Hi hi!!!
Been in the office most of the morning. Amy and I went to a school to discuss a new diet order for a student who has a metabolic disorder this morning. He’s on a very low protein diet and the cafeteria has a special tray that they make for him.
I got pretty hungry around 10 and knew I didn’t want to eat lunch yet! So I sipped tea 🙂 Did the trick.
I was invited into a vendor meeting to test out some samples around 11:15. It was fun to hear all the specs on the products. We tried a “whole grain” (51% whole wheat) flatbread called Loco Bread that was actually pretty cool. Most of the bread + pasta products in our schools are 100% whole grain, but there are some (tortillas) that are not, and I think this product would make a great compromise (no trans-fats either!) It tasted great too!
We also taste-tested some pizza – also made with 51% whole grain crust – that was pretty darn good. It’s unrealistic to think of removing all pizza from the schools, but if we could put one on made with whole grains it would certainly improve the nutrition.
I tasted just a bite of both products because I was holding out for…
Horizontal lunch!
Leftovers from our event yesterday – root veggies, half a sweet potato, salad with homemade ranch, pasta salad and fruit. With more hot tea.
[I found this awesome photo app on my iPhone called “Best Camera” that allows you to edit and brighten photos. Don’t you think they look a little more vibrant?! However, I did NOT take this photo horizontally but somehow it showed up in my album that way. GUF. Anyone know of a way to rotate photos either on the phone or in WordPress online? I also found a way to upload my post as a draft and then write in-between the photos for a better on-the-go post. ]
Speaking of on-the-go…
Morgan @ Life After Bagels says
I am for sure not the one to ask about using the iphone for posting . . . I just got one two weeks ago and I prewrote a post at a friends house . . . the next day all I had to do was hit publish, but apparently my meat fingers pressed trash, then delete permanently . . . I have not been using the phone to blog since!
Christy says
Lovin’ the healthy(ier) school food options! I continue to be impressed with all the good-for-you eats!
weekly bite says
Tea or coffee always does the trick for me too 🙂
Have a great rest of the day 🙂
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says
That whole grain bread sounds really great!
Sara says
Gosh I wish I had food like that in school back in the day – everything you have there looks so yummy.
Heather (Heather's Dish) says
yeah for healthier school lunches! reading this makes me feel a little better about (one day) sending our kids to school to eat. your adventures are so fun 🙂
Brittany says
That is so AWESOME that the school accommodates someone with a disorder, and makes a special tray for him! Seriously awesome. I don’t think the school I went to growing up would have done that…
Jil says
that’s awesome – that pizza looks quite yummy. and of course your horizontal lunch looks horizontally delicious!
Christie @ Honoring Health says
That is awesome that the school is using whole grains! That was unheard of when I was in school!
Shannon (The Daily Balance) says
cannot believe you took that photo with the iPhone! that app works wonders!
tea always is my best solution to curb my appetite, too!
Ashley says
Wow, definitely impressed once again by the iPhone!!! I love seeing your adventures at the school. It must feel good to know you’re helping give kids WAY better food options!!!
Chloe (Naturally Frugal) says
That’s awesome that the school is willing to make a special tray for students with different nutritional needs. Pizza is definitely one of the things that needs to be improved in schools, I think adding healthy protein and cutting back on the amount of cheese used is also a good compromise. Have a great day!
Erin (Travel, Eat, Repeat) says
I’m still testing out the WordPress app on my iPhone — hopefully I figure out all the kinks before relying on it a lot more while traveling for the next two months. Good to know about the photo, though!
Ameena says
I am so excited for healthier school lunches! Now maybe my 4-year-old will eat something other than a Snickers and Dr. Pepper for lunch like I did!
Chelsea says
When someone tells you how-let me know. I can’t figure it out either 🙁
I agree with all your points on the food and schools 🙂
Karla says
That’s so exciting that school lunches are getting healthier!
Your lunch looks great!
Anna says
For iPhone photo editing I’d recommend Photoshop Mobile. It lets you crop, rotate, adjust the exposure, saturation, tint, change it to black and white, as well as some other effects.
I’ll admit that sometimes my WordPress app eats posts and I’ve heard a few others mention that as well (just a warning).
