fingers toward the direction of the FDA and the USDA, always knowing that we will be pointing toward a vast network of bureaucracy and conflict, perhaps too omnipotent for making immediate change - but not so powerful that they can not be negotiated for making great changes - in due time. That’s not to say that we should bring our hands down. We should not. But, when realizing that we are one of the only countries that put student nutrition in the hands of the country’s department of agriculture, we must nod in agreement that we must take matters in our own hands, at a community level, for immediate results. Knowing that what drives the economics of our culture is so broad, so “in the moment,” it would be our duty to partner blame with immediate action. We haven’t the time to do one without the other.
Bring on the freedom fighters - the parents, the school administrators, the nutritionists, the culinary experts who have come together to create a loud and unarguably, impossible voice to ignore.
As I prepare strategic planning for helping to bring School Food Reform to another New York School District, I am both excited and honored. I am still in awe of any group of community members who place the importance of reforming school meals as high as I do and believe it should be on the list of ‘to do’s in education. The choir, to whom we meet and discuss the changes, grows bigger and bigger every year and they have the tools for furthering the education of the believers and non-believers on the immediate benefits to all children’s health by changing school food from what is has been to how it could be - real food, good food, one tray at a time.
For now, it is the parents of the North Shore School District who have been diligent and unrelenting in their demands for their foodservice program to begin joining the school food reform movement which is underway in so many schools around the country. Fortunately, the district’s administration presents a culture that is both supportive and pro-active wherever student wellness is concerned.
In the next months I will spend time in the kitchens to help reform and reverse the time-worn practices of school foodservice programs: Thaw and reheat practices will be replaced with scratch cooking techniques and fresh salad bars; The best of the government’s commodities will be incorporated into menus featuring whole foods to both compliment and minimize processed ingredients; A la Carte items, once the mainstay of additional revenue for school foodservice programs, will feature items that are both healthful and wholesome in nature and will supplement program revenue but never at the expense of any student’s health.
I feel very fortunate that there is a voice to share our development with the Sea Cliff Nutrition Committee’s great blog, and I look forward to documenting how school food reform can take hold in any school district, one tray at a time.
Julia van Loon
The following post was written by Julia van Loon, a food service consultant and reform advocate our district has hired to move our school's lunch toward fresh, minimally processed, wholesome foods. - Sara
Finally! This country has put school food on its agenda as one of the most important issues to address. It’s about time. Great, talented and capable players, committed to broadcasting the importance of this issue, are working in the field, writing blogs, going on twitter and climbing the Hill to speak out and beyond. My colleagues tell me to blog, tweet and speak out. I should start blogging and tweeting. I’m putting that on my list.
Speaking out? Not a problem. I speak out and practice what I believe as a school food reform advocate every day of the year. With thirty years in the field of hospitality and the passion to say ‘yes” to the school communities that invite me to join their efforts for school food reform, I always feel privileged to step up and help commander the front line. This is where I can perform my best work.
But, who are the enemies? We, as a collective group of advocates and believers, have found it easy to point our fingers toward the direction of the FDA and the USDA, always knowing that we will be pointing toward a vast network of bureaucracy and conflict, perhaps too omnipotent for making immediate change - but not so powerful that they can not be negotiated for making great changes - in due time. That’s not to say that we should bring our hands down. We should not. But, when realizing that we are one of the only countries that put student nutrition in the hands of the country’s department of agriculture, we must nod in agreement that we must take matters in our own hands, at a community level, for immediate results. Knowing that what drives the economics of our culture is so broad, so “in the moment,” it would be our duty to partner blame with immediate action. We haven’t the time to do one without the other.
Bring on the freedom fighters - the parents, the school administrators, the nutritionists, the culinary experts who have come together to create a loud and unarguably, impossible voice to ignore.
As I prepare strategic planning for helping to bring School Food Reform to another New York School District, I am both excited and honored. I am still in awe of any group of community members who place the importance of reforming school meals as high as I do and believe it should be on the list of ‘to do’s in education. The choir, to whom we meet and discuss the changes, grows bigger and bigger every year and they have the tools for furthering the education of the believers and non-believers on the immediate benefits to all children’s health by changing school food from what is has been to how it could be - real food, good food, one tray at a time.
