Food is Elementary Lesson #6 - Whole Grains

Great Grains! Within Lesson #6 of the Food is Elementary curriculum, we discovered the world of whole grains. Students were taught that a whole grain includes 3 parts. They were told that in order to obtain healthy vitamins, such as B and E, within grain products, the entire grain needs to be used. Students were shown that when the grain is first separated from its stalk, it looks like a tiny seed and is called a "groat." This groat can then be flattened into what is called a "flake." The groat can also be ground and turned into flour. Students were shown the difference between whole wheat flour and processed white flour. Students learned that whole wheat flour uses the entire grain or the entire groat and that processed flour is made after vital parts of the grain/groat are taken away. Students were then able to determine that whole wheat flour contained important vitamins and nutrients, while the processed white flour did not. Brown is better!

Students were then shown a variety of whole grains from around the world, such as; corn, rice, quinoa, and sorghum. After discussing the definition of a whole grain and learning about whole grains from various continents, students were given the opportunity to use these grains to create a beautiful grain collage. Way to go Grains!

Quick and Delicious Chickpeas with Baby Spinach

I found this recipe in the New York Times a few days ago and knew immediately that my husband and I would be having it for dinner poste haste. I am always pleasantly surprised when a dish with fewer than five key ingredients is completely satisfying, and this meal did not disappoint. I added a fair amount of cayenne (I like spicy foods), and began with half the liquid the recipe called for and added just a bit more as it cooked. I served it over polenta, though it would also be very good with brown rice or whole wheat couscous (or whole grain bread as shown above). Click on the title for the the recipe...

Winter Squash Treat

Here is a DELICIOUS recipe for Spaghetti Squash, a favorite with my kids! It's another easy way to sneak in vegetables. I also "wing it" sometimes and add in pan-fried mushrooms, roasted garlic or whatever is in season. For anyone who is lactose intolerant, this is just as good without the cheese. You can find many beautiful variations of squash during the winter. Eat Local Eat Seasonal!

1 spaghetti squash (about 4 lbs.)
¼ - ½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs (or a regular breadcrumbs and many dried herbs)
1/3 cup pignoli (pine) nuts
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup marinara sauce
1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella

(Instructions provided by Rachel, the Cheap Healthy Gourmet)

1) Preheat oven to 400. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil and cooking spray.

2) Take a paring knife, and poke a million holes in the exterior of the squash.

3) Bake the squash until the outside is beginning to brown, and hull gets mushy. This usually took about 45 minutes or so for me (90 minutes for me - Kris), and I'd flip the squash once or twice during the process. Depending on the thickness of the shell and the size of the bugger, it may take more or less time. I'd start keeping an intermittent eye on it after about 30 minutes.

4) When brownness has been achieved, take the squash out of the oven, and allow it to cool. When it's cool enough to touch, split the beast in two lengthwise, and de-seed it; toss seeds in the trash. Then, scrape the meat out of it with a fork, dragging your utensil down lengthwise. As you scrape down, the strands should separate from the shell, so that you're just left with the hull. Put the warm strands in a bowl, and the hull in the trash.

5) While the squash is baking, toast 1/3 cup of pignoli (pine) nuts, and measure out 1/4-1/2 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs. (If you don't-a-gotta da seasoned stuff, just throw in a lot of dried parsley, basil and oregano, or whatever you like that you've got lying around.)

6) Combine squash with the pignolis, bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Put in a shallow 8"x8" (or approximate) baking dish that you've sprayed a little cooking spray on.

7) Take about 1 cup of marinara sauce, and spread like frosting across the top. Sprinkle mozzarella on top.

8) Cover with tin foil, and bake for about 10 minutes, or until bubbly. Remove tin foil, and bake for another 5. Serve and go yum.

Check out other great recipes on the "Cheap Healthy Eat's" Blog by clicking on the title.

Bailout for everything, except our school lunches for our nations' children...

THIS new era of government bailouts and widespread concern over wasteful spending offers an opportunity to take a hard look at the National School Lunch Program. Launched in 1946 as a public safety net, it has turned out to be a poor investment. It should be redesigned to make our children healthier.

