Free Meals for ANY Child Starting Again!

Free Meals for ANY Child Starting Again!

My Kid's Lunch, with the non-profit sponsor Equal Heart will be starting up free child meals again in the Denver Metro and Colorado Springs areas! Please check our page for dates, times and locations.

We are looking forward to serving our community in this way again and are hoping this provides some relief for families during these trying times! Below is a list of where you can receive free meals, for ANY child under 18.

Denver Metro:

-Mountain Phoenix Community School Wednesdays; 10:15 AM- 10:45 AM

4725 North Miller St.

Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

 

Colorado Springs:

- Nueva Vida Church – Sundays; 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

801 N Circle Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80909

 

- By Grace Community Center – Sundays; 12:30 PM- 2:00 PM

737 Dale St.

Fountain, CO 80817

 

- Turman Elementary School – Tuesdays; 12:00 PM- 2:00 PM

3245 Springnite Dr.

Colorado Springs, CO 80916

 

- CPCD Central Office – Wednesdays; 12:00 PM- 2:00 PM

2330 Robinson St.

Colorado Springs, CO 80904

 

Calling Community Leaders!

Calling Community Leaders!

We hope that you and your families are safe and healthy! We just want to take a moment and reach out to our communities to share some great information. My Kids Lunch is currently offering FREE student meals across the Denver metro area to children that have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The times and locations are in an earlier blog post.

With this being said, we're calling all community leaders, because we need your help! We need more distribution sites to reach all corners of our community! We would like to emphasize that this program is at NO charge to you, your complex or your residents. We are simply asking for your permission to set up a delivery area to distribute FREE meals to your community/residents.

This program will run through the summer and is open to any child in need. Food is delivered into the community, and 3-5 days of meals is handed out at one time. Keep in mind that we are taking the proper precautions to keep our employees and all those we serve healthy and safe.

Our mission at this time is to keep our communities happy, healthy and fed. If you would like more information on setting up your site as a meal distribution site for your community, please reach out via our Facebook page or send an email to office@michaelsofdenver.com. If you know someone that may be interested, please tag them in this post so they have the opportunity to participate!

Thanks to everyone. We are looking forward to serving you and your communities soon!

We've been mentioned in the Denver Post

We've been mentioned in the Denver Post

We've been mentioned in the Denver Post! @denverpost Thank you to all those who have come to get your free meals over the past 6 weeks. It has been an absolute pleasure to serve you. We will continue this program through at least June, and we are looking forward to seeing many more smiling faces! View the Article in the Denver Post here: My Kid's Lunch - Denver Post

Free Lunch for Children in the Denver-Metro Area

Free Lunch for Children in the Denver-Metro Area

My Kid’s Lunch, with the non-profit sponsor Equal Heart, is providing emergency free breakfast and lunch to children up to 18 years old. If you reside in a neighborhood that has a majority of students receiving free or reduced school lunches, see below for a list of locations and times to receive your free breakfast and lunch!

Mondays and Thursdays :

-UPHAM STREET- 10:15 AM- 10:45 AM

3637 Upham Street

Wheat Ridge, 80033

-I AM LEARNING CENTER- 10:15 AM- 10:45 AM

875 S. Sheridan Blvd.

Lakewood, CO 80226

-BERKELEY COMMUNITY CHURCH- 11:05 AM – 11:35 AM

3701 W. 50th Ave.

Denver, CO 80221

-ARVADA VINEYARD-11:10 AM- 11:40 AM

5855 Wadsworth Bypass

Arvada, CO 80003

-PARKVIEW VILLAGE- 12:00 PM- 12:30 PM

5383 Carr Street

Arvada, 80002

-SHERIDAN MHP-12:00 PM- 12:30 PM

5305 Sheridan Blvd.

Arvada, CO 80002

-GLENDALE APTS.- 12:50 PM- 1:20 PM

5345 West 79th Ave *2

Arvada, 80003

-MARANATHA-1:45 PM- 2:15 PM

3605 Pecos St.

Denver, CO 80211

Tuesdays and Fridays:

-PARKVIEW TERRACE- 10:20 AM- 10:50 AM

1300 Milky Way

Thornton, 80260

-DENVER CASCADE- 11:05 AM- 11:35 AM

9650 Federal Blvd., Denver

-FRIENDLY VILLAGE MHP- 11:20 PM- 11:50 PM

1711 Roosevelt Way

Aurora, 80011

-KIMBERLY HILLS- 12:00 PM- 1:00 PM

2551 West 92nd Ave.

Federal Heights, 80260

-MOLINE APTS.- 12:15 PM-12:45 PM

2820 Moline St.

Denver, 80238

-NORTHFIELD APTS- 1:10 PM- 1:40 PM

4900 Trenton St.

Denver, 80238

-AMHERST APARTMENTS -1:40 PM-2:10 PM:

2775 S Federal Blvd,

Denver, CO 80236

Corona Virus and Illness Protocol

Corona Virus and Illness Protocol

Here at My Kid’s Lunch, we are aware of the increasing concern surrounding COVID-19. We will continue to implement our illness prevention policies to do our best to keep our employees and clients healthy. Below is our illness prevention policy and some guidelines from the CDC regarding COVID-19.