For now, it is the parents of the North Shore School District who have been diligent and unrelenting in their demands for their foodservice program to begin joining the school food reform movement which is underway in so many schools around the country. Fortunately, the district’s administration presents a culture that is both supportive and pro-active wherever student wellness is concerned.
In the next months I will spend time in the kitchens to help reform and reverse the time-worn practices of school foodservice programs: Thaw and reheat practices will be replaced with scratch cooking techniques and fresh salad bars; The best of the government’s commodities will be incorporated into menus featuring whole foods to both compliment and minimize processed ingredients; A la Carte items, once the mainstay of additional revenue for school foodservice programs, will feature items that are both healthful and wholesome in nature and will supplement program revenue but never at the expense of any student’s health.
I feel very fortunate that there is a voice to share our development with the Sea Cliff Nutrition Committee’s great blog, and I look forward to documenting how school food reform can take hold in any school district, one tray at a time.
Julia van Loon
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Additive of the Week - Sugar
We're supposed to avoid added sugars but sugar in all its forms - sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, dextrose - is in most of the entrees and canned fruits served at our school including:
Most forms of Pizza (frozen pizzas have it and the ones we make do since we use the government tomato sauce which does.)
All pasta dishes with tomato sauce
Mozzarella Sticks
Chicken Nuggets
Meatballs
Peanut Butter
Turkey taco meat
All bread - rolls, sandwich bread, etc.
These are USDA commodity foods produced for school lunches -- and the sugar can really add up. For example, in our meatball heros there is added sugar in the meatballs, the tomato sauce and the roll it is served on.
A typical day at our school might serve chicken nuggets, corn, whole wheat bread and applesauce -- and every single item has added sugar.
Some items have a huge amount of sugar such as the "chilled" strawberries with 30 grams!
One more reason to always read the labels.
Sara
Most forms of Pizza (frozen pizzas have it and the ones we make do since we use the government tomato sauce which does.)
All pasta dishes with tomato sauce
Mozzarella Sticks
Chicken Nuggets
Meatballs
Peanut Butter
Turkey taco meat
All bread - rolls, sandwich bread, etc.
These are USDA commodity foods produced for school lunches -- and the sugar can really add up. For example, in our meatball heros there is added sugar in the meatballs, the tomato sauce and the roll it is served on.
A typical day at our school might serve chicken nuggets, corn, whole wheat bread and applesauce -- and every single item has added sugar.
Some items have a huge amount of sugar such as the "chilled" strawberries with 30 grams!
One more reason to always read the labels.
Sara
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Additive of the Week - Genetically Modified Soy and Corn
The following foods served at our school contain soy or corn or one of their main derivatives, e.g. high fructose corn syrup:
Entrees:
Chicken Nuggets (corn and soy)
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (corn and soy)
Tomato/Spaghetti Sauce (corn and soy) (in many entrees - pasta dishes, meatball and chicken parm sandwiches, mozzarella sticks, pizzas made at the school, italian dunkers)
Pizza - frozen - various (soy)
Chicken in Chicken parm sandwiches (corn and soy)
Bagels (corn)
French Bread for Italian Dunkers (soy)
Club roll (meatball heros, etc.) (corn and soy)
Whole Wheat Bread- sandwiches, bread slice (corn and soy)
Sliders (soy) and their buns (corn and soy)
Turkey Taco Meat (soy)
Meatballs (soy)
Sides: (these all contain corn, corn syrup or HFCS)
Mixed Fruit Peaches
Pears
Applesauce
Corn
These are largely USDA commodity foods served in schools all over the U.S. The main exception is the bread.
On June 11th, we served Sliders, Peaches and Corn - putting either soy or corn in every single item we served. Another day, it was chicken nuggets, bread and applesauce - all with corn or soy or both.
Why do we want to avoid this kind of ubiquity of corn and soy?
