Sandwiches are popular for good reason! Delicious ingredients from bread and cheese to meat and vegetables add variety. Sandwiches are certainly one of our students’ favorite Conscious Kitchen school lunches — easy to hold in hands of any size and packed with color, flavor and texture. The question is: are they good for our bodies and for our environment? Organic ones certainly can be!
We choose, source, and prepare each ingredient with intention for a delicious, organic final product. Unlike conventional sandwiches, these consider the environment, the mouths they feed, and the workers who grow and process each item. In fact, tomatoes, lettuce and other veggies are more nutritious when grown organically without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Organic meats — like delicious roasted turkey from our partner Applegate — are free of chemical nitrates and nitrites and humanely raised without any antibiotics ever, whereas meats in conventional sandwiches are mass produced with industrial animal agriculture that leads to environmental harm such as deforestation. Organic sprouted whole wheat bread is organic, vegan, and nutritious, compared to typical white breads containing additives, preservatives, and highly processed flour. While conventional sandwiches include ingredients that endanger human health and biodiversity, threaten and contaminate ecosystems, and expose workers to toxins, organic ingredients support public health, safeguard clean water and the environment, and protect animal welfare. Not only are organic sandwiches a full healthy meal, but they protect the world around us today and far into the future!
You can learn much more about the anatomy of a sandwich below. We sought to highlight what does and does not go into our organic Conscious Kitchen sandwiches in this brand new infographic, created by our incredible intern team!
We are proud to source and purchase ingredients directly from local farms and food businesses — for sandwiches and other hot, freshly-prepared, scratch-cooked Conscious Kitchen school meals — and thus contribute to local economic success. By operating at economies of scale and working closely with our vendor partners, we seek to close the gap in costs between conventional and organic to expand access to healthy options for all!
While price premiums for organic food do often exist, it need not be insurmountable or a deterrent for school food service teams looking to make the switch. Plus, we are proud to invest in nutrition for students, protection for workers, stewardship for the environment, and increased support for local economies.
We choose organic: for sandwiches, for the next generation, for farmers, for health, for Earth, for all.