A sickness which includes vomiting, diarrhea, or fever excludes employess from working. Employees must visit a doctor to receive treatment and obtain a dated written release form. Once a release form is obtained, the employee is permitted to return to work.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

  • Stay home when you are sick.

  • Get an annual flu vaccine, if you haven’t already.

  • Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow.

  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

  • Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.

    • CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.

    • Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

    • If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

Welcome back! We've spent the summer hard at work preparing a great first semester menu we're sure your students will love. With fruit every day, and kid-friendly meals prepared in-house, our menus offer tasty variety with the best nutritional practices.

Our menus are posted through the end of first semester, and these last few days before your students return to the classroom are the perfect opportunity to look at the menu together for worry-free lunch choices until December! Please feel free to call or email us with questions about ingredients or order processing.

My Kid's Lunch

Plant babies!

Spring is here, our garden soil is prepped, and the seedlings are starting to sprout!

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Win Free Lunch!

We will be giving away a free lunch each month for the rest of the school year! To enter, Like our page, posts, and photos on Facebook. You will receive one entry for every Like! Friends and family of students can Like us too, and give the prize to your student.

Don't forget to check out our new blogs! Every week we post new ingredients, recipes, tips and movies to make healthy food fun and exciting!

www.Facebook.com

Congratulations to our winners!

Congratulations to Andrew N. and McKenzie P., our Facebook contest winners! Your accounts have been credited for one free lunch!

 

Garden Update

Garden Update

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Our wonderful employee Esther has been taking great care of our gardens this summer!  She's busy watering, weeding, and checking on all our plants, and is even finding ways to conserve our water usage and improve our composting efforts.  With a little PVC pipe she's turned stagnant rain water from the roof into a water source for our garden at Woodrow Wilson Academy.  

Our tomato plants are growing quickly, and little tomatoes are starting to pop up.  That means we'll have fresh, organic tomatoes in our kitchen in no time, ready to be turned into spaghetti sauce for school lunches this fall!

Organic Herbs are Here!

Organic Herbs are Here!

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Along with fresh, organic vegetables, we grow our own organic herbs in our school gardens.  This bundle of herbs is fresh from our gardens and drying to be used in school lunches this fall. More than just flavor!  Herbs are an important source of nutrients.  Fresh herbs are packed with enzymes, vitamins, and minerals that add a burst of  nutrition and to our school meals. Good for taste buds, good for health!

Summer Gardens

Summer Gardens

Summer is officially here and that means our organic gardens are in full swing!  We've been hard at work all spring planting and nurturing our little plant babies, and now they're flourishing in our school gardens.  The little guys are soaking up all the rain we've had this year and growing big for school lunches in the fall!

We've Moved!

We've Moved!

My Kid's Lunch main office has moved! To be more focused on our school lunch service, we have moved closer to our main kitchen in Arvada. Our new place has plenty of space, and we're filling it with new support staff to better serve you!  

 

Daily Vegetarian Options

Daily Vegetarian Options

 My Kid's Lunch is now offering a vegetarian option every day at select schools!  Whether your student is dedicated to a vegetarian diet or you just want to incorporate more veggies in their routine, our vegetarian meals are packed with nutrient dense whole foods. We incorporate fresh organic produce from our own school gardens when possible.  Concerned about your child getting enough protein? Don't be! Vegetables and fruits provide energy and protein along with health promoting nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals. With delicious options such as mac & cheese, vegetarian chile, and black bean burgers made from scratch, there's a veggie meal for even the pickiest eaters!

 

 

Vegetarian diets have proven health benefits including lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol, lower risk of cancer, and decreased inflammation.  The fiber in vegetables slows the absorption of sugars in the blood stream, promoting healthy blood sugar and balanced cortisol (stress) levels.  Anyone can reap some of these benefits just by swapping animal proteins for plant-based proteins a few meals per week and increasing vegetable intake.
Healthy eating habits are established at a young age.  Encouraging your child to eat more vegetables now can set them up to make healthy choices for the rest of their lives.  Let the tasty vegetarian lunches from My Kid's Lunch show them just how delicious their vegetables can be!

Garden Update: Baby Veggies are Here!!

Garden Update: Baby Veggies are Here!!

