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I've got a lot to report this week, piggies! First, the really big news: Remember those proposed school nutrition rules I wrote about in early January [Total Pig, Jan. 4:
]? Well the Public Health Department has decided on a set of final nutrition rules and Gov. Bill Richardson signed off on them two weeks ago at Cleveland Middle School in Albuquerque. (The school was chosen because of its initiative in offering healthier foods and beverages, and providing more physical education opportunities.)
As Jennie McCary, a community nutrition specialist with Albuquerque Public Schools told me, "These rules are huge!" And she's right. If you recall, in January's column on this subject, I was pressuring you guys to pressure the Public Education Department to apply their proposed rules to all food sold in schools, not just the stuff sold in vending machines. I have no idea whether it was public outcry or behind-the-scenes wrangling that made the difference, but the revised rules reflect just what many parents and nutritionists had wanted.
Starting next school year (this fall), no student will be able to buy sugared or caffeinated sodas in a New Mexico public school. In elementary schools, kids will have access only after lunch to machines that sell only milk, soy milk and water. Food vending machines will be banned in elementary schools.
Middle school students will be able to buy milk, soy milk, water and 100-percent fruit juice. The food for sale in vending machines will be subject to strict rules about sugar, fat and trans fats. Think pretzels and energy bars instead of potato chips and candy bars. Food vending machines in middle schools will only be available after lunch.
In high schools, students will have access to water, milk, soy milk and 50- to 100-percent fruit juice at all times. After lunch, they'll also have access to sugar- and caffeine-free drinks (like diet ginger ale), non-carbonated flavored water with no added sweeteners, and sports drinks. Food vending machines will be available all day, but the food in them will be subject to the same strict rules as the machines in middle schools. No more Flamin' Hot Cheetos and Mountain Dew for lunch! At least, not for sale at school.
Are you guys digging what these rules are saying? I think McCary understated the situation when she said these rules were huge. Kicking Coke out of school? Expelling Doritos Extreme Zesty Sour Cream and Cheddar? Schools and student activity groups rely on revenue from vending machines, a la carte items and fundraisers, so they'll have some scrambling to do in order to make sure they don't lose money under the new rules. Studies have shown that it's possible for schools to make as much money when healthy drinks are swapped for sodas in school vending machines. McCary acknowledges that the hard part will be marketing the changes to the students. She says they'll have to start thinking even more outside the box in order to come up with successful ways to raise money without selling junk food. Sounds good to me!
RIOS CHANGES STREAMS
In other news, Chef Martin Rios has left the Eldorado Hotel after eight years as executive chef of The Old House restaurant. Last week he moved his knife case over to the Inn of the Anasazi, where he is taking over the Anasazi Restaurant.
Born in Mexico and raised in Santa Fe from age 15, Rios knew from an early age that he wanted to become a chef. After working his way up from dishwasher to executive chef at the Eldorado, Rios decided to pursue formal training at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. After graduating, he went
on to work with well-known chefs David Burke, of the Park Avenue Café in New York, and Georges Blanc, at his eponymous Michelin three-star restaurant in Vonnas, France. After several years spent wandering, learning and cooking, Rios returned to Santa Fe and to the kitchen at the Eldorado. During Rios' tenure there, he racked up award after award, including the Robert Mondavi Culinary Award of Excellence, Mobil's Four-Star Award, a couple of Chef of the Year honors and glowing reviews in local and national magazines.
Accolades aside, nine years is a hell of a long time for a cook to stay in one place; creative chefs tend to be easily bored and perpetually upwardly mobile, so it's a wonder Rios hadn't moved on already. His arrival will surely be a boon to the Anasazi, which has a beautiful dining room but has been suffering from a pleasantly dull menu with a lack of personality. Hopefully Chef Rios can infuse the restaurant with some much-needed zest. Rios' style, which incorporates some local dishes and ingredients with a lot of French technique and New American aesthetic, seems like a perfect fit. I can't wait to try it out. Keep reading this column. I'll let you know what I find out.
SLOW DOWN
In the meantime, the Santa Fe chapter of Slow Foods is holding its fifth annual membership meeting at 4 pm Sunday, Feb. 11 at the Santa Fe Women's Club (1616 Old Pecos Trail). Current, former and future members will discuss events for 2006 and other slow topics over a potluck dinner. The cost is $5 per person for members and $8 for non-members (Slow Food membership costs $65 for one or $75 for two). Call 466-4469 for information or to RSVP.
Tell me where to eat! I need your input. Send all of your tips, gripes and raves to
.
