First Lady Eats With Elementary Students to Tout New School Lunch Standards
EmailAs a group of elementary school children went through the lunch line at Parklawn Elementary school in Alexandria, Va., first lady Michelle Obama playfully reminded the students, “Don’t forget your veggies!”
Obama was joined by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and celebrity chef Rachael Ray to talk with parents and teachers about the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new and improved nutrition standards for school lunches.
“When we send our kids to school, we have a right to expect that they won’t be eating the kind of fatty, salty, sugary foods that we’re trying to keep from them when they’re at home,” the first lady said. “We have a right to expect that the food they get at school is the same kind of food that we want to serve at our own kitchen tables.”
This is a huge milestone for the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act that President Obama signed into law last year. The new standards will ensure that students receive healthy meals at school. Schoolchildren will receive more fruits and vegetables, increased amounts of whole-grain-rich foods, and fat-free or low-fat milk options.
Vilsack called today a “red letter day for America’s children” because this is the first time in a generation that the nation improved the standards of nutrition in school meals for children. “That’s what this is about,” e said. ”It’s about improving the quality of the meals that are served to 32 million American children.”
As soon as Michelle Obama entered the cafeteria, about 220 children jumped to their feet to cheer and wave American flags. The first lady, who didn’t shy from wearing bright colors today, donned a tan-and-orange argyle sweater, bright royal-blue pants and a strand of pearls. She walked down one side of the cafeteria with Vilsack, greeting kids and shaking hands as she made her way to the food line.
Rachael Ray handed her a pink tray, and the first lady headed to the kitchen for some turkey tacos.
Today’s menu consisted of:
-Tacos with turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, Mexican brown rice and whole grain flat bread.
-Black Bean and Corn Salsa
-Mixed Fresh Fruit (seasonal fruits)
-Milk (low fat or non-fat)
Michelle Obama walked through the food line with a group of children, asking them to “show her the ropes.” When approaching the vegetables, she said to the kids, “This is the best part,” and encouraged them to get their veggies too. She told one girl, “I love brown rice. That’s all we eat at home.” (The first lady drank 1 percent milk while Vilsack opted for chocolate milk.)
Michelle Obama reminded parents and teachers that it’s going to take some effort, imagination and commitment to improve the quality of food that’s served at schools. She asked them to “embrace” this effort, because parents are the best role models for their children.
“If we as adults embrace it, the kids will follow suit,” Obama said.
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Did she wear that $2,500 dress she wore last night? You know the fighter for the middle class wishing they could afford a dress like that. Or her new friend Bufetts secretary who makes $500,000 a year and only paying 15% in taxes? Who owns two 2,800 square feet with the vacation home being in Arizona with a putting green and pool. These people are frauds.
Posted by: KATHY | January 25, 2012, 7:17 pm 7:17 pm
Mamma Obama’s rear is getting wider and bigger by the day! She better eat those vegetables she’s laboring over in her White House garden instead of all the junk food and all that rich Spanish food like that she ate on that multi-million dollar vacation she took! Her rear end looks like it’s about 4 ax handles wide now, and when she sees a photo of it, she really will be an angry black woman!
Posted by: Scam Jones | January 25, 2012, 8:29 pm 8:29 pm
You people are ugly. I’ve never heard such talk about dress and looks before now. Grow up.
Posted by: lexingtonlady | January 25, 2012, 8:41 pm 8:41 pm
$2,500 dress and a wide rear. Wow. How the Right Wing believes this kind of trash encourages Independent voters to vote for the likes of Newt or Mitt is a mystery. Disgusting.
Posted by: green.goddess | January 25, 2012, 9:03 pm 9:03 pm
Next Ms. Obama will be ordering the school cafeteria’s to serve only ‘approved food’ or they will be sent to the labor camps for a few years of re-education training! Only then will she be a ‘proud American’ for the first time!
Posted by: BIG JIMMY | January 25, 2012, 9:21 pm 9:21 pm
What they will never report here is that a large majority of kids are not buying the food causing cafateria staff to throw a lot of it away. Also a black market of the old food, chips and sodas has emerged to satisfy the growing demand for it. Mainstream press will never tell you that now will they.
