As jobless rates top double digits for the first time since 1983, employers continue to see the value of hiring one group: our veterans. Indeed, in 2008, when the unemployment rate averaged 5.8%, veterans’ unemployment rate was only 4.6%. At Sodexo, we fully understand why employers would value veterans. They recognize the importance of teamwork; they are used to advancing through their own achievements; and they thrive on new assignments and the challenges of new locations. The leadership skills, initiative and integrity we see in our veterans and reservists really reflect Sodexo’s core values.

Indeed, I’m proud to say that Sodexo was just recognized as a top military friendly employer because we make a point of hiring, supporting and retaining military veterans and reservists. It’s the second year we’ve made this list, and we’re very proud.

We know that, for some veterans returning to civilian jobs, the transition can be a difficult one, and we are launching an employee network group to support our veterans’ career success. Called HONOR (Honoring Our Nation’s finest with Opportunity and Respect), this network group will provide support, guidance and resources to employees and families connected to the military, and it will establish partnerships with community groups that support veterans, active duty, National Guard and military reserve forces.

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As different American cultures become “acculturated,” they risk losing the things that made them a unique culture in the first place. Nowhere is this more evident than in the numerous Native American cultures. Ways of life, traditions, cultural heritage and even Native American languages are quickly disappearing – perhaps to be lost forever. The U.S. Census counts more than 550 federally-recognized tribes in the U.S. The largest are the Cherokee Nation, with almost 730,000 members, followed by the Navajo with more than 298,000 and the Sioux with 153,000.

The Census reports that almost 282,000 households speak American Indian languages, but another report places the number of people speaking American Indian as much lower. According to the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages in Salem, Ore., there are about 200 Native American languages, but hardly any of them are still viable. The Institute says that the Navajo language is the most robust, with about 75,000 speakers, followed by Cherokee, with about 20,000 speakers. Whole organizations have sprung up to try to capture what is left of these languages in whatever way they can, including language immersion courses or using an audio encyclopedia to try to engage younger Native Americans.

Just as language defines a culture, so too does food.

Native American food traditionally is food that relies on the land. Although game was a part of the diet, many tribes relied on what they call the “Three Sisters”: corn or maize, beans and squash. For some, potatoes are also a staple. 

At Sodexo, although we celebrate diversity year-round, every November we honor Native Americans in particular during Native American Indian Heritage Month, established in 1990 by President George H. W. Bush. We offer our facilities a whole kit to help them celebrate the month. The kit includes table tents, bookmarks, an informative newsletter, giveaways, and recipe cards. We also feature foods made from Native American recipes during that month for our customers to enjoy and celebrate. 

It’s a small thing, but we hope that by preserving the foods of the Native American culture, we help honor and preserve the culture itself.

You might want to download the Native American recipe below for Three Sisters Soup. Please let us know how your soup turned out and whether you liked it. We’d love to hear from you.

3SistersSoupRecipe.pdf (299.21 kb)

It happens every year about this time – the requests to the Sodexo dietitians start pouring in: “How can my family and I avoid weight gain during the holidays?” Years ago, this time period meant the five weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Because of treat-rich Halloween, this holiday time period has increased, pounding both kids and parents with three full months of “sweet” opportunities. You thought costumes, cobwebs and the tricks were the biggest part of Halloween? Well, think again – it’s the treats! According to an estimate by the National Retail Federation, Americans spent almost two billion dollars on Halloween candy last year. 

While no one wants to be a bad apple, consider that childhood obesity has nearly tripled since 1980. Is there any doubt that candy can contribute to weight gain in children, or that additional pounds can negatively impact their health? Several studies indicate that being overweight contributes to more than 20 chronic diseases that are now manifesting in children and teenagers. These are serious, lifelong illnesses like type 2 diabetes, previously seen only in adults. Because they require additional health care, these diseases raise medical costs, taking their toll on not just the health of the individual, but also the U.S. economy.

At Sodexo, we have a commitment to health and well-being for our employees, clients and customers. We serve and promote healthy food options, and we also encourage regular physical activity, not only for children but for all age groups. 

While the causes of childhood obesity are numerous and complicated, perhaps its widespread emergence indicates that it is time to rethink holiday snacks, starting with Halloween. Buying the smaller “fun size” candy can be an easy introduction to portion control. In addition, there is an emerging trend towards giving children healthier treats, such as raisins, granola bars or pretzels. Some people are even handing out non-food treats like small games, puzzles and stickers. In addition, parents can place limits on their children’s Halloween stashes, like keeping five favorites and giving away or discarding the rest.

It can be very simple actions that keep the sweet spirit of the holidays alive, without turning them sour.

Happy National School Lunch Week! Perhaps there are no holiday cards to honor this event, but in the world of Sodexo School Services and our thousands of clients and customers, this is a BIG deal and worthy of talking about. Each year, 5.2 billion school lunches are served in 99,000 schools. That makes about 31 million meals a day, and Sodexo serves more than 2.5 million of those nutritious meals each day to students and teachers across the country. Our customers have come to expect the best food, the best quality and the best choices in their school cafeterias. To us, providing breakfast, lunch, after school snacks and yes, sometimes even dinner to our customers is our mission as well as our job. There is no arguing the link between good nutrition and student achievement; the facts are in and it’s indisputable.

Are you feeling guilty about not packing a brownbag lunch for your child? Don’t! Here’s what school lunch can do for your child:

1. Lunch keeps kids powered up throughout the day. Because the average meal takes no more than about four to five hours to digest, skipping lunch can cause a student to suffer from afternoon sluggishness. Your brain and working muscles need quality fuel every four to five hours with a mixture of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats in the right portions. The school lunch program is designed to help students get the right mix of foods and nutrients to keep them shining all day long.

2. Eating lunch helps with weight maintenance. Some students may think they will skip lunch to conserve calories and hopefully lose weight. This technique usually backfires for many reasons. One, students tend to be ravenous later and then overeat calories later in the day. Two, the body becomes more efficient at storing body fat because it perceives it is being starved. Three, both mental and physical energy can suffer. This could mean that performance on the big exam or during the big game could be seriously compromised by skipping meals. It’s not worth it to skip.

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Climate change is not only one of tomorrow’s most important sustainability issues, it is one of today’s most important issues as well -  fueling questions about our environment and our health and also powering new innovations. Some of the innovations have had unanticipated consequences, such as when the U.S. attempted to reduce dependence on petroleum by turning corn into ethanol.  That effort, coupled with a frenzy of speculation in the commodity markets, led to a spike in food prices in the U.S, and food riots in the developing world.  

Our own missteps aside, current famines, droughts and food shortages are causing people to rethink how and where we grow food today, as well as how we will meet the ever-increasing demand. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture organization predicts that by 2050, we’ll need to increase farm production by 70% to keep up with increasing demand.  

But it’s not only a global question; it is local as well. For the past three years, California has been experiencing a severe drought. California typically produces about half the country’s fruits, vegetables, and nuts. And this year, the drought’s impact on California’s farms was made worse by an unseasonably warm winter, which reduced the Sierra snow pack.

The state has put the 2008 drought losses at more than $300 million, and economists predict that this year’s losses could swell past $3 billion, with as many as 95,000 agricultural jobs lost. Millions of pounds of leafy green, fruits and vegetables may not be grown for market this year. In that case, the gap will be filled, in part, by lower quality and higher prices. 

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