Under the program, the United States Department of Agriculture gives public schools cash for every meal they serve — $2.57 for a free lunch, $2.17 for a reduced-price lunch and 24 cents for a paid lunch. In 2007, the program cost around $9 billion, a figure widely acknowledged as inadequate to cover food costs. But what most people don’t realize is that very little of this money even goes toward food. Schools have to use it to pay for everything from custodial services to heating in the cafeteria....read more by clicking the title.

Letter to Michelle Obama

Here is a letter I received from our Director of Policy, Noreen Warnock,written by one of our partners in the Food to School Network. There has been an increased emphasis on food directed to President Obama and the First Lady. This presidency promotes hope and change. We can't move forward with hope, while our country still suffers hunger and malnutrition. Michelle has the ability to influence something other than fashion.

Dear Mom-In-Chief,

As First Lady you have the ability to set the table for what our nation's children eat by adding a plank of food justice to your platform. Many ideas have already been sent your way ranging from starting an organic garden on the White House lawn to appointing a First Farmer. Where should you start?

I request that you make the health of our nation's children your platform priority. Especially with two growing girls to nurture and nourish, you must understand that we will only be successful as a nation when all children in our country are healthy and well-fed.

You have the support of the 44th President. The Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, has stated that President Obama stressed to him that the USDA should ensure more nutritious food is provided to children.

And you have a ripe opportunity with the current reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, which is the federal legislation that establishes the guidelines for our nation's school meal programs and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.

With at least 35 to 40 percent of children's daily eating occurring during the school day, a reformed cafeteria could improve the health and increase the capacity to learn for the 30 million children that eat at school 180 days per year.

When you invited Chef Sam Kass into the White House Kitchen, your spokeswoman said "he happens to have a particular interest in healthy food and local food." Mr. Kass has spoken out previously on the need to change the school lunch menu by decreasing the high levels of sugar and fat. He's right.

Earlier this month the results of the latest school nutrition dietary assessment study by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association exposed that in the 2004-2005 school year, only 6 to 7 percent of schools met all nutrition standards. This is unacceptable.

Sasha and Malia are fortunate to be eating nutritious local, organic lunches at Sidwells Friends School. This is what your girls will be dining on at lunch on Tuesday, February 10th:

Organic Vegetarian Chili, Carrot Apple Soup, Roasted Local Beet Salad, Salad du Jour, All Natural Beef Chili, Brown Rice, Steamed Zucchini and Grapefruit Slices

The above shows the solution can be delicious. How wonderful that you and the president can provide local, fresh and healthy foods for the First Daughters, but what about kids in the rest of the country? From your previous neighborhood on the south side of Chicago to your new community in Washington, D.C. with the highest childhood obesity rates in the country, the nutritional divide that stymies the development and potential of youth is an open wound.

The average school cafeteria unfortunately operates on the lowest common denominator of cost, not quality. The USDA currently reimburses schools $2.57 for every free lunch it serves and lower amounts for reduced cost and full price meals. This leaves about one dollar to cover actual food costs, once labor and overhead costs are factored in. What do you expect food service directors to feed our kids on $1.00?

Thankfully, students, parents, food service staff, teachers, farmers, school administration, and other community members have a taste for change and are working to incorporate fresh, local product—no matter the perceived barriers—through what is called "farm to school" programs.

The farm to school movement has not waited for the federal government to make children a priority. There are over 2,000 known programs in 40 states as reported by the National Farm to School Network, a joint project of the Center for Food & Justice at Occidental College and the Community Food Security Coalition.

Even though I promote from scratch cooking, you don't have to start from scratch in your platform.

The Child Nutrition Forum, a collaboration of many groups, has a statement of principles that outlines key issues to champion. From there you can delve into an extensive menu of ideas such as establishing a national farm to school grant program or strengthening nutrition standards for school meal programs.

On February 26, I invite you to attend one of two Congressional briefings on farm to school and hear directly from those working every day for a healthy America.

Fulfill your wish to be America's Mom-in-Chief by making sure that every child has the nutrients necessary to carry our country forward—now that is a stimulus plan I can believe in.



