The government is setting new school lunch nutrition requirements:  Establish maximum calorie and sodium limits.  Serve a fruit and vegetable every day in larger portions.  Offer a minimum number of leafy green vegetables, red-orange vegetables, starchy vegetables and legumes each week.  After 2 years, all grains must be rich in whole grains such as brown rice.  Breads, buns, cereals and pastas must list whole grain as 1st ingredient. Milk must be either low-fat (1%) or fat-free.  Flavored milk must now be fat-free.  No trans- fats.

Cost – 11 cents more per lunch. Who is going to pay for this?  Government will give schools 6 cents more per lunch.  The additional 5 cents will have to come from states and local taxes it seems. What are you paying for each lunch at your children’s school?

We are pleased with these positive changes.  There are two possible problems to address.  One: the government has no money.  We are in serious debt.  Two: kids have to like these foods.  With the right cafeteria managers and chefs, this is possible.  To limit their other choices is critical.  Kids will eat healthier foods if they taste good.

Best possible school lunch – probably the one you make at home for your kids to take to school.  That is why we give you Lunch Box menus in our Family Food Newsletter.  Sign up to receive it twice a month. www.KidKritics.com.

… for the health of families,
ellen

Mac and Cheese – all natural, no artificial anything, no Trans Fats. Win a whole case by Annie’s Homegrown.  Add some carrots or peas and a few parsley and paprika flakes. Put some in thermos for school lunch.  Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today!

Serve these “Top Super Foods for Super Immunity” to your family to prevent them from getting sick: Kale/collards, mustard greens, Arugula/watercress, Green lettuce/cabbage, Broccoli/brussels sprouts, Carrots/tomatoes, Onions/garlic, Mushrooms, Pomegranates, Berries (all types), Seeds (flax, chia, sesame, sunflower).  Thank you Joel Fuhrman, MD., from his new book  Super Immunity.

Now you are probably thinking there is no way my family will eat some of these, especially those at the top of this list.  It’s time to open your mind to buying kale and collards, rinse and chop them finely, then stir fry some with olive oil, onions, garlic and sea salt. Add it few squirts of lemon juice if you like.  The way you get around the texture issue is to slice these greens into little bits. Then serve just a little at first, maybe a tablespoon size.  Stir some into a rice dish  or casserole.  Be inventive and know your effort has a big healthy payoff.   Please don’t shy away from brussels sprouts.  They are best when bought still on their stem.  Slice them in half or quarters and again stir fry them as recommended for kale.

I suspect the rest of this list is not so foreign to you.  Do not overlook the delicious fun offered by Pomegranates.  Quarter them, then have your kids remove the white flesh and pull out the yummy little red “berries.”  They can eat them right away or you could save some for salads.

Bottom line,  Dr. Joel Fuhrman has given you the secret to avoiding sick days.  Use it!   (By the way, you will save money by eating fresh produce over processed foods.)

… for the health or your family,
ellen

Chocolate Energy Bites (Greens+) are loaded with Superfoods and kids love them.  Enter to Win a Case.  Please go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today!

Please read this… for the health of your family, ellen

Q&A about Arsenic and Apple Juice

by Kimberly Lord Stewart (author of Eating Between the Lines, guest on Better Food Choices Radio)

If the recent Consumer Report study about arsenic in apple and grape juice leave you in a quandary about what to buy and whether there are safe juice options, consider this your one-stop source for no spin information on what to buy.

A few weeks ago, Dr. Oz entered the conversation when he independently tested apple juice samples for arsenic. The results were alarming, as some samples exceeded FDA limits for arsenic.  But the television doctor’s tests were discredited because they did not distinguish between the two types of arsenic—organic and inorganic.  The Consumer Reports study gives Dr. Oz’s concerns credibility,  so here is what you need to know:

Q: What is organic and inorganic arsenic?Don’t confuse this with the same type of organic used in food production. Organic arsenic is naturally occurring arsenic in soil and ground water. There are two forms of organic arsenic that may pose health risks, according to FDA. Inorganic arsenic is a known carcinogen.  Inorganic arsenic in water is considered a silent killer because it has no taste, no color or odor.

Inorganic arsenic was allowed in US until the 1970’s to combat the Colorado potato beetle, but even with the 40-year ban, it remains in the soil. A bigger concern is that more than 70% of apple juice concentrate consumed in this country is imported from China, where there is no regulation regarding inorganic arsenic.  Other countries that import apple juice include Argentina, Brazil, Eastern Europe and South Africa, each with varying levels of regulations. For instance in the Consumer Reports study, Brazilian imported apple juice proved cleaner than juice from Argentina and China.

