1,000 Chefs go to Washington — for kids!
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This past Friday, I traveled Washington DC, along with nearly a thousand chefs from all over the country, at the behest of First lady Michelle Obama and Sam Kass, Assistant Chef for the White House Kitchen. We were there in support of the Chefs Move to Schools program, a part of the First Lady's Let'sMove campaign to end the epidemic of childhood obesity.
It was an exciting day for a couple of reasons. First of all, how often do chefs get recognized by the White House for doing good service? I can't think of a time in recent memory when that's happened. Secondly, the action that brought us all together was compelling; nothing less than the life and death of America's children is at stake, and we've been summoned to the defense of these kids. I can't think of a more compelling call to duty.
In brief, the Chefs Move to Schools program asks chefs to pair with a school in their community, and help the kids in that school learn firsthand about where their food comes from and how to cook - and like! - healthy food. Partnering with a school can take on many forms. It could mean that a chef helps to start a vegetable garden on school grounds, scheduling time every week to tend the garden with students, and harvest the crops together. It could mean that a chef leads cooking classes and cooking demonstrations for students, teachers, and parents. A partnering chef could organize field trips to fun food destinations, like farmer's markets, pick-your-own fruit farms, dairies, tortilla factories, and bread bakeries. The possibilities are endless.
The day's events brought out cooking school students, chefs, and lots of food celebrities, including Rachael. When I asked Rach why it was important for her to take a trip to our nation's capitol for this event, her response was inspiring: \"I love this program because it marries the work of chefs with school cafeterias in a peaceful and loving way. They're not sending chefs in to schools to usurp lunch ladies-the chefs are there to support them and have a conversation. In a dark time, when we have the national tragedy of the Gulf oil spill happening, the First Lady has given us a cause we can believe in: saving our nation's kids.\"
As it turns out, Rach has been spending a lot of time in DC lately, urging lawmakers to raise the amount of money spent per child in public school lunch programs-now just a paltry $2.68 a day. Through her work with the Yum-o! foundation, Rach is challenging childhood hunger and obesity issues, two major threats to children's health in the United States. There's lots of information on the Yum-o! website about how you can support Rach's efforts to improve the Child Nutrition Act by allocating more money to school food programs.
Just as importantly, how do you think we can get kids excited about fresh food and healthy eating? Perhaps you are a parent, a student, a teacher, or a school cafeteria worker, and have some insight into how to reach kids effectively. What would you like to see a chef teach kids in your community? Your ideas are welcome - add your thoughts to the comment section here, and I'll be sure to share them with Rach!
Learn more about the First Lady's Let's Move campaign herehttp://www.LetsMove.gov/
Learn more about the Chef's Move to Schools programhere.
Louisa Shafia is a cook with a passion for healthy eating. She recently penned Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life, a collection of seasonal recipes and eco-friendly advice on food. To watch her cooking videos, see her recipes, and find out about her cooking classes, go tolucidfood.com.
","publishDate":"2010-06-07T18:18:00Z","status":"Publish","author":"louisa-shafia"}
Ingredients
{"handle":"1000-chefs-go-to-washington-for-kids","title":"1,000 Chefs go to Washington — for kids!","image":"https://images.ctfassets.net/vmuke7sdou62/8n9Sv3kl7UaA5oi8wWGfG/5aa72427a8b22e4f7df797c62636933b/MTI1NjM5MzAyNTc4MjE1Mzkw.jpg","excerpt":"","tags":"Giving Back","seoTitle":"1,000 Chefs go to Washington — for kids!","content":"
This past Friday, I traveled Washington DC, along with nearly a thousand chefs from all over the country, at the behest of First lady Michelle Obama and Sam Kass, Assistant Chef for the White House Kitchen. We were there in support of the Chefs Move to Schools program, a part of the First Lady's Let'sMove campaign to end the epidemic of childhood obesity.
It was an exciting day for a couple of reasons. First of all, how often do chefs get recognized by the White House for doing good service? I can't think of a time in recent memory when that's happened. Secondly, the action that brought us all together was compelling; nothing less than the life and death of America's children is at stake, and we've been summoned to the defense of these kids. I can't think of a more compelling call to duty.
In brief, the Chefs Move to Schools program asks chefs to pair with a school in their community, and help the kids in that school learn firsthand about where their food comes from and how to cook - and like! - healthy food. Partnering with a school can take on many forms. It could mean that a chef helps to start a vegetable garden on school grounds, scheduling time every week to tend the garden with students, and harvest the crops together. It could mean that a chef leads cooking classes and cooking demonstrations for students, teachers, and parents. A partnering chef could organize field trips to fun food destinations, like farmer's markets, pick-your-own fruit farms, dairies, tortilla factories, and bread bakeries. The possibilities are endless.
