Thursday, April 16, 2020

My High School Diet 4 During Coronavirus

Today it's a combination of good old American ingenuity and Mexican comfort food. I picked up old school eats for Grab & Go on Day 4 from my local High School during our Covid-19 pandemic.


The Eggo was created and introduced to San Jose, California groceries in the 1950s as frozen waffles. I remember how delicious they were during my High School years, and after my first taste in decades...they still are so "Let go of my Eggo!"


Classic Eggos commercial from the 1970s

Whereas the Bean Dip with Cheese and Corn Tortilla Chips has been around for who knows how long?  Even today they are still a go-to sports game day appetizer.

I have no idea what schools are feeding kids these days so read on to see for yourself. I'll be sharing a different breakfast and lunch meal every few days. I think you'll be as surprised as I am of the good, the bad, and the ugly...oh boy.

Click on any photo to see larger.

These meals are Grab & Go from my local High School. I'm sure regular school cafeteria fare is different (better?) than the ones I am getting carryout at the drive-thru lane. You can click here to see the first meal I had at my neighborhood Grab & Go.

The GIF above is a drive-thru Susan Miller Dorsey High School's Grab & Go.  

There seem to be plenty of meal bags laid out on the tables and once I asked if they ever run out and the attendant replied emphatically "Never!"

Breakfast - Eggos, Chortles, Tangerine, Milk (always Milk) and Apple Juice.

Eggo Blueberry Pancakes are soft and fluffy more so than regular pancakes. At about 2 inches across you get about half a dozen per package.


The flavor is slightly sweet with an extra-strong yolk flavor. They are tasty pucks of pancake. No small squeeze-package of syrup was included, darn it. But I have that at home.

 As for blueberry, you won't find them but there are blue splotches of fruit flavor.


You can eat these Eggos right out of the package or quickly microwave to warm. They hold up well to a quick zap.

The ingredient list is short and sweet with natural ingredients and flavors including whole wheat flour and blueberry juice.


I had a Tangerine for my last Grab & Go Meal, too.  A Tangerine serving is a tasty addition. I seldom have Tangerines and was happy to have it here. This Breakfast reminded me how much more I like them over an Orange.


I like Apple Juice and don't drink it enough. This 4-ounce carton is 100% Apple Juice of the filtered kind - I do prefer unfiltered though, but this is fine.


And it's Chocolate Chip Cookies for dessert, although these are the smallest cookies I have ever had!


Called Chortles these "Mini-Mini Graham Crackers with Chocolate Chips" are like a regular cookie of the packaged and dry variety. That is these are not moist like homemade but that's okay.


Like most of the baked goods and desserts from L.A. School District the flour is whole wheat but sugar comes in a close second, then chocolate chips.  I guess the whole wheat flour is a nod to a healthy diet...Hmmm, I don't buy it, but it's a start.


As for the pebble-sized Chortles, let's just say my sweet tooth was singing a happy tune! The cookie is sweet with a light graham cracker taste but you have a chocolate nib in only a few of the cookies. The chocolate nibs are very small too, so the cookie overpowers the overall flavor.


If you put all the cookie pebbles side-by-side they would form a very large cookie.


Lunch - Bean Dip with Cheese & Corn Chips, Milk, and Turkey Breast Stick


Pinto Bean Dip by Los Cabos is mild, with no spicy heat and creamy like restaurant Mexican-style mashed refried pinto beans.


Similar in texture from what you can get in a can of refried beans from any grocery store.


The mix of white jack and yellow cheddar cheese is a nice addition to the Bean Dip. This is a small serving at 3.35 ounces.

The balance is right between bean and cheese. When heated in the microwave the cheese covers the beans, so you get it all when you scoop it with the round Corn Chips.

Normally I prefer Tortilla Chips but these Corn Chips are a nice change. Most of the salt comes from the Corn Chips. While tasty they are awfully salty...whew! The flavor is quite good - a nice crunchy Corn Chip, very similar to Fritos Corn Chips. You may have half the bag left after using up all the Bean Dip.


The ingredient list is a long one, but some of that is cheese which contains many ingredients to help the aging process.


I used the leftover chips for a crunchy Huevos Rancheros the next morning. You can use the whole thing, beans and cheese, for Huevos Rancheros. Just watch my video below to see how I do it.



Included in the Lunch bag is a Turkey Breast Stick by Jennie-O. It is 5 1/2 inchs of deliciousness. Smokey and tender, all turkey breast should be prepared this way.


And it has the texture of real turkey breast, not some mystery meat blend.


I've had Jennie-O meats before and they make a quality product. I don't know if the turkey is really slow-smoked or a shortcut is done with liquid smoke, but it is nicely done regardless.


I would purchase these at my local Dollar Tree or 99c only Store if they show up.

For reviews or info about the purveyors of these food items you can check out Fooducatejust enter a product food name and see what pops up about it: https://www.fooducate.com/

And you can learn about Los Angeles Unified School District's Cafe LA (which supplies a lot of the packaged food) here: https://achieve.lausd.net/cafela

And do check back in a few days for more of my latest food series High School Meals.
 Be safe & keep your distance!


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