¡HoLa!

A lot has changed since the last school year. The biggest change for us was deciding to take our daughter out of the public school system and put her in a brand-spanking-new dual language charter school. The school is small; 132 students and 6 classrooms, two per grade (K, 1st and 2nd).
I love the concept of a small school that allows for lots of parent involvement with the added bonus of learning 2 languages. And that's exactly why we are attending ¡HoLa! | Hoboken Dual Language Charter School.

The school has an almost radical approach  towards health and nutrition. For one they chose Revolution Foods as their food service provider. While popular on the west coast, Rev Foods is trying to break into the market on the east coast and so is fairly 'new' in the area.  With school lunches coming in at $3.45 per meal compared to the $2.75 (Hoboken public schools) it can get pricey.  But as we've already seen, cheap food comes with a price far more devastating on our kids and the environment. Rev Foods began delivering October 1st and is going strong. So far I like what I see on the menu- more beans and more vegetarian options. I will start recording the meals next week.

The school is also encouraging healthy snacks not only for everyday, but also for birthday parties and other celebrations.  I like the concept of less cupcakes and more fruit! However, I think a healthy balance between the 2 is necessary: how about banana, blueberry chocolate cupcakes?

The most exciting thing for me (and the kids I think), is that even before the school opened its doors, they had built 3 above-ground planters or grow boxes (one for each grade). The kindergartners planted lettuce and oregano. My child came home with such excitement at the prospect of growing and eating what they had just planted.  And so, a school garden finally grows in Hoboken!

We also donated our worm factory to the school. We decided it was time for them to move out of our small urban home and into a large more open and welcoming environment. While I love the concept of the worm factory, it does come with some drawbacks; mainly the 100's of fruit flies!  At least they now have a home that not only inspires learning but also provides nutrient-rich compost for our schools' garden.  Sadly I do not miss them.

The winter is almost upon us and so until spring arrives and the bulbs flower, the garden will remain mostly barren. Spring will bring with it new life and new adventures and I am looking forward to it already!

Revolution Foods is coming to Hoboken!

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending a presentation by Revolution Foods for The Hoboken Dual Language Charter School (HoLa). At that time HoLa was looking for a food service company that could provide their kids with healthy, wholesome and unprocessed school lunches. Since my child is in the public school system, serviced by Chartwells,  I was all to interested to meet them, gather information and taste the food and to try an find out what makes them different to our current food service provider. 

The first thing that struck me was that their food philosophy was in sync with the actual food they serve! There is no false advertising! Here is an excerpt from their website: 

Our Ingredient Standards (Our Never-Evers)

• NO rBST or hormones in milk and dairy.
• NO Hormones & antibiotics in meat. Our meats are hormone- and antibiotic-free with no animal byproducts used in feed. This kind of meat is referred to in the food industry as “never-ever” meat – it is never ever treated with hormones or antibiotics.
• NO fried food. Our food is prepared fresh daily; we do not serve fried, unhealthily processed, or microwaved food. We do not even allow “flash-fried” products in our meals.
• NO high fructose corn syrup, ever.
• NO artificial trans fats, ever.
• NO artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners.
• All ingredients meet Whole Foods Market’s stringent quality standards.

Our Nutrition Standards

• We only offer non-flavored milk, and all our milk for K-12 students is 1% or nonfat.
• We strive to offer foods with little or no added sugar.
• Our meals on average contain no more than 30% of their calories from total fat and no more than 10% of calories from saturated fats.
• All of our baked goods (tortillas, breads, breakfast pastries) contain whole grains.
• We offer a variety of vegetables, including dark green and orange vegetables, throughout the week.
• We do not serve juice with our breakfasts or lunches.
• We offer a variety of fresh fruits over the course of a week, and we do not serve canned fruit.
• We offer fresh salads every day.
• We feature low-fat dairy products, in our meals.

There you have it...food philosophy every parent can appreciate!

Also, Ive heard that the other 2 Charters in Hoboken may also go with Revolution Foods, meaning greater buying power for them. I'm hoping that at this point we will be able to convince the public schools to give Revolution Foods a shot.


 

School lunch Wednesday 6/16: Turkey Wrap

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.

School Lunch Wednesday 6/8: Twin Taco

The menu reads as follows: Twin Taco, Turkey Taco Meat, Cheddar Cheese, Lettuce & Salsa, Fruit.

