The Lunch Lady - Blog Feed

Important Note Regarding CFIA Food Safety

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 02:53:57 UTC

Over the last few days CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) recall reports have been extended to include more familiar grocery store brands. PLEASE NOTE that our beef burgers are not affected. The Lunch Lady Group monitors its entire food supply independently. We have our own food and nutrition manager. We use trusted brand name products because we are able to properly audit the food supplier who prepared the product and do a proper allergen screening:

Click the link below to learn more about the investigation:

Food Safety Investigation - E. Coli in certain frozen beef products

The Lunch Lady is now a proud supporter of Breakfast for Learning!

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 20:11:24 UTC

The Lunch Lady is proud to be a supporter of Breakfast for Learning, working together to supply funds, nutrition education and support to Canadian Children in need. Each time you order one of our FUN MEALS, we donate 10 cents to support Breakfast for Learning in northern Canadian communities. Thanks for ordering these popular meals.

Breakfast for Learning in a non-profit organization that empowers Canadian communities to start and sustain school nutrition programs to enhance learning and the healthy development of children and youth. Last year, they served over 46,000,000 nutritious meals and snacks to more than 267,000 children and youth in over 2,300 nutrition programs.

Donations to Breakfast for Learning will be directed towards three communities that the Lunch Lady has committed to support in Northern Manitoba and Nunavut. A short introduction to each of these communities is provided below. If you have any questions regarding the new partnership please don't hesitate to ask.

We will keep you posted on the rollout of our new ordering system that will support the donation process; it is currently in the final testing phase. We are excited to see this partnership take off!

Breakfast for Learning programs being supported by the Lunch Lady Group:

South Indian Lake, Manitoba

Oscar Blackburn School is a k-12 school with 317 students. 97% of them are First Nations Cree children. The community is semi-remote being 320 km. from the nearest largest community of Thompson, Manitoba.

The community has some employment including the school, the OPCN Cree Nation, the South Bay Construction Company and temporary construction jobs with outside contractors. There also exists commercial fishing and trapping. many people rely on Social Assistance.

Oscar Blackburn School runs a breakfast program which serves 160 of their students 5 days a week.

A number of school staff volunteer every morning while yet another teacher oversees the ordering and inventory for incoming food.

Breakfast is served through a large serving window that faces our multi-purpose room. The breakfast items are laid out cafeteria style and all students are welcome to take all or some items depending on their choice for breakfast.

“Our students benefit so much from your donation. Not only does BFL get our students off to a great start, but for some, it may be their only nutritious meal of the day”. – Jim Robson, Principal, Oscar Blackburn School.

Brochet, Manitoba

Brochet School is a k-12 school with 140 students. Brochet is a remote fly-in community located in Northern Manitoba. Majority of students are Cree with several Dene families. Most are low socio-economic status.

Brochet school runs a school breakfast program that serves 120 of their students 5 days a week.

Breakfast is prepared in a multi-purpose room and then delivered to students in their classrooms.

“’My mom told me I couldn’t go to school this morning because we had no cereal to eat and I told her my teacher would give me toast right away if I asked her’. Thanks to the BFL donors this child came to school confident that he would be provided with food. Without BFL this child may indeed have stayed home and missed important school learning. This teacher, on behalf of this child and others like him, are very thankful for your support.” – Marie Wiseman, nutrition coordinator, Brochet School

Igloolik, Nunavut

Attaguttaaluk Elementary and High schools are both located in Igloolik, a small town in the Melville Peninsula just south of northwestern Baffin Island in Nunavut. Igloolik is a fly-in community approximately two hours from the capital, Iqualuit.

The population of Igloolik is approximately 1300 people, of which 95% are Inuit. The language predominantly spoken in Igloolik is Inuktitut. The cost of bringing food into the isolated communities of Nunavut is very expensive and food insecurity is very high.

Ataguttaaluk Elementary School has an enrollment of 360 students from K to 7 with a 100% Inuit enrollment. A breakfast program is run that serves the entire school population 5 days a week. Soup is prepared 4 days per week in the kitchen area of the Home Economics room and then carried to the individual classrooms to be distributed to the students by the classroom teachers. Each student will receive a bowl of soup with some whole wheat crackers. On days when soup is not served, students receive whole wheat bread with cheese and or peanut butter. Also when available, students receive a portion of an apple or orange and banana.

“As a result of our program, students appeared happier in school, were able to work better without disruptions in class and they seemed better able to focus on their school work for longer periods of time (better time-on-task).” - Fred Saunders, Vice Principal, Ataguttaaluk Elementary School, Igloolik, Nunavut

Ataguttaaluk High School has an enrollment of 250 students from grade 8 to 12. The population of the school is 99% Inuit. Breakfast and snack is served 5 days a week, using the gym and classrooms.

“On behalf of the students of Ataguttaaluk High School I would like to thank you for the opportunity for students to have a healthy meal” - Vince Pickett, principal, Ataguttaaluk High School. – Vince Pickett, Principal, Ataguttaaluk High School, Igloolik, Nunavut

The Lunch Lady Acquires Lunch Connection

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 20:44:23 UTC

This summer has proved to be very busy with many exciting changes. We are very pleased to announce that The Lunch Connection is joining forces with the Lunch Lady Group, after the Lunch Connection was acquired by the Lunch Lady this past summer. The Lunch Connection operates primarily in the Hamilton/Niagara Region and has grown to nearly 100 schools in just 3.5 years. Lunch Connection Schools will be converting to Lunch Lady schools this Fall and co-founder of the Lunch Connection, Steve Robinson, will be joining the staff of the Lunch Lady Group as Director of Sales and Marketing.

