What's for lunch 10/11/12

Barilla Plus Macaroni & Cheese

Fresh Spinach with Garlic

Fresh Fruit

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 spinach is fresh but not organic. The fruit is fresh.

The salad bar and boar's head sandwich bar are available. Whole grain rolls are being served at the salad bar. The  quesadilla and meatball hero are alternative entrees. ( See previous posts for meatball ingredients, they are frozen and from Tyson).  The peanut butter and jelly is off the menu for now. 

The FDA is investigating an outbreak of salmonella that is linked to certain processed peanut butters and nut butters. Click on the link below and check your pantry.  

www.fda/food/foodsafety/COREnetwork

What's for lunch 10/9/12

Oven Baked
All White Meat Chicken Tenders

Sweet Potato Wedges Sauteed Zucchini

Fresh Fruit 

This is basically chicken nuggets. Quite a bit of fat and salt.

The chicken is from Tyson. The ingredients are: Chicken breast tenderloins, 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.  The serving size of two pieces - which is what elemntary students get - has 14g of fat and 580mg of sodium.

The sweet potato wedges are from McCain. The ingredients are: Sweet Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Contains One Or More Of The Following Oils: Canola, Soybean, Cottonseed, Sunflower, Corn), Corn Starch - Modified. Contains 2% or less of Annatto (color), Beta Carotene (color), Caramel Color, Corn Starch, Dehydrated Sweet Potatoes, Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Natural Flavor (Contains Wheat), Rice Flour, Salt, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate Added To Maintain Natural Color, Sugar, Tapioca Dextrin, Xanthan Gum. 

The zucchini is fresh and sautéed in olive oil. The fruit is fresh. The salad and sandwich bar are available as well. 

What's for lunch 10/5/12

Oven Baked Breaded Chicken 

Whole Grain Roll

Sweet Potato Puff

Corn Cobettes 

Fresh Fruit

The oven baked fried chicken is made here with a breading of corn meal, panko bread crumbs, flour, buttermilk and some salt and pepper. It is oven-baked and not fried - hence the quotation marks. (The new menus are a lot of work for the food services staff - thank you!)

The Return of the Tater Tot.  Or so I suspect.  Our processed potato products generally come from McCain's who has a product called Harvest Splendor Bites.  From the picture, I think this is what we are serving.  The ingredients would then be: Sweet Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Contains One Or More Of The Following Oils: Canola, Soybean, Cottonseed, Sunflower, Corn). Contains 2% or less of Corn Starch - Modified, Dehydrated Potatoes, Dextrin, Maltodextrin, Molasses, Salt, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate Added To Maintain Natural Color, Sugar, Tapioca Starch - Modified, Xanthan Gum.  We do bake them but I don't know yet if they are pre-cooked (fried?) before being frozen and shipped to us.  This counts as our orange vegetable.  I find that interesting. These items are fried first and then frozen. I will call McCains to confirm. Not the best item to eat with your lunch but there are far worse.   The corn is about a half an ear - we buy frozen corn.  

The roll is whole grain and the fruit is fresh.  The alternative entrees will remain the same for this month. Meatball hero, PB & J, and the salad bar.  

What's for lunch 10/4/12

Breakfast Burrito Scrambled Eggs with Peppers, Onions & Jack Cheese

Herb Roasted Potato

Fresh Fruit 

The burrito is made with a flour tortilla, eggs, onions, peppers and jack cheese. None of these items are organic but the veggies and and eggs are fresh. 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 potatoes are local. They are seasoned and baked. The fruit is fresh not canned. The usual alternatives are available including the salad bar.  

Make sure your child is taking all the sides that are available.  It is so important that they have enough fuel in their bodies to get through their very busy days.   You can never eat too many fruits and vegetables. 

What's for lunch 10/3/12

Barilla Plus Rotini with Meatballs or Marinara Sauce with Mozzarella Stick

 Sauteed Fresh Zucchini 

Fresh Fruit

The pasts is 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 marinara starts with tomato sauce by Red Pack. 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).  I believe we are adding additional diced vegetables to satisfy  the new vegetable requirements in the school lunch law. 

The mozzarella stick is part skim. The zucchini and fruit are fresh. 

The cheese  quesadilla w/ a flour tortilla - no whole grains. 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 meatballs we've used previosuly 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. The same marinara sauce is used for the meatball hero. The salad bar is available. 

What's for lunch 10/2/12

est Souvlaki Plate

Marinated Chicken with Sweet Peppers & Onions 

Whole Wheat Pita 

Tzatziki Sauce 

Greek Salad with Chickpeas

Fresh Fruit

The chicken is a pre-cooked Tyson 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.  They have 10g of far (2g of saturated) and 620mg of sodium. The peppers and onions are fresh. 

The whole wheat pita is whole wheat. Still getting ingredients for Tzaztziki sauce. Greek salad is fresh with canned chickpeas and fresh fruit.  The kids love this lunch !!  

Make sure you children know that water is offered in the cafeteria besides the bottle water.  I believe a pitcher and cups are available. And it is free. 

On another note..... the USDA has mandated calories being served at lunch.  For Middle school students it is between 600-700 per day.  Some parents are upset and think it is not enough.  It should be enough but , the question is why are kids still hungry in school ? The answers are a few. 

1. They are not eating breakfast. Or they are eating a sugar filled breakfast. 

2.  They have recess after lunch and are rushing to get outside and don't eat all their food.

3. They take only the main entree and don't eat any of the sides. 

Ask your children these questions if they are hungry at school. You just maybe able to solve the problem. 

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.