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It's really feeling like summer in Denver and our gardens are soaking up the sun!  Our first round of baby veggies have appeared at some of our garden locations and will be ready to pick soon.  What's the fate of these beautiful organic veggies?  School Lunches!  We think those little tomatoes will make some delicious marinara.  

Why Go Gluten Free?

"Gluten Free" is the newest health trend, and although it has become a widely popular dietary choice, many people don't know what gluten really is or why it's potentially harmful to the body.

I'll jump right in and say that Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.  Gluten (Latinfor "glue")  is the component of wheat that gives dough it's sticky, pliable texture.  Gluten is what makes pizza dough maintain it's shape, what makes bread soft and chewy, and what makes pasta noodles, well, noodley.  It is found in all wheat-containing foods, including cookies, bagels, breads, and beer. Gluten's sticky texture makes it a common additives in many foods you wouldn't expect, too. Think chewing gum, toothpaste, shredded cheese, and soy sauce. Gluten is unlike any other food we consume in the effects it has on our bodies.

Gluten proteins can be broken down into two components: glutenin and gliadin.

The first negative effect gluten has on the body is due to the gliadin portion, which triggers increased permeability in the intestines.  Gliadin activates proteins called zonulins in the intestines, which loosen the tight junctions that keep your digestive tract intact.  What this means is that things that are meant to stay inside the intestines, such as food particles, can sneak out through these loosened junctions and cause problems in the body.  Another characteristic unique to gluten is it's ability to affect morphine receptors in the brain.  When gluten is broken down by stomach acid, it produces tiny polypeptides that can cross the intestinal lining and make their way to the brain, where the bind to the same receptors as opiate drugs such as morphine.

To put it simply: gluten contributes to the destruction of your intestinal lining and binds to morphine receptors in the brain.

You may have also heard about gluten sensitivities and Celiac disease.  Food sensitivities occur when your immune system recognizes a food as "bad" or "foreign" and launches an immune attack, similar to what it would do to any other threat (such as a virus or bacterial infection).   Symptoms of gluten sensitivity can be digestive, such as diarrhea and cramping, or can be seemingly unrelated, such as skin rash, migraine headaches, joint pain and brain fog.  Gluten sensitivities vary from mild forms to the most severe form: Celiac disease. Celiac is an autoimmune disease that is triggered by the gliadin in gluten in which the lining of the small intestine is disrupted.   All symptoms of any type of gluten sensitivity are alleviated when gluten is removed from the diet.  Because the symptoms are so widely varying and can be different from one patient to the next, gluten sensitivities and Celiac disease commonly go undiagnosed.

The negative effects of wheat don't end with gluten.  The carbohydrate portion of wheat is a specific type of carbohydrate that is broken down very rapidly when it is digested.  This means that wheat causes drastic increases in blood sugar, and this is why two slices of whole wheat bread (yes whole wheat) raise blood glucose more than 6 tablespoons of straight table sugar. Significant spikes in blood glucose contribute to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and more.  Not so healthy.

But we've been eating wheat for years.  So why is it becoming a problem now?

I'll take a step back and tell you why the wheat (and gluten) that we eat today is different from the wheat that our ancestors have been eating for generations, and why these differences matter to our bodies:

The original strand of wheat that was cultivated by our earliest ancestors was called Einkorn and contained 14 chromosomes in its DNA.  This wheat evolved only a modest amount over centuries, until the influence of agricultural science interfered through hybridization, crossbreeding, and genetic modification for the past 50 years produced the modern wheat that we consume today, called Triticum aestivum.  This modern strand boasts a whopping 42 chromosomes in it's DNA and is hundreds or even thousands of genes apart from the original wheat that was naturally bread.

The majority of this hybridization, crossbreeding, and genetic modification was initiated as part of a worldwide effort to reduce world hunger by increasing the yield ofcrops.  The original tall, wispy Einkorn wheat stalks that you imaging blowing in the breeze across the plains have been replaced with a short, stocky, high yield Triticum aestivum that is more resistant to disease, drought, and heat.  It has even been genetically modified to respond to specific brands of pesticides or fertilizers.

Despite these dramatic changes in the genetic makeup of the crops, no animal or human safety testing was done on the new strains.  Although yields increased exponentially and made wheat products cheap and accessible, these products were released into the food supply without human safety concerns.

Fast forward to today and the effects of these genetic changes to wheat are starting to be seen. The body's immune systems doesn't recognize this genetically different wheat as food and often mistakes it as a threat.  This is one reason that there has been a significant rise in the occurrence of gluten sensitivities and Celiac disease.

To learn more about the effects gluten has on the body and for helpful resources for going gluten free check out these books:

Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD

Grain Brain by David Perlmutter, MD

And keep an eye out for new gluten free items on our menu this fall!!