In the News: Seriously Changing School Food

By now you've heard the news stories about the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) astonishing report "Nutrition Standards for Foods Sold in Schools: Leading the Way toward a Healthier Youth". I saw it in USA Today, the Washington Post and all over the morning news. The report, commissioned by Congress, recommends pretty stringent guidelines for all foods sold on school campuses nationwide.

In a nutshell, the IOM purports that foods and beverages sold at school should benefit the health of all school aged children and youth. The report specifically hones in on what is referred to as "competitive foods". Competitive foods are any foods sold separately from the complete school cafeteria meal. This means everything else sold: in vending machines, the student store, as a la carte items (typically entrees and other foods sold on campus that aren't part of the full school meal) and for fundraising. We're really talking the snacks, candy, soft drinks and the like would be out.

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) passed policies a few years ago that set strict nutrient standards that all competitive foods and beverages must adhere to in order to be sold on campus. We were ahead of the game (thank you LAUSD Board President Marlene Canter!!). The IOM report goes even further recommending that outside of the school meal program, schools sell only fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low fat and non fat dairy foods. The high schools get slightly more leeway but not much.

This is really incredible, but this is not law. These are only recommendations by the IOM. Laws would have to be passed in Congress to make this a reality. It does look favorable however, after all Congress did ask for recommendations from the IOM. I'm sure they weren't expecting anything less. Additionally, nine senators are co-sponsoring the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act that if passed would make this a reality. Times may be a changin'.

So keep you ears out for more on this issue. And if you are for these kinds of nutrition standards in our schools, call and write to your Senators and your Representative of the House to let them know the community wants this.

If you're opposed, send me a comment and tell me why. It's important to know where both sides of the fence are coming from. You may have issue with these standards for reasons others may be naive to or just not thought of. Debate is good.

Click on the report title above to learn more and get the details. I barely touched on them.

Have a fruit and veggie filled weekend... this may actually become the norm!

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Recipe of the Week: Zucchini and Apple Salad

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Here's a Better Lunchroom

You may have recently heard or read some negative press about Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) after the findings of an audit were made public last week. The audit, conducted by a private consulting company, and not the internally by the District, reported LAUSD'S system is inefficient and ineffective at doing what it needs to do, educate children.

It's a pretty hard blow but not all bad. I think the negatives certainly make a better news story than the positives. There is progress being made within this district. For one, the Food Services Department (FS) is putting forth a lot of effort to improve what is served in the cafeteria. One of the problems that's been identified in the high school and middle school cafeterias is too many lunch choices. Right now students have 15 entree items they can pick from. Sounds great right?

But only the first batch of kids that come through the line actually have the 15 items in front of them to choose. Soon items start to run out and the kids at the end of the line have to take whatever is left (at least that is what I'm told... I'm still doing my site visits to see for myself what's really happening). The menu items are very similar from day to day. So there are few surprises.

FS came up with an idea to only offer seven items, with those seven being different entrees every day over a two week cycle. So, the menus only repeat every two weeks. Part of the idea is giving the kids something to look forward to i.e. "hey it's chicken Caesar salad day, yay, I can't wait for lunch". The other idea was to create menus the students would perceive as healthier but still like and eat. The department chose 11 schools to test out this new system over a 90 pilot period.

Students were surveyed about what kinds of entrees they'd like to see on the menu. And from there (in a nutshell) FS came up with the two week menu cycle. In order to implement the new menu FS made sure the cafeterias were fully staffed to handle the new system. Staffing is an issue because the hiring process is inefficient, so there are inevitably many schools that need more cafeteria employees. These schools had it good!

The 90 days have since been up and the pilot was a success. The kids really seemed to like the changes and new menus. I visited one of the schools, Garfield High School and I have to say I was pretty impressed. The cafeteria was set up like a food court with seven different stations. That day in particular the chicken Caesar salad was served along with pasta marinara, chicken teriyaki bowl, peanut butter and jelly, vegetarian rib sandwich (the menu cycle boasts two vegetarian options a day), a hamburger and a chicken fiesta bowl.

