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 !

What's for lunch 11/25/13

Burrito

Marinated Southwest Chicken

Brown Rice, Black Beans

Whole Wheat Tortilla

Corn Tortilla Chips n’ Salsa‐ GF

Carrot Sticks w/ Dip

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 carrots are fresh with an organic full fat ranch dip. 

What's for lunch 11/22/13

 Brunch For Lunch

Cinnamon Challah

French Toast,

Applegate® Sunday Bacon,

Sweet Potato “Puffs”

Fresh Fruit

 Nutrition wise this is not the lunch your kids should purchase. Although they make like it, 

it is filled carbs and many, many, ingredients. Have them bring their own lunch or head for the salad bar. In 2014 the cafeteria won't be able to serve white bread due to the changes in the federal lunch program.  

 Say "No" to meal declared to be "cake" for lunch by our committee's nutritionist - basically white flour bread.  The syrup is basically HFCS.  They are looking for an affordable maple syrup but do not have one yet - but they will be limiting the serving size this year in the meantime.  Actual lunch from our schools above. This meal has a lot of sugar, simple carbohydrates -- no whole grains

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. Read more about nitrates here.

I do not know if the wrap used for the egg and cheese is whole grain.  But they do use actual eggs like you would use at home. 

"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.

What's for lunch 11/21/13

From the Ranch to you…

Hamburger or Cheeseburger

w/ all the trimmings

Homemade Cole Slaw

Oven‐Baked “Fries”

Fresh Fruit

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.

The potatoes are from McCains. The ingredients are: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (contains one or more of the following: Canola Oil, Soybean Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Sunflower Oil, Corn Oil), Corn Starch - Modified, Dehydrated Garlic, Spices, Salt, Dehydrated Onion, Rosemary, Dehydrated Red Bell Pepper, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Paprika, Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate Added to Preserve Natural Color.   Note that the autolyzed yeast extract is potentially similar to MSG. They have 3.5g of fat and 160mg of sodium.

The coleslaw is homemade but I am not sure if where the cabbage is coming from. The salad bar and Boar's head sandwich are options. 

 

What's for lunch 11/20/13

 An Early Feast!

Oven‐Roasted Turkey

with Pan Sauce

From the Farm...

Smashed LI Potatoes

Sautéed Garlic String Beans

Baked Apple Crisp

GF w/o Sauce or Roll

This is so nice to have an early feast at school !! I have to be honest I don't know where the turkey is from. But , I will get back to you on that.  The potatoes and string beans are fresh and the apple crisp is homemade.  So enjoy ! 

There are so many people on long island in need this holiday season.  Island Harvest does a wonderful job in collecting food donations and distributing them to food pantries cross the island.  Here is how you can contribute.  

 Homemade Baked Ziti

w/Barilla® Whole Grain Pasta

Romaine Salad w/ Chickpeas

Fresh Fruit 

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 romaine is fresh and the chick peas are canned.  

Salad bar is available. 

If you are interested in learning more about exercise and nutrition for your MS child come to the PTO meeting tonight.  There will be a panel of experts to discuss how to get your child healthier and fit.  7pm in the MS library.  See you there !