Last week, USDA announced new meal requirements that will raise standards for the 1st time in more than 15 years and improve the health and nutrition of nearly 32 million kids that participate in school meal programs every school day. The healthier meal requirements are a key component of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which was championed by the First Lady as part of her Let’s Move! campaign and signed into law by President Obama.
The final standards make the same kinds of practical changes that many parents are already encouraging at home, including:
Check out the Before & After menu comparison below
With all the nice weather we have been having, who isn’t thinking of Spring?! We sure are!
There are still plots available at both California Gardens Community Garden (CG2) & Memorial Park Community Garden. Details on each garden are listed below:
California Gardens Community Garden (CG2)
2012 is the premiere growing season at CG2.
Available Plot Sizes
Food Pantry Plots
Blue Island Gardens, COBI Community Development Dept and Tommy Brown Sports Association invite all community members to garden at CG2 in 2012 as groups or individuals; as gardeners or volunteers. We will be tending 2 food pantry plots which will be donated to those in need.
Memorial Park Community Garden
Available Plots
Cost
Please visit Blue Island Gardens! for more information or contact Jodi Prout at the Community Development Department for more information, or to reserve your spot today! We’re also looking for volunteers to help with implementation planning and tending the Food Pantry Plots.
Check your neighborhood Healthy Hotspots (La Unica & Hidalgo Meats) for these delicious veggies.
If you can’t find Calabaza or Chayote, try another type of squash, perhaps one grown locally - you won’t be disappointed!
Calabaza is a type of pumpkin-like squash that is round in shape and varies in size. It can be as large as a watermelon or as small as a cantaloupe. The color of calabaza can also vary and may include greens, tans, reds and oranges. Some squash are all one color while other calabaza are multi-colored and may include all of colors listed above.
This squash is popular in the Caribbean as well as Central and South America. It is also commonly called a West Indian Pumpkin.Calabaza has a sweet flavor and its texture is firm. This is similar to the taste and texture of more familiar varieties of squash, such as butternut or acorn.
Chayote is a gourd-like squash that is about the size and shape of a very large pear. The skin is pale green and smooth with slight ridges that run lengthwise. Many compare the color to a light green apple. The flesh is white and there is one soft seed in the middle.
Chayote is grown in several states including California, Florida, and Louisiana, but it is native to Latin America. Historically, this squash was one of the primary foods of the Aztecs and Mayas. Chayote is also called mirliton and the French call it christophene.
Click the link for a delicious Calabaza Soup Recipe (You can substitute any type of squash for calabaza)
The star fruit or carambola is a tropical fruit that is gaining popularity in the United States. This fruit acquired its name from the 5-pointed star shape when cut across the middle of the fruit.
It has a waxy, golden yellow to green color skin with a complicated flavor combination that includes plums, pineapples, and lemons.
Star Fruit Origin
Originally from Sri Lanka and the Moluccas, and cultivated in Southeast Asia and Malaysia for several hundred years, this fruit also goes by many other names including: bilimbi, belimbing, Chinese star fruit, 5-angled fruit and the star apple. Today, star fruit flourishes in south Florida and Hawaii because the fruit thrives on growing in a warm environment.
Star Fruit Varieties
2 types of star fruit are grown, tart and sweet. Tart varieties typically have narrowly spaced ribs, while sweet varieties tend to have thick, fleshy ribs. The tastes between the 2 are hardly distinguishable, as the tart variety still has some sweetness. This tropical fruit is readily available July-February.
Star Fruit Salad Recipe
Makes 4 servings
Each serving equals 1 cup of fruit or vegetables
Source: Produce for Better Health
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Why Historic Buildings Are Greener Than LEED-Certified New Ones
For buildings of comparable size and use, old buildings are almost always the greenest buildings. A new report from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Preservation Green Lab concludes that constructing new, energy-efficient buildings almost never saves as much energy as renovating old ones.
Gary Hustwit’s documentary film “Design Trilogy” - Helvetica, Objectified, and Urbanized - will be screening over the coming month at the Blue Island Public Library. From typeface to design to the places we call home, Hustwit’s films explore how “small ideas can lead to big changes.”
Movie fans can view all three award-winning documentaries by innovator Gary Hustwit at the Blue Island Library.
When: Thursday, January 26, 7:00 p.m. - Helvetica explores topography, graphic design and the global visual culture;
When: Thursday, February 9, 7:00 p.m. - Objectified looks at our relationship with manufactured materials and their designers; and
When: Thursday, February 23, 7:00 p.m. - Urbanized treats the issues facing urban planners, policymakers, and architects as they create city spaces.
Where: Blue Island Public Library, 2433 York St., 708-388-1078 x30
Cook County Department of Public health launched the “Rethink Your Drink” Campaign on January 2nd. “Rethink your Drink” is part of a county-wide effort to reduce the consumption of sugar-loaded beverages. Sugar-loaded beverages (i.e., sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks) are the single greatest source of calories in the American diet, providing approximately 10% of the total average calories per day. The large increase in the amount of sugary drinks people consume, or drink, relates to the dramatic rise in adult and childhood obesity.
The new campaign aims to educate Cook County residents about the harmful effects of sugar-loaded drinks through print and transit advertisements as well as radio and television commercials. Cook County joins several other health departments from across the US to promote healthy drinking habits.
For more information about “Rethink Your Drink” and to take the pledge, please visit the CCDPH website at www.rethinkyourdrinknow.com.
A new report Vibrant Cities & Urban Forests: A National Call to Action, establishes a vision, highlights emerging trends, and culminates with a series of recommendations that can be applied to urban areas across the US.
An excerpt from the book Megapolitan America is now available. The Atlantic Cities blog recently covered how the book analyzes data that suggests dramatic shifts by 2040, including a U.S. economy dominated by 23 megapolitan regions. The authors write: “In our view, we need to target many long-range planning and public policy efforts to where people live, not where they don’t.”