Q: What did the Consumer Reports study find? This recent Consumer Reports study found that among 88 samples of apple juice and grape juice, the levels of arsenic were notably higher than what is allowed in drinking water.  The study specifically looked at the two type of arsenic, organic (the type that is naturally occurring) and inorganic (the type that comes from agricultural inputs and is considered carcinogenic. Even though none of the samples exceeded the FDA limits for arsenic in food for adults, the results are of particular concern for children’s health.

Q: How much arsenic is allowed in food and water?The juice industry is citing the study as of little concern because none of the results show that juice exceeds food standards, but FDA is relooking at the issue. Current regulations limit the amount of total arsenic in drinking water at 10 parts per billion (ppb) and 5 ppb for inorganic arsenic. FDA says they have a “level of concern” for arsenic levels above 23 ppb in food.


Q: Should I be concerned?Consumer’s Union (parent company of Consumer Reports) is calling for FDA to adjust the limits for apple juice to 3 ppb for arsenic and 5 ppb for lead. "We calculated that level so that if a child drank 4 to 6 ounces of juice daily, they would be under the daily limit of arsenic intake," Michael Hansen, senior scientist at Consumers Union, tells The Salt. "It would give them a one in 1000 risk for skin, bladder and lung cancer." Hansen says that 35% of children 5 and younger drink more juice than pediatricians recommend, which is why the limits need to be established for children.

 The Juice Products Association says there is nothing to worry about. "Consumer Reports and other media outlets erroneously compare juice to the standards for drinking water. Juice is not water. To compare the trace levels of arsenic or lead in juice to the regulatory guidelines for drinking water is not appropriate because regulatory agencies have set lower thresholds for drinking water than for food and other beverages because people consume larger amounts of water."

 Q: What is FDA doing about it?FDA will continue to test juices and juice concentrate and evaluate data provided by industry, consumer groups and government agencies, as well as data published in scientific literature. If the agency finds too much inorganic arsenic in any juice, it will take steps to remove that product from the market.

Q: As a parent, what can I do to limit my child’s exposure to arsenic in juices?Here are a few ways to protect your  children from exposure to arsenic and lead in juices:

1. Buy organic. Among all the samples tested by Consumer Reports, organic brands contained lower amounts of arsenic than other brands.
2. Pay attention to Country of Origin. Brands from China and Argentina contained higher levels of inorganic arsenic than juice from the United States.
3. Be brand savvy. One of the study’s most surprising results were the dramatic differences in arsenic levels among brands. For instance, Gerber baby apple juice had the highest levels of arsenic, while Juicy Juice had low levels.
4. Dilute your child’s juice. Physicians recommend limiting juice intake regardless of concerns about arsenic, to limit sugar intake. So this latest arsenic study is another reason to limit your child’s apple juice consumption.
5. Print out this list of brands that contain the highest and lowest levels of arsenic. PDF attached.

To learn more about food safety and food labeling issue like this on, read Kimberly Lord Stewart’s book, Eating Between the Lines, now available on ebook.

 http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Between-Lines-Supermarket-Shoppers/dp/031234774X

 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eating-between-the-lines-kimberly-lord-stewart/1008026588

We usually stay away from politics but now it is time for action. Did you know school systems identify pizza as a vegetable?  No wonder they serve it so often. The government says since tomato sauce is an ingredient in pizza, a serving of pizza can be counted as a vegetable serving. Did anybody in D.C. ever learn that a tomato is a member of the fruit family. This scientific truth has been smeared when tomatoes began to be treated as vegetables.  But they are not.  We are glad kids eat tomato sauce.  But, to label "pizza" as a member of the vegetable food group is just plain absurd.  We encourage you to speak up by emailing, texting or calling your Congress representative or using the services at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (www.cspinet.org) to express your views.  Thank you.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Do you want someone with authority to step in to try and the limit amount of sugary drinks kids drink? This as been suggested since recent research reveals that “85% said they had a sugar-sweetened drink at least once in the past week.”*  The policy of no sodas on school campuses has not made a measurable difference in how much of it kids drink.  And, we all know kids should not be drinking sugary junk drinks. What is your suggestion on this issue?

