The menu has been posted.  Have a wonderful week!

Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year is a time of great celebration that lasts for 2 weeks, and starts on the first day of the Chinese calendar. It is the time of family reunion and thanksgiving for the past year. During this celebration time, marketplaces are bursting with the colors that symbolize prosperity and blessings for a great start of a new year. These foods can help you and your family be healthy:

• Red colored foods bring you blessings throughout the year, so red foods such as apples, pomegranates, and blood oranges are a must in Chinese New Year!

• Golden/yellow colored foods such as apricots, candied tangerines, peaches, yellow peppers, pumpkin, and yellow squash bring you great fortune!

• Nuts and foods with seeds such as pumpkin seeds (pepitas), sunflower seeds, peanuts, walnuts, pine nuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts, pine nuts, and pecans are symbols of wishes for a good harvest!

Based on Chinese Zodiac, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon! Dragons are active, passionate, confident, brave, and energetic.  Encourage your children to start out the Chinese New Year eating lucky-healthy foods so they can be as strong and active as a Chinese Dragons!

This week's fruits

MANGO VERDE

WATERMELON AND CANTELOUPE

PINEAPPLE

  

 PINK GRAPEFRUIT IS A FAVORITE OF THE SCHOOL!

MANDARINAS

Menu has been posted

Think About What You Drink

• Drinking water is the best way to stay hydrated
• 6-10 cups a day varies with age
• Children get dehydrated faster than adults
• Milk contains calcium, which is needed for growing strong bones.
• Juice
• Mix ½ 100% fruit juice with ½ water
• *Do not use powder juice or add sugar to juice mixes –these drinks contribute to too much weight gain and are not good for your family’s health
• Avoid artificial sweeteners –see http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm
• Limit juice to no more than 6 ounces a day.
• Never put juice or soda in baby’s bottle
• Agua frescas – homemade without added sugar is a nice treat
• Jamaica (hibiscus tea) or herbal tea (caffeine free) without added sugar is a good alternative
• Try sparking water or club soda with sliced lemons, limes, or oranges for a fun alternative to water or soda.
• Water with cucumber slices is refreshing.

Water Tasting

• Make 4 different varieties of water with the kids for them to try
• Water with Orange slices
• Mint water
• Raspberries in ice cubes placed in water
• Cucumber or Jicama water

This week's fruits, veggies and dessert

Monday is MLK Holiday

The Cafeteria uses lots of onions, garlic, red bell peppers, green peppers and tomatoes as flavor enhancing to most of our foods. 


The menu for the week has been posted.  Until Tuesday...........

Eat a Rainbow

Fruits and vegetables come in a variety of different colors. These colors represent different nutritional components, such as beta carotene in carrots and the anthocyanins in strawberries.

MyPyramid for Kids recommends kids eat more dark green and orange vegetables.
Kids should try to eat a different colored fruit and vegetable every day and make it goal to eat a rainbow of colors each week.

The menu for the week has been posted. 
Have a great week!

Breakfast Makes Kids Smarter

Breakfast is an important meal. Kids who eat breakfast do better in school because they are better behaved and perform better, the American Dietetic Association explains. They also have an easier time maintaining a healthy weight.

For parents who struggle with getting their kids to eat in the morning, the cafeteria offer breakfast items at first recess.

Did you Know?

Different parts of the world have their own local cuisine. The diets and general food habits of various cultures depend on social, religious, economic and safety factors as well as the availability of different foods.

Examples of food and cuisine that are popular or famous in certain areas of the world include hummus in the Middle East, apple pie in the USA, raw fish in Japan, cheese in France, roast meat and vegetables in England, curry in India and tortillas in Mexico. Of course Baleadas in Honduras!

Happy 2012!

Hoping 2012 brings unity, peace, love and prosperity to all!

The Menu for the week has been posted.