The American Cancer Society is hoping that its "Winning With Food" campaign will change our eating habits.
Beth Topham ate a haystack last Thursday.Now that's change for a second-grader!
Perhaps this bizarre behavior was brought about by the hypnotic beat of Polynesian drums echoing through her usually conservative elementary school cafeteria.
Maybe it was the the shock of being surrounded by fellow Knowlton School students wearing pukka beads, mumus, flowered shirts, straw hats and shades.
Whatever the cause, the entire Knowlton School population (aside from the home-lunch gang) joined Beth in snarfing down "Hawaiian Haystacks," a nutritious volcano-shaped multilevel concoction of rice, chicken and cheese, topped with a variety of garnishes.
This out-of-the-ordinary "luau" at the Farmington Centennial School was a precursor to Winning With Food Day, an activity that is the culmination of observation of March as National Nutrition Awareness Month.
Lunch workers throughout the state have been trained by the State Office of Education using American Cancer Society dietary guidelines.
This year's menu, which will be served throughout most school districts in Utah (except the schools that contract with private food companies), consists of Hawaiian Haystacks, orange wedges, a whole-wheat roll, a gingersnap cookie and a choice of drink.
Similar to the Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout, Winning With Food Day is Thursday, March 23, in most Utah schools.
And along with the Hawaiian-themed nutritional food comes a potent yet positive message to digest: Students who choose a strong arsenal of healthy foods are adopting lifelong habits that will reduce their risk of or prevent them from ever having cancer.
Judith Krengel, state chairwoman for the event, has been stirring up excitement for the project at Knowlton Elementary and another Davis County school, View-mont High.
Krengel noted that Viewmont has conducted a breakfast survey among students ("Do you or don't you eat breakfast," etc.); planned a low-fat menu in cooking classes incorporating fruits and veggies and will decorate the cafeteria Thursday to call attention to the event.
The Meals on Wheels program will participate, as will most senior-citizen centers.
And, true to what they preach, the Cancer Society staffers will prepare the Winning With Food Day menu for their lunch.
Marion Peterson, Utah Divison vice president of cancer control for the Cancer Society, says there's more than meets the eye to this project.
"Winning With Food Day is an original Utah idea. We're hoping to take all of what we do and submit it for a national award," she said.
The coveted awards are part of "Mission 2000," a nationwide school education plan organized to help in the prevention of cancer. Various ideas are formulated throughout the country and presented at a yearly conference. Knowlton School has previously won Healthy Food, Healthy Kids "fork" awards.
In sponsoring Winning With Food Day, the American Cancer Society acts as a catalyst and, with volunteers from other Utah agencies (the Healthy Food, Healthy Kids program, Five-A-Day Association, State Board of Health, State Office of Education, American Heart Association and School Lunch Association), encourages the population to eat at least three vegetables and two fruits each day.
"The Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed that 71 percent of kids in Utah eat two or fewer daily servings of high-fat foods," such as milk shakes, chips, Twinkies and french fries, says Peterson.
"That's good, but one of our goals for the year 2000 is to raise this number to 80 percent." The national figure, by contrast, is 65 percent.
The second action plan to guide Utah students toward better nutrition is to increase the proportion of students who eat five or more fruits and vegetables daily.
The same Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed that only 17 percent of Utah children ate five or more fruits and vegetables daily. The goal is 35 percent. Nationwide averages for five-a-day eaters is only 13 percent.
"The American Cancer Society thinks that 80 percent of cancers could be preventable," says Peterson.
The Hawaiian theme was picked up at Knowlton in an effort to get people excited about good nutrition - and to show that healthy eating can be fun.
Maybe that's the reason so many parents have been participating in Knowlton's Hawaiian "getaway."
And the janitor doing the hula.
And a PTA president dressed like an extra from "Hawaii Five-O." (The sequel? "Hawaii 5-A-Day.")
And the food service ladies jauntily handing out orange slices and smiles to young lunchroom vacationers.
And what did the Knowlton kids learn about food?
That nutrition doesn't have to be painful - even if you chew on a haystack!
*****
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
HAWAIIAN HAYSTACKS
1 pound uncooked rice
2 pounds diced chicken or turkey
1 pound shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
Variety of toppings such as:
diced tomatoes
uncooked green peas
pineapple chunks
ripe olives
diced/julienned celery
shredded carrots
raisins
chinese noodles
(let your imagination run wild!)
Cook rice following package directions. Cook and dice chicken/turkey. Make Magic Cream Soup (recipe follows). Combine meat and cream soup. Portion out toppings in individual bowls. To serve, put 1 cup rice on plate, ladle meat mixture on top of rice, and add desired toppings. Serves 18.
- Each 1/2 cup serving contains 201 calories, 4g fat, 19g carb, 71mg sodium, 31mg cholesterol.
- From American Cancer Society
MAGIC CREAM SOUP
4 cups water
1 cube or 1 teaspoon bouillon granules
2 cups "Magic Mix" (see following recipe)
Flavorings (add one or more of the following to flavor your soup):
1 can minced clams (do not drain)
1 tablespoon chopped onion
2 packages cooked, chopped spinach (home size)
3 potatoes cooked, diced (3 cups)
3 cups cooked carrots
1 can creamed corn
Mix all ingredients until well blended.
MAGIC MIX
4 cups instant non-fat dry milk
1 cup flour or 1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup margarine (for low fat use 1/2 cup)
Combine the dry milk, flour and margarine in a large bowl and mix until it looks like cornmeal. Refrigerate until ready to use. Makes 6 cups mix.
- Each cup contains 373 calories, 15g fat, 39g carb, 451mg sodium, 8mg cholesterol.
- From Michigan State University
HEALTHY CREPES
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in rest of ingredients. Spray Pam in 6-to-8-inch crepe or frying pan. Set stove on medium to high heat. Pour 1/4 cup of crepe batter in a thin layer on the hot pan. Cook to brown on both sides. Place cooked crepes on plate. To serve, roll up fresh fruit in crepe and serve. Delicious with yogurt added to fruit. Makes 8 crepes.
- Each crepe (minus filling) contains 86 calories, 2g fat, 11g carb, 182mg sodium, 57mg cholesterol.
- From American Cancer Society
- NOTE: One cup of fresh strawberries is 44 calories, trace fat, 10g carb, 1 mg sodium, 0 cholesterol.
FAT-FREE CHEWEY CHOCOLATE COOKIES
No-stick cooking spray
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light or dark corn syrup
3 egg whites
Spray cookie sheets with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Stir in corn syrup and eggs until well-blended (dough will be thick and sticky). Drop by rounded teaspoon onto cookie sheets. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes. Cookies will be soft. Makes 21/2 dozen.
- Each cookie contains 50 calories, 1g fat, 13g carb, 66mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol.
- From American Cancer Society
LOW-FAT FUDGE BROWNIES
Non-stick spray
1/2 cup baby food prunes
3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup flour
Spray non-stick in mini-muffin tin. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine wet ingredients. In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix together. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 15 minutes. Makes 12.
- Each serving contains 85 calories, 1g fat, 18g carb, 69mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol.
- From American Cancer Society
FRUIT AND YOGURT DIP
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Mix, refrigerate 1 hour. Serve with fruit. Serves 4.
- Each serving contains 86 calories, 1g fat, 17g carb, 36mg sodium, 1g cholesterol.
- From American Cancer Society