Kids love tomatoes! That's obvious when you look at California School Lunch menus. California school children's consumption of processed tomatoes is exceeded only by their consumption of potatoes. The good nutrition provided by processed tomatoes is included often when the members of the California School Nutrition Association plan school lunch menus to include a world of different preparations like spaghetti sauce, chili, soups and stews, pork and beans, and many, many others dishes that kids will love.
“School food service directors are often registered dietitians, so we’re motiviated not only by our desire to provide nutritious foods, but also to adhere to the nutritional guidelines provided by the federal government,” says Pavel Matustick, president of the California School Nutrition Association. “But we also view kids as our customers, so it’s very important for us to provide meals they’ll enjoy. We know that when we serve spaghetti and many of the other dishes that use processed tomatoes, plates will come back clean and our job has been done to provide excellent nutrition.”
Now in addition to the vitamins and minerals, there is overwhelming evidence that processed tomatoes contain the antioxidant, lycopene, and that lycopene may play a role in preventing certain kinds of cancer, heart disease, and some very serious eye diseases, too. To ensure the health of our children, the California School Food Service Association along with the California Tomato Growers Association is now sponsoring a public service announcement that encourages parents to include more Lycopene-rich foods in their family dining. Listen for them on your local radio stations to hear the latest about lycopene and what it can do for kids and adults, too.
Click here for recipes contributed by California school nutrition professionals that kids love.
|
