Healthy Meal Planning

Healthy Meal PlanningApril 27, 2 p.m. EST

Speakers – DC Central Kitchen Joelle Johnson, Local Food Procurement

Coordinator Lindsey Palmer, Registered Dietician Allison Sosna, Executive Chef of Contract

Foods

Buy FreshBuy Local

Saving money through buying direct and other tips of the trade

2010-2011 DCCK’s Local Food Highlights

In 2010, DCCK purchased over 170,000 lbs of local product This resulted in a savings of over $50,000

Local Meat Buying Program- in August 2010, Fresh Start began serving local, anti-biotic, hormone free beef in schools for the same amount that we were paying our vendors. Ground beef and beef patties come from cull dairy cows

($2.69/lb for ground) ($3.15/lb for patties) We are saving $0.20/unit with the hamburger patties

Further cost savings in 2011 – harnessing our bulk purchasing power with the main Kitchen, we were able to sign contracts with 2 local growers to purchase 140,000 lbs of local product at a fraction of the market price.

Tips of the Trade how you can cut costs and buy

local Buy in Bulk

Buy directly from the farmerFarmer’s market, Farm stands, Produce auctions

Buy seasonallyPreserve extra for the winter

Start a garden!

Providing Nutritious Meals

for Campus Kitchens

Lindsey Palmer, RDDC Central Kitchen

What is a Complete Meal? Components that make up a complete

meal Protein Grain Fruit Vegetable Milk (depending on the program)

Protein A protein component can be

Beef Chicken Fish or seafood Pork Lamb Cheese Beans**a quick way to reduce cost make one meal a week

vegetarian by using beans or cheese as the protein source**

Grains A grain can be anything from whole wheat bread

to pasta to rice to couscous Whole grain products are overall more healthful

and satisfying The additional fiber keeps you fuller, longer Whole grains have additional vitamins and minerals not

found in processed items **examples of whole grains would be whole wheat bread,

brown rice, whole grain pasta and oatmeal**

Fruit Getting 2-3 servings of fruit per day is important

for balanced nutrition but fruit can encompass a multiple of things such as: 100% fruit juice Canned fruit in juice or light syrup Frozen fruit Desserts using minimal fat and sugar **local, seasonal fruit is best when available as well as

frozen whole fruit**

Vegetables Similar to fruit, fresh, local, seasonal vegetables

tend to be cheaper and pack more nutritional value

Frozen is a great alternative to fresh Canned vegetables are the cheapest option and

available all year round but contain high amounts of sodium To reduce the sodium content, try rinsing the vegetables

before cooking them or letting them sit in water to leech out excess salt

Don’t forget to drain the water before cooking though

Nutrition Related Programs If your Campus Kitchen is interested in hosting nutrition

classes, check with your schools Nutrition Department There might be students majoring or minoring in

nutrition who could teach classes Also check to see if they have a Dietetic Internship

program or Master’s program On campus nutrition clubs might also be interested in

donating time to teach clients about healthy eating

Topics for Nutrition Education Classes Shopping on a budget Increasing fruit and vegetable

consumption Food safety Healthy snacking and eating on the go Getting picky eaters to try new foods Cooking demonstrations

Portion Sizes

Portion Sizes

Resources

Great resources for nutrition education and handouts MyPyramid.gov USDA.gov Eatright.org **these websites have great ideas for recipes as

well as handouts for clients that you can reproduce free of cost**

Making Healthy Food Taste Good

Allison Sosna, Executive Chef of Contract Foods

Making & Marketing Your Healthy Meals

Kids, students, and adults all need encouragement on why your healthy meals are good.

Here are some tips: Sub out sugar for honey Art of caramelization- onions and beyond- use them in everything Colored yogurt Blended oil and salt Hot sauce; huge flavor enhancer, healthy, cheap “dare” them to try it Relate to them: how is this meal going to effect their life? Athletics, dance,

music…you are what you eat