The Saturday Market: Eat Fresh, Buy Local!

Tomorrow, May 1st, marks the beginning of a new season in Greenville, SC: Saturday Market Season!

The annual Carolina First Saturday Market began in 2002, when the City of Greenville sponsored a task force to bring an open-air farmers’ market to the streets of Downtown. This market was created for the sale of locally grown farm products, produce, as well as a variety of arts and crafts made by local artisans. Since then, the market has grown to include over 50 vendors that offer everything from Youngblood's Famous Strawberries to fresh shrimp, straight from Charleston! In recent years, local artists, restaurants and musicians have been added to the mix to create an environment that rivals that of any bustling European Market!

Every Saturday from May 1st until October 3oth, the market is open for people to stroll though heart of the city in order to get a little taste of the country. When you buy fruits and veggies straight from the farmer, you can be sure that you are getting only the best and freshest produce avaliable. The interaction between the shopper and farmer allows you to ask every question imaginable in regards to harvesting, pesticides and food preparation. Many of these vendors are also knowledgeable of how to best keep and prepare the foods they sell, so when buying, be sure to ask if they have any tips or pointers to give! As always, all produce and food bought from the Saturday Market is MHS Food Revolution Approved, so be sure to stock up on lunch-packable items for the next few weeks of school!

Buying fresh and locally grown foods is not only beneficial to you and your family, it also helps to stimulate the local economy! Many of the farmers depend on the sale of their produce as their only source of income, so when you buy foods directly from their hands, you can be sure that you are truly making a difference in supporting their efforts. When you buy local, everyone will benefit!

Please consider waking up early one Saturday morning to shop at the Saturday Market! Between the live music, arts, crafts & jewelry, the fresh pastries and baked goods, the coffees and smoothies and the fresh produce, there are plenty of things to interest people of all ages! Not to mention waking up early to enjoy all the sights, sounds and smells of beautiful Downtown Greenville! Ask your parents to make trips to the Saturday Market a family occasion. Who knows, it might end up becoming a summertime tradition that everyone can look forward to!

The Saturday Market
List of Vendors

Special shout-out to Limestone Farms of Greer, SC! Local farmer Teri Noel has recently pledged her support for the MHS Food Revolution. Limestone Farms offers the freshest fruit, vegetables and eggs avaliable, and her son is a fellow Maverick and Mauldin High Graduate! Let's all do our part to buy local to help support Limestone Farms and the real food revolutionaries: the farmers of Greenville!

Stop by the Limestone Farms booth and show them your MHS School ID, who knows what is in store!

Limestone Farms

Guest Blog Post: "Tips to Joining the Food Revolution, for slackers!"

MaddieM, a fellow Food Revolutionary, shared her tips on healthy eating for the average teen: the busy kid that always puts packing lunch off as the "un-cool" thing to do. Like MaddieM, we believe that the bigger issue for teens appears to be taking the time to actually think about packing a lunch. Who cares how "cool" it is? The decisions you make now in regards to living and eating will prove to have a permanent impact on your life in the future. Be wise, and pack your lunch! Even if it is just one day a week.


"Easy Tips For Lunch-Packing Slackers"


... My fellow procrastinators (I should be doing a DBQ essay), slackers, and my-mom-doesn't-make-my-lunchers: there are options for besides the lunch line!

So you wanna join the MHS Food Revolution, but it's insanely difficult to make your lunch everyday? Follow these simple steps that will lead you to healthy lunches in a timely faishon:

1. Go for the easiest things to pack first: bananas or apples are easy to carry and require no preparation whatsoever! Chances are, you have one of these in your kitchen right now. Stick it in a bag for the next day.

2. Go for the filler second: Your lunch should include something of substance that fills you up till that healthy afternoon snack after school. Sandwiches are the classic lunch bag filler. They have been the staple of school lunch baggers for years, but watch out! Not all sandwiches are created equally! Watch out for what you put in between the bread. Processed meats, fatty cheeses and calorie loaded spreads and toppings can quickly steer this lunchtime favorite in the direction of the foods you are trying to avoid. Avoid processed meats, and try add lean meats to your sandwiches (turkey!) If you aren't a fan of meaty sandwiches, hummus & veggies makes a great alternative. In my opinion, there's nothing better than a PB&J!

