Fed Up With School Lunch

You guys should check out this great blog, Fed Up: School Lunch Project.

One teacher sets out on an experiment to eat what the kids eat in 2010. Could you eat school lunch every day for a year? Stay tuned!

Lentils & Sweet Potatoes: Who Knew?

In the summer, I tend to eat a lot of salads for lunch, but once the weather cools down, I branch out a lot more and try different things. Today, I found a new favorite: lentils with sweet potatoes and spinach.

I actually got the idea from a blog called Runner's Kitchen, which a former co-worker turned me on to. Though I am by no stretch a runner, I do love exercise, and it's nice to see another young woman out there who sees food as fuel for her busy life and not as an enemy that must be conquered.

The dish was really easy to make—the only hard part was waiting for the lentils and onions to finish cooking. I also added a couple teaspoons of curry paste, mostly to see what would happen. It was a nice addition, but you could also go without it.

Here's my attempt at a single-serving recipe:

Ingredients

1/4 c lentils

1/2-1 c water (start with a 1/2 c and add more if the lentils get too dry)

chopped onions

2 tsp olive oil

1 c spinach leaves

1 small sweet potato

2 tsp curry paste (optional)

Directions

Sautee the onions in oil until translucent.

Add lentils and stir until coated lightly.

Add 1/2 c water and stir in. When the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat.

While the lentils are cooking, you can cook the potato in the microwave for 4 or 5 minutes.

When it looks like the lentils are almost done, stir in the spinach until it wilts in.

Stir curry paste into lentils and spinach.

Peel and cube potato. Stir into lentils.

Pour into a bowl and enjoy.

Americans Not Eating Their Fruits and Veggies

Recent CDC surveys show that only 33 percent of U.S. adults eat adequate amounts of fruit everyday and just 27 percent get the recommended amount of vegetables.

While this figure totally baffles me, I do have to remember that I'm in school to become a dietician and am therefore slightly more inclined to be mindful to eat my 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

Seriously, though, it doesn't have to be hard to get what you need. Here are a few super-easy ways to incorporate these important foods into your day:

*Slice a banana onto some cereal or oatmeal

*Eat an apple for a snack

*Toss a generous handful of fresh berries onto yogurt

*Instead of soda, drink 4 ounces of 100% juice topped off with seltzer

*Try using banana or apple slices instead of jelly with peanut butter on a sandwich

*Carry some baby carrots with you to work or school to munch on

*Throw steamed broccoli into pasta dishes

*Go for marinara sauce over cream

*Pop a sweet potato in the microwave for five minutes and enjoy alongside a veggie burger or some salmon and spinach

*Pile dark leafy greens and tomatoes onto your sandwich

...and the list could go on and on.

Often, a piece of fresh fruit is cheaper than a bag of chips. Not only will it give you more nutritional bang for your buck, it will help you stay fuller, longer and feel better.

Teaching Schools to Care

Today on her blog, Food Politics, Marion Nestle described a recent tour she took of a few schools in the New York area

Her conclusion: "School food can be really good, even in poor neighborhoods, if everyone involved cares about it. Can we teach schools to care? Of course we can."

She also references an article that ran in the Times on October 2nd about how local schools are banning bake sales as part of a new wellness policy that also limits what can be sold in vending machines.

I think that in some ways, children are the most susceptible to the intense marketing of unhealthy foods. I'm in favor of these restrictions. Doritos and Snickers bars are not going to give students the fuel they need to perform. Plus, eating a real meal makes it easier to stay awake during class. Schools are a really great place to begin reinforcing the importance—and benefits–of making positive choices.

Maybe if people stopped talking so much in terms of enforcing restrictions and instead using language that emphasizes the inclusion of more healthy foods it might foster a more upbeat attitude. Rather than focus on what you're giving up, focus on the good things you're embracing.

The Perks of Eating at Home

Learning how to cook has totally changed my life. Seriously! Being able to make something healthy that also tastes good can be very rewarding. And it's nice not to have to spend a lot of money at restaurants and convenience stores. Why hand over a wad of cash for something you could make very easily yourself?

I just made this lovely little souffle for lunch, and I have to say, it was pretty awesome. Plus, it was really cheap to make—only a couple dollars if you break it down. Sure beats cold cuts.

Midtown Lunch

For those of you living and working in Midtown New York, check out this awesome website, midtownlunch.com. This searchable site features profiles and reviews of tons of restaurants, stands, and street carts in the Midtown area. 

If you've spent any time there, you know how disorienting all the foot traffic and neon signs can be—not good if you only have a few minutes to grab a decent, reasonably priced lunch. Consider creator/editor Zach Brooks your culinary savior. Some of the offerings almost make me wish I had a desk job. Almost. 

I have to admit, even a peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich feels like a luxury when enjoyed in the comfort of your home "office." I get to do this less and less. Taking a minute to make your own damn sandwich can be especially comforting when faced with an unrelenting to-do list.

Happy Friday, everyone!