FOOD NATION January 2020
EAT BRIGHT NEWS
We have been busy designing new menu options to tickle your taste buds. Try our delicious, healthy new additions. We hope you are all happy to be back after a fabulous Winter Holiday and looking forward to the rest of the school year! We are excited to share with you our new menu items, nutrition workshops, young chef competitions and much more. Be on the lookout for new initiatives centered on HEALTHY EATING AND WELLNESS that will be coming this year. There is LOTS in store!
• Cheese Burger • Vegetarian Lentil & Feta Croquettes • Roast Chicken with Yorkshire Puddings & Gravy Don’t worry your old favourites like Butter chicken, Fish Bites & Chicken Tenders are still on there too.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT .… Dates are one of the oldest cultivated fruits: dating back as far as 8,000 years ago forming part of the Babylonian diet.
DATES
They taste great but unlike processed sweets, dates satisfy a sweet tooth while providing essential nutrients, vitamin B-6 & iron; making a great energy snack. They are high in fiber; just ¼ of a cup provides 12% of a person's daily requirement. Full of antioxidants they protect the body from inflammation. And their high potassium levels result in good heart health and muscle building.
FOOD NATION SOME COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NUTRITION BEHIND SCHOOL LUNCHES How can I be guaranteed my child will have a nutritious meal?
A Hidden Goodness Recipe
VANILLA POWERBOMBS Using date paste as the main ingredient these scrummy Powerbombs give you an energy boost with benefits …. Deliciously moreish these make a great addition to a packed lunch or as a snack. Makes approx. 40 bombs. 300g coconut powder 300 date paste 35g cocoa powder 150 ml hot water 100g coconut oil 300g sunflower seed powder 40g honey 30g chia seeds 20g vanilla extract Zest 2 oranges / lemons Warm date paste in hot water with coconut oil in a sauce pan. Beat in a mixer with all other ingredients. Flavour with zest 2 oranges or lemons. Add vanilla to personal taste. Allow to cool and set in the fridge. Divide into walnut sized pieces and roll in crushed granola, coconut powder or toppings of your choice.
School meals by law in the UAE must meet certain nutrition guidelines. These standards strive to ensure children’s nutritional needs are met. Our Eat Bright Programme goes way beyond these guidelines and provides targeted nutrition with foods dense in vegetables & made from quality-sourced ingredients. Our food is freshly made, non-processed, additive free, naturally low in sugar & and free from harmful trans fatty acids. What does nutritionally balanced mean? A nutritionally balanced menu is based on the following food groups: - Starchy foods (rice, pasta, bread) - Fruits and Vegetables - Meat, Fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein - Milk and dairy - Limited amounts of food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar - Healthy drinks especially water The general principal of a balanced menu emphasizes the importance of providing a wide range of foods across the week. If my child has a hot school meal at lunchtime, does this mean that they don’t require a family meal in the evening? Absolutely not, a school meal will provide your child on average with a third of their daily nutrient requirement leaving two thirds to be made up from breakfast and dinner. Having a wellbalanced meal later in the evening will ensure that children are eating a larger variety of foods and therefore benefiting from a greater variety of key nutrients.
Our 'Eat Bright’ food programme offers the best quality food options for children in schools; created in-house we use no artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners, texture altering chemicals, additives, trans-fats or preservatives. We aim to maximise a child's educational potential and keep the future generations healthy & happy. For more info visit www.foodnationme.com or email Vishal on info@foodnationme.com