KNIKA

So um, Michelle Obama has partnered up with the USDA for a program allowing chefs to adopt a school and work with nutritionists to develop a better lunch menu!!! Whoa that is too cool! If i was in elementary school and had a special chef making delicious meals-I would just be elated.

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As communities and organizations get behind the First Lady’s Let’s Move! campaign to solve the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation, one group that could have a tremendous impact on the health and well-being of children is the Nation’s chefs. As part of her effort to turn policies into practical solutions for America’s families, Mrs. Obama is calling on chefs to get involved by adopting a school and working with teachers, parents and school nutrition professionals and administrators to help educate kids about food and nutrition. By creating healthy dishes that taste good, chefs have a unique ability to deliver these messages in a fun and appealing way to the larger audience, particularly children.

The “Chefs Move to Schools” program, run through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will pair chefs with interested schools in their communities so together they can create healthy meals that meet the schools’ dietary guidelines and budgets, while teaching young people about nutrition and making balanced and healthy choices. With more than 31 million children participating in the National School Lunch Program and more than 11 million participating in the National School Breakfast Program, good nutrition at school is more important than ever.

http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?tax_level=1&info_center=14&tax_subject=225

One of the many goals of the Let’s Move campaign is to:

Make Healthy Food Affordable and Accessible

More than 23 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, live in low-income urban and rural neighborhoods that are more than a mile from a supermarket. These communities, where access to affordable, quality, nutritious food is lacking are also known as food deserts. Lack of access is one reason why many children are not eating recommended levels of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Food insecurity and hunger among children is widespread. A recent USDA report showed that in 2008, an estimated 49 million people, including 17 million children, lived in households that experienced hunger multiple times throughout the year.

Mayors and municipal officials can expand the availability of affordable, healthy food in their communities by taking the following steps:

• Offer incentives to new and/or existing food retailers to offer healthier food and beverage choices in underserved areas.
• Pass food policies that require food and beverages purchased with government funds to meet certain nutrition standards.
• Support the sale of local foods across the community by offering incentives and encouraging the establishment of farmers’ markets.
  • Encourage local food retailers and farmers markets to accept SNAP (food stamps) and WIC Program benefits.
  • Encourage local foundations to sponsor Electronic Benefit Transfer matching programs at farmers markets.
• Establish a policy to apply nutrition standards to all food sold (e.g., meal menus and vending machines) within local government facilities.
• Require access to free and safe drinking water in public places.
• Ensure that residents can access healthy and affordable food through public transportation—by realigning bus routes, providing free shuttles, or other means.
• Promote policies that support and protect community gardens. For example, mayors can work with local neighborhoods to convert blighted areas into green spaces that can be used for community gardens.
• Connect families with nutrition programs like SNAP and the emergency food system.
• Form a local food policy council or participate in an existing one.

To see more goals click the link: http://www.letsmove.gov/cities_and_towns.html