Thank You for Supporting HEALTHY CHOICES!

What’s On Our Plates this Month? NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH

Chartwells-Thompson @ SLPS Client Newsletter March 2010

To celebrate National Nutrition Month® this March, Chartwells is pleased to offer the EAT. LEARN. LIVE DELICIOUSLY- Savor the Flavor of Herbs and Spices promotion in our school cafeterias. To celebrate this event, we will be featuring new menu items, educational materials and taste tests, where students can sample new foods seasoned with healthy herbs and spices. On the days of our promotion, the lunch menus will feature new recipes flavor-charged with the super spices.

In addition to these special cafeteria events, Chartwells is making herb seeds available to children to plant in recycled milk cartons as a fun and educational classroom activity. This activity will rein-force the message that herbs and spices are healthy ways to season foods, as well as provide participating students the opportunity to learn about what plants need to grow, and learn how growing plants and recycling is good for the environment.

For more information about spices for health, and to get some great recipes, check out McCornick, our promotional partner’s website:

http://www.mccormick.com/SpicesForHealth.aspx

Did you know… Nature created herbs and spices with a two-fold purpose- to make our favorite foods taste great and promote health and wellness. New research is showing that a spicier life may be a healthier one! One good reason to season foods with herbs and spices is because they can kick up the flavor in foods without adding salt, sugar, and extra fats. In addition, many popular spices and herbs are also a surprising source of antioxidants- dietary substances that can prevent or repair damage to your body cells, boost immunity, and reduce inflamma-tion thereby reducing risk of heart dis-ease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. For example, just ½ teaspoon of dried cinnamon, cloves, oregano, turmeric, or cumin contains more beneficial antioxidants than ½ cup of fresh chopped green or red pep-pers, red grapes, tomatoes, broccoli, or spinach!

Q: What is the difference be-tween an herb and a spice?

A: HERBS are the fragrant leaves of plants that do not have woody stems, such as thyme, oregano, peppermint, dill, parsley, etc. SPICES are the barks, berries, fruits, roots and stems of all kinds of plants, such as cinna-mon, cloves, nutmeg and pep-per. Garlic is a pungently flavored vegetable, closely related to the onion. It's leaves are often treated as herbs, and it's roots, as spices.

When Chartwells-Thompson joined the SLPS family almost two years ago, we coupled with the SLPS Health and Wellness initiative and embarked on the joint goal to meet the Advanced Level of the Missouri Eat Smart Guidelines for school breakfast and lunch menus. As we face the current epidemic of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes, it is our respon-sibility to ensure that the meals available to our students are wholesome, healthy and nourishing. Through our partner-ship was created a Nutrition Committee, comprised of the SLPS Food Services Director, staff from Chartwells, Local Die-titians and Community Agencies. This group helps to review the menus as well give recommendations how on to better serve our students.

Since then, all trans fats have been eliminated, which includes all deep-fried, fatty foods. We found new ways to prepare our students’ favorite foods, like baked French fries and oven-ready breaded chicken poppers and added low-fat salad dressing options. Breads and pizza crust are made of whole grains and we have added many more fresh fruits and vege-tables to our menus at every school. The a la carte menu in secondary schools features baked chips, 100% juice slushies, and beverages that meet low sugar and calorie levels.

We thank you for your support as we continue to improve menus and healthy choices to SLPS students!

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First Lady Launches LET’S MOVE!

Recipes: Savor the Flavor of Herbs & Spices for National Nutrition Month

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Ready in 10 minutes, Serves 2 Ingredients:

1 cup water 2/3 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup apple juice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 apple, cored and chopped 1 cup milk

Instructions:

1. Combine the water, apple juice, and apples in a saucepan. 2. Bring to a boil over high heat, and stir in rolled oats and cinnamon. 3. Return to a boil, and reduce heat to low, and simmer until thick, about 3 minutes. 4. Spoon into serving bowls, and pour milk over the servings.

Creamy Herbed Dip Ingredients:

1 lb. Light Sour Cream 1/2 tsp dried Rosemary 2 cups Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt 1/2 tsp dried Thyme 1/4 cup 1% milk 1/2 tsp Black Pepper 1/2 tsp dried Oregano

Instructions:

Mix all together in a large mixing bowl with a spoon or spatula, then finish with wire whisk to blend smooth. Spoon into serving bowl, cover and chill until serving time. Serve with raw, fresh vegetables or crackers. Keep refrigerated up to 5 days. Makes 32 portions of 2 Tbsp.

