Alright lovelies, we’re back to routine! The organized part of me is very happy to get back to the normal blogging scene around here. Thanks for your patience!
Breakfast
I started the day off with a really large, ripe banana and a bowl of Nature’s Path Flax Plus Flakes , unsweetened almond milk, and 1 Tbsp. of chia seeds.
See? I told you things were back to normal.
Lunch
After four hours of classes, I was ready to come back to my dorm and make some lunch! On the menu today was a salad of kale, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and diced zucchini topped with avocado and hummus. Mushing the two together makes for a fantastic, quick, and “creamy” dressing. A whole wheat pita was enjoyed alongside to wipe up the remnants of dressing.
Another lunch that I never wanted to end. Le sigh!
Dinner
After my third class and a killer kickboxing routine, dinner was served. I grabbed some
Green Giant Antioxidant Blend frozen veggies and Trader Joe’s Organic Savory Tofu, and poured some marinara sauce on top to create a quick, simple protein-rich dinner. I was craving some of this tofu so badly! It is so stinkin’ delicious.
Frozen Tomato Paste = Vegetable?
Everything that I’ve ever told you on this blog about healthy living is a lie. Okay, maybe not everything – but it might as well be, according to Congress. I stumbled across this article thanks to my friend Kristin (Hi babe!) last week and felt compelled to address it.
Approximately one week ago today, Congress voted to rebuke the USDA’s guidelines for school lunches that would have pushed to include more fruits and vegetables in children’s lunches. Congress’ brilliant back-up statement? Tomato paste on frozen pizza is considered a vegetable. Here are the ingredients for ConAgra’s pizza sauce containing tomato paste:
SAUCE: (water, tomato paste (31 percent NTSS), pizza seasoning (salt, sugar, spices, dehydrated onion, guar and xanthan gum, garlic powder, potassium sorbate, citric acid, tricalcium phophate and soybean oil (prevent caking)), modified food starch).
Really? I mean, what is NTSS? Nevermind the fact that the “mozzarella cheese substitute” has trans fat in it.
Photo courtesy: Foodirl.com
So, I’m sure you’re wondering why Congress wouldn’t take authority into their own hands and rebuke these claims. The answer, my friends, is money. Large and lucrative companies like ConAgra and Schwann, the manufacturers of frozen foods like pizza and chicken nuggets, pressured Congress into making this statement with monetary incentives. The companies control what children eat in school. Their advertisements, whether children realize it or not, have an inordinate influence over what kids choose to eat and send the message that healthy foods are gross and therefore should not be eaten.
Now, I am by no means a primary source in this realm of expertise, and there are so many twists and turns within the food service industry that tie into this issue. That being said, I think there are some simple solutions that can make a difference in our children’s lives. These processed, sugary, and salty foods children are eating are chemically designed so that people become addicted to them. This is part of the reason why kids want more and more of them.
If parents pack their children’s lunches with delicious and healthy foods, we have a better chance of raising healthier kids and decreasing the profits of these large companies. Even better, the more often parents involve their children in preparing delicious and healthy meals, the more children will sustain healthy habits. After all, children learn from what they see.
This idea got me thinking and it all boils down to this: “Our strength to handle situations comes from within. Once we believe, we can do.”
I hope food service directors and Congress can find the strength within them to stand up for our children and put in the effort (it is hard work!) to work towards changing the foods we serve to our children.
Stay lovely,
Heather
Question of the Day: What do you think of this article?
Alright lovelies, we’re back to routine! The organized part of me is very happy to get back to the normal blogging scene around here. Thanks for your patience!
Breakfast
I started the day off with a really large, ripe banana and a bowl of Nature’s Path Flax Plus Flakes , unsweetened almond milk, and 1 Tbsp. of chia seeds.
See? I told you things were back to normal.
Lunch
After four hours of classes, I was ready to come back to my dorm and make some lunch! On the menu today was a salad of kale, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and diced zucchini topped with avocado and hummus. Mushing the two together makes for a fantastic, quick, and “creamy” dressing. A whole wheat pita was enjoyed alongside to wipe up the remnants of dressing.
Frozen Tomato Paste = Vegetable?
Everything that I’ve ever told you on this blog about healthy living is a lie. Okay, maybe not everything – but it might as well be, according to Congress. I stumbled across this article thanks to my friend Kristin (Hi babe!) last week and felt compelled to address it.
Approximately one week ago today, Congress voted to rebuke the USDA’s guidelines for school lunches that would have pushed to include more fruits and vegetables in children’s lunches. Congress’ brilliant back-up statement? Tomato paste on frozen pizza is considered a vegetable. Here are the ingredients for ConAgra’s pizza sauce containing tomato paste:
SAUCE: (water, tomato paste (31 percent NTSS), pizza seasoning (salt, sugar, spices, dehydrated onion, guar and xanthan gum, garlic powder, potassium sorbate, citric acid, tricalcium phophate and soybean oil (prevent caking)), modified food starch).
Really? I mean, what is NTSS? Nevermind the fact that the “mozzarella cheese substitute” has trans fat in it.
Photo courtesy: Foodirl.com
So, I’m sure you’re wondering why Congress wouldn’t take authority into their own hands and rebuke these claims. The answer, my friends, is money. Large and lucrative companies like ConAgra and Schwann, the manufacturers of frozen foods like pizza and chicken nuggets, pressured Congress into making this statement with monetary incentives. The companies control what children eat in school. Their advertisements, whether children realize it or not, have an inordinate influence over what kids choose to eat and send the message that healthy foods are gross and therefore should not be eaten.
Now, I am by no means a primary source in this realm of expertise, and there are so many twists and turns within the food service industry that tie into this issue. That being said, I think there are some simple solutions that can make a difference in our children’s lives. These processed, sugary, and salty foods children are eating are chemically designed so that people become addicted to them. This is part of the reason why kids want more and more of them.
If parents pack their children’s lunches with delicious and healthy foods, we have a better chance of raising healthier kids and decreasing the profits of these large companies. Even better, the more often parents involve their children in preparing delicious and healthy meals, the more children will sustain healthy habits. After all, children learn from what they see.
This idea got me thinking and it all boils down to this: “Our strength to handle situations comes from within. Once we believe, we can do.”
I hope food service directors and Congress can find the strength within them to stand up for our children and put in the effort (it is hard work!) to work towards changing the foods we serve to our children.
Stay lovely,
Heather
Question of the Day: What do you think of this article?