What's for lunch 10/01

BETTER-THAN-A-PIZZERIA
Flatbread Plain
(Made with Fresh Mozzarella)
Fresh Tomato Sauce
Romaine salad with chick peas
Fresh fruit 
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). Pizza is topped with mozzarella and basil. 

The salad is with fresh romaine and chick peas. Fresh fruit is also served.  Salad bar and sandwich bar are open. Pepper jack quesadilla and meatball hero are alternative entrees.  I believe the meatballs are frozen and are supplied by Tyson. I admit I have to double check that since ingredients have changed. 

Sabra hummus bowl with or without pretzel chips are available as well. 

What's for lunch 9/28

ANTIBIOTIC/HORMONE-FREE
Beef burger /cheese burger

Whole grain bun

Oven baked potato wedges

Cucumber sticks 

Fresh fruit 

Today represents a big change in our school's lunch program. 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.

The bun is whole grain. The  potato wedges are government commodity potatoes (a cost savings - the staff has been trying to use our free commodity foods very carefully to avoid most processed products). They arrive frozen. They are completely plain potatoes that are only baked with our own seasonings. The cucumbers sticks are fresh not canned or frozen. The sandwich and salad bar are available as well. 

This is interesting brief story about how Russia is banning American GMO corn. More reasons to know what you are eating.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2208452/Russia-suspends-import-use-American-GM-corn-study-revealed-cancer-risk.html 

Enjoy the weekend !! 

Apologies !

My computer has been on the fritz and I am still gathering ingredients for new items.  After Friday I should be all set ! You will be able to see exactly what your kids are eating !

What's for lunch 9/27

BETTER-THAN-A-PIZZERIA
Flatbread Chicken Parmigiana
or
Flatbread Plain
(Made with Fresh Mozzarella)
Romaine salad with Chickpeas

Fresh fruit 

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.

The sides are salad with chickpeas and fresh fruit. Both are a great source of fiber !

Salad bar and Boars head sandwich bar are always an option.  Boars Head is gluten free and there are plenty of healthy options at the salad bar.

What's for lunch 9/24/99

Whole Wheat French Toast with Orange Rounds
Applegate Breakfast Bacon
Sweet Potato Wedges
Fresh Fruit 


  We use Nature's Own Whole Wheat Bread for the french toast . 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. Eggs and milk are used as well but they are not organic. 

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.

I suspect the sweet potato wedges are frozen. Not sure if they are from McCains. I could not find ingredients for the wedges on the website. 

Alternative entrees are Pepper Jack quesadilla with chips and salsa. Peanut butter and Jelly on whole wheat bread. Meatballs on a roll with veggie sides. Still getting ingredients for these. And of course the SALAD BAR is always a good choice !!! 

We have come a long way in changing school food. But there is so much more to do. Check out www.angrymoms.org to see how this movement started.  Another favorite of mine is www.blog.betterschoolfood.org.  

The Middle School menu is up !

Hope everyone enjoyed their summer ! The cafeteria is up and running. Please go to http://www.northshore.k.12.ny.us/middle-school/lunch-menus.htm for this month's menu items. Still gathering ingredient information for new menu items.  There is no salad until next week. 
Welcome back !!