School lunch Wednesday 6/2: Macho Nacho

The menu reads as follows: Crisp Tortilla Rounds, Meat & Cheese, Cilantro Brown Rice, Lettuce & Tomato, Fruit Cocktail

What they got: Crisp tortilla rounds, fake meat and cheese, brown rice, lettuce & tomato, fruit cocktail, juice and lowfat milk.

A lot of different components were offered to the kids today....maybe too many. Not sure the kids really need juice AND a fruit cocktail AND milk.

Of course the thing that bothers me is the Cheez Whiz and the commodity beef. In fact the beef infuriates more than I can even express especially in light of the recent news. 

Here are some of the headlines:

Government Report Finds Dangerous Residues in Meat- Source: Alternet.org

Dirty, contaminated beef fed to children through school lunch programs - Source: NaturalNews.com

This is totally unacceptable. Why are parents allowing this to happen? Why are our schools not  putting their foot down and saying 'NO! We will NOT feed this to our kids'  Somehow feeding our kids veterinary drugs, pesticides and heavy metals had become okay. 

The activist in me wants to do something radical, like break into the kitchens and destroy all the meat...or I'd like to walk into the kitchens and dump out all the meat products being served on the floor in front of the kids, teachers, cooks and lunch ladies! Yes, drastic! Seems to me drastic times call for drastic measures. When will our government step up and put a stop to this farce of an FDA??

Where do we go from here??

Monday 4/26: Hamburger on W/W Bun

The menu reads as follows: Hamburger on W/W bun, veggie pasta salad, apple

What they got: Hamburger on a bun with veggie pasta, salad, steamed carrots and an apple.

Good news; today we received an additional vegetable, namely the steamed carrots! Honestly, I'm not a fan of just steamed carrots, I think they are much more flavorful and nutritious when served raw, plus I think kids are more apt to eat them when they are crunchy and fresh. That said, I welcome and appreciate the addition. The fact of the matter is that at least someone is listening and is trying to offer the kids a much more wholesome and well-balanced meal. What does throw the balance off though is the white bread AND white pasta, both of which lack any sort of whole  grain or whole wheat as stated in the menu. Also, it all seems like a lot of food for a 3/4/5 year old, don't you think?

OK, let's talk about the hamburger patty which scares me the most. It's commodity beef from the USDA which I have to say, I do not trust! Just yesterday, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who is fast becoming a leading food safety advocate in the Senate, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack urging the agency to include six additional strands of E.Coli as hazardous adulterants that need to be tested by the USDA.  The fact is that the food coming into our kitchens and cafeterias are not properly tested and E.Coli breakouts are still occurring and people are still dying. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 76 million foodborne illness cases occur in the United States every year.  This amounts to one in four Americans becoming ill after eating foods contaminated with such pathogens as E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Hepatitis A, Campylobacter, Shigella, Norovirus, and Listeria. It estimates that there are 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths related to foodborne diseases each year! WOW!

This is what Senator Gillibrand had to say:

“In America, in 2010, it is unconscionable that food is still going straight to our kitchens, school cafeterias and restaurants without being properly tested to ensure its safety,”.... “It’s spreading too many diseases and costing too many lives. The laws that are meant to keep us safe from hazardous foods are in critical need of updating. We need immediate action to keep our families safe.” 

Senator Gillibrand's letter follows another recall on Friday April 21st. The USDA recalled 135,500 pounds of beef trim products!  Seriously, this puts me off any and all beef products. Sounds extreme? Maybe, but you know what, I'll survive without eating beef, question is, will you?

Onto some great news: tomorrow I will feature a guest blogger mom who will be reporting on the school lunch served at her child's pre-school here in our district. Can't wait to see how other schools are doing it in Hoboken!

Also, we have finally opened up the dialogue with the school district and they have stated that they hope to have a working and functioning Wellness Committee in place within the next school year! Yeah! Let's get to work!