The day's events brought out cooking school students, chefs, and lots of food celebrities, including Rachael. When I asked Rach why it was important for her to take a trip to our nation's capitol for this event, her response was inspiring: \"I love this program because it marries the work of chefs with school cafeterias in a peaceful and loving way. They're not sending chefs in to schools to usurp lunch ladies-the chefs are there to support them and have a conversation. In a dark time, when we have the national tragedy of the Gulf oil spill happening, the First Lady has given us a cause we can believe in: saving our nation's kids.\"
As it turns out, Rach has been spending a lot of time in DC lately, urging lawmakers to raise the amount of money spent per child in public school lunch programs-now just a paltry $2.68 a day. Through her work with the Yum-o! foundation, Rach is challenging childhood hunger and obesity issues, two major threats to children's health in the United States. There's lots of information on the Yum-o! website about how you can support Rach's efforts to improve the Child Nutrition Act by allocating more money to school food programs.
Just as importantly, how do you think we can get kids excited about fresh food and healthy eating? Perhaps you are a parent, a student, a teacher, or a school cafeteria worker, and have some insight into how to reach kids effectively. What would you like to see a chef teach kids in your community? Your ideas are welcome - add your thoughts to the comment section here, and I'll be sure to share them with Rach!
Learn more about the First Lady's Let's Move campaign herehttp://www.LetsMove.gov/
Learn more about the Chef's Move to Schools programhere.
Louisa Shafia is a cook with a passion for healthy eating. She recently penned Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life, a collection of seasonal recipes and eco-friendly advice on food. To watch her cooking videos, see her recipes, and find out about her cooking classes, go tolucidfood.com.
","publishDate":"2010-06-07T18:18:00Z","status":"Publish","author":"louisa-shafia"}
Directions
{"handle":"1000-chefs-go-to-washington-for-kids","title":"1,000 Chefs go to Washington — for kids!","image":"https://images.ctfassets.net/vmuke7sdou62/8n9Sv3kl7UaA5oi8wWGfG/5aa72427a8b22e4f7df797c62636933b/MTI1NjM5MzAyNTc4MjE1Mzkw.jpg","excerpt":"","tags":"Giving Back","seoTitle":"1,000 Chefs go to Washington — for kids!","content":"
This past Friday, I traveled Washington DC, along with nearly a thousand chefs from all over the country, at the behest of First lady Michelle Obama and Sam Kass, Assistant Chef for the White House Kitchen. We were there in support of the Chefs Move to Schools program, a part of the First Lady's Let'sMove campaign to end the epidemic of childhood obesity.
It was an exciting day for a couple of reasons. First of all, how often do chefs get recognized by the White House for doing good service? I can't think of a time in recent memory when that's happened. Secondly, the action that brought us all together was compelling; nothing less than the life and death of America's children is at stake, and we've been summoned to the defense of these kids. I can't think of a more compelling call to duty.
In brief, the Chefs Move to Schools program asks chefs to pair with a school in their community, and help the kids in that school learn firsthand about where their food comes from and how to cook - and like! - healthy food. Partnering with a school can take on many forms. It could mean that a chef helps to start a vegetable garden on school grounds, scheduling time every week to tend the garden with students, and harvest the crops together. It could mean that a chef leads cooking classes and cooking demonstrations for students, teachers, and parents. A partnering chef could organize field trips to fun food destinations, like farmer's markets, pick-your-own fruit farms, dairies, tortilla factories, and bread bakeries. The possibilities are endless.
The day's events brought out cooking school students, chefs, and lots of food celebrities, including Rachael. When I asked Rach why it was important for her to take a trip to our nation's capitol for this event, her response was inspiring: \"I love this program because it marries the work of chefs with school cafeterias in a peaceful and loving way. They're not sending chefs in to schools to usurp lunch ladies-the chefs are there to support them and have a conversation. In a dark time, when we have the national tragedy of the Gulf oil spill happening, the First Lady has given us a cause we can believe in: saving our nation's kids.\"
As it turns out, Rach has been spending a lot of time in DC lately, urging lawmakers to raise the amount of money spent per child in public school lunch programs-now just a paltry $2.68 a day. Through her work with the Yum-o! foundation, Rach is challenging childhood hunger and obesity issues, two major threats to children's health in the United States. There's lots of information on the Yum-o! website about how you can support Rach's efforts to improve the Child Nutrition Act by allocating more money to school food programs.
Just as importantly, how do you think we can get kids excited about fresh food and healthy eating? Perhaps you are a parent, a student, a teacher, or a school cafeteria worker, and have some insight into how to reach kids effectively. What would you like to see a chef teach kids in your community? Your ideas are welcome - add your thoughts to the comment section here, and I'll be sure to share them with Rach!
Learn more about the First Lady's Let's Move campaign herehttp://www.LetsMove.gov/
Learn more about the Chef's Move to Schools programhere.
Louisa Shafia is a cook with a passion for healthy eating. She recently penned Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life, a collection of seasonal recipes and eco-friendly advice on food. To watch her cooking videos, see her recipes, and find out about her cooking classes, go tolucidfood.com.
","publishDate":"2010-06-07T18:18:00Z","status":"Publish","author":"louisa-shafia"}