What they got: Two hard-shell tacos, turkey meat, cheddar cheese, smooth (?) salsa, lettuce w/tomato and a banana

Another twin taco meal with pre-seasoned turkey taco meat. I'm still not sure about this one but I do know I would feel a whole lot more comfortable if I knew they were using fresh ground turkey instead of the pre-packaged stuff.

Vegetables are almost non-existent (I don't count lettuce as a vegetable), but make the turkey from scratch and you can add onions, garlic, carrots, celery, peppers or whatever you feel like or have on hand. Nutritionally this meal can't possibly satisfy a growing body. If you are a nutritionist out there and think otherwise, please feel free to comment and inform me. The banana by far is the most nutritionally packed and is  a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium and manganese, and a very good source of vitamin B6.

As for the rest of meal...I think we can do better! 

School lunch Tuesday 6/8: Baked BBQ Chicken

The menu reads as follows: Baked BBQ Chicken, Sweet Potato, Fresh Broccoli, Dinner Roll, Fruit

What they got: Baked BBQ chicken, canned sweet potato, fresh broccoli, a dinner roll and a fresh fruit cup.

Yay! Real chicken! I had given up all hope and resolved Tuesdays to being "processed chicken day". Not so! I must say that our lunches have definitely improved and much effort has been put in to provide fresher ingredients for the kids. They LOVED the drumsticks and with a some encouragement ate the broccoli too. 

But boy, are our kids fussy eaters! What happened? I do not remember being this fussy, neither do I remember my brothers being THAT picky. In fact, I don't recall any of the kids in our family (and there are a lot) being fussy or picky eaters! I mean sure there are certain foods you just don't like, for example my one brother just could not stomach okra and would gag if one actually got in his mouth. Fermented vegetables did that for me, especially cauliflower. I ate it, did I enjoy it and ask for more? Hell no!  

I'd say most kids today eat a very simple diet which is why whenever faced with a new food they scowl and frown and say very adamantly:  "I don't like that!" To which I reply: "have you tried it?", to which they reply : "No, but I don't eat it" and then I reply; "But if you haven't tried it, how do you know you don't like it?". And their answer to that is: "I just don't!"  At this point I feel like busting out a few lines from Dr.Suess's Green Eggs and Ham, so I do. They smile and say "I still don't like it! "  Phew! All this to get a kid to try a piece of broccoli!

At least this time round they served fresh fruit cups, filled with  orange segments, pieces of melon & whole grapes- A nice change to the usual syrupy fruit concoctions, which for the record, I rarely see them eat! But I did see kids going back for second servings of the fresh fruit.  The cups are easy to eat & delicious. Definitely a kid-friendly component!  

 

School lunch Monday 6/7: Cheeseburger on W/W Bun

The menu reads as follows: Cheeseburger on W/W Bun, Veggie Pasta Salad, Fresh Vegetable, Apple

What they got: Cheeseburger on W/W bun, broccoli pasta, fresh carrots and apple.

As far as school lunches go I think this one has good array of components- broccoli, carrots, an apple, some pasta, and then there's the burger. The beef patty scares me the most. After countless  recalls I simply don't trust the FDA. Contaminated beef is finding it's way into supermarkets and schools more frequently it seems. Scientists believe that E.coli is becoming resistant to the antibiotics administered to cows routinely and therefore making its way into our food chain more often.

A piece in the New York Times last year, describes how a 22 year old children's dance instructor, ate a hamburger her mom made her which left her in a coma and when she awoke found herself paralyzed!  Such a tragic story and....

"Yet tens of thousands of people are still sickened annually by this pathogen, federal health officials estimate, with hamburger being the biggest culprit. Ground beef has been blamed for 16 outbreaks in the last three years alone"

Moral of the story: Don't feed our kids food that could possibly paralyze or kill them! Besides, would you want to eat this? 

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??

School Lunch Tuesday 6/1: Chicken Tenders

The menu reads as follows: Chicken Tenders, Tater Tots, Seasoned Veggie, Wheat Bread, Banana

What they got: Chicken tenders, tater tots, mixed veggie, wheat bread, a pear and lowfat milk

Another processed chicken meal. This is just a chicken nugget in the shape of a tender. I'm happy to see some vegetables and a fresh fruit on the tray. I must tell you that as much as it pains me to say this, the kids really love chicken tenders/nuggets. And while laden with fat and sodium, balancing the meal out with fruit and vegetables is an absolute must. Only problem here is that the kids will just eat the chicken and leave the rest, so there goes any 'balancing' one may have attempted.

