Read more about the nationwide Meatless Monday Campaign at http://www.meatlessmonday.com/mm-changes-hearts-health-in-kansas-community/
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Meatless Monday Campaign
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
A revolutionary study recently revealed why the Chinese regularly live to be over one hundred years old without facing cancer, heart disease, or obesity that many Americans develop. Marin County has a breast cancer rate nearly 40% higher than the National Average. According to this study known as the China Study, a healthy diet and lifestyle can prevent the majority of cancers in the United States. In rural China, their diet consists mostly of whole plant foods and these diseases are relatively unknown to them. As for here in America, we are affluent, and exposed to more meat, dairy, and refined plant products (such as crackers, cookies, and soda).
For example, Marin County’s Hungry Hawk cafeteria at Tamalpais High School offers a chicken burrito with a variety of seemingly healthy ingredients: chicken, beans, rice, and cheese. However, when eating this burrito, you are ingesting 20 grams of fat, and 2350 mg of sodium. Another example is the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that contains 837 calories, 31 grams of fat, and 100 grams of carbohydrates. This is just the start of the menu.
The American School Board Journal says that a ‘heavy’ diet causes obesity. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimated 17.4% of adolescents ages 12-19 to be obese. Due to this knowledge, Tam made some adjustments. The menu was revised in 2008 to contain 24 new meals.
“We have healthy foods that exceed the requirements set by the National School Lunch Program,” said Margan Holloway, the Director of Student Nutrition Services of the Tamalpais Union High School District. Another change that took place included the discontinued sales of soft drinks on campus.
“Even though the Hungry Hawk promotes itself as a healthy and natural food supplier, the content quality of the food does not show it,” sophomore Brooke Wenig states.
Students were not the only ones concerned about the food sold at the Hungry Hawk. According to an organic lunch program at local Mill Valley Middle School and the Berkeley Unified High School District, Revolution Foods, the type of food you eat affects your ability to concentrate through class. Their mission is to get as much fresh, healthy food to as many students possible.
While public school lunch programs would like to improve the nutritional content of their menu, they face obstacles. The federally run National School Lunch Program only reimburses Tamalpais High School with $2.68 for each free meal they give to low-income students.
“Organic apples from a local farm cost sixty cents, and that’s too much to spend on a piece of fruit,” Holloway said.
Another obstacle the Hungry Hawk faces is a requirement to serve one nutritionally adequate meal per day. According to the National School Lunch Program, a nutritionally adequate meal includes servings of 4 ounces of a meat or meat alternative, two servings of grain bread components, a fruit or vegetable option, and milk or juice that contains 50 percent juice content or more.
“With protein regulations, we have to put 4 ounces of peanut butter into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You can imagine how this tastes,” said Holloway.
Students have varied opinions on other foods. “I think most of it tastes pretty good, but it doesn’t feel very healthy,” sophomore Serena Holway states. “[For example] the chicken has a ton of fat on it.”
As for chicken and other meat products, the poultry is distributed from the United States Department of Agriculture and sent to factories such as Tyson. Here it can be processed and preserved for freshness.
“It is positive that the meat is processed elsewhere, for safety,” Holloway said. She also mentioned that this way the workers at the Hungry Hawk do not run the risk of coming into contact with anything in the uncooked meat because most of it is processed at Tyson, not at Tam. As an example, Tyson’s Asian Style Orange Chicken has been renamed at the Hungry Hawk as Mandarin Orange Chicken Bowl. The nutritional content of this meal from Tyson sold directly at the Hungry Hawk is comprised of 82.15 grams of Carbohydrates and 290 milligrams of Sodium.
If students cross the street in search of healthier options, they can choose from pastries and energy drinks at Starbuck or smoothies from Jamba Juice. But a transient energy burst from sugar should not substitute lunch. While drinks from Jamba Juice may seem healthy, the nutritional content includes 500+ calories in a 16 oz. fruit smoothie. Since kids are supposed to ingest 1,500 calories per day, this is a lot for a fraction of a meal.
In the Berkeley Unified School District, students eat baked organic chicken nuggets, whole-wheat noodles with garlic, and more healthy choices from a 28-item produce bar including bell peppers, zucchini, lettuce, pickles, and olives.
"While it would be good to have a salad bar, there's not enough space in the Tam cafeteria to allow for it," Holloway said.
The campaign leader of Teens Turning Green, a campaign that works to eliminate toxic contaminants to our health, tells the possibility of what can lay ahead. “If it’s possible for these schools to incorporate healthy food, it can be possible for Tam as well,” said Judi Shils Executive Director of Teens Turning Green. If we improve the health of food exposed to kids such as in the cafeteria, according to the China Study we can work to eliminate the cancer, heart disease, and obesity Americans have today.