Introducing Steve Robinson, Director of Sales & Marketing

In his new role, Steve Robinson will help us better serve our existing customers and expand our network across Canada. He comes to us with lots of experience in both the School and the Lunch Program worlds. Steve lives in Hamilton with his wife, Cindy, and their three teenage sons. They are a very active family, with Steve coaching one of his son’s hockey teams, and often partaking in skiing and camping in their spare time.

For much of his career, Steve was Territory Manager, Trainer for Josten’s School Photography and serviced Elementary, Secondary and University level students. During this time, he won numerous awards for Sales, Leadership, and Photography across Canada. Over the past 3 years, Steve has been the co-owner and founder of The Lunch Connection, which served healthy school lunches in Southern Ontario. Steve has always enjoyed working with people, whether it is serving the lunches, talking to the school staff or training members of the team.

He brings with him valuable experience and enthusiasm to his new position with the Lunch Lady Team.

More details on the transition will be provided as we enter the school year. Should you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Katherine Hague

Communications, The Lunch Lady

katherine.hague@thelunchlady.ca

A Year in Review, September 2010 — June 2011

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 19:26:09 UTC

Niagara Franchise Info Session Coming August 12th!!

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:59:25 UTC

We're hosting Franchise Info Sessions in the Niagara Area August 12th!

Have you ever wished you could make a secondary income for your family while maintaining a flexible schedule? Do you like working with kids and being involved in your community? Are you ready for a more fulfilling career? If so, a Lunch Lady franchise may be the perfect opportunity for you.

Lunch Ladies and Lunch Guys not only provide a valuable service, but they also enjoy a flexible schedule which allows them to operate on ‘teacher’ hours and vacation time. For many franchise partners “The Lunch Lady” was exactly the lifestyle change they were looking for.

With over 17 years of experience, the Lunch Lady is Canada’s largest elementary school lunch provider. Last fall Lunch Lady founder Ruthie Burd was selected as one of Canada’s Top 50 Mompreneurs of 2010 by Mompreneur Magazine.

Thanks to the Lunch Lady, many parents can now benefit from an individually catered hot lunch program in their school. Today the Lunch Lady serves over 940 schools and more than 2 million lunches a year through a network of nearly 50 franchises across Canada.

We’re growing quickly! The number of communities we serve has more than doubled in the past three years. The Lunch Lady might just be the business opportunity you’ve been waiting for. To learn more about this exciting franchise opportunity please visit the Franchising section of our site or contact franchise@thelunchlady.ca.

Live in the Niagara area? Attend our upcoming info session. Email franchise@thelunchlady.ca or call 1-800-603-6656 to reserve your spot!

Session information is provided below:

Friday August 12th - 10:00 AM

Niagara Falls City Hall; Com. Room #2

4310 Queen Street

Niagara Falls, ON

The Lunch Lady is Committed to Food Quality and Safety

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:24:19 UTC

Your child’s safety and happiness are our first priority. Having served schools for over 18 years, we know that maintaining high standards for our products and services is essential. We are committed to serving meals that are not only consistently nutritious and delicious, but safe for your children to enjoy.

Here are just some of the many things that the Lunch Lady does to ensure top quality food at an affordable price:

Our Kitchens

All food prepared in regularly health inspected commercial kitchens

Frequent monitoring by our Head Office Operations Team

Menu and product testing through our corporate test kitchen in Vaughan, ON

Random in-kitchen and in-classroom quality testing by Franchisees and Head Office

Our Food

Menus developed by a highly trained menu planning team

Recipes designed to meet and exceed all provincial nutrition standards

Nutritional analysis, publically available to all customers

Ingredient & allergy listings for all food items

Only the highest quality ingredients

All franchise partners are required to be Food Safety Compliant and take a Regulated Certified Food Handler course recognized by the Ministry of Health.

Our Suppliers

Food sourced through commercial suppliers

Documented research on every food vendor

Constant engagement with manufacturers to develop and source new products

Routine sampling of new products

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Lunch Lady food prepared?

Every Lunch Lady lunch across Canada is made in a Regional health inspected commercial kitchen.

Does the Lunch Lady meet provincial nutrition standard?

The Lunch Lady is committed to exceeding all provincial nutrition standards, including Ontario’s new PPM150. We fully comply to the Ontario Ministry of Education policy with every ingredient and our goal is to have our menu items above and beyond 80% Sell Most.

Who prepares the food?

Every Lunch Lady franchise partner is independently owned and operated by a member of your community. Franchise partners are hand selected by Lunch Lady Head Office and are constantly monitored by a team of highly trained operations managers.

How does the Lunch Lady source its products?

We source our products exclusively through a commercial distribution system. Every supplier is required to provide us with product information including nutritional and allergy declarations to ensure food safety.

How are new ingredients and nutritionals monitored?