Guide to a great & healthy PB&J: This sandwich is full of protein, carbs and fruit, depending on the jelly or jam you choose. When reaching for the bread basket, choose the darker varieties labeled "Whole Grain" or "Whole Wheat"; these breads aren't fully processed and loaded with additives like their white-breaded cousins, making them the healthier (and more filling!) option. Next, look to spread all-natural peanut butter or almond butter on your bread, preferably the kind containing reduced fat. If you don't have all-natural/reduced fat in your pantry, don't freak out! Make sure you watch the serving size so you aren't over doing it, and ask mom to buy reduced/all natural next time. Remember, the closer it is to nature, the better it is for you! Last, but certainly not least, add the fruit preserves or jelly! Again, like the peanut butter, shoot for all natural or fresh preserves and jellies. You can find these at the Mauldin Fruit Stand next to our school! If you aren't used to the jam or don't like the idea of non-grape jellies on a sandwich, try it out! Fresh and fruity jellies and jams can give your PB&J an added boost of fruit and natural sugars.

3. Pack the 100 Calorie Snack Pack over the Chips: No, this is admittedly NOT your healthiest option. But this is the blog post for slackers. And these are still better for you than those greasy and salty school fries or potato chips.

4. Add some protein & calcium! Yogurt: my favorite tip. Any kind of yogurt works! (but please, lets stick to low fat!) It gets you the calcium and protein you need to refuel and lets face it: it's easy to pack! Plus, yogurt just begs to be added to! Fruit and granola/nuts or cereal make a great topping. With your fruit, yogurt and granola or nuts, you are headed in the right direction for healthy lunching!

6. Don't Knock the Pre-Packaged, when its from home: Again. NO. Not your BEST option. But it's BETTER than the stuff you might be tempted to buy at school in the snack line, if you stick to the good stuff. Grab the Yogurt, 100 Cal Snack Packs, Granola/Breakfast Bars, etc. But don't think about grabbing greasy chips!

7. Keep it Simple: If, like me, you get a little bit freaked out about packing a lunch: Don't! And Don't Worry. It will not be the end of the world if your lunch doesn't match that kid who pulls out a gourmet meal at the table every day. Just do your best. Anything healthy that you bring from home is a GREAT START.

9. Make a Plan: Night before? Great option. Write it down? Again, great. Whatever works for you, do it! If you really want to get things moving, make a plan for the week, outlining everything you want ahead of time so you can make sure it's in the fridge when you're looking for it.

10.Skip the Snacks at School: I know. You eat your packed lunch, but think you might want something else. You walk up to the school store for a bagel, but end up with 4 candy bars and a soda. Just DONT. If you must have something, shoot for pretzels (the bagged variety, NOT the big ones) or a granola bar. The lunch line also has those bins of fruit that kids also forget about if you're just craving a snack.

Last, but again not least, EAT BREAKFAST! Even if it's just a healthy breakfast bar, it'll keep you fuller till lunch, and will make sure you don't over do it during refuel. When you eat breakfast, your stomach won't growl and distract you from taking that hard test you forgot to study for.

So, Mauldin High, I have a challenge for you! Lets pack our lunches (simply& hopefully quickly) even if its just once a week! It's time for us to get start thinking about our health and our future! What we put in our bodies now will impact our life for the future.

P.S.- Thinking Green: invest in a lunch box! Not all are atrocious and kiddie looking (mine is an adorable giraffe print one!) This will help reduce the waste you put in the trash every day, and will eventually save your parents money because they won't have to buy bags! Lunch boxes will help keep your lunch colder longer, which is very nice for the yogurt along, salads, fruits, veggies, etc. that you bring.

P.P.S.- It took me longer to make this blog than it will for you to make your lunch. I Promise! Thanks for reading, and PACK A LUNCH THIS WEEK! ...

Health, Wellness & Politics.

After finding out that I began the movement that will attempt to remove junk food from our cafeteria and reform teen eating habits in general, a friend called me a liberal. I must say that I was quite shocked to be given such a label based on my efforts (for those who don't personally know me, I am quite the conservative). Today, I was asked by a sponsor if we were going to be working in a bipartisan effort in regards this movement. Once again, politics were brought into question. It is my belief that health, nutrition and wellness in general is beyond the realm of partisanship, no matter what your brand of politics happens to be. Health is an issue that ultimately determines quality life and happiness, two concepts that should not be impacted by biased points of view. More on this later.