I was pleased to see the PB&J was on whole wheat bread and half of the rolls offered were also whole wheat. I don't think the rice was brown rice but perhaps we'll get there soon. What I found really fantastic was a huge display of fresh fruits and vegetables! There were cut up strawberries, melons, plenty of whole fruit and side salads. The kids were allowed to take as much of the fruit and vegetables as they wanted. How great is that?

I made the visit with several other adults, so granted the cafeteria manager did know we were coming. He may have been putting his best foot forward for our benefit. But even if that is true, it shows that a system like this can happen. I'll have to go back on a day when they don't know I'm coming and see how it compares.

The plan now is to phase this new menu into all of the middle schools and high schools in due time. I am anxious to go to some of the other schools that haven't had the pilot to really be able to discern if there is a difference. I do believe progress is being made and we're on the right path, it's just a long journey to get there.

I'd love to hear about any cafeteria improvements your school or district has made. As always, have a fruit and veggie filled day!

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Feed Your Family Right!

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Recipe of the Week: Easy Strawberry Dessert

I'm seeing strawberries all over the place these days and while I love to eat them as is, sometimes I like a little change of pace. And because I've got that out of control sweet tooth, this recipe can really hit the spot. And it only takes two ingredients.. hello easy!

Easy Strawberry Dessert
Ingredients
1 9-inch Angel food cake
3 pints ripe strawberries

Instructions
1. Cut angel food cake into 12 same size pieces.
2. Core strawberries than mash until juicy.
3. Spread/Pour over individual pieces of cake.

Serves 12

Nutrition Facts per slice:
Calories 85
Fat 0 gm
Saturated fat 0 gm
Vitamin C 25 mg

For a little more zing (and calcium) dollop a spoonful of nonfat vanilla yogurt on top. If you can find a low sugar yogurt even better.

Many thanx to my dear friend Dona Richwine, RD, MS for coming up with this gem.

(Photo courtesy of mwri)

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Un-Fun Food Travel

Happy Monday all (it'll be Tuesday by the time most of you see this but who's checking?). I have been MIA for a few days as I was busy traveling and getting food poisoning! I couldn't believe it myself. But what an apropos topic to write about on a nutrition blog. At the miserable time I wasn't thinking "hey, this is great blog material" but in hindsight I couldn't have asked for a more "real" experience to make a point.

Here's the rundown. Traveled to Denver for a friend's wedding and to see some family this past weekend. Flew out Friday and all was well. I didn't do my best to eat well that day, you know how traveling gets in the way of healthful eating. Thus, by the time I had dinner I was famished and didn't leave a morsel on my plate. I did have "just" a salad however, so I didn't exactly overindulge. But, in the end, that is what did me in. The culprit? The SPROUTS!

I'm a dietitian and should know better. "Don't eat raw sprouts" is like Food Safety 101! But I let my appetite take over my good sense and ate them anyway. I did think about it for a second and decided the risk was low, 'I'll be ok'. Boy was I wrong. I will spare you the sordid details but let's suffice it to say I missed visiting with my family and missed the wedding. I did not leave the hotel room from Friday night until Sunday morning. I really did learn my lesson.

Bottomline, don't eat raw sprouts under any circumstances. That includes alfalfa, bean, clover and radish sprouts. It's just not worth it. Rinsing them won't get rid of potential bacteria. The only safe way to eat them is cooked and thoroughly.

Because I am a relatively healthy adult I only endured two days of misery (and social isolation). But for the very young, very old and/or individuals with otherwise weakened immune systems the consequences can be much more serious.

I hope that by sharing this experience, I can save at least one person. That will make it all worth it.... Ok enough drama, but seriously, we see raw sprouts all the time on salads and sandwiches and often don't equate them with food borne illness. You may be saying to yourself "I eat them all the time and have never gotten sick". That doesn't mean you won't, and every time you do eat them you increase your chances. If you want 'em, cook 'em. Personally, I don't think they're that great anyway so no big loss for me. I hope not a big loss for you either.

Have a raw-sprout free day!

To learn more about how to avoid foodborne illness visit www.FightBac.org.

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Recipe of the Week: Mexican Rice

This recipe is from the California Nutrition Network Harvest of the Month program, delivering nutrition education, messages and recipe to California children, parents and teachers all over the State. They do great work and because they are funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, all of their materials are public. Any can use them (as long as you give them credit of course).