The Lunch Lady Group’s menu planning team, which includes a nutrition manager, formulates exact specifications and measurements for the preparation of our lunches. For every new menu, our team researches nutritionals, ingredients, and allergens for every product on every menu across the country. The ingredients we use in our recipes are never altered. Recipes are followed with no deviations. (i.e. adding “extras” or more product than specified). All lunches have been formulated to be consistent in nutritional values and allergy management. We have created these particular formulas for our lunches so that the end product is constant wherever our lunches are served and so that allergy management and nutritional values are maintained.

Nutritionals for all menu items are available through your local Lunch Lady.

Are franchisees trained in food safety?

Our franchisees and at least one of their employees in a supervisory position are required to take a course to be a Certified Food Handler, recognized by the Ministry of Health.

Introducing New Foods to Picky Eaters

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:21:13 UTC

Nothing is more worrisome and disheartening for a parent than a child who will not eat, or one who will only eat one or two things.

Our son Brendan, now 15 was a shining example of a fussy eater. Part of his resistance was that being autistic, he did not like the tactile feel of most foods. I know that experts often advise, “when they are hungry enough, they will eat” but we could never be sure with him because his need to stick to his rigid attitudes was stronger than his appetite.

However, he, like most young children liked games, so we made trying new foods into a game and it worked like a charm.

We used a combination of things he liked and foods he refused.

Here’s an example of how to turn snack time into a fun time

To play you need:

1 picky eater

2 little pieces of a food that is liked [apple]

2 little pieces of a food child has refused to try before [broccoli]

1 “treat type” food [balance the good fun with fun.. make it an oatmeal cookie]

5 little squares [could be a cut up placemat]

The Rules

Make a line with 5 little placemat squares in front of the child.

Put a food item on each square as shown with the treat furthest away

Eat your way to the treat [no shortcuts allowed]

You can use all sorts of foods like cheese, and crackers, and melon etc and even add more selections as you go by adding more pieces of placemat and more food items. Kids really like to help set it all up

Remember this is a game with no good or bad outcomes. It’s just a game.

Don’t get overly excited if they actually eat the previously refused item or too upset if they just can’t do it.

Just say “Oh, I guess you don’t want to play this game with me right now” and put it all away for another time.

You can also make a line for yourself and play along and take turns with your child. Maybe there is something you don’t like to eat!

Now you may be wondering how it worked out with our son. Well. I’m happy to say that today he eats lots of veggies and believe or not really likes Brussels sprouts and even spinach!

— Ruthie Burd President and Founder, the Lunch Lady

Guest Post: Teaching Kids Manners, Techniques for Success

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:17:25 UTC

WhereParentsTalk.com and Canada’s Etiquette Expert, Louise Fox

Reblogged from Where Parents Talk

Article by Daniella Girgenti, with files from Crystal Cossitt

Today’s kids aren’t any different than the children you see holding doors for pregnant women as they struggle into the grocery store or giving up their seats to an elderly person on the bus on Leave it to Beaver reruns. Teaching a modern child about etiquette and manners is possible.

“As a parent, you wouldn’t think of sending your child off to play hockey without proper equipment and a pair of skates or to school without lunch money,” says Louise Fox, Canada’s etiquette expert. “In the same way, you do your children a disservice if you send them into the world without proper social skills…Empathy, our ability to put ourselves in someone else’s place and imagine how our words and actions make them feel, is what manners are really all about. “

In order to get kids on track and acting mannerly, Fox says that parents begin on the right path “as soon as [children] are born. We care for them, feed them and cuddle them when they cry. By these actions, you are teaching your child empathy; showing your understanding of their needs and wants and meeting them. Your baby watches and responds to you and learns this valuable life lesson.”

So how can parents keep on a positive and continue nurturing their children’s empathetic behaviour to raise perfectly mannered kids? Fox recommends the following top tips for teaching kids manners:

Model good behaviour at home: Children observe your behaviour and will follow what you do. It is important to treat others with respect and teach your children what this means. When you show respect, others tend to show you respect in return.

Start from a positive position: Always use the magic words - please, thank you, you’re welcome, I’m sorry - in conversation. Children learn to talk by mimicking what they hear. If they always hear you say ‘please’ when you ask for something and ‘thank you’ when you receive something, it will be a normal response when they learn to talk.

Make etiquette a part of your daily family life: Kids need to know that good manners are important all the time - not just when they go out or when they want something.

Everything that can be learned needs to be taught: Rather than beginning to correct your child when you are out or in an unfamiliar place, prepare before hand by telling your child what they can expect to happen, what they need to do and how you expect them to act. When they know how to behave, they tend to behave.

Remember that most etiquette rules are common sense: Explain to your child that not chewing with your mouth open is important because its shows respect for the other person who doesn’t want to see you eat like an animal. Practice polite greetings with family members and others saying “Good morning” or “Hello, how are you today?”

Reward positive behaviour with praise.

By setting the stage for a life of using proper social etiquette, Fox says that a parent’s goal of ensuring good manners become a habit and not something you just bring out on special occasions can be realized, making it possible for your children to go through life knowing “how to behave in situations and deal with more important things.”

A message from the Lunch Lady herself!

Wed, 25 May 2011 21:43:39 UTC

Big thanks to FogLight for putting together this short video of Lunch Lady founder Ruthie Burd while she was attending a recent event! In the video Ruthie introduces our program and what we can do to help schools create a healthier food environment for their students.

The Lunch Lady is Already Compliant with Ontario’s New School Food and Beverage Policy!

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:57:46 UTC

A message from our founder...

