The Guthrie CSD administration and school board members have changed the way Guthrie students eat in the cafeteria because they believe what was being served was not healthy for the students. The main reason it was unhealthy is because of all the added chemicals in the food. Pat Bradbury, also known as Mrs. Pat, head of the cafeteria, states that “chemicals make plants grow faster, produce more, and have less problems such as rotting or being infested with bugs.” These chemicals have been used to “improve” the quality of the food, when in essence, they are causing the food to lose the original nutritional value found in the food.
One of the major changes to the food served in the cafeteria is the switch from regular flour to spelt flour. “Spelt flour is not a genetically modified organism and is an ancient grain,” says Mrs. Pat. Research shows that the husks found on spelt flour protects it from pollutants and insects which allows growers to avoid using pesticides. This absence of pesticides allows the flour to maintain its original nutritional value without harmful toxins being introduced to the food, and therefore our body.
While spelt flour is better for you than all purpose flour, it is also more expensive. Walmart sells a bag of five pound all purpose flour for $2.46, which comes out to $0.03 per ounce. D’Adamo Personalized Nutrition sells a five pound bag of spelt flour for $15.00, which comes out to $0.19 per ounce. The health benefits well out-weigh the cost difference.
Not only has Mrs. Pat changed the recipes she uses, she now shares those recipes on the school website. Mrs. Pat says that, in her opinion, the most liked dish in the cafeteria would either be pizza or bacon wrapped chicken.
Even though changing the menu has been an adjustment for Mrs. Pat as well as the students, the cafeteria and administration feel the hassle and price are not as significant as the long term benefits on the health of Guthrie students.
One of the major changes to the food served in the cafeteria is the switch from regular flour to spelt flour. “Spelt flour is not a genetically modified organism and is an ancient grain,” says Mrs. Pat. Research shows that the husks found on spelt flour protects it from pollutants and insects which allows growers to avoid using pesticides. This absence of pesticides allows the flour to maintain its original nutritional value without harmful toxins being introduced to the food, and therefore our body.
While spelt flour is better for you than all purpose flour, it is also more expensive. Walmart sells a bag of five pound all purpose flour for $2.46, which comes out to $0.03 per ounce. D’Adamo Personalized Nutrition sells a five pound bag of spelt flour for $15.00, which comes out to $0.19 per ounce. The health benefits well out-weigh the cost difference.
Not only has Mrs. Pat changed the recipes she uses, she now shares those recipes on the school website. Mrs. Pat says that, in her opinion, the most liked dish in the cafeteria would either be pizza or bacon wrapped chicken.
Even though changing the menu has been an adjustment for Mrs. Pat as well as the students, the cafeteria and administration feel the hassle and price are not as significant as the long term benefits on the health of Guthrie students.
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