I revised their recipe slightly but retained its integrity. With that here is:

Mexican Rice
Ingredients:
(Makes 6 servings at ¾ cup each)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 (14½ oz) can chicken broth (or vegetable broth), low or reduced sodium
1 cup brown rice
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots blend, thawed

Directions
1. Heat oilive oil in saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add onion and sauté about five minutes (until soft).
3. Stir in broth, rice, 3/4 cup tomatoes, chili powder and salt. Bring to boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer according to rice package instructions.
5. Stir in vegetables and let stand five minutes.
6. Spoon remaining tomatoes over top and serve warm.

Enjoy

Nutrition Facts per serving:
Calories: 160
protein: 5 grams
Carbohydrate: 29 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Fat: 3 grams
Sat Fat: 1 grams
Sodium: 129 milligrams
Potassium: 188 millgrams

(Adapted from: Healthy Latino Recipes Made With Love, California Latino 5 a Day Campaign, 2004.)

(photo courtesy of ILoveMyPiccolo's)

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Focus on the Cafeteria

I attended an interesting focus group today probing 7th graders about what they think of the "school cafeteria". Such a curious age group. They really work in absolutes i.e. "I want to know what's good for me and what's bad.. don't care about the why". Anyway I digress. I think a little background is in order.

As you know I am working with Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to help implement three landmark nutrition policies designed to improve the school nutrition environment and ultimately the health of the students. One of these policies is called "The Cafeteria Improvement Motion", title being self-explanatory. An intent of this particular policy is to improve the image of the cafeteria. Not an easy task. Thus LAUSD has partnered with UCLA's Anderson School of Business to come up with a realistic marketing plan that will boost the "cool" factor of the cafeteria.

To this end UCLA business students have been conducting focus groups with the pre-teens in an effort to uncover what would it take to get them to eat in the cafeteria. Obviously the quality of the food is a major factor, but put that thought aside for a second and think aesthetics and atmosphere. Do you remember your school cafeteria? Was it colorful and bright or drab and dreary? Unfortunately, many are drab and dreary, not exactly a place you'd flock to, right?

And this is what's coming out in these focus groups. The kids want to see bright colors, pictures on the walls. They also want to hear music. In the age of the iPod it's hard for the lunchroom to compete. So why not join, crank on some music when the kid are eating? Is that a novel idea? The kids I heard today just lit up when they talked about listening to music in the cafeteria.

This does sound like a simple solution and it may be. Everything is simple until you start looking into making it happen. Some questions I would have are what kind of music will appeal to all the kids and also be appropriate for a school setting (there's so much potential to be uncool with the wrong tunes)? what kind of equipment would need to be purchased? how much would it cost? etc.

But this may very well be a viable option. We'll have to wait and see what happens, and what the UCLA folks ultimately come up with. Do any of you know of any middle schools or high schools that play music in the cafeteria during lunch? I'd love to hear about them whether they are successful, and even if they're not.

Please share any other aesthetic or atmosphere related ideas you may have for the makings of a "cooler caf".

As always have a fruit and veggie filled day!

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Easter Egg Safety

When I was a kid, Easter was my favorite holiday, because I just loved that night before when we would decorate the Easter eggs. I would mix all the colors together and make silly designs, it was great. I had the best time running all around our backyard trying to find the ones I had decorated (hey, now that I think about it, I was getting a little physical activity.. cool). I have very fond memories. I never thought about egg safety though, but of course the dietitian in me does now. If you're planning an egg decorating party tomorrow night (or tonight by the time I get this posted) here are some tips to keep in mind to ensure a food safe Easter for all.