By the way – I love seeing all these healthy experiments in the school cafeteria, it gives me hope for positive forward movement for kids lunches. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences in this rotation!
Lauren says
Have all of these posts really been coming from your iPhone? Mad props for typing all of that in with one or two fingers!
Katy ( The Balanced Foodie) says
Amazing, I am still blown away by the little changes the school is making to add in healthier ingredients, like the whole grains! So awesome.
[email protected] says
I don’t know how to change the way a picture looks either, so sorry I can’t help you out there.
But, I bet you could ask my brother Charlie! www.backtothefridge.com
He knows everything about computers!! Your lunch looks deluxe by the way!
Kristin says
It’s so cool that schools are starting to add healthier lunch choices. Looking back now, the lunches at my elementary school were nutrition disasters!
Oh and you can rotate (and edit) photos on the iPhone with the ‘Photoshop.com’ app. It’s free and totally awesome.
Lauren @ Eater not a runner says
I’ve had the same problem with the photo rotating! I do want to check out that app though…
Jessie says
Hey Kath!
Wasn’t sure if you’ve heard of this site, but it reminded me of what you are doing sort of and thought you would be interested. A teacher vowed to eat lunch at her school every single day, posts pictures of the lunch, and writes about it (usually how gross and un-nutritious it is). Hope you like it!
http://fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com/2010_01_03_archive.html
Mastering Public Health says
That concept for a blog sounds like it could be VERY interesting and eye-opening, especially for someone in my field. Thanks for the link!
Foy Update - Cook. Garden. Write. Repeat. says
I’m so impressed by this whole school lunch program. Those kids are lucky. I hope there is a study going on that will show imperically that a better school lunch equals healthier kids. It seems like imperical data is what it is going to take to change school lunches nation wide.
Thanks for all the reporting!
Aubrey says
Thanks for spreading the word about that APP, that is awesome and so good to know about!!
Freya @ foodfitnessandfreya.wordpress.com says
What a good school you’re in! I’m assuming that most schools in america aren’t like that? From what I’ve heard, they’re really bad nutrition wise :s
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says
Horizontal lunch…sexy 🙂
Looks like a great lunch! That bread you got to sample looks yummy and thick!
Lindsay says
I also recommend photoshop for rotating the pictures. It’s called PS Mobile in the app store.
Eve (Nutrition by Eve) says
I’m more and more impressed with this school’s options! Pizza on ww dough – is perfect. I wish I had that growing up. And your lunch looks delicious once again. As long as the grains are 50% that’s pretty good, I also think certain things like pizza dough don’t taste as good with 100% ww 🙂
Deva (Voracious Vorilee) says
I love reading about all of the healthy options they are working on offering. I love pizza on 50% ww crust, and I hope that the kids enjoy it as well 🙂
Allison K says
Even though it’s horizontal, it’s still a cool picture!
Michele | aka Raw Juice Girl says
Look at all that green! YUM!
Sounds like a healthy arrangement with the pizza – kids are happy they get pizza; y’all are happy they’re getting more nutrition. Win-win! 😀
The Paris Food Blague says
it does look colorful and vibrant, although that could just be the bright bright veggies.
when you think about it pizza can actually be really healthy….i love to make pizza with minimal cheese (just dabs of fresh mozarella), lots of tomato sauce, veggies, and whole wheat crust. it’s balanced & filling…..so sad that industrial pizza takes the nutrition (and the fun) out of it.
a bientot!
-The Paris Food Blague
Cynthia (It All Changes) says
My favorite lunch in college was the once a year vendor sampler. I always wished they would pick the healthier stuff to kick me in the butt to eat healthier as a college student.
Meg @ Be Fit Be Full says
I’m impressed with the I-phone photos. I think they definitely look more vibrant. I’m jealous of all the fun things you get to do!
Mae @ OhhMay says
Whole wheat pizza crust!? That’s awesome, even if it’s only 51%.
Lisa @bakebikeblog says
Glad to see that yummy sweet potato making a reappearance 🙂
Danie says
I hope this isn’t a dumb question but, when you mention “root veggies”, what exactly are you referring to? And what kind of nutritional benefit do they yield? Thanks!