Dear Families, School Council Members, School Administrators and Staff:

At the Lunch Lady Group, we are very excited about the new Healthy School Food and Beverage Act in Ontario. We would like to take this opportunity to assure you that the Lunch Lady is fully PPM150 compliant and is a big supporter of the Act and ones similar to throughout the country. Across Canada, our meals have always abided by strict nutritional standards. Adopting PPM150 has just taken a little tweaking to account for some unique elements of the legislation and our meals have been fully compliant since September 2010.

In 2009 when legislation was introduced to ban industrial transfat from school food, the Lunch Lady made a submission to the Ontario government encouraging them to go further and provide additional nutritional guidelines for school food. As a result, we were honoured to be invited to participate in the development of the new legislation by serving on one of the Healthy Menus Writing Teams set up by the Ministry of Education in October of 2009.

The requirements are strict, it is true, and sometimes they present challenges to food providers but at the end of the day, we feel they have been introduced with the best interests of Ontario’s children at heart and we are happy to abide by them. We believe that schools do educate by the choices they offer and that most parents appreciate the introduction of regulations that will limit the amount of nutrient empty foods available for sale at school.

We conducted our own survey in October 2010 and of the 12,000 parents who responded, 75% were in favour of the government regulation of food at school. That’s pretty amazing and encouraging!

For our part, the Lunch Lady will continue to strive to create menus that are interesting, healthy and yummy for the students at your school as our business grows. Now in our 18th year, the Lunch Lady delivers her good hot lunch program to students in over 900 schools and every day we learn something new about how to improve and enhance our programs to better serve school communities.

Sincerely,

Ruthie Burd

President and Founder

To view the School Food and Beverage Policy Click Here. For more information on the School Food and Beverage Policy and the work that the Lunch Lady is doing to ensure compliance, please feel free to contact your local Lunch Lady or our national head office at info@thelunchlady.ca or 1-800-603-6656.

Crisis Mode?

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:51:25 UTC

by Guest Blogger, Lianne Castelino, Where Parents Talk

I heard a line during a recent interview that really struck me. It succinctly describes what (for the most part) parenting is today.

Parents today "suffer from a crisis of conscience and confidence," went the quote. Bang on, I thought. Truer words were never spoken. Shout it from the rooftops so everyone can hear.

It came from a mother of three kids in their 20's and 30's who seems to have a very pragmatic, common-sense approach to parenting.

Think about it.....we parents, by and large, analyze almost everything. Perhaps it's a function of the times we live in. There is just so much more out there to question.

The "conscience" part refers in large part to the inability to say no, to think that our kids need to have everything, or at least most things or something bad will happen, to feel copious amounts of guilt for anything and everything related to raising our children --- most of it irrational and unfounded. Today's parents often treat their children with kid gloves. They are not fragile, porcelain dolls --- neither parent nor child. We need to give ourselves and our kids some more credit.

The "confidence" part speaks to how the consequence of our parenting decisions leave us (parents) feeling. How will my kids react, how will other parents see me, what will my own parents think? It also seems to describe the constant need for external support and validation from so-called experts. There is nothing wrong with reasonable amounts of advice-seeking, but too much cannot be healthy.

Whatever happened to using plain old, wholesome, honest-to-goodness common sense to raise children.

Sure, it still exists, but it doesn't appear to be the overriding tool in child-rearing today.

I strongly believe in intuition and instinct in child-rearing with a healthy dose of common sense. In other words, always trying to cut through all the white noise, the heaps of clutter and simply reverting to the basics. Sharing stories with other parents in the trenches, and asking for support are most definitely very important, but at the end of the day give yourself some credit. After all, we did manage to bring them into this world didn't we?

Lianne Castelino: Lianne is an award-winning journalist with more than 18 years of experience as a television anchor and reporter in news, sports and lifestyle programming. She has spent most of her career as a news and sportscaster at CTV. A seasoned producer, Lianne has co-created, written and directed several award-winning parenting DVDs, co-authored a nutrition cookbook for toddlers, and co-hosted/produced a parenting radio program on the Corus Radio Network. A passionate writer, she has written scripts, produced web content and videos for corporate clients. She currently hosts “Parents Talk” on Rogers TV Toronto. Lianne is also a media relations consultant. She is married and the mother of three.

When it Comes to Food, Keep it Short and NOT TOO SWEET!

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:09:04 UTC

Remember the story of Hansel and Gretel? How did the witch attract them? It sure wasn’t a cottage made of broccoli and carrots, was it? No, it was candy, chocolate and gingerbread. Do you think they left a trail of whole wheat breadcrumbs markers to find their way back home? Probably not.

I bet if you looked in many children’s story books you’d find lots of references to food. Do you think it would be about vegetables? Well maybe if you were reading about Peter Rabbit. But more likely it would be references to cake, ice cream and candy – happy times seem to go with fat and sugar.

Saturday morning television is a showcase for the latest sugar coated cereals, treats and fast food. How can parents who want to encourage better eating habits compete with show business?

We need to start by talking about food, and thinking about the influence the media has on our children’s eating habits and preferences and our own weaknesses. As parents, we are still the keeper of the cupboard and what we store in there says a lot about what we expect and what we consider acceptable eating behaviour.