Recently, Consumer Reports rated 14 supermarket brands of refrigerated and frozen chicken nuggets — including two chicken-like nuggets made from soy and what they found was that they all came with high sodium and fat content and were low (not poor) on nutritional value. Surprise!

They also warned consumers not to be mislead by the "All Natural" or "Organic" labeling.  My advice is to always read the nutritional facts and ingredients on the back to see if this is what you are looking for.

I came across an article done by MSNBC: The 20 worst kids' foods in America. They dissect and rate the worst meals ranging from pb&j to chinese food and then recommend what your kid could eat instead. Worth a read for sure.

My favorite was the classic grilled cheese sandwich, which won worst kids' sandwich and here is why:

Au Bon Pain Kids' Grilled Cheese
670 calories
41 g fat (25 g saturated)
1,060 mg sodium

You wouldn't even consider feeding your child this if they called it by its real name: an oil sandwich with cheese. So soaked is this sandwich that you'd need to eat 25 strips of cooked bacon to equal the amount of saturated fat found between the two slices. Wait until you get home — in about 5 minutes you can make a pretty mean 300-calorie grilled cheese sandwich.

Eat this instead!
Kids' Macaroni and Cheese
250 calories
14 g fat (9 g saturated)
690 mg sodium

 Wow! Who would have thought.....

School lunch Thursday 5/27: Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

The menu reads as follows: Chicken Broccoli Alfredo over Pasta, Green Beans, Breadstick, Pear

What they got: Chicken patty broccoli alfredo with pasta, green beans, breadstick, a pear and lowfat milk

This is one of those meals that sound great but then don't deliver. I would say that these pre-schoolers were less than happy with this one.  Some tried the chicken broccoli alfredo but most frowned upon the white sauce.

Curious to know what kind of chicken it was made with, I bravely tucked into a piece. Leathery. Rubbery. Basically a chicken nugget without the batter but with grill marks!

It actually didn't taste like much or perhaps I was too freaked out by the texture to even notice any flavor. I have to say that the chicken was totally unappetizing and can't imagine ever enjoying it in any way, shape or form. I could not quite figure out the alfredo sauce; was it 'home-made' or did it come from a bottle? Again, thank goodness for the breadstick, pear and milk, otherwise some kids would have gone back to class hungry. I watched one of the teachers eat a piece of chicken, and as quickly as she took that bite, she put down the spork. End of meal.

On a different note, a teacher approached me and asked if I had been checking out the school breakfasts. Her daughter attends preschool at Brandt and her complaint was that the kids were not being served what the menu states and then on top of that what was being served was basically sugar. No surprise there!

I would like to call upon the parents at Brandt to start checking in on some breakfasts and lunches. I know the school year is coming to an end but let's get started now. Seems to me that when we (parents) get involved things happen!

Wishing everyone a very happy memorial weekend.

School lunch Wednesday 5/26: Soft Turkey Taco

The menu reads as follows: Turkey Taco Meat on Flour Tortilla, Lettuce & Tomato, Ched Chez/Salsa, Banana

What they got: Turkey taco meat on flour tortilla, lettuce & tomato, cheddar cheese, salsa, banana and lowfat milk.

Honestly, not a bad meal and would have been much better had the tortillas been whole wheat and the turkey made in our kitchens from scratch, instead they probably used pre-packaged seasoned taco meat! I really do think that a few tweaks here and there and our kids would be eating much better.

For the most part they (the kids) enjoyed the taco, but I did see a few of them pushing off the meat and opting for lettuce, cheese tomato and salsa! This leads me to believe that opting for a vegetarian meal once or twice a week at school might actually be worth investigating! Frankly eating more beans is probably far more beneficial to them than any many of other components they are made to eat.

Just looking at the May menu, I do not see many legumes (beans, peas, lentils) offered. In fact this past month they have included baked beans once and seasoned peas once. Legumes are inexpensive, nutrient-rich and high in fiber, you'd think schools would make more use of them!

If I had to grade this lunch as far as if it's appealing and well-balanced, I'd give it a C+. It loses major points because the taco meat is pre-seasoned and also because there is not a whole grain in sight. What do you think?