In the movie The World According to Monsanto, they point out that90% of soy and 40% of corn grown in the US is genetically-modified (GM). They are also pervasive in processed foods.
Monsanto has genetically modified its seeds so that the corn and soy plants could be doused with RoundUp and survive. They tried to claim RoundUp was biodegradable - but regulators have since said this is not true and cannot be stated on the label. So, every day, our kids eat processed foods at lunch loaded with GM corn and soy treated with RoundUp. RoundUp has been shown to cause cell division - which you can take to mean it ultimately causes cancer.
Further, under US law, GM plants were declared to be substantially the same as non-GM plants and were never fully tested. In Europe, they are banned.
You can see the film online for the full story on Monsanto, GM crops and RoundUp.
Or read more online:
GEFoodAlert.org
GMWatch.org
WHO on GM Foods
Sara
Entrees:
Chicken Nuggets (corn and soy)
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (corn and soy)
Tomato/Spaghetti Sauce (corn and soy) (in many entrees - pasta dishes, meatball and chicken parm sandwiches, mozzarella sticks, pizzas made at the school, italian dunkers)
Pizza - frozen - various (soy)
Chicken in Chicken parm sandwiches (corn and soy)
Bagels (corn)
French Bread for Italian Dunkers (soy)
Club roll (meatball heros, etc.) (corn and soy)
Whole Wheat Bread- sandwiches, bread slice (corn and soy)
Sliders (soy) and their buns (corn and soy)
Turkey Taco Meat (soy)
Meatballs (soy)
Sides: (these all contain corn, corn syrup or HFCS)
Mixed Fruit Peaches
Pears
Applesauce
Corn
These are largely USDA commodity foods served in schools all over the U.S. The main exception is the bread.
On June 11th, we served Sliders, Peaches and Corn - putting either soy or corn in every single item we served. Another day, it was chicken nuggets, bread and applesauce - all with corn or soy or both.
Why do we want to avoid this kind of ubiquity of corn and soy?
In the movie The World According to Monsanto, they point out that90% of soy and 40% of corn grown in the US is genetically-modified (GM). They are also pervasive in processed foods.
Monsanto has genetically modified its seeds so that the corn and soy plants could be doused with RoundUp and survive. They tried to claim RoundUp was biodegradable - but regulators have since said this is not true and cannot be stated on the label. So, every day, our kids eat processed foods at lunch loaded with GM corn and soy treated with RoundUp. RoundUp has been shown to cause cell division - which you can take to mean it ultimately causes cancer.
Further, under US law, GM plants were declared to be substantially the same as non-GM plants and were never fully tested. In Europe, they are banned.
You can see the film online for the full story on Monsanto, GM crops and RoundUp.
Or read more online:
GEFoodAlert.org
GMWatch.org
WHO on GM Foods
Sara
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Additive of the Week - Fact Sheet on Fruits and Vegetables
We've compiled this fact sheet based on the labels of the fruits and vegetables served as sides in our school's cafeteria. The pesticide information is from www.FoodNews.org. The canned and frozen foods on this list are USDA commodity foods served in schools all over the country.