Most nutritionists agree that children and adults benefit from a balanced common sense approach to eating. There is nothing wrong with eating a cookie. There is a problem with eating a bag of cookies. So here is some simple, unsolicited advice from the Old Lunch Lady

It’s Ok to keep treats in the house

Be clear on what a portion size is

Be clear about how many treats will be available for the week

When the cupboard is bare, don’t despair, the message is there, someone ate more than his or her fair share.

Be strong. There will be whining!

— Ruthie Burd, Lunch Lady Founder & CEO

RECIPE TO RICHES is looking for Canada's best recipe for a chance to win $250,000!

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 01:41:38 UTC

At the Lunch Lady we know that there are some extremely talented cooks among our customers, and when we heard that the Food Network was searching for a recipe that could win $250,000 we knew we had to tell you!

Recipe to Riches is a new reality TV show on Food Network and Global TV looking for Canada's best recipe and offering a $250,000 grand prize and a chance to become one of 7 new President's Choice products.

Just bring your favorite dish to one of their upcoming open calls in Halifax, Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto! Pre-register online at www.recipetoriches.ca under Applications to reserve a time slot.

For full category information and details on what to expect consult the frequently asked questions page on their website.

Happy cooking!

Franchise Info Sessions Coming to the Vancouver Area!

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:15:28 UTC

We're hosting Franchise Info Sessions in the Vancouver Area January 26th and February 22nd!

Have you ever wished you could make a secondary income for your family while maintaining a flexible schedule? Do you like working with kids and being involved in your community? Are you ready for a more fulfilling career? If so, a Lunch Lady franchise may be the perfect opportunity for you.

Lunch Ladies and Lunch Guys not only provide a valuable service, but they also enjoy a flexible schedule which allows them to operate on ‘teacher’ hours and vacation time. For many franchise partners “The Lunch Lady” was exactly the lifestyle change they were looking for.

With over 17 years of experience, the Lunch Lady is Canada’s largest elementary school lunch provider. This fall Lunch Lady founder Ruthie Burd was selected as one of Canada’s Top 50 Mompreneurs of 2010 by Mompreneur Magazine.

Thanks to the Lunch Lady, many parents can now benefit from an individually catered hot lunch program in their school. Today the Lunch Lady serves over 800 schools and more than 2 million lunches a year through a network of nearly 50 franchises across Canada.

We’re growing quickly! The number of communities we serve has more than doubled in the past three years. The Lunch Lady might just be the business opportunity you’ve been waiting for. To learn more about this exciting franchise opportunity please visit the Franchising section of our site or contact franchise@thelunchlady.ca.

Live in BC? Attend one of our upcoming info sessions in BC. Email anyasandra@thelunchlady.ca or call 604-941-8383 to reserve your spot!

Session information is provided below:

January 26 - 7:00 PM
Italian Cultural Centre, Room #4
3075 Slocan Street
Vancouver, BC

February 22 - 7:00 PM
Holiday Inn and Suites - North Van
700 Old Lillooet Road
North Vancouver, BC

Parents Unite and Take Back Your Cupboards!

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 01:21:08 UTC

It is pretty safe to say that most parents know what good food choices are. The problem is that most kids [like us adults] are motivated by cravings for sweet and salty foods, not carrots. And with such busy lives, parents don’t want to spend limited family time arguing with their children about food.

If you have visions of the multigrain sandwich you spent so much time, planning for and shopping for and making going into the garbage along with the apple you packed your fears may be justified.

We make lunch for thousands for kids in elementary schools every day and here’s what we see. The “healthy” stuff is often accompanied by a whole range of snacks meant to be eaten after. But kids don’t eat food at school in the order you intended and eat the sweet salty treats first and wash them down with the drink and then feel full.

This type of “full” does not last. Kids run out of the fuel they need to learn before the school day ends. When they get home they are really hungry and unfortunately start to rummage around in your snack stash because it is easy, it is portable and can be eaten while on the computer.

In real terms, this means that you have inadvertently enabled your kids to live mostly on snacks since breakfast.

Here’s what you can do:

1) Accept that kids eat the easiest foods first and plan for it. If you are worried that they will eat the cookies first, then pack only one cookie so that the treat will not be enough to fill them up. The need to eat will move them on to the healthier offerings in the lunch bag

2) Remember you are the keeper of the cupboard. You decide how many treats you will buy for the week. When they are gone, do not buy more. Bring out the carrots, the whole grain bread and the shredded cheese and flour tortillas. Hungry kids really will eat anything.

Good luck. Be strong. Remember YOU are the parent.

Are Chicken Nuggets BAD?

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:08:21 UTC

The article Chicken Nuggets: Good Intentions Gone Bad? by Karen Collins, published for the American Institute for Cancer Research, addresses our shift away from red meat to chicken, including the ever popular Chicken Nugget. Children love Nuggets but should children be eating them? Are Nuggets the first step on the road to obesity and poor health?

I am not a nutritionist or a food professional but after spending 16 years encouraging healthier alternatives for children attending elementary schools, I am concerned that we may be getting caught up in the Good Food, Bad Food Controversy. We have been shifting the blame for our tendency to get heavier with each generation from one food to another without solving the problem. What not to eat can be just as much a fad as what to eat. There is no weight gain mystery. We eat too much and too often! The simple solution is to worry less, eat more fruits and vegetables and eat smaller portions of everything else.

