Are You an Angry Mom?

Did you know that sugar is added to whole milk to reduce the fat content and make the two-percent, one-percent and fat-free varieties?  Or did you know that the meat from grain-fed beef is higher in saturated fat and cholesterol than grass fed cattle? 

These facts and many others about the food we eat were broadcast and discussed at the Wilton Library’s showing of the documentary Two Angry Moms. 

Upon entering the Brubeck Room, guests were treated to a sampling of organic foods provided by Ancona’s Market in Ridgefield. 

“The most important thing in selling food is being responsible for that food,” said Joseph Ancona, who sells a variety of fresh, local, organic groceries at his store.      

Karen Strickland, Development Director at the Wilton YMCA, explained that in 2009, the Y applied for a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity. 

“We were fortunate enough to be one of the six YMCAs in Connecticut to receive the fifty-two thousand dollar grant," she said. 

One of the stipulations of receiving the funding was that the money had to be distributed and used throughout the community.  So far, a Pedestrian Zone has been mapped out, bike racks have already been ordered for installation in the spring and plans are in the works for a garden at Trackside Teen Center, among other things. 

“There are a lot of different initiatives in those areas that are happening,” said Strickland. 

One of the major collaborators in this town-wide endeavor is the Wilton Library because education and awareness are key to making healthier choices in the fight against childhood obesity. 

And getting the message out to parents about what their kids are eating in school when their parental eyes aren’t watching is an important part of this healthy eating process.     

The film Two Angry Moms, directed by Weston parent Amy Kalafa, features a variety of school cafeterias profiled across the country and shows the incredible culinary changes that can be made when parents speak their mind and get involved.  Goodbye partially hydrogenated soybean oils; hello vitamins and nutrition. 

The film sparked a vibrant discussion afterward between parents, Kalafa, and members of Wilton High School’s cafeteria food service company Chartwells.

Over the past few years, Wilton has made many changes in the school’s cafeterias. 

“We are very fortunate here in town to have a great Wellness Committee that works in conjunction with Chartwells and they have done a lot of great things,” said Wilton Alliance for a Healthier Community Team Leader Carol Johnson. “Locally grown produce is used in school cafeterias for the lunch menus, which are all analyzed by a registered dietician." 

Chartwells purchases chicken for the nuggets that were raised without the use of antibiotics.  Nothing is deep fried and there are no sugar packets. 

Proof positive that with some involvement and dialogue between parents, students and the schools, great changes can be made. 

To see the film Two Angry Moms visit the Wilton Library to take out a copy or go to the website www.angrymoms.org.