Debra Eschmeyer

National Farm to School Network

Program Media & Marketing Manager
Tel: 419-753-3412

5 Minutes a Day for Fresh-Baked Bread

Our Food is Elementary students began learning about whole grains last week, and this week will be sampling different whole grain breads in their classrooms. Between lesson planning and teaching, I have been thinking a lot about bread, and I remembered an amazing bread recipe I found in Mother Earth News. Since the holidays, my Mom has been baking this bread regularly and swears that this is the easiest yeast bread she has ever made (it doesn't require kneading!). It is really delicious and the master recipe can be adapted to make many different kinds of bread. You can read the article and find the recipe by clicking on the title...

Great Nutrition Resource

www.nutritiondata.com is a great online resource to track everything you incorporate into your diet. You have the option to create a personal account that will track values, vitamins and fat content of your food. Thanks to Pat at The MRDD School at Johnstown for sharing this resource! We are what we eat....let's find out what that is!

Slow Food Columbus

Slow Food Columbus is the Columbus, Ohio convivium of Slow Food USA, which itself is the American branch of Slow Food International. In the words of the parent organization, which began in Italy, Slow Food was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling
interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

The mission of Slow Food Columbus is to bring people together to enjoy the pleasures of the table while carrying out the Slow Food mission at the local level: to defend biodiversity in our food supply, spread taste education and connect producers of excellent foods with co-producers through events and initiatives. Read more by clicking on the title...

"Feeding the WHOLE Family" recipe book

This is a review on a useful cookbook that highlights whole foods. Thanks to our new volunteer Alyssa for sharing this with us. I love the artist who does the cover art too!
Feeding the Whole Family This is the ideal cookbook for parents who want to cook one meal that every member of the family - babies and grownups alike - can enjoy together. Each of the 180 plus recipes (60 new ones in this edition!) is simple to prepare. All the recipes center on fresh, whole foods ingredients that contain the nutrients necessary to keep your family active and healthy.The perfect gift for new parents.

Lesson # 5 Vitamins (Food Is Elementary)

This weeks lesson on vitamins prove to be a lot of information for our students however, their little brains demonstrated brilliance. Our goal was to have the students know the vitamins A,B,C,D,and E. the students were taught about each vitamin and the colors foods which related to each vitamin. They were also taught how each vitamin helps our body. So for those of us who may need a refresher course on vitamins here it is:

Vitamin A: We get from bright colored fruits and vegetables. The brighter the color the higher the vitamin content. The color foods to look for are ,red, yellow, blue, orange, purple, and green. Vitamin A helps our hair, skin, eyes, and teeth.

Vitamin B: We get from whole foods that are green and brown in color. Vitamin B helps our mood (to be happy), skin, and our bones.

Vitamin C: We get from bright colored fruits and vegetables. The brighter the color the higher the vitamin content. The colors foods to look for are red, yellow, blue, orange, purple, and green. Vitamin C helps our immune system, and our body over all good health.

Vitamin D: We get only from the sun. We need 10-15 minutes each day on our skin with out sun screen. Vitamin D helps our bones.

Vitamin E: We get from whole foods that are brown and green in color. Vitamin E helps our body over all good health and our immune system.

By using cut outs of the colors and vitamin letters and body pictures , the Food educators were able to teach the students about the importance of eating healthy whole foods and how vitamins keep their bodies stay healthy. Each child received a vitamin coloring book. They were so excited to color the foods using markers and crayons.

Teaching the children this lesson proves that children can learn more than we sometimes give their bright, brilliant, beautiful, boastful, minds credit for. This was a fun lesson to watch the children participation and enthusiasm.

All about the Glycemic Index from the Diabetes Diva

Here is another post from your Diabetes Diva, helping give you some information about the Glycemic Index.

You may have seen this new buzz-word around, but many people ask; what exactly is the Glycemic Index and how does it effect me?

Well, the Glycemic Index is actually a system which ranks foods, mainly carbohydrates, according to their effect on your blood glucose levels. The Glycemic Index measures how much your blood glucose increases 2-3 hours after eating a particular food. Every food item is then placed, by number, somewhere within this Glycemic Index.