Collins writes “The complete answer about chicken nuggets can’t be found simply by comparing them with various alternatives. The nutritional impact depends on how the overall meal is put together”. She is so right! It’s the overall fat, calorie, sugar and sodium impact of whatever we eat that makes the difference. At the end of the day, Chicken Nuggets are just one little piece of a huge Food Smorgasbord. It’s how many you eat at one seating that counts – four Nuggets is a reasonable serving. Nuggets are not all created equal so read the box to check the nutritional content and bake them to avoid adding extra fat.

So are chicken nuggets bad? No, not really. What truly matters is how we put our food together and as time goes by, I realize that some of those old clichés our parents were fond of, like, “everything in moderation” [except fruits and vegetables of course – we need more of those] still make sense.

— Ruthie Burd

Ruthie Burd is a Mom and the Founder of the Lunch Lady.

Our NEW Winter Menu Has Begun!

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 19:12:40 UTC
WHO CAN BELIEVE THAT WINTER IS UPON US ONCE AGAIN?
It’s time for cold noses, boots and scarves, ice skates and hockey sticks, skis, boards and toboggans and snowmen. And it’s time for HOT FOOD. Every School Day, our Lunch Ladies and Lunch Guys are up early, busily preparing the perfect foods for the Winter Season to warm up the tummies of your children. Our menu has something for everyone, and we welcome you to enjoy a good lunch from our kitchens.

As the New Year approaches, we wish you and your family health and happiness and the joys of the Holiday Season.

Check out the menu overview below for some item highlights. Please be sure to check your school’s paper menu or our online ordering site for details and additional menu items.

MENU THEME – WINTER COMFORT FARE

Our Best Value Combos

We selected some of our most popular items and created perfectly balanced combos that will be sure to please your child’s taste buds and your wallet. Our complete lunches include a healthier side and 100% juice. Choose from grilled cheese, buttery pasta parmesan or our yummy pancakes.

Fun Boxes Are Changing To Fun Bags

Our Fun Boxes have been so popular this year that we ran out of them. Watch for our NEW decorated Kraft Mini Shopping Bag that is made of recycled sturdy paper and can be enjoyed after lunch is over. Each FUN Bag still includes an entree, fruit or raw veggie, 100% juice and small sweet treat. Choose from all white chicken nuggets or a beef hamburger. Many kitchens offer Halal and Vegetarian versions of the Fun Bag

A La Carte Ordering – Build Your Own Lunch

Ordering from our Winter Comfort Fare is just like going to a restaurant. Do you want a traditional dinner, a wrap, something from the Burger Bar or how about ordering something from “Around the World”?

What’s on?

The Traditional Roast Chicken Drumstick Holiday Dinner

Always a favourite, this home-style meal is sure to satisfy. Our roasted drumstick is served up with homemade mashed potatoes, kernel corn and Chicken Gravy [no need to mention it is Low Sodium] (hot meal)

It’s Still Toasty Time!

These open-faced sandwiches are sure a big hit! This time we’ve added a toasty, cheesy meatball sub. See what’s available from your kitchen. (hot meal)

Sushi Holds Its Own!

More and more children are enjoying this healthy lunch alternative. More and more of our kitchens are on a roll! (cold meal)

New – Rice Bowls

Take whole grain rice, add a layer of steamed veggies and top with chicken strips in Teriyaki Sauce and you have our new Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl (hot meal)

Nothing Says Comfort Like Shepherd’s Pie

Creamy real mashed potato top a flavourful mix of simmered ground beef and vegetables . A real Tummy pleaser (hot meal)

Chicken Parmesan Pasta

A healthier way to enjoy a classic favourite. Sliced chicken cutlet on a bed of spaghetti, topped with a rich pasta sauce and low fat Mozzarella Cheese . Yum (hot meal)

The Cheeseburger Is A Keeper

We didn’t invent it but it is the first time in a long time that we have offered it. Melted cheese on a lean beef patty inside a whole grain bun. For a little bit more you can add lettuce tomato and pickle to make it perfect!(hot meal)

Are You Full Of Beans??

You will be after you enjoy one of our amazing taco salads. Here’s what’s in it - chopped romaine topped with kidney beans, black beans, corn, cherry tomatoes and shredded low fat mozzarella cheese. Served with side Italian dressing and crushed corn chips (cold meal)

Crunchy Chicken Ranch Wrap

We had so many requests, we had to put it on the Winter menu. Cold breaded chicken strips, romaine and lite ranch dressing rolled up in a whole grain flour tortilla. How can something so simple taste so good? (cold meal)

It’s Never Too Cold For A Rips 100% Fruit Juice Slushie

So what that it is freezing outside! It’s never too cold to give yourself a “Brain Freeze “ This product is exclusive to the Lunch Lady Group. It comes in a cool foil pouch. It arrives at school frozen and will partially thaw by lunch time. [not in BC]

Sparkling Fruit Juice

Take unsweetened fruit juice , add natural sparkling water and put it in a 100% recyclable can and imagine how GREAT it is going to taste!

Berry Bottom Yogurt

Everyone loves the layered yogurt desserts we prepare each day for the schools we serve. This one features mixed berries topped with vanilla yogurt .

New Deliciously Red Juice From Oasis

1 ½ servings of fruit in a box with a great taste. Hope you try it! This is a new product and may not be available at all kitchens. Other flavours may be available. Please check the menu for your school!