- When you buy your eggs make sure the carton is cold, the eggs are clean and check for any broken ones.
- Before handling and boiling the eggs, wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands
- Thoroughly cook the eggs in a pot of water bringing them to a rapid boil, remove pot (or just turn it off if you have a gas burner) from heat and let stand in the hot water for at least 15 minutes. The yolk and the white must be set.
- When dying and coloring be careful not to crack any of the eggs (by now hardboiled). If this happens, toss that egg out or eat it right away. Cracks are an invitation for bacteria and contamination (and wash your hands before you start decorating)
- After decorating refrigerate immediately. Eggs shouldn't be at a temperature of over 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 2 hours. So strategically plan when you're going to get up and hide the eggs if you're doing an Easter egg hunt. Hide them an hour or less before the hunt starts.
- Avoid dirt and any place where your pet has been or might find them when hiding the eggs
- After the Easter egg hunt refrigerate immediately and eat within a week
- In the refrigerator keep eggs away from any meat, poultry or fish that might contaminate them
- If you want to be extra special careful decorate two batches of egg - one to hide and one to eat... and remember which batch is which

Happy Easter to those who celebrate and a fruit and veggie filled one for those who don't.

Photo courtesy of the G-tastic

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Belated Grand Rounds 3.28 Thank You

A belated thank you to Dr. Keagirl at Urostream for including The Family Fork in her delightful Grand Rounds 3.28 edition.
Please check it out and enjoy her "just the facts approach".

Thank you again Urogirl!!!!

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Recipe of the Week: California Chicken Wrap

Thank you to Christie Lee for coming up with a better name for last week's recipe "Tri-Color Tuna Fiesta Bowl". Much much better and sounds more appetizing.

National Nutrition Month came to a close but to keep the party going I want to share with you one more recipe from the American Dietetic Association that is easy and fun to eat.. even to make, get the kids in on the action. (This recipe was submitted by Elizabeth Arvidson, RD - I threw in a couple of tips to enhance).

California Chicken Wrap
Serves: 16 as an appetizer or 8 as a main course

Ingredients:
1 lb. pre-cooked chicken strips (find in the deli or meat case in the grocery- some stores have a variety of flavors)
1 7 1⁄4 oz. jar roasted red bell pepper, water packed, divided
1 medium-size green bell pepper, trimmed, seeded and minced
4 oz. light cream cheese
1⁄2 tsp. garlic powder
1⁄4 tsp. ground cumin
1⁄4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
4 10-inch flour tortillas (try to find whole wheat.. they are much more common now)
2 cups shredded romaine

Directions:
1. Mince half of the roasted peppers; set aside the other half.
2. Combine the minced red and green bell peppers, cream cheese, garlic powder, cumin and cayenne.
3. Spread the mixture evenly over each tortilla.
4. Place the chicken evenly among the 4 tortillas.
5. Top with the remaining roasted peppers and romaine.
6. To 'wrap' the wrap:
- Place filling across the lower third of the tortilla.
- Fold the bottom edge of the tortilla over the filling.
- Fold both the right and left sides inward.
- Continue rolling up tightly, tucking the ends in, and enclosing the filling.
- Place seam-side down on parchment paper or foil, and then wrap it up.
7. If serving as a main dish, cut each wrap in half diagonally for a total of 8. If serving as an appetizer cut each wrap into 4 pieces for a total of 16.
8. Secure with a toothpick if necessary.

Nutrition Facts per wrap:
Calories: 510 kcal (sounds like a lot but keep in mind this is for 1 whole wrap which really is a meal in itself)
Fat: 17 g
Saturated fat: 5 g
Protein: 37 g
Carbohydrates: 49 g
Fiber: 4 g (probably a little more if you use whole wheat)
Cholesterol: 75 mg
Sodium: 820 mg


Enjoy!

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The School Food Meal Dilemma

I wanted to respond to a good comment I received last week in regards to my new position as the School Nutrition Coordinator for the Los Angeles Unified School District's (LAUSD) Board President. There is so much to address regarding the school nutrition issue so I'll take it a little bit at a time. Here is the comment:

"Have you looked into the financials of switching to healthier foods instead of the processed foods one sees in school cafeterias? This would include preparation time by the cafeteria staff. I'm sure it's much easier and (cheaper) to open a can then cut up vegetables and steam them"

S/he is absolutely right that it is much easier and quicker to open a can than to cut up fresh fruits and vegetables. But time is often exactly what is lacking in school food services, and or a shortage of personnel. All last week I've been meeting with stakeholders in the district who have a vested interest in improving the nutrition environment of the school; I'd like to share some of what I've been hearing in this arena. I met with the Deputy Director of Food Services last week and asked her point blank why they don't serve more of the healthier fare like salads and sandwiches. The students seem to like them.