Individuals with Diabetes, such as myself, are always checking their blood sugar levels to make sure they remain within a safe range, but understanding how foods can effect your blood sugar is an important concept to comprehend for those individuals without Diabetes as well. The higher a food is ranked within the Glycemic Index, the quicker this food will raise a person's blood sugar, give you a burst of energy, but then provide you with an energy drop as well. Foods that are ranked high on the Glycemic Index do not provide the body with a sustainable reserve of energy and give your body lots of highs and lows. When trying to keep blood sugars under control, or give your body a sustainable supply of energy, it is important to pay attention to where foods fall within the Glycemic Index.

Below are just a few of the rankings for particular foods within the Glycemic Index. A more detailed, in-depth list of foods and where they are placed within the Glycemic Index can be found at: www.glycemicindex.ca/glycemicindexfoods.pdf.

Foods with a low ranking within the Glycemic Index are ranked at LESS THAN 55
Foods with an intermediate ranking within the Glycemic Index are ranked at 55-70
Foods with a high ranking within the Glycemic Index are ranked at more than 70 (These are the foods that will raise your blood sugars the fastest, give you an energy burst and then a low)

FRUITS
Cherries - 22 low

Grapefruit - 25 low

Apples - 38 low

Peaches - 42 low

Mangoes - 56 intermediate

Pineapple - 66 intermediate

Watermelon - 72 high

GRAINS

Multigrain bread - 48 low

Whole grain bread - 50 low

Pita bread, white - 57 intermediate

White bread - 71 high

All Bran Cereal - 42 low

Oat Bran Cereal - 55 intermediate

Muesli - 56 intermediate

Rice Krispies - 82 high

Corn Flakes - 83 high

For those of you with or without Diabetes, pay attention to the foods you eat and how they make you feel just a few hours later. I know that I have to take much more insulin, and have many more problems with my blood sugars, when I eat foods ranked high on the Glycemic Index, especially foods that include processed grains or refined sugars. Always be aware of how the foods you eat will effect your body!!!

Sincerely, the Diabetes Diva

Featured Board Member: Catherine Girves

Local Matters is fortunate to have a diverse, talented and passionate board membership. Each month I am going to highlight a board member and ask them some questions. Catherine Girves is a long time community organizer and passionate about improving the quality of life for citizens in Columbus,Ohio. She is the Executive Director of The University Area Enrichment Association. UAEA is involved with a long list of high impact programming: Community Gardening, Urban Farmers Market, Women's Leadership Committee(Women's Fund), Mentoring, Safety and Transportation initiatives, Bicycling Promotion, Litter and Graffiti Clean-up/Education/Mentoring with Offenders and ongoing partnering with community agencies, civic associations and events. Her work in our city is invaluable, inspiring and infectious.
I asked Catherine why she has decided to join the Local Matters Board? "I have many reasons, should I just list them? Ok, protecting the Local Food Shed spurs economic development and is good for the environment. We're taking fossil fuels out of the equation, because food doesn't have to be shipped so far. Safety. We are increasing the safety in our community by making us all less dependent on external sources. By increasing the access to healthy, locally grown foods and educating people on how to grown it, we're taking care of ourselves locally. This is empowering and benefits our city on many layers. Given all of these reasons, why wouldn't someone feel privileged to be a part of Local Matters? Access to healthy foods is essential to our collective wellness here in Columbus. That is the work that Local Matters is taking on and I'm fortunate to join in the movement.
I then asked, "How has your work with Local Matters and the healthy food movement effected you personally?" When I was 2 months old my parents moved to Columbus to manage The Jai-Lai Restaurant. I grew up surrounded by food, but my entire relationship was to serve it to others. When I did eat, it was quick and for utility. I remember seeing a Sci-Fi movie once that had tiny tablets that the characters took instead of eating. I remember thinking that would be fantastic! Many years later I worked at Alana's working with her catering business. This was where my understanding and appreciation of food changed dramatically. Alana is passionate about food and believes that if it is "prepared with love" it will taste delicious. She also strongly believes in buying and preparing foods grown locally. I was able to taste, smell and see a richness to locally grown foods. The flavor and color is much more intense when the food hasn't been shipped from across the world. I have learned to have an incredible appreciation and commitment to locally grown foods, not just for myself, but for the overall wellness of my community. Food is powerful and trans formative in all of our lives.