Posted by: SaveAmerica | January 25, 2012, 10:01 pm 10:01 pm
SaveAmerica: Why or how should the mainstream press report a cynical theory that exists only in your narrow, unobjective mind? Just because you think or believe that garbage doesn’tean that it’s news or that it’s true. It really sounds like some of the coded hate speech that is spouted daily by Hannity or Laura Ingram, both of whom despise Michelle Obama and the fact that she is The First Lady. Obviously their contagious hate has been passed on to you and that you are a willing recipient. It’s also obviously racial bigotry because the projects of no other First Ladies have been politicized and discounted by so-called conservative political pundits. My memory goes back to Mamie Eisenhouer and these attacks have never arisen when the First Lady was white. Go figure and deny it all you want. However, the motive is clear to anyone who’s not in denial. Everything MO does or says is instantly ridiculed. Only a racist would display such behavior.
Posted by: Cloteasboy | January 26, 2012, 12:43 am 12:43 am
Why is it every time anyone disagrees with President Obama or the First lady, their are those like Cloteasboy that just can’t resist ‘Playing The Race Card’???? President Bush was bullied and disrespected by the media, slammed by black community leaders, called various names and nobody cried bigotry of racist then! Its not about being black or white, is about doing whats right for America and Obama has FAILED America! Maybe the parents of these school kids could provide better food at home for their kids if they had a JOB to go to! They don’t because Obama has failed to fix the economy, but he does find the time and enough of our money to take multimillion dollar vacations about once a month!
Posted by: BIG JIMMY | January 26, 2012, 1:41 am 1:41 am
SaveAmerica – You are right. The kids are not eating that crap – many of us won’t. I hear that some of the kids are running a thriving business selling contraband food. Does anyone know if MO is a certified dietician?
Lol.
ABo
Posted by: ceeLeelee | January 26, 2012, 1:43 am 1:43 am
By the way, Cloteasboy, please tell us what words are “code.” Every word I read in the previous posts were English words and written in proper context. Please identify and tell us what the “code” words are and what they mean so we won’t use them again and offend you.
We anxiously await your answer. Thanks.
Lol.
ABo
Posted by: ceeLeelee | January 26, 2012, 1:51 am 1:51 am
It’s not what the kids are eating at school that is making them fat. It is what they a shoving in their faces when they get home.
You want to improve the kids? Feed them something right before they are dismissed.
I’m serious on this and I want you to think about it too. When your kids get home from school, they’re starved right? What do they do? Eat. I know kids who pig out so much after school that they have no room for supper. Which happens to be a thousand times healthier than what the kid pigged out on. And the parents allow it to avoid conflict.
Posted by: kris | January 26, 2012, 8:16 am 8:16 am
I’m glad that the First Lady is focusing our attention on the quality of food that our children eat at school and at home. The obesity and diabetes rate for our kids is skyrocketing. She is right to say that the children will follow our example.
Posted by: Librarian53 | January 26, 2012, 10:05 am 10:05 am
I could not agree more with the actions that the First Lady is taking to help improve the lifestyles of children today. 33% of children today are overweight, which is a huge problem. People under the age of 22 and under are the first generation not expected to live longer than their parents. These statistics are extremely disturbing, and I am happy to see that Michelle Obama is doing everything in her power to try and decrease the amount of overweight and obese children in America today. Improving the lunch menu in schools is a great way to teach children what is healthy to eat. Many families in the lower economic status can not afford healthy foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Providing healthy foods for children in schools will encourage them to eat a nutritious meal. At the very end of the article, it is stated that the First Lady asked parents to embrace this effort, for they are the best role models for children. I thoroughly enjoyed this quote because it a true statement. Schools can only do so much to help improve the lives of students. Families have one of the biggest influences on their children. If parents continue to become positive role models, their children are likely to live healthier lives. The effort by Michelle Obama is an excellent start to ending the current obesity epidemic.
Posted by: cmvargo | January 26, 2012, 9:55 pm 9:55 pm