| Likelihood of Pesticides | Canned, Frozen or Fresh | Ingredients / Sugar or Salt Content | |
| Chilled Mixed Fruit | canned | peaches, pears, grapes, corn syrup, sugar - 15g sugar | |
| Chilled Cherries | high | canned | water packed |
| Chilled Blueberries | high | do not have | |
| Chilled Peaches | high | canned | corn syrup, sugar - 16g sugar |
| Chilled Pears | canned | high fructose corn syrup - 14g sugar | |
| Chilled Applesauce | high | canned | corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, erythorbic acid |
| Apricot Cup | frozen | 'syrup' - 30g carbs | |
| Strawberry Cup | high | frozen | 'syrup' - 30g sugar |
| Fresh Banana | fresh | naturally occuring | |
| Fresh Orange | fresh | naturally occuring | |
| Fresh Apple | high | fresh | naturally occuring |
| Fresh Watermelon | low | fresh | naturally occuring |
| Fresh Cantalope Chunks | low | fresh | naturally occuring |
| Steamed Brown Rice | dry | naturally occuring | |
| Chick Pea Salad | canned | salt, disodium EDTA - 380 mg | |
| Tomato Sauce for Dipping | canned | corn syrup, salt -- 870 mg sodium in half a cup | |
| Warm Carrots | canned | salt and calcium chloride - 370 mg sodium | |
| Cucumber Slices | fresh | naturally occuring | |
| Balsamic Roasted Carrots | canned | salt and calcium chloride - 370 mg sodium | |
| Lemon Glazed Carrots | canned | salt and calcium chloride - 370 mg sodium | |
| Baked Potato | high | naturally occuring | |
| Mashed Sweet Potato | low | canned | low sodium? |
| Roasted Potatoes | high | canned | salt and calcium chloride - 420 mg sodium |
| Steamed Spinach | frozen | naturally occuring | |
| Spinach w/ Garlic & Oil | frozen | naturally occuring | |
| Tossed Salad | fresh | naturally occuring | |
| Green Bean Salad | canned | salt - 380 mg | |
| Warm Green Beans | canned | salt - 380 mg | |
| Italian Style Green Beans | canned | salt - 380 mg | |
| Black Beans & Brown Rice | canned | salt, ferrous gluconate - 430 mg sodium | |
| Steamed Broccoli | frozen | naturally occuring | |
| Steamed Zucchini | fresh | naturally occuring | |
| Celery, Carrot & Pepper Sticks w/ Dressing | high | fresh | |
| Black Bean Salad | canned | salt, ferrous gluconate - 430 mg sodium | |
| Golden Corn Niblets | low | canned | added sugar and salt |
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Additive of the Week - MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Our additives of the week - Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP) and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) are found in the following foods served by our school -- and as USDA commodities, by many schools.
Chicken Nuggets (HVP)
Gravy (HVP, MSG)
Ground Turkey (yeast extract - another name for MSG)
Beef Sliders (textured soy protein -also like MSG)
Meatballs (textured soy protein -also like MSG)
Mozzarella Sticks (calcium caseinate - also like MSG)
From the Center for Science in the Public Interest:
Sara
Chicken Nuggets (HVP)
Gravy (HVP, MSG)
Ground Turkey (yeast extract - another name for MSG)
Beef Sliders (textured soy protein -also like MSG)
Meatballs (textured soy protein -also like MSG)
Mozzarella Sticks (calcium caseinate - also like MSG)
From the Center for Science in the Public Interest:
HVP consists of vegetable (usually soybean) protein that has been chemically broken down to the amino acids of which it is composed. HVP is used to bring out the natural flavor of food (and, perhaps, to enable companies to use less real food). It contains MSG and may cause adverse reactions in sensitive individuals. . . . (MSG) brings out the flavor in many foods. While that may sound like a treat for taste buds, the use of MSG allows companies to reduce the amount of real ingredients in their foods, such as chicken in chicken soup. In the 1960s, it was discovered that large amounts of MSG fed to infant mice destroyed nerve cells in the brain. After that research was publicized, public pressure forced baby-food companies to stop adding MSG to their products (it was used to make the foods taste better to parents). Careful studies have shown that some people are sensitive to large amounts of MSG. Reactions include headache, nausea, weakness, and burning sensation in the back of neck andI'm surprised by the prevalence of MSG in our lunch. These are major entrees, and we could easily be feeding our kids MSG four times a week. Enough already.
forearms. Some people complain of wheezing, changes in heart rate, and difficulty
breathing. Some people claim to be sensitive to very small amounts of MSG, but no good studies have been done to determine just how little MSG can cause a reaction in the most-sensitive people. To protect the public's health, manufacturers and restaurateurs should use less or no MSG and the amounts of MSG should be listed on labels of foods that contain significant amounts. People who believe they are sensitive to MSG should be aware that other ingredients, such as natural flavoring and hydrolyzed vegetable protein, also contain glutamate. Also, foods such as Parmesan cheese and tomatoes contain glutamate that occurs naturally, but no reactions have been reported to those foods.
