Weekend Reading -- and Local Fun

Reading

No Reading this weekend!

Fun

This weekend is the Planting Field's big Arbor Day Celebration. Seriously - it's fun and they give you a small tree. Well, a sapling. 

On Sunday, Old Westbury Gardens is having a "Tree-mendous" celebration for families and - trees. Pick up a pass at the Sea Cliff Library.

What's for Lunch - Thurs., 4/25

HOMEMADE BREADED CHICKEN CUTLET
Brown Rice & Black Beans
Salad Bar Veggie Sides
Strawberry-Yogurt Smoothie

I'm not sure about the homemade chicken cutlet. This will be chicken from Tyson and presumably we are breading it ourselves.

he brown rice is a whole grain but as previously discussed cannot be cooked in a way that minimizes the arsenic content. The black beans are canned and the ingredients are "BLACK BEANS, WATER, SALT, AND CALCIUM CHLORIDE" with 140mg of sodium.

The smoothie  will be made with plain yogurt to which we add  honey plus 1% milk and strawberries. The food service department says the strawberries are fresh -- we previously used frozen and have asked about the country of origin. Our fresh strawberries are from California.

What's for Lunch - Wed., 4/23

BURGER BAR
NYS Local Beef
Burger or Cheeseburger
Lettuce/Onion/Tomato
Baked Potato “Puffs”
Salad Bar Veggie Sides
Fresh Fruit Salad

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.

"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.

But -- there are lots of fresh fruits and vegetables on the salad bar. Don't the fruit and veggies look nice with the burger?

What's for Lunch - Tues., 4/23

WHOLE WHEAT FRENCH BREAD PIZZA
Meatball Topping Available
Carrot Crunchers with Dip
Salad Bar Veggie Sides
Pineapple in Fruit Juice

Whole grain bread. The pizza sauce is from Red Pack and the ingredients are: Tomato concentrate (water, tomato paste), salt, citric acid, basil. We are making these pizzas - not frozen!

The meatballs are processed, cooked and frozen by Tyson from commodity beef.  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.

Fresh carrots with organic full-fat Ranch dressing as the dip.

Canned pineapple in juice from China.

What's for Lunch - Mon., 4/22

Whole Wheat Spaghetti w/Meatballs
Whole Grain Garlic Bread
Sauteed Zucchini w/Garlic & Oil
More Salad Bar Veggie Sides
Applesauce w/Cinnamon


The sauce is a Red Pack vitamin enhanced tomato sauce.  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 noodles are whole wheat.

 The meatballs are processed, cooked and frozen by Tyson from commodity beef.  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.

We make the whole grain garlic bread ourselves. Fresh zucchini and other fresh sides. Commodity applesauce to which we add cinnamon.

Weekend Reading - and Local Fun

Reading

A new report by the USDA shows that school kids are eating more fruits and vegetables.

Watching

Learn more about the new "Monsanto Protection Act"  that protects genetically modified food even if it is found to be harmful to our health.

Action

Ask restaurants to offer healthier children's meals - read more and sign the petition.

Sign the Petition -- Keep antibiotics out of organic apples and pears. You read that right - now read more and sign on. 

Fun

The Javits Center is hosting a "Green Festival" this weekend. More info at www.greenfestivals.org.

The Nassau County Art Museum is hosting Earth Day activities on Sunday for the family - a large scale, participatory sculpture of recycled materials and naturalists at their pond will help kids learn who lives inside. 

What's for Lunch - Fri., 4/19

MACARONI & CHEESE
Barilla Plus Pasta with Wisconsin Cheddar
OR
Breaded Chicken Caesar Wrap
Pepper & Celery Sticks w/Dip
More Salad Bar Veggie Sides
Pears in Fruit Juice

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.

The chicken caesar wrap is also made with Tyson chicken and the wrap is probably not whole grain.  The chicken is Tyson. It is described as "1/2" diced chicken meat" and as "boneless, skinless, and fully cooked." It is chicken breast.

Fresh peppers and celery with an organic ranch dressing dip.

Canned pears are from China.