Please Note: Menu offerings may vary from location to location. The Lunch Lady meets current nutritional guidelines for your province. Many kitchens offer Halal and vegetarian options and can modify their menus to accommodate your child’s special food needs. You just have to ask!

Learn How to Make Sushi!

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:02:06 UTC

Watch this step-by-step video featuring Lunch Lady Carole!

Ever wanted to make sushi but thought it might be to complicated or too much work? Try this easy Lunch Lady recipe and you’ll be an expert in no time! We’ve also put together a short step-by-step video featuring Lunch Lady Carole to help you through!
Don’t have time to make sushi tonight? Sushi is a featured item on our Winter menu in many kitchens across Canada!

Serving Size: Each serving is 8 sushi pieces.

Shelf Life: Same day for sushi, sushi vinegar can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Allergens: Fish, Soy

INGREDIENTS

Sushi Rice Cooked, 1 Cup Cooked

Rice vinegar - Marukan or Kikkoman Rice Vinegar, 2/3 cup

White sugar, 3 Tbsp

Salt, ½ tsp

Seaweed paper, 1 sheet

Cucumber sticks - 1/4” thick, 2 sticks

Finely Shredded Carrot, 2 tsp.

Soy sauce, 1 pk

Pickled Ginger, 2 slices

Wasabi Paste, ½ tsp

Other Things You’ll Need:

Bamboo Sushi Mat - For rolling the Sushi

Small bowl of water - To dip your fingers so rice doesn’t stick to your hands when making the sushi.

Small bowl of rice vinegar - To seal the edge of the seaweed paper

INSTRUCTIONS

Before You Start: Its always important to wash your hands and ensure you have a clean work surface before starting

Step One: Prepare Rice

Wash rice in a strainer under cold running water until it runs clear.

Cooking ratio of water to rice is slightly more water than rice ex. 5 cups water to 4 cups rice. This yields 8 cups cooked.

If using a rice cooker: follow rice cooker manufacturer’s instructions

If using a stove top: Place washed rice in cold water in a large covered pot. Bring to boil. Stir. Cover. Reduce heat to lowest heat. Stir rice in 10 minutes. Cook another 10 minutes. When cooked remove from heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes. All water should be absorbed and rice tender.

Step Two: Prepare Flavoured Rice Vinegar

In a pot mix 2/3rd of unflavoured rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 tsp salt.

Cook and stir vinegar, sugar, and salt until boiling and sugar dissolves.

Cool to room temperature. Store the liquid seasoning in a glass bottle for easy use. This seasoning mix keeps for 5 days in the cooler. Do not store in plastic.

Spread cooked rice on clean plastic tray & fluff with fork.

Sprinkle cooled vinegar mixture evenly over the rice until moist and fluff with a fork (rice should be moist, but not soupy) . The ½ cup of homemade vinegar moistens 8 cups of rice.

Cool rice on the plastic tray with a damp paper towel over top until rice is at room temperature.

Step Three: Prepare Sushi

Keep a small bowl of water handy to dip your fingers to keep the rice from sticking to your hands.

Wrap a bamboo mat in plastic wrap.

Put sheet of seaweed shiny side down on a bamboo mat.

Spread 2/3 cup of rice evenly on the bottom 1/3 of the seaweed paper.

Dip finger in rice vinegar, and spread vinegar across top ½ inch of seaweed paper, this help seal the paper after you have rolled it up.

Place 2 sticks of cucumber & 2 tsp shredded carrot along the middle of the rice and roll up evenly

Squeeze bamboo mat around roll until roll is tight.

With a sharp knife cut roll into 6 evenly sized pieces.

Place 2 slices of pickled ginger and ½ tsp. wasabi in a 1 oz solo cup

Presentation: Place 8 Sushi rolls nice side up in a plastic clamshell, place the 1 oz solo and a portion packet of the soy sauce.

The Lunch Lady Annual Retreat!

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:41:12 UTC

This October 16 — 17th, Lunch Ladies and Lunch Guys from across Canada gathered at Stage West in Mississauga for our 5th Annual Retreat. It is always amazing to feel the energy in the room when we all get together each year. We operate nearly 50 franchises that are spread out all across Canada, so the Annual Retreat is an important time for all of our franchise partners, to meet, talk and collaborate on new plans for the company.

At this year’s retreat we made two very exciting announcements!

1. The 2010 — 2011 Lunch Lady Challenge

The Lunch Lady Group has been serving Canadian schools since 1993. In that time we have grown to 815 schools across Canada. On October 16th we challenged our franchise partners to reach 1000 schools by the end of the 2010 — 2011 school year. Its a lofty goal, but we know our franchise partners have what it takes! If we reach our goal of 1000 schools by the end of June, our founder Ruthie Burd, will be shaving her head to commemorate the event! We'll keep you updated on our progress over the coming year. You can also check our homepage at any time for an up to date count!