Sara
Monday, June 21, 2010
What's in Tuesday's Lunch - 6/22
It's the last day of school lunch for this year. The menu lists "Cook's Surprise" so I called the food services office to ask what they would be serving at Sea Cliff. I have to say that every time I've called the office, they have been very responsive and helpful, regardless of the question or the issue. They are clearing out the freezers for the year so tomorrow (literally - that's what they said), you can choose from any of the following entrees:
Applegate Hot Dogs
Mozzarella Sticks
Chicken Nuggets
Sliders
They did not know which sides would be served.
Apart from the Applegate hot dogs, the list is a real who's who of processed commodity foods. So, just for old times sake, I'll recount the ingredients for you.
The national school lunch program lets us give our bulk USDA commodity mozzarella cheese to a processor (in this case, Farm Rich) who we then pay to turn it into mozzarella sticks. This is fried cheese with 280 mg of sodium and 9g of fat (3.5g saturated fat). The sauce provides an extra wallop of salt (870 mg in a 1/2 cup - I'm sure they eat less than that much but still.) Here are the ingredients: Low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese (pasteurized part skim milk, salt, enzymes), bleached white flour, enriched bleached wheat flour (flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), soybean oil, enriched yellow corn flour (corn flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), food starch-modified, contains % or less of the following: salt, onion powder, wheat starch, natural butter flavor, whey, sugar, egg, whey protein concentrate, calcium caseinate, sodium aluminum phosphate, soy lecithin, extractives of paprika, dextrose, nonfat dried milk, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), sodium alginate, soy flour, oleoresin paprika, maltodextrin, artificial flavor, tocopherols, natural flavor, spices, methylcellulose, dehydrated parsley, garlic powder, monoglycerides, triglycerides, yeast, sodium ascorbate, EDTA (as a preservative), calcium propionate (as a preservative), caramel color.
The chicken nuggets do have some whole grain in the breading -- but they are fried Tyson nuggets with a lot of additives. Like the sticks, they arrive frozen and are reheated. The chicken is USDA commodity chicken. They have 490 mg of sodium and9g of fat of which 1/5g is saturated. Here are the ingredients: chicken, water, textured soy protein concentrate, isolated soy protein with less than 2% soy lecithin, seasoning (corn syrup solids, brown sugar, dextrose, salt, vinegar powder (maltodextrin, modified corn starch, dried vinegar), garlic powder, onion powder, chicken type flavor (hydrolyzed corn gluten, autolyzed yeast extract, sunflower oil, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate)), sodium acid pryophospate. Breaded with: whole wheat flour, enriched bleached wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, modified wheat starch, salt, soybean oil, spice, yellow corn flour, paprika, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), garlic powder, natural flavor, extractives of turmeric, fumaric acid. Breading set in vegetable oil.
These used to be described as "all beef" sliders - but they are not. Buns are not whole wheat - 279 mg of sodium, and they do contain high fructose corn syrup. The Beef Patties(13g of fat) are a processed food made from USDA commodity beef. Here are the ingredients: Beef, water, textured vegetable protein (soy, flour, zinc oxide, niacinamide, ferrous sulfate, copper gluconate, vitamin A palmitate, calcium pantothenate, thiamin mononitrate (B1), pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6), riboflavin (B2), cyanocobalamin (B12)). Arrives frozen.
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.
And that's the last lunch of the year. We hope it's a final good-bye to highly processed USDA commodity foods and have a lot of reason to hope that it is. The administration has voiced a commitment to getting rid of the worst of these foods for next year and has hired a consultant to help put these and other changes in places thanks in part to the commitment of the parents on the nutrition committee. If you'd like to read a recap of all we've done this year, you can see our guest post at http://betterdcschoolfood.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-we-are-changing-food-at-our-school.html.