Kath says
I consider “root veggies” to be potatoes, squash, carrots, parsnips, turnips. I know technically some of these are tubers, but I lump them together. There are tons of nutrition and health benefits to them – go to WHfoods.com for all the details 🙂
Danie says
Some of my favorites foods are already in this group! I’ll do my reading, thanks for the quick response 😀
Joanne says
I use “Photo Fx” on my iPhone. It’s pretty easy to use but I have never uploaded to my blog.
Mandy @ University Cooking says
My school had wholewheat pasta but it was still pretty gross (ie too much sauce, greasy cheese sliding off). Yours looks really good.
Mandy @ University Cooking says
sorry i meant pizza…i musta had pasta on the brain :p
Jenn (www. j3nn.net ) says
That pizza looks delicious. I’m surprised so many kids are open to whole grains.
That’s the reason I am addicted to flash with my photos, they look too dull without it. The flash really enhances whatever I am capturing, even in daylight. By the way, Dustin bought me a Canon Rebel xsi w/ the lens you have for Christmas (from your blog link), I’m still getting used to it, but I’m also still using flash around 80% of the time. 😛
Jenn
Kath says
NO FLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lauren (Biochemista) says
WOW!!! Your lunch (horizontal, haha) looks AMAZING!!!! I’m craving sweet potato now 🙂 🙂
-Lauren
Jenn @ Livewellfit says
Can I just say I LOVE LOVE LOVE to continue to hear efforts in schools to incorporate more whole grains and healthier foods. So great!
Stef says
my cousin has PKU and i’m sure he would have been thrilled to have nutritional services like yours at his school…school lunch was always so hard for him and he felt left out when he had to bring his stuff from home while everyone else got to eat the same things. cool iPhone app, i’m having probs rotating pictures for wordpress too!
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
my co-blogger is having trouble rotating her pix in wordpress too. if you ever figure it out let us know!!!
Kelly says
What a great lunch! I am also still so impressed with the school lunches you are improving on!! Why couldn’t we have had these options when I was in school?!? Oh well…better late than never!
Simply Life says
hey one step in the right direction with those pizzas is great!
Katharine says
I love how much they are trying to amp up the nutritional value! I hope the trend catches on in all schools.
MarathonVal says
That’s so amazing that they are accommodating to that student – sadly, in the Chicago inner city schools I work at that would NEVER happen. Don’t get me started on the crap that they feel to my students… so sad. Very lucky for that student to have such a caring school!
Jessica @ The Process of Healing says
That is a very cool app, I will have to find it. I can tell the difference in your pics!
And that’s a great compromise with the pizza… kids love their pizza, you can’t take it away but making it healthier will most certainly be a good thing to make everyone happy 🙂
sarah (the SHU box) says
i’ve seen some kids on low protein diets in metabolic clinic and i can’t even imagine how hard it must be as a parent to adhere to them! that is awesome that the school works to provide options that work — i am totally impressed. and thankful 🙂
Kath says
PHOTOSHOP.COM APP = ROTATION!!!!
Jac says
i was about to say there should be a edit image in the wordpress option. 🙂
Anyway, wanted to ask, how do you place signatures at the end of the post without having to copy and paste the “sourcE” each time?
Sarah (OC2Seattle) says
Thanks for the tip re the Best Camera app.
shimaa says
thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanx
Kurdistan says
That whole grain bread sounds really great!
Pam (@ TotalHealthCounseling) says
That is awesome the school is working on whole wheat pizza! I am so impressed with the progress this school has already made. That is really exciting that you get to participate in the school lunch programs as they make healthier choices for the students! I bet there will be less sleeping in class and test scores will increase as a result of the more nutrient dense lunches 🙂
Cole says
That definitely is a great photo. It’s amazing what phones can do these days.
Paige (Running Around Normal) says
How great that they’re trying to make kid’s lunches so much more healthy!!
Your lunch looks fab.
Jenna says
Your job is so cool!
Bob Hicks says
Great Blog,
Nice meeting you today, best of luck on the new resturant.
Call when your coming to Chicago.
Bob