Energy Foods

Here is a fantastic cookbook, written by Beverly le Blanc, that emphasizes the importance of eating whole foods in order to maintain energy throughout a busy day. The cookbook includes recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, all filled with foods high in energy that last over time. Some of the recipes include; Fruit and Nut Granola, Spiced Tea-Soaked Fruit Salad, Spicy Red Lentil Soup, Chicken Avocado Salad, Greek-Style Bean and Cheese Dip, along with many more.





Below is a recipe that illustrates a creative twist on a breakfast favorite.



Scrambled Eggs with Leeks:
8 large eggs
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp butter
1 large leek, trimmed, thinly sliced, rinsed, and patted dry
4 wholewheat muffins, split, toasted, and lightly buttered salt and pepper

Put the eggs in a bowl and use a fork to whisk together until blended, then set aside.
Heat the oil with half of the butter in a large skillet over a medium-high heat until frothy. Reduce heat to medium, add the leeks, and stir around for about 5 minutes until wilted. Use a slotted spoon to remove the leeks from the skillet and set aside.
Add the remaining butter to the oil in the skillet. Season the eggs to taste with salt and pepper, then pour them into the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, for 1 and 1/2 minutes, or until the eggs begin to set. Return the leeks to the skillet and stir into the eggs until the eggs have reached the desired consistency.



Spoon the egg and leek mixture over the hot muffins and serve.



THEN ENJOY!

A fun fun salad from a fun fun cookbook!

Confetti Salad
from Simply in Season Children's Cookbook

1/4 cup lemon or lime juice
2 T orange juice
1 T honey

Mix together in a large bowl until the honey is dissolved.

2 cups carrots
2 cups apple

Grate carrots.
Chop apples.
Add to juice mixture immediately. (The juice will prevent the apples from turning brown.)

1 T fresh mint
1/8 t salt or to taste
1/4 cup raisins

Snip rinsed mint leaves into small pieces.
Toss with remaining ingredients and serve.

Dancing our Hearts Strong

Eating healthy and EXERCISING are the keys to a healthy heart, mind and body. In the Food is Elementary classes, we followed our lessons on healthy choices with fats and oils with healthy choices about moving our body.

With a soundtrack from around the globe, we shook and shimmied and got our heart rates up up up. In between songs we took deep breaths and learned a little about the location, language and people of the songs.

As a cool-down activity, children drew pictures as they listened to some slow-tempo tunes.

Many kids explored different dance moves and had a great time! Others expressed themselves more readily with a marker in hand.

Next week we’ll be exploring whole grains…another key to a healthy heart. Wunderbar!

Food is Elementary Lesson #3- Food Comparisons, Labels, and Shopping

During the third Food is Elementary lesson, our students learned that some foods have more dietary fat than others, that prepared foods often contain more fat than whole foods, and that food labels can tell us what has been added to prepared foods. Throughout the lesson, food educators reinforced the idea that consuming excessive amounts of dietary fat can lead to clogged"tubes" (blood vessels) and heart disease.

In order to illustrate that some foods have more fat than others, the lesson started with a comparison of two foods: baked potatoes and potato chips. Students were asked which had more fat- two whole baked potatoes, or one small bag of chips (1.25 ounces). Student volunteers helped pass around our potatoes and potato chips, thus allowing each student to hold the foods, comparing their respective weights. Students determined that the bag of chips had more fat, because of the method of preparation (frying). As a class, we discussed which food would be a healthier and more filling choice as an after school snack, we visually observed the location of the food label and briefly discussed what information the food label contains. After our discussion, student volunteers placed pictures of a baked potato and a slice of pie on the food pyramid. Happily, nearly all students understood that the baked potato was a vegetable, and that the potato chips belonged with fats and oils. The same exercise was repeated with eight Golden Delicious apples (locally grown and provided by the Greener Grocer) and a single- serve packaged apple pie.