You may be wondering what will happen to the blog with no lunch to report on -- but don't despair, we'll be here for you all summer. We have several interesting guest blogs scheduled, lots of food news and ideas, camp lunch talk, and most importantly, the district will be working on revamping the menus for next fall with the involvement of the nutrition committee. We should also get an outside evaluation of our current lunch program.
Feel free to post a comment on any topics you'd be interested in.
Sara
Applegate Hot Dogs
Mozzarella Sticks
Chicken Nuggets
Sliders
They did not know which sides would be served.
Apart from the Applegate hot dogs, the list is a real who's who of processed commodity foods. So, just for old times sake, I'll recount the ingredients for you.
The national school lunch program lets us give our bulk USDA commodity mozzarella cheese to a processor (in this case, Farm Rich) who we then pay to turn it into mozzarella sticks. This is fried cheese with 280 mg of sodium and 9g of fat (3.5g saturated fat). The sauce provides an extra wallop of salt (870 mg in a 1/2 cup - I'm sure they eat less than that much but still.) Here are the ingredients: Low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese (pasteurized part skim milk, salt, enzymes), bleached white flour, enriched bleached wheat flour (flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), soybean oil, enriched yellow corn flour (corn flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), food starch-modified, contains % or less of the following: salt, onion powder, wheat starch, natural butter flavor, whey, sugar, egg, whey protein concentrate, calcium caseinate, sodium aluminum phosphate, soy lecithin, extractives of paprika, dextrose, nonfat dried milk, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), sodium alginate, soy flour, oleoresin paprika, maltodextrin, artificial flavor, tocopherols, natural flavor, spices, methylcellulose, dehydrated parsley, garlic powder, monoglycerides, triglycerides, yeast, sodium ascorbate, EDTA (as a preservative), calcium propionate (as a preservative), caramel color.
The chicken nuggets do have some whole grain in the breading -- but they are fried Tyson nuggets with a lot of additives. Like the sticks, they arrive frozen and are reheated. The chicken is USDA commodity chicken. They have 490 mg of sodium and9g of fat of which 1/5g is saturated. Here are the ingredients: chicken, water, textured soy protein concentrate, isolated soy protein with less than 2% soy lecithin, seasoning (corn syrup solids, brown sugar, dextrose, salt, vinegar powder (maltodextrin, modified corn starch, dried vinegar), garlic powder, onion powder, chicken type flavor (hydrolyzed corn gluten, autolyzed yeast extract, sunflower oil, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate)), sodium acid pryophospate. Breaded with: whole wheat flour, enriched bleached wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, modified wheat starch, salt, soybean oil, spice, yellow corn flour, paprika, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), garlic powder, natural flavor, extractives of turmeric, fumaric acid. Breading set in vegetable oil.
These used to be described as "all beef" sliders - but they are not. Buns are not whole wheat - 279 mg of sodium, and they do contain high fructose corn syrup. The Beef Patties(13g of fat) are a processed food made from USDA commodity beef. Here are the ingredients: Beef, water, textured vegetable protein (soy, flour, zinc oxide, niacinamide, ferrous sulfate, copper gluconate, vitamin A palmitate, calcium pantothenate, thiamin mononitrate (B1), pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6), riboflavin (B2), cyanocobalamin (B12)). Arrives frozen.
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.
And that's the last lunch of the year. We hope it's a final good-bye to highly processed USDA commodity foods and have a lot of reason to hope that it is. The administration has voiced a commitment to getting rid of the worst of these foods for next year and has hired a consultant to help put these and other changes in places thanks in part to the commitment of the parents on the nutrition committee. If you'd like to read a recap of all we've done this year, you can see our guest post at http://betterdcschoolfood.blogspot.com/2010/06/how-we-are-changing-food-at-our-school.html.
You may be wondering what will happen to the blog with no lunch to report on -- but don't despair, we'll be here for you all summer. We have several interesting guest blogs scheduled, lots of food news and ideas, camp lunch talk, and most importantly, the district will be working on revamping the menus for next fall with the involvement of the nutrition committee. We should also get an outside evaluation of our current lunch program.