For example, Marin County’s Hungry Hawk cafeteria at Tamalpais High School offers a chicken burrito with a variety of seemingly healthy ingredients: chicken, beans, rice, and cheese. However, when eating this burrito, you are ingesting 20 grams of fat, and 2350 mg of sodium. Another example is the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that contains 837 calories, 31 grams of fat, and 100 grams of carbohydrates. This is just the start of the menu.
The American School Board Journal says that a ‘heavy’ diet causes obesity. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimated 17.4% of adolescents ages 12-19 to be obese. Due to this knowledge, Tam made some adjustments. The menu was revised in 2008 to contain 24 new meals.
“We have healthy foods that exceed the requirements set by the National School Lunch Program,” said Margan Holloway, the Director of Student Nutrition Services of the Tamalpais Union High School District. Another change that took place included the discontinued sales of soft drinks on campus.
“Even though the Hungry Hawk promotes itself as a healthy and natural food supplier, the content quality of the food does not show it,” sophomore Brooke Wenig states.
Students were not the only ones concerned about the food sold at the Hungry Hawk. According to an organic lunch program at local Mill Valley Middle School and the Berkeley Unified High School District, Revolution Foods, the type of food you eat affects your ability to concentrate through class. Their mission is to get as much fresh, healthy food to as many students possible.
While public school lunch programs would like to improve the nutritional content of their menu, they face obstacles. The federally run National School Lunch Program only reimburses Tamalpais High School with $2.68 for each free meal they give to low-income students.
“Organic apples from a local farm cost sixty cents, and that’s too much to spend on a piece of fruit,” Holloway said.
Another obstacle the Hungry Hawk faces is a requirement to serve one nutritionally adequate meal per day. According to the National School Lunch Program, a nutritionally adequate meal includes servings of 4 ounces of a meat or meat alternative, two servings of grain bread components, a fruit or vegetable option, and milk or juice that contains 50 percent juice content or more.
“With protein regulations, we have to put 4 ounces of peanut butter into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You can imagine how this tastes,” said Holloway.
Students have varied opinions on other foods. “I think most of it tastes pretty good, but it doesn’t feel very healthy,” sophomore Serena Holway states. “[For example] the chicken has a ton of fat on it.”
As for chicken and other meat products, the poultry is distributed from the United States Department of Agriculture and sent to factories such as Tyson. Here it can be processed and preserved for freshness.
“It is positive that the meat is processed elsewhere, for safety,” Holloway said. She also mentioned that this way the workers at the Hungry Hawk do not run the risk of coming into contact with anything in the uncooked meat because most of it is processed at Tyson, not at Tam. As an example, Tyson’s Asian Style Orange Chicken has been renamed at the Hungry Hawk as Mandarin Orange Chicken Bowl. The nutritional content of this meal from Tyson sold directly at the Hungry Hawk is comprised of 82.15 grams of Carbohydrates and 290 milligrams of Sodium.
If students cross the street in search of healthier options, they can choose from pastries and energy drinks at Starbuck or smoothies from Jamba Juice. But a transient energy burst from sugar should not substitute lunch. While drinks from Jamba Juice may seem healthy, the nutritional content includes 500+ calories in a 16 oz. fruit smoothie. Since kids are supposed to ingest 1,500 calories per day, this is a lot for a fraction of a meal.
In the Berkeley Unified School District, students eat baked organic chicken nuggets, whole-wheat noodles with garlic, and more healthy choices from a 28-item produce bar including bell peppers, zucchini, lettuce, pickles, and olives.
"While it would be good to have a salad bar, there's not enough space in the Tam cafeteria to allow for it," Holloway said.
The campaign leader of Teens Turning Green, a campaign that works to eliminate toxic contaminants to our health, tells the possibility of what can lay ahead. “If it’s possible for these schools to incorporate healthy food, it can be possible for Tam as well,” said Judi Shils Executive Director of Teens Turning Green. If we improve the health of food exposed to kids such as in the cafeteria, according to the China Study we can work to eliminate the cancer, heart disease, and obesity Americans have today.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Living in Marin, Eating in Texas
Here I am in filthy rich Marin County, and cafeteria food has never been worse. The soccer moms and rich lawyers have not yet manipulated the school board to put healthier lunch options on their menu. Yet kids and teens are continually lectured about how important it is to eat healthy; with organic this and Whole Foods that. The majority of Mill Valley parents who promote health conscious eating pay property taxes on their one million or more dollar homes to fund a rich high school, but the school itself has not followed through with healthy choices. From overwhelming statistics, the public knows that food affects the way you concentrate. Sure students can go off campus for Starbucks, Jack in the box, 7-11, or Safeway, but sugary pastries and energizing drinks do not substitute lunch. Because after the transient energy burst from the 7-11 slurpy, your energies all gone and the Duncan Donut you had does not consist of protein to make up for this. You think off campus is better? Many of the students with cars drive to In-n-out for more deep fried, fatty foods. Throughout all of this, students should not have to escape to "good-tasting" food because schools need to play a role model in selling healthy lunches that taste good. Here I am, living in Marin but eating in Texas. Got to love diabetes :)
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