You gotta love California. Seems the Golden State, worried that their wee toddlers' arms are too short 
for proper tree-huggery, will inculcate them with the prerequisite environmentalism another way: through their stomachs. That's the story coming out of San Diego's Neighborhood House Association (NHA) Head Start program, where their 3 and 4 year olds will be fed "organic and nutrient-dense" delicacies to satisfy that noon-time hunger. What's on the menu? No breaded frozen fish sticks or cinnamon muffins for sure. These tots will get "fresh salmon, shrimp, homemade hummus, healthy whole grain bagels and rolls, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables."
Sounds delicious... for children old enough to eat with proper utensils. I'm all for kicking processed, breaded, fried, and canned foods to the curb. But fresh salmon? And hummus? For three year olds? It's a bit ambitious (I've yet to meet a three year old who'll eat mashed chick peas), but I'll give 'em points for effort since school food is??notoriously disgusting.
With California's budget woes in mind, the plan has bottom line benefits too: NHA Director of Nutrition Services Kristine Smith, RD explains: "We balanced our new menu with more affordable recipes and better ingredients.?? Legumes, lentils, rice and pasta are very affordable and can be used as the base of many recipes.?? Making food from scratch also saves money and allows us to monitor the nutrient value since we know what is contained in the product."
And the environment? That's helped, too. Smith: "Organic foods help preserve our environment. The use of organic and health conscious ingredients is better for our children's bodies and better for the planet they'll inherit." Got a point there. Hey Mike, we say we're the greenest tank in town... when will Fordham start serving fresh salmon and shrimp for lunch?
Sounds like there's much to like, even if it doesn't include the hummus.
(HT to Greg Toppo for this story--and the post's title.)
