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February is National Cherry Month!

 
Check out our February Menus for our local Michigan grown cherries!
 
Northwest Michigan is famed as "the Cherry Capital of the World"
 
Cherries: A Healthy Choice
Whether you like them sweet or tart, these deep red fruits pack a healthful punch. Cherries are low in calories and chock full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and other good-for-you ingredients. You’ll get vitamins C, A, and K. Great-tasting and fun to eat, cherries deliver potassium, magnesium, and calcium too. They also bring antioxidants, like beta-carotene, and the essential nutrient choline.

Michigan produce collage
We had a great first kitchen cooking lesson for our TKMS Garden Club today.  We made a raw candy cane beet and apple salad with goat cheese lime dressing, and candy cane beet root chips!  All ingredients locally sourced, when possible.  Today we used Michigan grown and cultivated candy cane beets, basil, 4 different types of artisan leaf lettuce, and goat cheese from a Michigan goat creamery! 

Michigan 10 Cents a Meal Grant Legislative Report

Did you know TK Schools is a second year recipient of the Michigan 10 cent grant?  The 18-19 School Year Legislative Report is out.  Thornapple Kellogg Schools is Prosperity Region 4, take a look a the amazing things this grant has brought to so many school districts and local farmers!
 

Go for the GREEN!

In the month of St. Patrick's Day, green is everywhere: shamrocks, clovers, and even on leprechauns.  But are greens on your plate?
 
Dark green leafy vegetables offer necessary nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, antioxidants, fiber, folate, vitamin K, magnesium, calcium, iron, and potassium.  But the benefits don't stop there!  Greens also promote good vision, support immune function, and may help prevent certain cancers.  Plus, dark leafy greens aid in regulating blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.  Talk about a SUPER food!!!

No negative balances!

Thanks to the generous donation of a community partner, on this day, June 1st - the last day of school, we officially have NO STUDENTS with a negative lunch balance. Enjoy your summer!  ~ TK Food Service

No price increase
Thornapple Kellogg Schools Food Service is excited to announce there will be NO price increase for breakfasts or lunches to our staff and students for the 2018-19 School Year!  Breakfast in all buildings remains at $1.55 for full price, $0.30 for reduced.  Elementary lunch prices remain at $2.50 for full pay, $0.40 for reduced.  Secondary lunch prices remain at $2.90 for full pay, $0.40 for reduced.
Cinco de Mayo
The Food Service Dept teamed up with the High School Spanish II classes today to celebrate Cinco de Mayo a little early, with some culturally traditional foods.  We made Tostones, Pico de Gallo and Mayonesa de Cilantro.  Tasty!!!
Rainbow Carrot

Try Michigan grown Rainbow Carrots in April in any of our buildings!  We will be serving them April 12th and 20th in the Elementary buildings, and April 13th and 18th in the Secondary buildings!

Rainbow carrots are very beautiful to look at, but they also have some amazing health benefits. Take a look at 5 surprising health benefits of rainbow carrots: 

  1. Orange carrots contain beta and alpha carotene pigment. This promotes vitamin A production by the body, which is essential for healthy eyes.
  2. Yellow carrots contain xanthophykks and lutein. Xanthophylls is a plant based nutrient that has numerous health benefits in humans. One of the important health benefits is that it keep your reproductive system strong.
  3. Red carrots are rich in lycopene, which is one of the most powerful antioxidants in the world. The antioxidant power of lycopene fights against toxins, helps prevent cancer, helps to alleviate neuropathic pain, is good for your brain, and helps to improve heart health.
  4. Purple carrots are rich in anthocyanins, the antioxidant compounds that give blueberries their distinctive color and superfood health benefits. Studies have found that these blue and purple pigments in purple carrots can improve memory, enhance vision, protect against heart attacks, act as anti-inflammatories, and even help control weight.
  5. All carrots are a rich source of vitamin C, which stimulates the activity of white blood cells and is one of the most important elements in the human immune system.
sauteed cabbage
Mark your calendars! March's Michigan local food focus is cabbage! We will have purple coleslaw in all of the elementaries on 3/2 and 3/16, and sauteed purple cabbage in the secondaries on these days. This beautiful purple and green cabbage will be coming to us from Stutzman's Family Farm in Blanchard, Michigan, in Isabella County.
 
Did you know that cabbage contains a compound that has been shown to decrease the risk of cancer?
 
Michigan ranks 10th in the nation in cabbage production.
 
In 2014, Michigan farmers produced 83.7 million pounds of cabbage worth $13.4 million.
 
Don't forget to join us in the Middle School and High School on 3/16 for a St Patty's themed lunch of Corned Beef, with roasted red potatoes and carrots!

Holiday "Pay it Forward"!

In the spirit of “paying it forward” during this holiday season, we had a group of families come together to donate funds to clear any negative balances in Thornapple Kellogg School District, and deposit additional funds into the account of students with extenuating circumstances. The donors wanted to remain anonymous.
 
The donor wanted to “spread a little bit of joy to as many families as possible”.
 
With this generous donation, they were able to clear up high negative balances in all four buildings, and make additional deposits. Thirty nine  families benefited from this act of kindness.
 
We hope you have a wonderful restful holiday with family and friends.