What's for lunch - Friday, November 1, 2013

Applegate Hot Dog on a Whole Wheat bun 

With or without sauerkraut 

OR

Fresh Fruit Plate w/Freshly Baked 

Whole Wheat Breadstick & Cheese

Carrot sticks, Pineapple chunks in juice

The hot dogs are from Applegate Farms - so they are far better than many hot dogs. They have 8g of fat and 330mg of sodium. The ingredients are just: beef, water, sea salt, less than 2% of the following: celery juice, sodium lactate (from beets), lactic acid starter culture (not from milk), onion powder, spices, garlic powder, paprika. They have 6g of fat(2.5g saturated) and 380 mg of sodium. They are dairy-, casein- and gluten-free. The bun is whole wheat.

I do not have any information on the other items. 

What's for Lunch - Thursday, October 31, 2013

Southwest Taco Bowl
Corn Tortilla Bowl, Brown Rice, Tomato, Cheese & Salsa With Black Beans and Sweet Corn
Romaine lettuce with Chipolte vinaigrette
With or without Chicken
Petite Banana

The brown rice is a great whole grain. The black beans are canned. Not sure about corn.
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 bowl comes from Smokewood Foods. The ingredients are 

described just as "enriched masa flour" and they look like a big rectangular corn chip. They have 5g of fat and no sodium.  

 

What's for Lunch - Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Flatbread Cheese Pizza
With or Without Chicken 
Caesar Salad
Strawberry Smoothie

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).

Go with cheese. The chicken is a pre-cooked breaded Tyson chicken 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. Their serving size has 10g of fat (2 of which are saturated) and 620 mg of sodium

What's for Lunch - Tuesday, October 29th, 2013

CBLT
Breaded Chicken with Applegate Turkey
Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato on a Whole Wheat Bun
Cucumber Salad

Red and Green Grapes

I'm not sure if this chicken is a Tyson product or not. I will try to get more information by the time it is on the menu again.

In Turkey Bacon: 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 says otherwise - and cites the company saying their bacon has the same level (naturally) of cancer-causing nitrates as conventional brands 

Whole grain bun. 
Fresh cucumber salad. 
Fresh red and green grapes. 

What's for Lunch -  Monday October 28, 2013

Brunch For Lunch
Cinnamon Challah French Toast & Applegate® Turkey Bacon
OR
Scrambled Egg & Cheese Wrap
Baked Potato "Puffs"
Cinnamon Apple Sauce
 
The Challah bread is a white flour bread. The syrup is HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). They are looking for an affordable maple syrup but have not found one yet. In the meantime, they will be limiting the serving size. This meal has A LOT of sugar, simple carbohydrates -- no whole grains so choose wisely. It's one of our most popular lunches - not surprisingly.
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 real eggs. 
"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
This is not our best lunch choice......

What's for Lunch - Friday, October 25, 2013

Trattoria Friday
Rotini Pasta & Meatballs
OR
Rotini Marinara
With Mozzarella Stick
Zucchini & Carrot Sticks with Ranch Dip
Fresh Melon

This is a whole grain rotini pasta by Zerega. 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)

The meatballs are processed, cooked and frozen by Tyson. 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.
Carrots are domestic and served with an organic ranch 
dressing.

What's for Lunch - Thursday, October 24, 2013

Chicken & Cheese Quesadilla
OR
Plain Cheese Quesadilla
Corn, Tomato, & Black Bean Salsa
Petite Banana

Chicken and 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 chicken is from Tyson and described as diced, cooked chicken meat.

The salsa is organic.

What's for Lunch -  Wednesday, October 23, 2013

BBQ Chicken
Smashed LI Potatoes
Sautéed Carrots
Fresh Fruit Salad

I believe this is some kind of frozen Tyson product.  It is supposed to be Tyson's "dark meat strips with grill marks" which have 7g of fat and 340mg of sodium, Ingredients are: Boneless, skinless chicken leg meat, water, seasoning (dextrose, salt, brown sugar, chicken stock, maltodextrin, flavors, yeast extract, molasses, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate), soy protein concentrate, modified food starch, sodium phosphates. BUT we have also received diced chicken breast from both Tyson and a company called Pierce.  We have also received  a USDA commodity chicken from Tyson and it is described as "fully cooked boneless skinless chicken dark meat chicken fajita strips -smoke flavor added." Here are the ingredients: "Chicken dark meat, water, seasoning [salt, spices, dehydrated garlic, dehydrated onion, sugar, chili powder (chili pepper, cumin, oregano, salt, garlic powder), lemon juice powder (corn syrup solids, lemon juice, lemon oil), modified corn starch, natural mesquite smoke flavor (maltodextrin, natural smoke flavor), natural flavor 

(from partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil)], modified food starch and sodium phosphates." The "partially hydrogenated" oil is a source of trans fat. Chicken has 7g of fat (2 of which are saturated) and 490 mg of sodium. Read more about farm animals raised by industrial giants like Tyson, antibiotics and 

The Smashed LI Potatoes are also new.

