Ivy League...YUM!

I enjoy a good burger and fries on occasion but I don't indulge often because when I do, it's usually because I'm crunched for time and then I'm not having a "good" burger and fries, I'm actually having a greasy burger with salt laden fries and spend the rest of the day regretting it. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but my body doesn't seem to do well unless it's well nourished. I get sluggish and lethargic and feel gross all over.

We've been pretty busy around here. If you keep up with us on Facebook, you know that we've been working early mornings until way past sundown, day after day for weeks now. My typical mode of operation is to work continuously while I order pizza or chomp down on a burger or spend the day staving off hunger by filling up on chips. Not this time. I just can't risk slowing down or getting sick. This time I planned and planning has made all the difference. I stocked up on berries, yogurt, lean turkey, cheese, hummus, avocados and tortillas. I make it a point to stop, make lunch and dinner and then sit down and eat it. Turns out that taking a break to prepare and savor my food goes a long way into re-energizing me. I can work later, for longer periods of time and I'm losing weight.

There has been such a push for healthy school lunches stemming from the rise in childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes. What I wonder is how we ever got so far away from providing healthy lunches for children. We don't worry about those things at Ivy League-West. Here we will be providing two healthy snacks and a wholesome, healthy lunch everyday. Our menu will consists of at least two vegetarian lunches a week. The other three days lunches will always include vegetables and/or fruit. Snacks will always include fresh, raw vegetables or fruit. The fruit will always be fresh with the exception of canned pineapple in natural juice or frozen fruit.

Milk will be available at lunch and natural juice at morning snack. Water will be provided throughout the day and for afternoon snack. The following is a sample menu. Our menus will change monthly as well as seasonally. You can expect warm, rich soups and stews in autumn and winter and cool, refreshing sandwiches and salads in summer. Our quarterly newletters will have some of the recipes used in our menu.

Autumn/Winter Lunch Menu

Beef Stew over rice (it's thick and hearty with lots of veggies)

Pureed White Bean Soup (my mom's favorite when I was a child. She could hide all those yummy veggies I refused to eat)

Stir Fry Noodles with veggies (do you see a pattern emerging?)

Black Bean Soup with plantains

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Roasted Bell Pepper and Tomato Soup.

Chili con carne and corn bread

Chicken Quesadillas

3 Cheese Quesadillas

Annie's Organic Macaroni and Cheese

Tuna Melts

Pumpkin Soup (actually pumpkin everything during the fall)

Carrot-Ginger and Cashew Soup

Steak Tacos

Snack list

Raw Veggies with dip

Apples with peanut butter

Trail Mix (with just a few dark chocolate chips)

Yogurt with Pineapple and Granola

Hard-Boiled eggs (maybe even deviled with yogurt if we are feeling fancy)

Crostini's with Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella

Bagels and cream cheese

Pears slices with crackers

Hummus on tortillas

Avocado slices

Obviously these are just a sample of what the children as well as the teachers will be eating. Listing all these yummy foods has made me hungry. I'm off to make dinner.

Enjoy your evening,

Alida