Following our food comparisons, students graphed the number of fat grams in the potatoes/potato chips and the apples/apple pies. Felt circles placed by students on a large felt board visually represented the great difference in the fat content of our prepared and whole foods; every student was able to place a felt "fat circle" on a large felt board.

Finally, students engaged in a multi-sensory apple eating exercise designed to emphasize that healthy dietary choices are also delicious choices. With eyes closed, students were presented with locally grown Golden Delicious apples (thanks Greener Grocer!) which they explored with their senses of touch, smell, taste, and sound. I can only describe their eating as reverent- it was truly a sight to behold!

The Worst 'Healthy' Foods in the Supermarket

Finding the healthiest food options at the supermarket can be difficult, especially when terms like, "fat free," "sugar free," or "zero trans-fat," are placed upon many food items. Advertising can very deceiving! With the help of a Yahoo! Health article and the books, Eat This, Not That!, the most deceiving products in the supermarket, those that claim to be extra "healthy," are compared to items that are actually healthier options. This article, based on information from the book, Eat This, Not That!, helps to provide information about myths surrounding certain foods that are designed to appear as healthy to the consumer. Check out the following link to find out more about these comparisons and how to make the best choices while shopping at the local supermarket!

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/25030/the-worst-healthy-foods-in-the-supermarket/

Living with Diabetes

As a Food Educator working with Local Matters, and the Food is Elementary curriculum, I am passionate about teaching individuals,

both young and old, about the importance of eating well, taking care of your body, and living a nutritious lifestyle. I am also passionate about teaching these topics for a very personal reason.......................

I have been living with Type 1 Diabetes for almost twenty years.

Living with this illness has been far from easy, but it has given me the opportunity to learn a great deal about the human body, what is best for the human body, and how to talk with people about diabetes and how it can affect a person's life. I am always hopeful that by talking about my life with diabetes, I can help make more people aware of how we can best fight this disease.

Diabetes can be a test of a person's self-discipline and will power. Each day is spent thinking about the foods I eat, when I eat them, how much I am eating of these foods, and what other factors might occur during the day that may affect my blood sugars. I have my moments when I just want to throw in the towel and not pay attention to what foods I am putting into my body. But the minute I choose this route, I suffer for it and end up feeling physically horrible! I fight with my feelings about food all the time, and work every moment to shift my perspective of what really are "tasty foods."

As I spend more time learning about whole foods and their benefits, I am realizing how great my body can feel and how well controlled my blood sugars can be when I eat foods that are naturally nutritious. Don't get me wrong, I love sweets and still think about them from time to time. But, I am beginning to understand that the foods we have determined as "yummy tasting" foods are just based on a mind set and not on an absolute truth. If we take the time to re-train our brains to see whole fruits and vegetables as the "yummy tasting" foods, instead of a chocolate chip cookie, we could learn to choose the healthier option and as a result have blood sugars that are under control. Foods high in fat and sugar may taste great for that moment, but continuing to include them in my daily diet would lead to a life of lost eye-sight, lost limbs, heart disease, and even death. I try and ask myself, are eating these traditional "yummy" treats really worth all of that?

Diabetes is rough, but it can be fought!! We as a nation do not have to let this illness control what happens to ourselves and the people that we love. Because I have Type 1 Diabetes, I will always live with this disease unless a cure is found. If I knew that by changing my eating and exercising habits I could get rid of my illness, believe me I would be doing whatever I could to make it go away. Many individuals who are at risk for Type 2 Diabetes have the opportunity to stop this disease by adjusting how they eat each day. LISTEN TO ME...................YOU DO NOT WANT TO LIVE WITH DIABETES!

Changing eating habits is very hard, but there are so many resources available now to help us make these important changes in our lifestyles. If you know that you are at risk for Diabetes, or you know someone close to you who is at risk, take the time to look at the following websites. These websites are also incredible resources for those of us who are already living with diabetes. Make a change now to get your health on the right track. By taking care of my diabetes I have been able to run a marathon, travel to another continent, ride a bicycle for 6 days from Minneapolis to Chicago, as well as live a much fuller life. Diabetes will not stop me, so don't let it stop you!!!!

http://www.dlife.com/, http://www.diabetes.org/, http://www.diabetesaction.org/, http://www.diabetes.com/