2. New Partnership with Cameleo Photo

We were joined at the Retreat by Pierre Mouton and Nicolas Bergeron who helped to announce a new partnership between the Lunch Lady Group and Cameleo Photo. Like the Lunch Lady, Cameleo Photo is dedicated to providing innovative products and services to its customers. Cameleo Photo was founded in 2004 by Nicolas Bergeron whose vision was to combine revolutionary school photography software, green technology, and online ordering to serve schools across Canada. Cameleo currently serves 350 schools in Quebec and starting this fall Cameleo services are being offered exclusively to select Lunch Lady schools, outside of Quebec. We are very excited to be able to offer this new service to our schools! Please talk to your Lunch Lady kitchen or email us at info@thelunchlady.ca to inquire if this new opportunity is available in your area

In addition to being a place for major announcements, our Retreats are always a great time for franchise partners to gain new leadership skills and receive updates on the state of our industry across Canada. We were lucky enough to be able to bring in two guest speakers to join us for the event. Bobby Umar worked with us to conduct and electrifying and fun session on brand leadership and Luana Felato ran a very informative session discussing the new School Food and Beverage Act and other resources available to schools and food service providers through regional public health offices.

Thanks again to all of our franchise partners for your enthusiastic participation in this year's Retreat. We already can't wait for the next one!

Learn more about our guest presenters through their bios below:

Bobby Umar, Professional Speaker

Bobby has an eclectic range of interests. With an undergraduate degree in Engineering and an MBA in Strategic Marketing. He has acquired over 15 years extensive experience in leadership training through recreation and leadership programs across Canada as well as several teaching positions. Most notably, Bobby currently serves as a Faculty of Arts & Leadership for McMaster University’s Shad Valley summer program for gifted high school youth.

Luana Felato, Registered dietician for Peel Public health

Luana Felato is a Registered Dietitian with Peel Public Health on the Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Team. Currently, Luana is involved in the development of a healthy beverage display and theBeing Active, Eating Well website (a teacher resource). Her primary role focuses on supporting the planning and implementation of a pilot program for the School Food and Beverage Policy.

Kid's Day

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:06:12 UTC

Its an age old question... what will kid's eat? Its our business to know what kids like, and we're committed to going to the source to find out what products will get your child's seal of approval.

On Saturday, May 1st we ran Kids Day, the first event held at our new head office in Vaughan. We are excited to say that it was a great success! Thanks to everyone that participated, we couldn't have done it without you. Kid's Day included a variety of fun activities. Participants enjoyed taste tests of our new products including pancakes, frozen yogurt, popcorn chicken, and crepes to name a few! Every child was excited to go home with a Lunch Lady loot bag, stickers, and a T-Shirt!

To see pictures from the event, take a look at our Flickr page! We look forward to hosting more Kid's Days in the future. If you have any suggestions or would be interested in having your child participate in our next event, please feel free to contact us.

Check out this video for event highlights:

Ontario’s New School Food and Beverage Act

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:11:07 UTC

What is it?

In January 2010, the Ontario Ministry of Education passed new legislation placing restrictions on what types of food can be sold in Ontario elementary schools. The School Food and Beverage Act will come into effect September 2011. To view a copy of the Act, please click here.

What is the goal?

To support healthier food environments for kids by ensuring that foods sold on school property meet specific nutritional requirements.

Who is responsible for implementing these guidelines?

School boards and their representatives [i.e the principal]

What’s covered:

All foods sold on school property during school hours, regardless of origin must meet specific nutritional requirements. This includes food service providers, restaurants, parents, school run canteens and vending machines.

What’s exempt:

10 food events each school year

Food offered to students without cost

Student lunches from home

School trips

The staff room

However, it is the Ministry’s hope that school communities will work together to support healthier choices across all venues, events, and programs.

New Legislation — How can the Lunch Lady help?

We were involved from the start. We were honoured to be invited by the Ministry of Education to participate on the Healthy Menus Writing Team set up to support the introduction of the New Legislation. We learned a lot through our participation and as a result have a very clear understanding of the requirements of the Ontario School Food and Beverage Act. Because we operate in the same environment as you we can zero in on the challenges and the opportunities.

We are already committed to healthier choices:

Our company president, Ruthie Burd, has made it her business to promote healthier food at school by finding ways to offer healthier versions of kid-friendly favourites since she began the Lunch Lady in 1993. Today the Lunch Lady is the largest provider of individually catered meals delivered to elementary schools in Canada, serving nearly 2 million meals this year. We have been doing voluntarily what the government is now legislating. Our own programs will be in full compliance with the new legislation by September 2010.

We already provides nutritional information.

We already provide nutritional information on all our meals and do full allergy management so we are very comfortable answering questions and addressing your concerns about nutritional requirements. .

We understand the concerns of school staff, parents and school councils.

We are happy to make presentations about the legislation, the implications of implementation and offer fundraising alternatives that meet the requirements.

Questions?

Do have any questions about the new legislation, or want to know more about how we can help you and your school community? Contact us at info@thelunchlady.ca and we'd love to help!

New Website Launch!

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:13:00 UTC

Welcome to our new website! As they say, out with the old and in with the new!

Our goal is always to provide you with the highest possible level of service and we hope that this new site will allow us to better serve you. We are dedicated to making it as easy as possible for you to connect with us; at home, at school, and on the go! The Lunch Lady was one of Canada's first hot lunch provider to begin offering online ordering to Canadian schools, and now we want to match that level of performance with a new easy to use website!

For the past few months we have been working on putting the new look together, and we hope you like it. The new website features easy to use navigation tabs, prominent ordering links, and lots of new content to keep you up to date with the Lunch Lady in your community! You will also find links to our new profiles on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and Youtube! Follow us to stay up to date on all of the latest Lunch Lady news, products, and services.

While you are here please feel free to take a look around and let us know what you think! We're constantly looking for ways to improve and we want to hear from you.