Feel free to post a comment on any topics you'd be interested in.
Sara
Sunday, June 20, 2010
What's in Monday's Lunch - 6/21
Mondays are Pizza Day . . .
. . . the last pizza day of the year!
Cheese Pizza Slice
Bagel with butter, American or cream cheese
Tuna Salad Plate/Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Sides:
Cucumber slices
Peaches
Sliced Apples w/ cinnamon
We give some of our USDA commodity mozzarella cheese to Nardone Bros Baking in this instance and they turn it into a frozen pizza that we reheat at the school. The label indicates 540mg of sodium and 12g of fat. The list of ingredients is not that extensive -- if this is the same cheese pizza as earlier in the year - and can be seen at http://www.northshore.k12.ny.us/Foodserviceinfo/nutritionlabels.htm. No whole grain in the crust.
We haven't reviewed the PB&J in more than a week so here's a re-cap: The peanut butter is another free commodity - the ingredients are peanuts, dextrose, hydrogenated vegetable oil and/or partially hydrogenated palm oil, salt, and molasses. The jelly is "grape" with this ingredient listing: corn syrup (1st ingredient), grape juice (water and grape juice concentrate), fruit pectin, citric acid and sodium citrate.
Cucumber and apple slices sound good - fresh, raw fruits and vegetables. Or, you can have the peaches with 16g of sugar from the added sugar and corn syrup. The choice is yours.
So, keep your fingers crossed -- we're working with the administration to try to bring fresh, local, healthier pizza to school next Fall. We'll keep you posted. I wouldn't mind saying good-bye to those peaches, either.
Sara
. . . the last pizza day of the year!
Cheese Pizza Slice
Bagel with butter, American or cream cheese
Tuna Salad Plate/Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Sides:
Cucumber slices
Peaches
Sliced Apples w/ cinnamon
We give some of our USDA commodity mozzarella cheese to Nardone Bros Baking in this instance and they turn it into a frozen pizza that we reheat at the school. The label indicates 540mg of sodium and 12g of fat. The list of ingredients is not that extensive -- if this is the same cheese pizza as earlier in the year - and can be seen at http://www.northshore.k12.ny.us/Foodserviceinfo/nutritionlabels.htm. No whole grain in the crust.
We haven't reviewed the PB&J in more than a week so here's a re-cap: The peanut butter is another free commodity - the ingredients are peanuts, dextrose, hydrogenated vegetable oil and/or partially hydrogenated palm oil, salt, and molasses. The jelly is "grape" with this ingredient listing: corn syrup (1st ingredient), grape juice (water and grape juice concentrate), fruit pectin, citric acid and sodium citrate.
Cucumber and apple slices sound good - fresh, raw fruits and vegetables. Or, you can have the peaches with 16g of sugar from the added sugar and corn syrup. The choice is yours.
So, keep your fingers crossed -- we're working with the administration to try to bring fresh, local, healthier pizza to school next Fall. We'll keep you posted. I wouldn't mind saying good-bye to those peaches, either.
Sara
Thursday, June 17, 2010
What's in Friday's Lunch - 6/18
The year is winding down, and we're clearing the chicken nuggets out of the freezer --
Chicken Nuggets
Bagel w/ Butter, American or Cream Cheese
Tuna Salad Plate / Sandwich (see 6/10 post for 6/11 lunch)
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich (see 6/13 post for 6/14 lunch)
Sides:
Celery, Pepper and Carrot Sticks
Whole Wheat Bread
Chilled Applesauce
The chicken nuggets do have some whole grain in the breading -- but they are fried Tyson nuggets with a lot of additives. The chicken is USDA commodity chicken.
Here are the ingredients: chicken, water, textured soy protein concentrate, isolated soy protein with less than 2% soy lecithin, seasoning (corn syrup solids, brown sugar, dextrose, salt, vinegar powder (maltodextrin, modified corn starch, dried vinegar), garlic powder, onion powder, chicken type flavor (hydrolyzed corn gluten, autolyzed yeast extract, sunflower oil, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate)), sodium acid pryophospate. Breaded with: whole wheat flour, enriched bleached wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, modified wheat starch, salt, soybean oil, spice, yellow corn flour, paprika, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), garlic powder, natural flavor, extractives of turmeric, fumaric acid. Breading set in vegetable oil.
