What's for Lunch - Thurs., 10/6

Pizza Bagel - Plain or topped with Broccoli
Salad Bar Veggies
Caesar Salad
Fresh Pear

There are lots of fresh fruits and vegetables to be had today! The pizza bagel does not indicate it is whole grain so it is likely not. For our various pizzas, we typically 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).  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.

Tell the FDA You Want Genetically Modified Foods to be Labeled

One more reason to limit processed foods- up to 70% contain genetically engineered foods. Virtually all soybeans in our country and a significant percent of our corn has been genetically modified. But food manufacturers in the US don't have to tell you what you're eating. Read on --

From teh Environmental Working Group:

Have you been eating genetically engineered food?

The truth is, when it comes to genetically engineered foods, there is no labeling requirement. These foods have been altered at the molecular level. They are appearing on supermarket shelves with increasing frequency - in fact, 94 percent of all U.S.-grown soybeans are genetically engineered!

Environmental Working Group thinks this is wrong. You have a right to know what you and your family are eating. That's why we've joined forces with more than 300 organizations to launch the Just Label It campaign and tell the federal Food and Drug Administration that Americans have the right to know when they're eating genetically engineered food. Our partners at the Just Label It campaign put together a video to spread the word about genetically engineered foods - will you watch it, sign the petition, and then pass it on today?

The only way the FDA will act is if it hears from all of us.

Click here to sign our petition to the FDA and to watch a special video from the Just Label It campaign, Dining In The Dark.

Consumers might choose to avoid some of these foods if they had all the information.

The issue is not just fresh produce. According to the Congressional Research Service, 60 to 70 percent of processed foods available in American grocery stores likely contain some genetically engineered ingredients. These ingredients are prevalent in many products you may buy every day, including breakfast cereals, cookies, chips, sweetened soda, frozen meals and more.

The scientific debate about the benefits and risks of genetically engineered crops will continue for a long time. Meanwhile, an entire generation will have grown up consuming them. We should all have the right to participate - or not - in this sweeping experiment with our bodies and our environment.

Several polls and surveys have found that the vast majority of Americans want genetically engineered foods to be labeled. Many other countries including Japan, Australia, the European Union and even China require labeling of genetically engineered foods. Let's make sure the FDA gets the message that the U.S. shouldn't be left behind. Join EWG and its 300-plus campaign partners in demanding that the FDA insist that genetically engineered foods be labeled.

Click here to sign our petition to the FDA, and watch the video, Dining In The Dark.

Thank you for taking action. We all have the right to know what we are eating.

Sincerely,

Ken Cook
President, Environmental Working Group

PS - The right to know what we're eating should apply to school food, too. Ask your district to post the ingredients.

What's for Lunch - Wed., 10/5

 Try the alternate turkey wrap:

BURGER BAR
100% Beef Burger or Cheeseburger
Lettuce/Onion/Tomato
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet Corn
Fresh Melon

This is USDA commodity beef - but without fillers. You may wish to read more about ground beef in our Meatless Monday posts here and here.  The fries are frozen, cut sweet potatoes. Corn is canned and melon is fresh. Not sure what kind - personally, I'm still a little afraid of cantaloupe.

Instead, try the salad bar as your meal or Wed's wrap is Boar's Head turkey. Pictured above.

What's for Lunch - Tues., 10/4

Chicken & Broccoli (Diced Chicken Breast) Stir Fry
or
Vegetarian Egg Roll
Brown Rice
Orange Slices

Exciting new menu choices!   Get a chicken and broccoli stir fry we make ourselves or a vegetarian option in the form of an egg roll. The chicken is poached, diced frozen chicken breast but without fillers, etc. The egg roll uses Pride of New York flash frozen black beams I believe. Both worth trying. Plus, brown rice and fresh orange slices.

Is this Your Child's Lunch?

Is this Your Child’s Lunch Tray?

This is an actual lunch purchased at the elementary school:

And it's not the only one! Lots of our kids are missing out on a complete meal at our school. The staff can't make them take the fruits and vegetables -- but you can talk to your kids today.

These are actual photos of fresh fruits and vegetables served in our cafeteria:

Please encourage your child to try the side dishes! Your child will:

-      -  Feel full for longer during the day

-      -  Benefit from all the vitamins, minerals and fiber in fruits and vegetables

-        -Help generate more money for our lunch program by purchasing a complete meal under USDA guidelines

What's for Lunch - Mon., 10/3

Here's the menu for Monday:

Whole Wheat Penne w/
Meatball Pomodoro
(Chunky Fresh Tomato Sauce
with Meatballs & Basil)
Salad Bar Veggie Sides
Fresh Fruit

The Oct. menu should be home in backpacks soon!

Meatless Mondays - A Proposal

Here's another reason to eat less meat - the tremendous impact on the environment. Plus, as the letter below notes, young children are eating 3 times the protein they need- but not nearly enough fruits or vegetables.

Join Mario Batali's campaign, sign the pledge and eat less meat. Then, let's ask our school to help our kids learn to eat vegetable-centric meals, too.

From the Environmental Working Group:

In recent years I've been more aware of how much my food choices impact our planet. I was introduced to the Meatless Monday campaign and realized that eating a little less meat makes a big impact, both when it comes to losing weight and getting healthier, as well as relieving some of the tremendous burden on our environment.

And I'm talking about a big impact. According to EWG's Meat Eater's Guide to Climate Change + Health, if everyone in the U.S. skipped eating meat and cheese just one day a week for a year, it would be like pulling 7.6 million cars off the road. At the same time, people -- especially kids -- would be less likely to develop health problems such as obesity and heart disease.

That's why I am such a big fan of EWG and the Meatless Monday movement in their work to get people to eat less meat and more fruits and vegetables.

So will you join me and pledge to go meatless just one day a week?

Click here to sign EWG's pledge that you'll skip meat one day a week. EWG is trying to get 100,000 supporters to take the pledge.

My restaurants were already very vegetable heavy, but I came to realize that vegetables did not have to be only a condiment or a side dish, and we've added more veg-centric entrée-type options. I wanted to make it easier for other people to cut back on meat, so we began promoting Meatless Monday and offering alternating veggie specials every week!

This issue is particularly important to me because it so profoundly affects children. Studies have found that young kids are eating triple the currently recommended amount of protein, mostly from meat, yet few eat enough fruits and vegetables. If we don't take action now and teach our kids how to eat less meat, more and more of them could face serious health conditions such as heart disease, stroke and even some types of cancer as they get older.

You can help your family eat healthier by serving them a tasty meatless meal once a week. And if we all do it together -- cutting down on the chemical fertilizers, fuel, pesticides and toxic chemicals that harm the environment -- we'll make a huge difference!

Click here to sign a pledge that you'll go meatless at least once a week. EWG wants to get 100,000 people to join us. You'll still have plenty of great options, such as beans, nuts, eggs, vegetables and whole grains!

What I love about this campaign is that you don't have to be a vegetarian to eat healthier. That's not realistic for everyone, but you can make a lasting impact on your health and on our planet by making even small changes to your diet!

Sincerely,

Mario Batali
Chef and Author