School lunch for Tuesday 5/25: Baked Breaded Chicken

The menu reads as follows: Baked Breaded Chicken, Sweet Potato, Fresh Broccoli, Dinner Roll and Fruit

What they got:  Baked breaded chicken, canned sweet potato, fresh broccoli, a dinner roll (white), fruit juice and lowfat milk.

While this meal looks 'OK' I am not sure the kids had the same reaction. In fact one kid broke down into a symphony of cries when he realized that it wasn't chicken nuggets! It seems Tuesday's at school have become 'breaded chicken day'. From nuggets to lemon chicken, rest assured you will find chicken caked in some sort of breading as the main meal. Again, I have to say I am NOT a fan of the breaded chicken.  I think the kids can do without the fake seasoning and/or KFC look-a-like batter.

I also wonder if the school gets raw whole pieces delivered and then breads them on site or whether its been breaded and deep-fried at the manufacturer and then reheated/baked at the school kitchen.  I would obviously opt for the former, at least then the cooks would have control over what goes into the breading and whether or not it gets fried. I asked for real pieces of chicken and we got them, I just wasn't betting on them being drenched in batter.

The dinner roll proved to be popular and at least the kids didn't leave the cafeteria hungry...or did they?  There was some fresh broccoli, which they ran out of, and as for the canned sweet potato, while it may have some nutritional value it looks fake and quite unappetizing.  A dinner roll is definitely not a wholesome meal for growing inquiring minds, so all-in-all I'd say this meal is a fail. Which gives me an idea, I think from now we should start grading the meals! Plus, it would be pretty awesome if you the reader would also grade it from a visual perspective.  What do you think?

Wednesday 5/19: Baked Chicken Wings

The menu reads as follows: Baked Chicken Wings, White Rice, Fresh Broccoli, Warm Apple Slices

What they got: Baked chicken wings, brown rice, fresh broccoli, warm apple slices and Milk.

My child: "Look Mom, real chicken!!"
Me: "Yes! Can you believe it!?"

I now believe it, because I saw it! Real baked chicken wings, and it was awesome to see the kids eating it off the bone. One kid told me how he had never seen chicken wings before and then proceeded to scoff them down! :)

I've also noticed that brown rice is a favorite for many kids. All in all I think this meal is well-balanced, looks appealing and contains essential nutrition- minus the saturated fats and sodium. It seems that the simpler the meals, the more wholesome, the more likely the kids are going to eat them. Maybe that should be the theme for school lunches: Simple, wholesome and of course unprocessed!

Monday 5/17: Roast Turkey with Gravy

The menu reads as follows: Roast Turkey with Gravy, Brown Rice Pilaf, Fresh Vegetable, Applesauce

What they got: Roast turkey with gravy, brown rice, Italian vegetable medley, applesauce and milk.

Watching the kids scoff down their brown rice was awesome. Many of them enjoyed the turkey as well, but a lot of them did not even touch their vegetable medley. Again eggplant and zucchini are tough veggies for little kids to like, especially if it's not something as parents we would necessarily give them regularly. Personally I make eggplant every now and then, and my child does not like it very much.

I do think its important that they keep serving fresh vegetables but I also think it's even more important that we encourage the kids to try new things. My hopes are that with the Wellness Committee will come opportunities for kids to try new foods and explore the natural world around them. Coincidentally eggplants are really easy to grow and they come in an array of beautiful colors from pink, green, yellow, white to violet. I do think the kids will get a kick out of growing them and then eating them! 

Tuesday 5/11: Chicken Tenders

The menu reads as follows: Chicken Tenders, Brown Rice, Creamy Cole Slaw, Fresh Orange, Dipping Sauce.

What they got: Chicken tenders, rice, creamy cole slaw, fresh orange, BBQ dipping sauce and milk.

The first thing that struck me was how the brown rice actually looked like white rice with seasoning. In fact the more I think about it the more I think I'm right!  Look closely at the actual rice. Brown rice usually still contains the bran and germ while white rice has been totally stripped down so the rice is smooth in look and texture.

Secondly, I believe the kids got real chicken tenders today! It does look like deep-fried chicken though that has been reheated in a convection oven before serving. But at least it was real chicken. 

The chicken does however remind me very much of KFC and also just serves to confirm how our schools have been transformed into fast food joints. A reflection of current culture perhaps? Probably.