The celery, pepper and carrot sticks are a great, fresh, raw choice. The USDA believes you need bread with breaded nuggets - it is whole wheat but contains high fructose corn syrup. The chilled applesauce probably contains corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup and erythorbic acid - 18g of sugar. The district would like to get unsweetened but this is the last label we have.
This is one of those crazy meals where apart from the fresh vegetable sticks, everything has some kind of corn product in it. Go watch the movie King Corn this weekend for the whole story there.
Sara
Chicken Nuggets
Bagel w/ Butter, American or Cream Cheese
Tuna Salad Plate / Sandwich (see 6/10 post for 6/11 lunch)
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich (see 6/13 post for 6/14 lunch)
Sides:
Celery, Pepper and Carrot Sticks
Whole Wheat Bread
Chilled Applesauce
The chicken nuggets do have some whole grain in the breading -- but they are fried Tyson nuggets with a lot of additives. The chicken is USDA commodity chicken.
Here are the ingredients: chicken, water, textured soy protein concentrate, isolated soy protein with less than 2% soy lecithin, seasoning (corn syrup solids, brown sugar, dextrose, salt, vinegar powder (maltodextrin, modified corn starch, dried vinegar), garlic powder, onion powder, chicken type flavor (hydrolyzed corn gluten, autolyzed yeast extract, sunflower oil, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate)), sodium acid pryophospate. Breaded with: whole wheat flour, enriched bleached wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, modified wheat starch, salt, soybean oil, spice, yellow corn flour, paprika, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), garlic powder, natural flavor, extractives of turmeric, fumaric acid. Breading set in vegetable oil.
The celery, pepper and carrot sticks are a great, fresh, raw choice. The USDA believes you need bread with breaded nuggets - it is whole wheat but contains high fructose corn syrup. The chilled applesauce probably contains corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup and erythorbic acid - 18g of sugar. The district would like to get unsweetened but this is the last label we have.
This is one of those crazy meals where apart from the fresh vegetable sticks, everything has some kind of corn product in it. Go watch the movie King Corn this weekend for the whole story there.
Sara
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
What's in Thursday's Lunch - 6/17
It's Oswald Family Chili Day!
Oswald Family Turkey Chili (below)
Bagel w/ Butter, American or Cream Cheese
Sliced Turkey Salad/Sandwich (below)
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich (see 6/13 post for 6/14 lunch)
Sides:
Steamed Brown Rice
Carrots
Fresh Orange Smiles
It's Back! The winner of or chili cook off event is back on Thursday. Don't miss the kid-tested and approved turkey chili. Here's the recipe:
The Oswald Chili
3lbs ground turkey
1 large onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 bell pepper (not green)
1 Diced Jalapeno pepper
1 small can paste
2 28oz puree tomato
1 28oz diced tomato
2 2lbs kidney beans
2 T cumin
2 T chili powder
Brown turkey and set aside
Saute onion and garlic and bell pepper until soft
Add Paste and cook for 5 min.
Add all canned tomato, Jalapeno pepper, spices and turkey
Cook together
Add beans cook till tender
The turkey sandwich is a cold entree option (assuming you like turkey). The sliced turkey is a commodity provided by the government that we pay a manufacturer to process. The label on our turkey breast lists the following ingredients: turkey breast meat, turkey broth, salt, modified food starch, sugar, sodium phosphates, flavoring.
Steamed brown rice is good for you! In fact a new study is out linking brown rice to a reduction in risk for type 2 diabetes - read more at http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/15/eating-brown-rice-to-cut-diabetes-risk/.
The carrots are a USDA commodity. They are boiled in the can at a processor and contain salt and calcium chloride - 370 mg of salt.
Fresh oranges are good for you.
Sara
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