The menu reads as follows: Turkey Wrap, Lettuce & Tomato, Broccoli, Fruit
What they got: Turkey wrap with lettuce, tomato and cheese, an apple and milk
What they did not get was the broccoli.
This weeks menu reads with sandwiches everyday. I'm assuming this is because it's the last week of school for our district before summer break.
Not a very appetizing wrap....it's all in the presentation though, had the wraps been cut in half and offered with apple and milk they probably would have been received a more favorably! The kids were rolling the contents out - perfect cause at this point I wanted to know what was inside.
American cheese, turkey, some lettuce and possibly a few slices of tomato, although I could not see it. Components I am not crazy about: tortilla wrap, processed cheese and the turkey lunch meat - loaded with fat, sodium and nitrites, and in my opinion not fit for a child.
The menu reads as follows: Twin Taco, seasoned taco meat, cheddar cheese,lettuce & salsa, fruit.
What they got: Taco, seasoned mystery meat, cheddar cheese, cheddar cheese, lettuce, salsa and canned peaches.
The lunch today again was delivered as stated on the menu. Please note the real cheese. Cannot complain about that!
The think what really bothers me with this lunch though is really the seasoned taco meat. Sitting in the serving tray it was all goopy and sticky. I've cooked a lot of ground beef, many variations and never does it have that texture. The lunch lady told me they get it in huge vacuum packed bags and then they just cook/warm it up. I'm concerned because it sounds like it's commodity processed beef and the sodium and saturated fats in it don't come with a whole lot of other nutrients! So why are they eating this again? The last time I looked we eat to feed our bodies and minds, this means eating healthy foods that are rich in nutrients AND taste! Food is not simply a filler. Sure it satiates hunger but then we may as well just feed them cardboard and be done with it.
The only fresh ingredient on the plate was the iceberg lettuce. Need is say more?
Menu reads as follows: Philly Cheese Steak on hoagie roll, crispy potato wedges and fresh orange.
What they got: Philly Cheese steak on hoagie roll, crispy potato wedges and whole fresh orange.
I'll start off by saying, thanks to Chartwells for sticking to the menu and also for making sure our fruit basket was full!
The other day when I asked my 5 year old what she wanted for dinner she shouted with great enthusiasm: "Philly cheese steak rolls!" Really?...Not! In my 5 years as a mother, I have never heard a child ask for philly cheese steak. In my opinion this is another poor food selection for pre-kindergartners. Not only is it bland looking but this meal is all white bread and potatoes! What's with all the bread people? And even more so, what's with the processed 'mystery meat' or 'steak' as they like to refer to it that's all 'dressed up' with some processed cheese? Indeed a very kid-UNfriendly meal if ever I saw one. Just from looking at it I'd say that nutritionally it is inadequate, unappetizing and not a very well balanced meal for growing minds! But, I guess we should be happy with the one vegetable, which coincidentally also counts as a starch and one fruit which is at least fresh. I counted 4 out of all the kids eating school lunch actually eating their roll, of those 4, only one ate the bread on the inside and the rest, as you guessed it all landed up in the trash. I believe the stryrofoam trays needed company!
But let's chat about the 'mystery meat' because I am confused. Check out the 'steak' up close and personal:
Doesn't look like steak to me but hey, lets face it, I am a foreigner, what do I know about fake meat?! So, in an attempt to demystify the mystery, I looked up the meaning of steak on www.dictionary.com and this is how they define it:
steak
(stāk)
n.
A slice of meat, typically beef, usually cut thick and across the muscle grain and served broiled or fried.
A thick slice of a large fish cut across the body.
A patty of ground meat broiled or fried.
[Middle English steike, from Old Norse steik; see steig- in Indo-European roots.]
Ok folks, I'm guessing that definition number 3 best fits our mystery meat, "A patty of ground meat broiled or fried", but looking at it I am still not convinced that, A. it's meat or B. it's broiled or fried, in fact I'm not quite sure how one would make this stuff. Actually, it looks a lot like lunch meat, but definitely not steak. I am dying to find out what the ingredients are but I can bet you that since it's processed it's preserved and if it's preserved it probably contains sodium nitrites, MSG or some other preservative or flavor enhancer. All I am saying is, is it really necessary??
A little update: Last week I met with the food service director who as you know invited me to come and check out their other kitchens and so hopefully this week or early next we'll have a lunch post on how Wallace does lunch. Also on March 24th I emailed Superintendent Carter and the entire school board regarding my findings and also inquiring about a Wellness Commitee. As of now, I have had not one response back. Not so much as a 'Thank for your interest' or 'We will look into it. Nothing. Just silence.
This is the law!!!
(a) IN GENERAL - Not later than the first day of the school year beginning after June 30, 2006, each local education agency participating in a program authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C.1751 et seq.) or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42U.S.C. 1771 et seq.) shall establish a local school wellness policy for schools under the loca leducational agency.
In brief, a Wellness Committee is typically and required by law to be made up of teachers, parents, nutritionists, dietitians, food service representatives and also the community. It's all encompassing. The policies are based on nutrition, physical activity, guidelines for all foods and beverages served in school and other school-based activities that promote student wellness. I believe that this committee is integral to happy healthy students, especially in a urban environment!
Can we please get this Wellness Committee started so we can start fixing the things that really matter, like growing healthy, educated and mindful citizens!?