Chef’s Spotlight at Soldan

Above left: Marvin Dorris dishes up chicken; Above right: Soldan cook, Myrtle Sharp with Chef Steve; Top far right: drawing to win one of four cookbooks from partner Thompson Hospitality; Bottom far right: yummy food!

On February 9th, First Lady Michelle Obama launched “Let’s Move,” a nationwide campaign to end childhood obesity within the next generation. The campaign is taking a comprehensive approach, call-ing for support and resources from all sectors of society, including our nation’s schools. Mrs. Obama is encouraging schools across the country to participate in the Healthier US School Challenge, a program developed by the United States Department of Agriculture recognizing communities that create health-ier environments through the promotion of good nutrition, nutrition education and physical activity. As the industry leader in school dining, Chartwells is committed to partnering with the communities we serve to, at a minimum, more than quadruple the number that qualify for gold level nutrition status of the Healthier US School Challenge by the close of the 2010-2011 school year.

To accomplish the objectives of the HealthierUS School Challenge, Chartwells will work with the White House, federal and state agencies, the school districts it serves and the private sector to:

• Make menu and competitive food options available for schools that meet or exceed gold level nutrition standards for fruits, vegetables, whole grains and milk.

• Increase nutrition education programming targeted to students and parents.

• Meet the Institute of Medicine recommended standards for fat, sugar and whole grains over the next 5 years and the sodium standard over the next 10 years by pursuing discussions with suppliers to develop products which meet those standards.

• Encourage participation in the HealthierUS School Challenge and provide assistance for achieving gold level status.

• Work to double produce offered in school meals over the next 10 years.

• Research the feasibility of a cost efficient menu that satisfies the HealthierUS School Challenge standards.

Soldan Cafeteria welcomed Chef Stephen Pierce from Chartwells’ partner company, Thompson Hospitality, to cook lunch on Thurs-day, February 25th. Students enjoyed a “Good for the Soul; Good for the Heart” menu that featured lighter, heart-healthy versions of tradi-tional comfort food dishes. Old favorites such as fried chicken and black-eyed peas were given a healthy, oven-baked makeover and served alongside seasoned greens, rice and cornbread.

Copies of the “Oven-Fried Chicken” recipe were handed out and Chef Steve chatted up students and staff during each meal period. Students were also invited to enter a drawing to win one of four cookbooks donated by Thompson.

Chartwells-Thompson @ SLPS Client Newsletter March 2010

Page 3 Chartwells-Thompson @ SLPS Client Newsletter March 2010

Our passion for good food isn’t limited to the cafete-ria. Together with a balanced, delicious meal, we of-

fer an exciting range of educational tools that help your students make wise, informed decisions. “Eat.

Learn. Live.” is the foundation of all that we do in school foodservice education.

Associate Star of the Month: Delores Ford Congratulations to Delores Ford, lead at Vashon High School and Associate Star of the Month for March! She exemplifies the meaning of “team player,” frequently go-ing the extra mile to assist anyone who needs help. Whether it is a struggling mem-ber of our team, another school in need of product, a faculty or staff member with a concern or a last-minute catering event, she does everything in her power to assist. Delores is consistently positive and always willing to go the extra mile for the pro-gram to succeed. Each time she is asked to go above and beyond, she uses the phrase “anything for the good of the team.” Through all of the obstacles she has faced at Vashon , Delores keeps her spirits high and consistently motivates her staff to perform their best. Congrats Delores and keep shining!

Chartwells-Thompson @ SLPS 5020 Lexington Avenue St. Louis, MO 63115 Phone: 314-381-4155 Fax: 314- Chartwellsschooldining.com/slps

Congrats to Area Manager, Chris Jeep, who was recognized by his peers as a Manager “Star” for December/January. His team members describe him as a true “team player.” Congrats Chris!

Congrats to the following schools who received a perfect score on their recent Health Inspections!

Clay

Dunbar

Farragut

Hamilton

Metro High

Mel Carnahan

Meramec

Roosevelt High

Shenandoah

Woodward

Brenda Robinson

Longtime SLPS food services employee Brenda Robinson passed away Wednesday, February 24, 2010 after a bat-tle with cancer. Brenda was a famil-iar face at Vashon High for many years and will be greatly

Alice Gaikins

Ms. Alice Gaikins, an SLPS food services employee for over 20 years passed away recently due to com-plications during heart surgery. She will be greatly missed by many, including those who worked with her at Soldan High.

L-R; Chef Willie McDaniels; Area Manager Kelly Myers; Star of the Month Delores Ford; Dir. Of Operations Greg Manning