There is a huge effort out there to reverse this fast food culture.  One such effort is that of SLOW FOOD INTERNATIONAL - Their mission: " to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world."  It lobbies and promotes organic farming, nutrition education while preserving family farms and rejecting agribusiness.  Slow Food is about teaching us to eat again, it's about preserving traditions and celebrating food as the honest pleasure that it is.   


The current Food Revolution, is taking deep root across American schools and society.  It is another example of a united effort to reject fast foods that are highly processed, packed with additives and preservatives, and then sold to the consumer for profits, in this case our unsuspecting kids!  Rejecting the current culture of convenience that is also fast and cheap is what the food revolution means to me. It is what has got us in the this mess in the first place- and I'm talking from environmental destruction to recalls to diseases!  

For me it's meant changing my priorities a bit, like making time to cook every night, like not buying plastic baggies anymore, like composting and recycling and also not always eating what we feel like but what's actually in season (LOCAVORE)! Becoming a locavore has been the hardest one to achieve especially in the winter when we are not getting our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share!  But like anything in life, nothing is perfect and there is always room for improvement! Find what works for you and your family, make those changes and stick to them. Creating good habits that are not only good for you but also good for the earth will ensure a happy and healthy life for all.

Tuesday 4/27: Guest Blogger: A Small Oasis Of School Lunch Sanity

As promised this week we have guest blogger, aspiring documentary film maker and Mom, Ayesha Ali Ahmed, whose daughter also attends Pre-K 3 -Mile Square School at the Rue Building. Check it out...it's real food!

•••• Would you believe me if I told you that there is a small oasis of school lunch sanity in this mile square island we call home? I almost feel like I’m about to give away a culinary secret, the likes of which food hounds ferret and hide for fear that too many palates will spoil it’s delicate taste.But such is the power of technology, no ‘not so secret’ secret is safe.

Mile Square, the provider that runs the Abbott program at the Rue Building (where my daughter is enrolled) has hit the mother lode of good problems to have. Because they are a mixed use facility (including low income day cares), they don’t follow the School Lunch Program, they follow USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) eligible only to facilities in which 25% of the children receive reduced or free lunch. They further subsidize the lunch (since no one pays) by using funds from their before and after care programs. Like I said, it’s a good problem to have for everyone involved and here’s why. They make their own food in their own kitchen and it’s delicious.

I visited the kitchen this morning, met the chefs, poked my nose around in pantries and freezers and boiling caldrons of beany goodness, took pictures and asked many annoying questions which were graciously answered.

This is a fully functioning kitchen with two local women who get in at 6:30 am and cook from scratch. And when I say scratch, I mean it. The handy man goes out on almost a daily basis to procure the ingredients, meat from Shoprite (always hormone and steroid free), vegetables from a local shop, whole wheat bread delivered from Petcher’s Bakery. And then they do what people have been doing since time immemorial prior to breaking bread, they make it! (They don’t actually make the bread, but they do make everything else.)

 There is one pantry full of juice (they are also offer two snacks) and one of cans of tomato puree and that was all that I saw of anything prepared otherthan the cereals (Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies and Cheerios) and snackslike graham crackers, animal crackers and regular crackers. The only vegetables they buy frozen are peas and corn and the only fruit thatthey purchase canned is fruit cocktail (which I see on the menu only once a week) and canned pears (or was it peaches?)

Today’s menu was Spanish Style Rice and Beans, Tossed Green Salad, Wheat Roll, Orange and Milk - all  prepared fresh.

This is quite an endeavor obviously, the menu is rich and varied and accommodations are made for dietary restrictions on a daily basis. What was interesting wasthat today’s meal was entirely vegetarian and when I went up to the classes, it was being happily consumed. The children were sitting at their tables as the teachers and assistants doled out of the food on plates (not styrofoam) and handed out napkins and a real fork and pouredplain milk and water. I’m getting giddy with the civility of it all.

So, how does this magic happen every single day of the school year and more (since Abbot is also a wraparound program)? It happens as much out of choice as it does out of a lack of it. Mile Square could just as well order the reheat and eat junk that others do and save a lot of money and time, but they buyingredients from their supplier US Foods and not food. Do they pay bucket loads of dough for this dough? It’s hard to tell because they get $70,000 to feed 90 children breakfast, two snacks and lunch. How that breaks up is hard to calculate on the fly, but they’ve promised to crunch some numbers for me and let me know.

