Hummus Taste Test and Super Foods Lunch Day

The Moose Lake School Food Service Staff have been busy menu planning (using healthier options), and allowing students to participate in testing some of the new menu items. With the help of "Meal Magic" a nutrition analysis program, Becky Holt has been working to make each day's lunch meet the dietary requirements (as opposed to a weekly average). This is one of the main goals on the Wellness Committee's action plan, and great changes have been happening as part of this process!

On January 28, the Kitchen Staff conducted a hummus taste test for all students, K-12, as they entered the cafeteria for lunch. As with the previous taste test, Mrs. Rodysill's students assisted. The theme was to taste a healthy, unusual snack. A printed list of facts about hummus was also displayed in the hallway for students to read.

Some of the students helped to prepare the hummus by scooping it into 2oz souffle cups and added two to three mini carrots. Others handed out the cups to students who wanted to participate as they came by. Another student manned the garbage cans, one with a happy face if you liked the hummus, and another with a sad face, if you did not like the hummus. After each section of students was served, Kitchen Staff determined if the hummus was liked or not liked by observing how full each garbage can was.

The results were recorded and showed that the majority of the students liked the hummus, but it was a close call.

The next week the Kitchen Staff served a "Super Foods Lunch Day". The menu included the following:
- A super sub on whole grain bread with hummus, turkey, cheese, and spinach
- A sweet potato fries medley
- A blueberry magic dessert with slivered almonds

The students enjoyed the opportunity to try the different foods that will be integrated into the lunch menu to make it more healthy overall. Way to go Kitchen Staff!!

Mini-Grant and Next Meeting

Through the SHIP Grant, the Moose Lake School Wellness Committee has an available pot of money in which to augment its efforts. As of now, we have a good amount of funding that we can apply for through mini-grants. This money needs to be tied to projects that are directly linked to Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change.

We will be getting a check for a mini-grant soon which will help fund the following:
--New aprons for the Kitchen Staff
--"Worm Bins" for the two 5th Grade Classrooms (worm composting for use as a fundraiser)
--Monthly lunchroom taste testing
--Nutrition-related newsletters to be sent home with students

Sample Worm Bin

There are some great changes happening, and many GREAT ideas for how the rest of the funding should be used. If you have ideas about how to use these funds, please attend our next School Wellness Committee meeting on Thursday, February 17, from 3:45-4:45pm in the Board Room at the school.

November Taste-Testing

On November 23rd, the Kitchen Staff conducted a chili taste test for all students, K-12, as they entered the kitchen for lunch. Mrs. Rodysill's students assisted with the test. The goal was to guess the secret ingredient in the chili.

Some of the students helped to serve up the chili into four ounce souffle cups. Others handed out the chili to the students who wanted to participate as they came by. Another student wrote down some of the secret ingredient guesses, and another manned the garbage cans - one with a happy face if the student liked the chili, and the other with a sad face if the student did not like it.


Garbage Voting

After each section of students were served, the Kitchen Staff looked in the garbage cans to determine if the chili was liked by that group, or not, and recorded the results. The majority of all the students, K-12, did like the chili!

No one was able to guess the secret ingredient, which was revealed the next Monday with more nutrition information about orange vegetables. The whole event went smoothly and it was nice to see that the students were willing to try, and did like the chili!

Improvements by the Kitchen Staff!

Becky Holt, and the other Moose Lake School Food Service Staff have been busy working on improvements in the kitchen, and have made some great improvements toward more nutritious offerings for students!

The 3rd grade was offered the salad bar which went over very well with most of the students trying it out. The 3rd and 4th grade Teachers assisted in teaching the students the “how-to’s” of eating at the salad bar which was greatly appreciated.

For all grades, spinach and shredded carrots have been added to the romaine mix of lettuce (both spinach and romaine are the most nutrient-dense in the lettuce group). Also, everyday, cottage cheese, cucumber and fresh fruit are also offered. Healthy items continuing in the salad bar include: dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, hard boiled eggs, diced tomatoes, sesame and wheat crackers, and fat free Italian dressing.

For breakfast, fresh fruit is offered with 100% juice, low sugar-whole grain cereals, and the menu item of the day.

The usual lunch menu is being analyzed by the Nutrition Analysis Program (Meal Magic, paid for by the SHIP mini-grant) to see where improvements need to be made. Students are offered two different types of fruits or vegetables on occasional days and the Kitchen Staff plan to offer healthier dessert options. Be watching for some nutrition facts to be included on the lunch menus!

Last school-year the kitchen tried some taste testing for the high school students and are adding the foods to the menu. These include: corn bread, honey glazed carrots, chicken ranch wraps, whole grain pizza, pumpkin chili, and apple-cucumber salad. Taste testing will continue one to two times per month through the rest of the school year.

Here is some home-made chili!

Becky has received a list of local produce offerings from Apperts, the school food distributor, some of which the kitchen is using. Also provided was a list of Minnesota produced products, of which, the kitchen uses quite a few. Becky will be attending the Appert’s Food Show in October to look for more local and healthy food options.

Here is a picture some farm-cafeteria green beans being prepared for lunch!

Way to go Kitchen Staff!

First Meeting of the 2010-2011 School Year

The first ML School Wellness Committee Meeting will be Thursday, August 19th, from 3:45-4:45pm at the school in the board room.

We will discuss how to move forward this school year with some beneficial nutrition interventions, as well as how to incorporate our findings from certain interventions last year with policy systems and environmental change.

The Wellness Committee is open to parents, teachers, students, interested community members, school staff, etc. Please feel free to join us!