Obamas, Romneys Leave the Healthy Food at Home
Veggies may be the dish de jour at home, but on the road pizza, BBQ reign.
June 13, 2012 -- intro: The First Lady may be all about vegetables and Mitt Romney may have a slim and trim workout routine, but both the first family and the one vying to take its place in the White House tend to indulge in their fair share of decadent dishes.
Out on the campaign trail, Romney has often opted for burgers and fries. And while the Obamas often dine on White House garden vegetables at home, they tend toward pizza and ice cream when they're out and about.
Here's a look at some of the not-quite-low-cal meals the Obamas and the Romneys have indulged in throughout the 2012 campaign.
quicklist: 1title: Kenny's BBQ Smokehousecategory: Washington, D.C.text: Who went: President Obama
When he visited: June 13, 2012
What he ordered: spicy pork ribs, collard greens, red beans and rice, and a corn muffin.
Why he went: Obama celebrated Father's Day a few days early, chowing down on barbeque-sauce-covered ribs and collard greens with two active-duty Army members and two local barbers. The lunch was part of the White House's "Fatherhood Buzz" campaign to encourage positive parenting this Father's Day.
media:16558735
quicklist: 1title: Mom's Apple Pie Co.category: Occoquan, Va.text: Who went: First Lady Michelle Obama
When she visited: June 7, 2012
What she ordered: one apple pie and one sour cherry pie
Why she went: First Lady Michelle Obama took a detour from her day of solo campaigning for a slice of good 'ol apple pie. Obama jokingly told the bakery's staff, "I will be killed if I don't come out of here with pie." President Obama is supposedly a huge pie fan. Sweet potato is reportedly his favorite.
media: 16525383
quicklist: 3title: Taylor Gourmetcategory: Washington, D.C.text: Who went: President Obama
When he visited: May 16, 2012
What he ordered: a 12-inch "Spruce Street" with roast turkey, prosciutto, roasted red peppers and sharp provolone on house-made bread
Why he went: Obama took a lunch break at Taylor's Gourmet to meet with local small-business owners and push his Congressional "To-Do list," which includes tax credits for small businesses. Before leaving the sandwich shop, the president picked up an armful of hoagies, which he passed out to Congressional leaders at his next meeting.
media: 16529598
quicklist:2title: The Sink Restaurant and Bar category: Denver text: Who went: President Obama
When he visited: April 24, 2012
What he ordered: The president got a pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, black olives and onion pizza, the Denver Post reports.
Why he went: President Obama made an unscheduled stop at The Sink, a local pub on the University of Colorado campus, on his way to speak to 10,800 college students. While an excited group of students posed for photos with the president outside the restaurant, a young woman dropped her cup of yogurt, splashing Obama's trousers. "Getting yogurt on the president, you've got a story to tell," Obama told the lady, according to a pool reporter on scene.
media: 16529515
quicklist: 6title: Hudson's Smokehousecategory: Lexington, S.C.text: Who went: Mitt Romney
When he visited: January 18, 2012
What he ordered: pulled pork sandwich, baked beans and coleslaw
Why he went: During a campaign swing through South Carolina days before the state's primary, Romney made a pit stop at a barbeque restaurant he had visited during his last presidential campaign four years earlier. While the restaurant's owner tried to persuade him to try the catfish, Romney opted for pulled pork.
media:16529088
quicklist: 5title: Village Pizzacategory: Newport, N.H.text: Who went: Mitt and Ann Romney
When they visited: December 21, 2011
What they ordered: Hawaiian pizza with olives
Why they went: On Mitt Romney's inaugural campaign bus tour in December, not even lunch could stop he and wife Ann from greeting voters. Romney saved his lunch for the campaign bus and spent his time inside Village Pizza serving slices and joking with customers. The campaigning couple opted for a small pizza and snagged a bag of sandwiches for the press corps accompanying them.
media:16529047
quicklist: 7title: Carl's Jr. text: Who went: Mitt Romney
When he visited: July 21, 2011
What he ordered: jalapeno chicken sandwich
Why he went: Mitt Romney thinks Carl's Jr.'s jalepeno chicken sandwich is "delicious." He tweeted a photo of himself digging into the 670-calorie sandwich. Romney has also showed some love for McDonalds, where he indulged in two burgers, no cheese, and small order of fries while campaigning in Florida.
media: 16529259
quicklist: 4title: Georgetown Cupcakescategory: Washington, D.C.text: Who went: Michelle Obama, daughters Sasha and Malia and a handful of Sasha's friends
When they visited: June 10, 2011
What they ordered: Cupcakes!
Why they went: to celebrate Sasha's 10th birthday
media: 16529899
quicklist: 5title: Kelly Likencategory: Vail, Colo.text: Who went: Michelle Obama, daughters Sasha and Malia, and family friends
When they visited: February 19, 2011
What they ordered: pickled pumpkin salad with arugula and braised ancho-chile short ribs with hominy wild mushrooms and sautéed kale, the Vail Daily reports.
Why they went: The first family, sans President Obama, stopped for dinner at Kelly Liken, a Vail Village restaurant that serves primarily locally grown food, while on a skiing trip in Colorado. News of the dinner prompted conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh to lambast Mrs. Obama, who promotes healthy eating to combat childhood obesity, for eating ribs.
"It doesn't look like Michelle Obama follows her own nutritionary, dietary advice," Limbaugh said on his radio show. "And then we hear that she's out eating ribs at 1,500 calories a serving with 141 grams of fat per serving."
Turns out the ribs actually clock in at about 600 calories, Kelly Liken, the restaurant's owner, told the Vail Daily.
media: 16529380