Forgive me If I've painted a picture that is so soft-focused and diffused that you can't even focus your eyes, but this is an example, albeit small and contained, of what can be done. Fresh food not processed food products offered to growing children. I don't think that that is asking for the moon anymore than I believe the moon is made of cheese, delicious and unprocessed!  ••••

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!

Wednesday 4/21: Pizza Sticks

The menu reads as follows: Pizza sticks w/sauce, Green beans, Apple Sauce

What they got: Bread sticks filled with cheese, sauce, canned green beans and apple sauce

So far this week they have had one fresh vegetable one fruit for offered and lunch. I got really excited yesterday with the broccoli and cauliflower medley but today I am not so excited anymore but I guess we need to take baby steps! Change takes time.

I'm still trying to determine what is healthy and nutritious on this plate and how this encourages the kids to eat fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains as stated by the NJ School Nutrition/Wellness Policy

I'll just leave it at that.

Wednesday 3/31: Twin Taco

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? 

Good news though: The school lunch project is picking up steam! Hoboken Patch did a story today on raising awareness about the poor quality of food served by our lunch program: Bring A Brown Bag—Some Hoboken Mothers Unhappy With School Lunch

Call To Action: MAKE SOME NOISE!
And don't forget to sign the petition for Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.

Tuesday 3/30: Chicken Nuggets

The menu reads as follows: Chicken Nuggets, Mashed Potato, Seasoned Veggie, Wheat Bread, Banana

What they got: Chicken nuggets, mashed potato, seasoned veggie, wheat bread and a banana.

Consistency. The lunch provided was as promised. I am very happy that they (Chartwells) are sticking to the menu, which makes me wonder when exactly they fell off the wagon to begin with!

Back to the lunch at hand. I have to say that I've eaten chicken nuggets and will probably eat them again sometime however, after seeing Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution I'll definitely think twice. As a test, JO made chicken nuggets from scratch for the kids. The object was to show them what they are really made of and as repulsive as it was they still insisted on eating them! In the words of my 5 y.o "Yuck! That's dizzgustin!"

If you and your kids haven't already seen it, you must check it. Be warned though- its gross!

Jamie Oliver shows kids what's in a chicken nugget 

It is apparent that these meals are not made from quality ingredients, the kids are eating only what appeals to them and this case the nuggets drenched in Red Gold ketchup.

This particular brand comes in a giant can. I managed to get a shot of the ingredients on this one and I definitely don't want my kid eating the ketchup at school.
Here are the ingredients as listed on the can: Tomato concentrate, high fructose corn syrup, vinegar, corn syrup, salt, onion powder, spice, natural flavors.

My main concern here is again the presence of HFCS AND corn syrup. Yes, yes, it's a controversial issue, the jury is still out on hfcs but when something attracts this much negative attention and medical studies, I usually just try to stay away, regardless of what the outcome may be. Besides, I like the idea of eating just plain old sugar versus a processed corn-based sweetener. I think I need a Nutritionist to weigh in on this though. Stay tuned.

The rest of meal was not that great. The medley of vegetables obviously came from can and honestly are not appealing-  a waste as was the mash potato. I watched them as one after the other, they threw away the food. Gone. Wasted.

How do we manage waste?  Well, give them fresh raw veggies, sprinkled with a little encouragement and I bet they would eat it! But basically its cheaper to just buy cheap food and have it thrown away. Crazy.

Things are hopeful though. Right now a bill is passing through Congress that would require national nutrition standards for foods sold in schools to improve and also expand the number of low-income students eligible for free and reduced-price lunches. The bill, named The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, also would provide funding to encourage schools to buy food from local farms and increase the amount of money schools receive per meal served. Today The New York Times put out a piece called "A TV Show and Congress Tackle School Lunches"  , and while all the national attention is awesome we as parents  also have to let our local school districts know that the food they are serving our children is unacceptable! So I urge you to write to our local Board of Ed members as well as Interim Superintendent Carter to pay attention to this issue and tell us how we are going to work together to offer better lunches for our kids!

Monday 3/29: Philly Cheese Steak

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.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

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!!! 

Section 204 of Public Law 108-265—June 30, 2004

Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004
SEC. 204 LOCAL WELLNESS POLICY

(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!?