Thursday, April 15, 2010

The Not-So-Bad

As I was looking through all of the school meals nutritional information, I found quite a few items that weren't as bad as I thought and/or could easily be improved upon without a lot of effort. Again, I'm encouraged that so many things just need a minor face lift!

The not-so-bad stuff:
  • Mini-pancakes:  Label doesn't say so, but they have sweet potato in the them, giving them a boost of Vitamin A. Making them from whole wheat flour would be an improvement.
  • Canned veggies: Small improvement - serve a brand without added sugar and/or salt. Big improvement - serve fresh or frozen. 
  • Lowfat 1% milk: Switch to all skim. 
  • Condiments: Switch to varieties with no HFCS and lighter versions where applicable (dressings, mayo)
  • Dinner rolls: Switch to whole wheat.
  • Cereal: Switch from sugary cereals to healthier ones. 
  • Biscuits: Switch to whole wheat and/or offer less.
  • English muffins: Switch to whole grain.
  • American cheese: Use low-fat cheeses that aren't processed. 
  • Chicken nuggets/patties: Made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but also a bunch of unnecessary ingredients. I've seen way worse, but I'd be happier with just giving the kids baked whole chicken pieces. 
  • Mashed potatoes: Switch from instant to real. 
  • Canned fruit in syrup: Serve fresh. 
  • Crackers: Switch to whole grain. 
  • Turkey breast: Switch to a variety with no fillers and additives. 
  • Hot dog buns: Switch to whole wheat. 
  • Cheddar & mozzarella cheeses: Switch to low-fat version.
  • Fish sticks: Serve baked/grilled fish instead. 
Am I naive to think that these changes could be easy to make? I hope not!

1 comment:

  1. Just so you know, it is a NSLP requirement that two types of flavors and fat contents of milk are offered at lunch. At our school district we offer skim white and 1% chocolate to be in compliance.

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