Drop the junk food, and get in the kitchen! Granola - Easy and Teen Approved

Drop the junk food, and get in the kitchen!
Granola. Wonderful Granola. A snack that suits all ages.

If you aren't familiar with this cheap and easy to make snack, please pay attention and be ready to indulge, in a healthy sense! You've probably seen it on the shelves at grocery stores and supermarkets in the organic or all-natural isles amongst the other grain and cereal products. At the store, Granola can get pricey depending on the brand or quality. Even though it is considered to be healthy, these crunchy oat clusters can be loaded with sugars when poured out of prepackaged boxes! To cut the cost and save yourself some of the added sugars, why not make it from home where you can control the ingredients?

Granola is an extremely diverse and flavorful food. You can eat it as cereal with milk and fresh fruit, add it to yogurt as a topping, or even eat it straight from the container for a quick and nutritious snack! In simple terms, Granola is a mixture of all-natural oats combined with a variety of dry and wet ingredients that are ultimately baked to a crisp to ensure maximum crunchiness. This mixture can be manipulated to your liking depending on your mood and taste buds (or whatever you have in your pantry at the time). This allows you to make it as sweet or salty as you wish, keeping in mind that both the sugar and salt content should be kept relatively low to ensure its health-factor. There are many different recipes out there for homemade granola - before you lose your mind trying to pick one, here is a simple mix great for first timers:

Easy Homemade Granola Recipe for Beginners

Adapted from "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking"

Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon salt (can be omitted)
3 tablespoons + 1 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey (sub agave nectar or maple syrup, depending on preference)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole almonds (slivered almonds worked fine)
1/3 cup whole hazelnuts (or walnuts, if you have them)
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup dried cherries (or cranberries)

"Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, toss the oats with the cinnamon and salt.
In a medium bowl, stir together the oil, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until completely combined.
Pour the honey mixture over the oats mixture and use your hands to combine them: Gather up some of the mixture in each hand and make a fist. Repeat until all of the oats are coated with the honey mixture.
Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread it out evenly, but leave a few clumps here and there for texture.
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the almonds over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven.
Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a metal spatula to lift and flip the granola. Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the granola and return the baking sheet to the oven.
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Let cool completely. Sprinkle the raisins and cherries over the granola..."

While this easy recipe isn't the most sugar conscious, it yields a product that is simply delicious. This was the mix I used in my first granola attempt, and it all was gone within a few days! You may want to substitute apple sauce for oil (which will make the final product a little more moist) or fruit juice for some of the brown sugar or honey...

This is where your kitchen can become a scary science lab with you being the mad scientist, and granola being the experiment you are trying to complete. Sometimes, you may develop a cooking disaster similar to something created by Dr. Frankenstein (burnt, salty or overcooked granola). In other attempts, you'll think you're a culinary genius capable of mass marketing your golden-oats masterpiece. Here is a simple set of rules and guidelines to follow when embarking on your own granola adventure:

Your mix should include one, some, or all of the following ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:
2 to 3 cups rolled oats
or substitute/mix with other grains & oat products:
Wheat germ
Whole wheat flour
Wheat bran
Wheat grits
Cornmeal
Uncooked cereals
Some type of nuts or seeds, as much or as little as you want in your Granola
Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Almonds, Walnuts, etc (chopped or whole)
A blend of spices, again as much or as little as you want depending on taste
Cinnamon, Nutmeg
Ginger, Cardamom
Cocoa Powder
Wet Ingredients:
1 cup liquids, including as desired:
Honey
Pure Maple Syrup
Pure Molasses
Brown Sugar (2tbs water for every 1/2c sugar to mix)
Vegetable Oil or Unsweetened Apple Sauce
Peanut/Almond butter
Optional: Milk, Cream, Butter
Vanilla/Maple extract

Here's where your creativity comes in. By following the steps listed for easy granola above, you can make your oats as simple or complex as you like... just watch the sugar and oils! Don't be afraid to play around, get messy and have fun, just be prepared for at least one bad batch. Instead of throwing it in the trash, taste it. Once you know what you don't like, be sure to change it the next time around. After that, be creative with its disposal (use it as fertilizer, compost or birdseed)