What's for Lunch - Tuesday, October 22, 2013

From the Ranch to you...
Hamburger or Cheeseburger With all the trimmings
Homemade Cole Slaw
Oven Baked “Fries” 
From the Farm...NYS Apples

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

What's for Lunch - Monday, October 21, 2013

All White Meat Chicken “Bites”
Freshly Baked Whole Wheat Bread sticks
Caesar Salad
Strawberry Smoothie

We have a lot of good lunches in our school but this is not one of them.
The chicken is a Tyson "fully cooked chicken breast nugget fritter with rib meat" with 10g of fat and 420mg of sodium. The ingredients are: Boneless, skinless chicken breast nuggets 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.
And then we have The Return of the Tater Tot - a product we thought we had sent packing years ago. This processed potato product comes from McCain's - a product called Harvest Splendor Bites. 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

What's for Lunch - Friday, October 18, 2013

Homemade Mac and Cheese
Barilla Pasta and Wisconsin Cheddar
Fresh Sauteed Broccoli
New York State Apple

The pasta we use for the Mac and cheese 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 sauce is made from Wisconsin Cheddar. 

Broccoli is fresh - sauteed at the school. 

What's for Lunch - Thursday, October 17, 2013


Taco Thursday
Beef Taco - Corn Tortilla Shell
OR
Corn Tortilla Chips
Romaine Lettuce
Salsa & Cheese
Tangerine

Our district has 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. We season and prepare this dish.

The hard taco shells from Mission foodservice contain: whole grain corn, water, vegetable oil (one or more of the following: cottonseed oil, corn oil or palm oil), contains 2% or less of niacin, reduced iron, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin lime. No sodium - 6g of fat (2 of which are saturated)

The salsa is actually organic by Green Mountain and the ingredients are: tomatoes, fire-roasted chiles, onions, tomatillos, jalapeno peppers, pasilla peppers, apple cider vinegar, cilantro, parsley, garlic, sea salt, spices.


The tortilla chips are a gluten free option.

What's for Lunch - Wednesday, October 16, 2013


Chicken Parmigiana on Whole Grain Roll
Romaine Salad with Chickpeas & Tomato

Strawberry Smoothie

For the chicken, 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 chicken itself is a pre-cooked breaded Tyson chicken 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. Their serving size has 10g of fat (2 of which are saturated) and 620 mg of sodium.

What's for Lunch - Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Pita Pizza
Whole Wheat Pita, Pizza Sauce, Mozzarella & Basil
Add Meatballs on Request
Veggie Sticks with Dip
Raisins

We make these pizzas in our cafeteria. The pita is actually part whole wheat. The ingredients are wheat flour [whole wheat flour and enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)], water, soybean oil, less than 2% of yeast, salt, sugar, dough conditioner (distilled monoglycerides, calcium salts, guar gum, wheat starch, sodium metabisulfite, ascorbic acid), preservatives (calcium propionate, potassium sorbate), vinegar.

For our various pizzas, we use the 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).

Pizzas will have fresh mozzarella and basil -- but skip the meatballs. They are a USDA commodity food processed by Tyson. 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.

What's for Lunch - Thursday, October 10, 2013

Applegate® Hot Dog on Whole Wheat Bun
OR
Fresh Fruit Plate with Freshly Baked Whole Wheat Bread sticks and cheese
Sauerkraut, and Carrot Sticks

Pineapple Chunks In Juice

GF

w/o bun

What's for Lunch - Wednesday, October 9th, 2013 

Brunch For Lunch

Cinnamon Challah French Toast & Applegate® Turkey Bacon

OR

Scrambled Egg & Cheese Wrap 

Baked Potato "Puffs"

Apple Crisp

The bread is white flour not whole grain. The syrup is basically HFCS.  They are looking for an affordable maple syrup but do not have one yet. 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 NY Times 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.

We make the apple crisp - it's a dessert and it's delicious by many reports. 

What's for Lunch -  Tuesday October, 8th 2013

Chicken “Bites”

All White Meat Chicken

Sweet Potato Crinkles

LI Corn on the Cob

Cucumber Sticks with Dip

Strawberry Smoothie

We have a lot of good lunches in our school but this is not one of them.
The chicken is a Tyson "fully cooked chicken breast nugget fritter with rib meat" with 10g of fat and 420mg of sodium.  The ingredients are: Boneless, skinless chicken breast nuggets 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.

And then we have The Return of the Tater Tot - a product we thought we had sent packing years ago.   This processed potato product comes from McCain's - a product called Harvest Splendor Bites.  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.

What's for Lunch - Monday October 7th, 2013

GRILLED CHEESE TWO WAYS

Plain Cheese

OR

Cheese & Boar’s Head® Ham

Romaine Salad with Chickpeas

Red & Green Grapes

The grilled cheese sandwich is made with Cabot cheddar on whole wheat bread.  We use Nature's Own Whole Wheat Bread for these. The ingredients are: STONE GROUND WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, BROWN SUGAR, YEAST, WHEAT GLUTEN, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: SALT, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN OIL OR CANOLA OIL), DOUGH, CONDITIONERS (SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, CALCIUM, STEAROYL-2-LACTYLATE, MONOGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM IODATE, ETHOXYLATED MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM PEROXIDE, DATEM), CULTURED WHEAT FLOUR, VINEGAR, CALCIUM SULFATE, MONOCALCIUM, PHOSPHATE, YEAST FOOD (AMMONIUM SULFATE), SOY LECITHIN