Red Rabbit Blog
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Yes we said Zucchini – and Your Kids Will Love It! Pt 2
Red Rabbit in MyBlog on Mar 22, 2013
Tagged in: zucchini, vegetables, Seasonal, Red Rabbit, NYC, Kids Recipes, Healthy Kids, Harlem, Fun Activities, Fresh Vegetables, Encouraging Healthy Choices, Cooking Labs
Last week we told gave you the recipe for Zucchini Bread. So – now that you know how great it tastes, below are some health facts you may not have known about this yummy vege. Zucchini is packed with some of the key nutrients and minerals our bodies need to stay healthy:
- Manganese: One cup of zucchini contains 19% of the RDA of manganese, which helps the body metabolize proteins and carbohydrates and catalyzes the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol.
- Fiber: Zucchini peel is good source of dietary fiber, which can help reduce constipation and may offer some protection against colon cancers. One cup of zucchini contains about 6 grams of fiber.
- Potassium: One cup of Zucchini has 13% of the recommended daily amount of potassium, which is a mineral that, among other things, helps your muscles contract and blunts the effects of sodium to maintain normal blood pressure. Potassium may also reduce the risk of recurrent kidney stones and bone loss with age.
Next time you are out doing your grocery shopping, pick one out to try—and reap the benefits!
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Why did the DOE cancel, and then reinstate the Healthy Lunch School Program?
Red Rabbit in MyBlog on Sep 02, 2012
Tagged in: vegetables, Red Rabbit, New York, More Energy, Local, Healthy Salad, healthy habit, healthy eating, Harlem, Fresh Vegetables, Fresh Fruits, Encouraging Healthy Choices, Cooking Labs, Childhood ObesityPerhaps you have heard about the Wellness in the Schools [WITS] Program offered in
many public schools. For several years, WITS - a non-profit organization - has been offering a program that has been bringing professional chefs into schools to teach kids and the DOE’s (Department of Education) school cooks how to prepare healthy meals. Last year they also provided lunch in thirty public schools.Without warning, the NYC Department of Education suddenly announced a little over a week ago that it would cancel the WITS healthy school lunch program. They claimed that its meals may violate new federal guidelines – without providing any evidence that this in fact is the case. Then, due to public outcry, reversed their decision just a few days later.
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How much water should you drink?
Red Rabbit in MyBlog on Aug 02, 2012
Tagged in: High-fructose corn syrup, Healthy Salad, Healthy, Fresh Vegetables, Fresh Fruits, Enviornmenatally Friendly, Cooking Labs, Childhood ObesityIn another post, we will discuss the implications of kids drinking too many sugary drinks
—from soda to sports drinks to juice. In this post, I would like to discuss the importance of drinking the most hydrating liquid of all…water.Whether you drink tap, filtered or bottled, water should be a necessary part of your daily diet and routine. "Think of water as a nutrient your body needs that is present in liquids, plain water, and foods. All of these are essential daily to replace the large amounts of water lost each day," says Joan Koelemay, RD, dietitian for the Beverage Institute, an industry group.
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Kids are awesome, aren’t they?
Red Rabbit in MyBlog on Jul 05, 2012
Tagged in: whole grain, vegetables, New York, New Heights Academy Charter School, Kids Recipes, healthy breakfast, Harlem, Fun Activities, Family Time, Encouraging Healthy Choices, Cooking LabsOn Friday, June 15, Red Rabbit had the pleasure of having students from New Height’s
Academy Charter School cooking in our kitchen. Ms. Rosen’s 5th grade English class were amazing chefs, creating an Italian feast to enjoy with their classmates, teachers and Red Rabbit’s education team. After a tour of the kitchen and an overview of what we would be cooking for the day, the team of young chefs got to work making a summer vegetable pizza with a sweet spring salad and orange mint iced tea. Everything was created from scratch, as is the Red Rabbit way. Students not only made and kneaded whole-wheat pizza dough, they also made fresh tomato sauce and homemade iced tea by steeping mint leaves. They had a great time, even if a few were covered in flour!
The lab had already begun before the students even entered Red Rabbit’s office
doors,since I had sent Ms. Rosen an excerpt from one of my favorite books, Michael Pollan’sThe Omnivore’s Dilemma, Young Readers Edition. I followed this assigned reading with a few questions relating to the slow food movement, the culture of food and the joy of cooking. This was a great way for the students to connect food with their health, culture and world.