What's for lunch 12/13/13

 Burrito

Marinated Southwest Chicken

Brown Rice, Black Beans

Whole Wheat Tortilla

Corn Tortilla Chips n’ Salsa ‐GF

Cucumber Sticks

Fresh Fruit

GF w/o tortilla

The brown rice is a great whole grain. The black beans are canned. 

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 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 cucumbers and carrots  are fresh along with the fruit. 

Are you looking for a healthy breakfast to serve over the holidays ??? Try this, it is easy and delicious !

 

Mini Veggie Frittatas

This easy, clean egg dish can be made the night before and reheated in the morning.  Or you can get your family involved with picking their own veggies in the morning, which can quickly be sautéed and added to your scrambled egg mixture before baking your veggie frittatas.  Since I like spinach and mushrooms in my eggs, the recipe below is one of my favorites.  However I have also included a bell pepper and onion version of the recipe for those who (to quote my husband) thinks “green stuff in eggs is gross.”

Printable version of Mini Veggie Frittatas recipe

Makes: 12 frittatas   Servings: 4 (3 frittatas per serving)

Prep time: 10 minutes   Bake time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup of chopped red onion
• 1 1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms*
• 3 cups of organic baby spinach*
• 4 large eggs 
• 8 egg whites
• 1 cup shredded light swiss cheese, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.  Saute chopped red onion for 1 minute then add chopped mushrooms and saute 4 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add spinach and cover to 1-2 minutes or until spinach wilts.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together whole eggs and egg whites.  Mix in 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and season with salt and pepper.  Pour the veggie mixture into the eggs and mix well.
• Fill each muffin pan 2/3 full with egg mixture, then top each muffin tin with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
• Bake for 18-22 minutes until eggs are puffed and lightly browned around the edges.  Allow to cool in pan for 2 minutes before serving.

*Bell Pepper and Onion Version – Substitute the mushrooms and spinach for 1/4 cup each of chopped red and green bell peppers.  Saute onion for 1 minutes, then add bell peppers and saute for 2-3 minutes more.   Then prepare frittatas as directed.

What's for lunch 12/12/13

Applegate® Hot Dog

on

Whole Wheat Bun

Corn On The Cob

Veggie Sticks

Fresh Fruit

If you are going to have a hot dog then this is the one to have...... but the ingredients are not great. 

The hot dogs are from Applegate Farms - so they are far better than many hot dogs but are hot dogs nonetheless. They have 8g of fat and 330mg of sodium. 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. They promote it as nitrate-free but this NYT article indicates the nitrate issue is tricky - and cites the company saying their bacon has the same level (naturally) of cancer-causing nitrates as conventional brands.  You may also not want your kids growing up thinking hot dogs are a good lunch given the potential link between processed meats and cancer. The bun is whole wheat.  The veggie sticks are fresh. 

What's for lunch

Souvlaki Plate

Marinated Chicken w/

Sweet Peppers & Onions

Warm Whole Wheat Pita

Tzatziki Sauce

Greek Salad

Fresh Fruit

Gluten free without the pita

The chicken is a 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. 

The peppers and onions are fresh and still do not have izatziki sauce recipe.   The salad is fresh and so is the fruit. 

The greek salad is homemade with feta.  GF without the pita. 

What's for lunch

 Trattoria Tuesday

Chicken Parmigiana w/

Whole Grain Rotini Marinara

‐ORWhole

Grain Rotini Marinara

& Cheese Stick

From the Farm..

Sautéed Broccoli

The ziti is a white flour pasta with some protein by 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 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 is from Tyson but the parmigiana is prepared fresh along with the broccoli. 

Salad bar is available. 

What's for lunch 12/6/13

 Better Than A Pizzeria

French Bread Pizza

Sautéed String Beans

w/ Garlic & Oil

Fresh Fruit

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).  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.

The string beans and fruit are fresh.  The Boar's head sandwich bar and salad bar are available. 

Do you ever run out of ideas for breakfast ?? I know I do.  I stumbled upon this recipe today and going to give it a go.  I know cookies for breakfast does not sound like something I would encourage but these have some nutritious ingredients.  You could substitute the chocolate chips with dried fruit or use GF dark chocolate chips. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies

by The G-Spot

Keywords: bake breakfast dessert cookies snack gluten-free vegan vegetarian whole grain quinoa cookie

Ingredients (16-18 cookies)

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
• 3 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup vegan, gluten-free chocolate chips

NOTE

• I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Rolled Oats and Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine quinoa, peanut butter, maple syrup, salt, and oats in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer on low/medium speed, combine ingredients well.

Stir in coconut and chocolate chips.

Scoop and mold dough into round, tablespoon-sized cookies.

Place cookies on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until bottoms are nicely browned.

Allow to cool completely before storing.

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What's for lunch 12/5/13

From the Ranch to you…

Beef Taco Thursday!

Hard Corn Tortilla— GF

or Sour Flour Tortilla

Romaine Lettuce, Cheese,

Salsa, Sour Cream,

Brown Rice & Black Beans

Veggie Sticks

Fresh Fruit 

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 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).

I am not sure what the ingredients in the corn tortilla's are besides corn.  It is nice there is a gluten free option. 

The beans are canned and the rice is whole grain.  Veggie sticks and fruit are always available, as well as the salad bar. 

What's for lunch 12/4/13

 Barilla®

 Whole Grain Rotini 

Pomodoro

w/ Mozzarella

Sautéed Spinach w/

Garlic & Oil

Fresh Fruit

This is a whole grain rotini by Barilla.   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).

We usually use the Red pack tomatoes for the sauce but I am not sure about the pomodoro.  The spinach and fruit are fresh.  The salad bar is available. 

What's for lunch 12/3/13

 Brunch For Lunch

Cinnamon Challah

French Toast

Boar’s Head® Ham

Oven Baked Potato “Puffs”

Apple Crisp 

This is a very popular meal. That's why we serve it. But it's not good for you.

Join me in saying "No" to meal declared to be "cake" for lunch by our committee's nutritionist.  Plus, the liberal allocation of syrup is basically HFCS.  (News Flash! Next year we will replace the high fructose corn syrup with actual maple syrup! But it won't make up for the lack of any whole grains in this meal.)

Then there are the commodity potatoes processed by McCain's into tater tots -- although they are labeled "frozen pre-formed potato rounds."  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.

The apple crisp is homemade.  I am hopeful we will be replacing this meal with a better option in the near future. 

I was at the MS today and was able to take some great photos of the salad bar.  The chefs in this kitchen work very hard to provide the kids with healthy food. Pictures to follow !