Here are some ideas to test out:
Add apple juice, cider spices and extra cinnamon to the mix and toss in dehydrated apples once the granola cools for Apple Cider Granola.
Add cocoa powder to the mix and leave out the raisins, replacing them with a handful of dark chocolate morsels and marshmallows for Dark Chocolate Granola.
Add cherry juice in place of some of the honey and add dried cherries in place of raisins for Cherry Pie Granola.
Add peanut butter in place of some of the sugar, adding peanuts, cashews and extra raisins for PB&J granola.

No matter what you try, set aside the chips and cookies and get in the kitchen to create healthy alternatives like granola. Not only will you have a satisfying snack that is full of energy, good fats and crunchy delight, you'll also have the knowledge that you're creating a personal and edible work of art that is cheap, sustainable and good for you! Happy snacking!

Mauldin High School's Food Revolution

We are tired of settling for less than Healthy. Fillers, fake sugars, and additives have invaded our lunch room, and every day we fight the battle against junk food. It's time for a change. A Revolution. A Food Revolution.

It is extremely important for teenagers to fuel up with healthy and nutritious foods in order to stay focused and have a clear and concentrated mindset while at school. Mauldin High School’s cafeteria currently doesn't provide us with this type of nutrition.

Our Cafeteria claims to serve "meals" every day, most of which contain enough sodium and fats to last an average person a few days. These foods are filled with artificial colors, preservatives, and unhealthy starches, not to mention all of the meat additives and supplements that are not advertised in the lunch line. I guarantee you that the "spicy chicken sandwiches" that are served are made of a minimal amount of chicken. Instead, pork, soy and beef substitutes are added to give the illusion of a chicken patty. The "double cheeseburgers" that you buy are hardly full of Grade A meat. You're eating a soy patty that has been colored and flavored to give it the illusion of meat. It's cheaper to serve these fakeburgers than to grill the real thing. If you haven't realized by now, you're being served these foods because they are cheap and can be purchased in bulk. But can this be good for you? By using common sense, you can guess that these meals are far from nutritious, and do nothing to help us live healthy and active lives.

Next, to the "lunch line" is the snack stand, that proudly pumps out endless amounts of sugary and fat-filled drinks, chips and sweets to thousands of children every week. Everyone loves ice cream and cookies, but is a school cafeteria really the place to be eating these high calorie foods? Lunch is supposed to be a time to refuel your body with the food it needs to think, work and play for the rest of the day. Why not save the snacks for after school, when you have longer than twenty minutes to enjoy that carton full of ice cream. Lets replace these snacks with regionally produced healthy options that give us what we need for the rest of the day!

Think about it. Its all up to you. What if we replaced all the fake foods and junk foods that we eat at lunch with fresh fruits and veggies, skim non flavored milk, and actual meals that are made with whole grain and lean meat. Why can't the candy bars and chips be replaced with protein bars, actual granola bars and healthy desserts and other high energy foods? What if the burgers were real, the chicken was chicken, and we actually knew what was in the gravy on that smothers the "Salisbury Steak" and "Teryaki Bites" ? What if we saved the ice cream, cookies, chips and nachos for after school, instead of eating them in the middle of the day when your body needs real food? It is a guaranteed fact that we all would have more energy, be less tired come seventh period, and instead have more time to focus on school and sports, rather than your growling stomach.

It’s time for a change, Mauldin. As much as we all love sweets and junk food, lets set it aside at the lunch table and save it for later. We should demand real food. Food that isn't over-processed or filled with fake sugars and fats. The Revolution starts with you.

What can you do? Think about packing a lunch, and taking time to think about what you're eating the night before. If you don't have time, ask you parents to help out. If we all put down the pizza one day a week, we'll be well on our way to making a difference. It may be hard to start but it'll sure pay off in the long run.

Kick the junk food to the curb. Don't settle for fake food and fillers. Make a difference and be the change. Take the steps to live a healthy life.

Together, we can start a Food Revolution that will change our school and our community.


Please Join the Revolution to make our school healthier: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?filter=lf#!/group.php?gid=111098578930760