She did acknowledge that yes indeed the salads and the sandwiches are the first to go, but they are also the menu items that are the most time and labor intensive. Put yourself in their shoes for a second: school food service is put in a difficult position of having to feed hundreds of kids in just a 1/2 lunch hour period. From their perspective it is their total responsibility to provide a meal for every kid participating in the school lunch program. Because of time and labor constraints the cafeteria workers often have to pump put more of the easy to prepare items like the pizza, burgers, chicken nuggets etc. just to get enough meals to meet the demand. Conceivably if the cafeteria workers devoted their time to prepare only the perceived healthier items like salads and sandwiches, there wouldn't be enough meals to go around and many kids would be left without lunch. So is it better to have at least something to eat rather than nothing?

Here's something else to think about. The school cafeteria's pizza, burger, chicken nuggets, nachos and so on do not have the same nutritional profile as their fast food equivalents. The pizza is made with a lower fat cheese, some whole grain in the dough (at least this is what LAUSD is working on), the burgers have soy protein added to cut down on saturated fat and cholesterol, the chicken nuggets are lower fat as well etc.... And the portion in the school cafeteria of these items is usually smaller than what you get in a fast food restaurant thus controlling calories. School food services must adhere to government guidelines for calories, fat, saturated fat, protein and other key nutrients. In fact LAUSD has even stricter standards such as a restriction on sodium in entrees. So the point is they are "healthier" versions of these fast food items.

On the other hand, are we perpetuating the culture of fast food by continuing to serve these items that are perceived as less healthy? It's such a tough issue. Will the kids eat and buy the healthy stuff if there is enough time and personnel to prepare it? How does school food service compete with all the fast food choices are kids have in their own communities?

From the outside it seems like such a no-brainer to make changes but when you start delving into every aspect of what it takes to feed all these children, you (or me I guess) realize that there are many many pieces to this pie that need addressing. It's so very complicated and I've just started...

I so appreciate your comments and hope to address each and every one of them. Thanx for reading and participating!

Have a fruit and veggie filled day!

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Newsbites: April 1st

Two (somewhat) related studies were released this week highlighting how many food ads our kids really see on television, and how television watching plays a big role in the quality of the family meal.

The Kaiser Family Foundation is once again exposing food marketing aimed at our children in their new report "Food for Thought: Television Food Advertising to Children in the United States" (you may recall back in August I wrote a post on their study First Analysis of Online Food Advertising Targeting Children, detailing the amount of food marketing our kids see online on a regular basis). Of all the television ads kids see, 22-32% of them are for food, the most for any other products. However, on programming specifically meant for kids 12 and under, half of all ads are for food products.

Tweens, the 8-12 year olds, are seeing the most at 21 a day, translating to more than 7600 a year. Teens see about 6000 a year and the little ones about 4400 (the younger kids may watch less TV and the popular networks like Disney and PBS have limited or no advertising). Out of almost 9000 food ads reviewed in the study, 34% were for snacks and candy, 28% for cereal, and 10% for fast foods (this low percentage actually surprised me). In contrast 4% were for dairy products and 1% for fruit juices. Zero percent promoted fruits and vegetables. You can read the full report and also view a webcast of the press conference at http://www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia032807pkg.cfm.

In that same vein of television watching, the American Dietetic Association released a study today showing that when low income families with pre-school children ate family meals together with the television off, they ate more fruits and vegetables. When the TV was turned on during the family meal, fewer fruits and vegetables were consumed. Eeks... So it's not enough just to eat together, you've got to do it with the TV off. This is not a new recommendation but when you think about all the food ads our kids are seeing and you look at this study it kind of all comes together. The abstract of this study isn't available online yet but should be in the next day or so at www.adajournal.org.

These studies also speak to the recommendation for parents to restrict television viewing to 1-2 hours a day. Cuts down on the junk food ad exposure and hopefully it encourages eating together as a family with the TV off!

Have a fruit and veggie filled week with the TV off.....

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