…  for the health of families,
ellen

How nice would it be to have a whole Case of “Amish style” Spelt Wide White Noodles by Vita Spelt in your pantry for holidays and winter meals?  The grain, spelt, offers a complete protein and scores low on the gluten scale  – it’s nutty delicious!  Makes them the preferred pasta.  Enter to win.  Go to www. KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today.  Enter more than once to up your odds.

*Ron Winslow, “Kids Keep Sipping Sodas”, Wall Street Journal, 11/8/11, D3.

Recently we blogged about the top three: Onions, Corn, Pineapples. Here are the rest. Avocado, Asparagus, Sweet Peas, Mangoes, Eggplant, Cantaloupe, Kiwi, Cabbage, Watermelon, Sweet Potatoes, Grapefruit, Mushrooms.* Feel comfortable feeding these to your family without buying organic. Just watch out for imports from South America and Asia. I try to buy one avocado and one mango a week. These will help feed a family when you cut them into little pieces and add to salads or use as a side. We eat a lot of sweet potatoes and cooked onions. You will usually find a pineapple or some watermelon in our kitchen at any given time. Peas are a weekly must. The others are woven into our monthly menu though we have been staying away from cantaloupe lately. This list is your budget saver group. Ask your store’s produce manager when they are going on sale, really  -  make him your “best friend.”

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Free Food for you if you Win a Case of Tomato Basil Spaghetti Sauce by Simply Organic.  Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes and enter today.

Onions, Corn and Pineapple, in this order, are the top three “cleanest crops.” (foodnews.org)  Cleanest indicates they contain the least amount of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and other unwanted chemicals.  It also means you can feel comfortable buying and eating commercially grown, avoiding the extra expense of organic. Notice how each has naturally protective skins.  That helps.  What they also have in common is they have nutrients that feed your brain.  Fuel you family economically with fresh onions and pineapple, and,  fresh or frozen corn all year round.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

A whole case of food is up for grabs.  Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes and enter to win Almond and Rice Cheese Chunks and Shreds by Lisanatti Foods. They look, cook and tastes like mild cheese. YUM!

“Lettuce recall for listeria initially mentioned only cartons destined for retail in a few states. True Leaf Farms now says lettuce recall involves nearly 2,500 cartons, mostly sold to restaurants, cafeterias, and other institutions in 19 states and Canada.” This is what has been reported from several news outlets. The good news is that this issue was caught fairly early on indicating our improved food safety processes are working.   Once again, the source of this food recall is not an organic farm.  Bottom line, feel safer when buying organic, be sure to wash all produce well before eating, and always wash your counters and your hands before and after use.  Then enjoy your salad!

… for the health of your family,
ellen

5 more days to enter to Win a Case of Oat Cranberry Almond Whenever Bars, Gluten-Free by Pamela’s!  You can do so every day.  Wouldn’t a case of Kid Kritics Approved breakfast, lunch and snack bars help you food budget?  Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today!

Dr. Oz has moms wondering whether to feed their kids apple juice or not. It is time to narrow down the truths so you can make good decisions.  First one: do not buy imported fresh or processed produce.  Those from Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand may be excepted due to their strict produce guidelines.  Most other countries, and especially China, have suspect produce practices.  This is where metals, such as arsenic are being found. Buy 100% U.S.A.  Secondly: Buy local and even better, organic.  Thirdly: Dilute all 100% juices when serving, or, skip them all together and feed your kids organic apples.  Sugar added juices should be a no.  Water, plain or with lemon juice is what kid really need.  Save safe fruit juices as a treat.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

This latest salmonella scare is focusing on ground turkey.  Cargill, Inc. is the culprit this time.  They have recalled 36 million pounds of  fresh and frozen ground turkey.  We have never recommended this brand as their practices do not meet our healthier ingredient standards.  Stick to Plainville Farms and Shelton's Poultry.  You can count on they way they feed, raise with fresh air and clean facilities and their air-chilled processes.  Not only are their turkey products safer and healthier, they are juicier and more delicious…. yes,  you can taste the difference.  Put both brands on your grocery list.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Want a Case of 7oz. bags of Veggie Stix delivered to your door?  Enter the Kid Kritics Food Giveaway Sweepstakes, www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today. If your name is drawn, you will also win a DVD, "The Princess and the Pop Star" by Veggie Tales.  This will give you an afternoon of fun munching, laughing and singing!