Chef Sam Kass to open IACP's New York regional conference Feb. 18

 Chef Sam Kass, First Lady Michelle Obama's Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives, will kick off the two-day conference at a plenary session at 2:00 pm., discussing how professional chefs can join the Let's Move! campaign to "change the way our children eat."

Modernized Food Labels Educate Consumers to Avoid Overweight

In response to a request from First Lady Michelle Obama last year, the Grocery Manufacturers' Association and the Food Marketing Institute announced a voluntary front-of-pack labeling system that will give consumers the information they need to choose healthy foods for themselves and their families.  Unfortunately, GMA's "Nutrition Keys" system preempts work by the Food and Drug Administration, which has been developing labeling guidelines.  Public health experts fear that focus on "positive" nutrients can make junk food seem nutritious.

U.S. Congress passes sweeping child nutrition bill

Today the House of Representatives passed a bill supported by Mrs. Obama that will fund child nutrition measures with $4.5 billion dollars.  Part of the funding will come from a cut in the federal food stamp program.  If President Obama signs the bill into law, the federal government will soon have more power to set school food standards.

Chefs Move to Schools, but first to White House

On June 4, 700 chefs from over 37 states gathered on the South Lawn of the White House in support of the "Chefs Move to Schools" initiatiave, a part of the First Lady's Let's Move campaign to end the epidemic of childhood obesity.  Sixty IACP members were among them.

The day began with breakfast across the street from the White House at the J. W. Marriott hotel, sponsored by Share Our Strength.  A lineup of speakers explained the program concepts.
Chefs were asked to adopt a school, to nurture it in a variety of ways, with the goal of producing healthier school food and healthier young people. Many of the suggested activities listed in the breakfast printed program would involve a significant donation of time, funds and energy.

Following breakfast, IACP members joined the other chefs for a tour of Mrs. Obama’s kitchen garden. Non-vegetable gardeners were surprised to see fennel, broccoli and Swiss chard all ready to harvest in early June in Washington, D.C. (The arugula, however, looked too pockmarked by insects to serve to any but the most convinced organic foodies.)

Part of the fun was standing next to well-known, respected television cooking teachers and sometimes engaging them in conversation.

It was exciting!

And the photos, with the White House as a backdrop, what could be better?

Read the transcript of Mrs. Obama’s remarks or watch her speak.

Once home again, food bloggers posted a flurry of reports, many on the topic, “Me at the White House.”

Now the challenge for IACP members and their fellow supporters of Chefs Move to Schools is to keep their commitment and to help realize the worthy goals of the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign against childhood overweight and obesity.

Already IACP’s Kids in the Kitchen section has enlisted the support of several of the breakfast speakers, to participate in IACP teleforums in the months ahead and to discuss with IACP members the practical application of how to adopt a school. Included will be Janet Poppendieck, author of Free for All: Fixing School Food in America; innovative school volunteer Chef Bill Telepan of the eponymously named New York City restaurant; and Ellen Teller, lobbyist for the Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill.
 
In addition, incoming IACP Kids in the Kitchen Co-Chair Michelle Stern has established a free listserv for the purpose of continuing the conversation about the Chefs Move to Schools movement. A listserv archives messages but also stores related files, links, photos, and polls. To sign up, IACP members may contact IACPchefsmovetoschools@yahoo.com.

CSPAN Student Cam First Prize on Childhood Obesity

Matthew Shimura is a seventh-grade student at Honolulu’s Punahou School.  In his prize-winning video, “Childhood Obesity: A Challenge Facing America,” he presents adults in authority who relate all the standard messages regarding childhood overweight and obesity. However, when you hear the young narrator speaking those truths, the effect is a very powerful realization.  Both adults and young people need to take responsibility for daily eating habits and physical activity.

Matthew will be the guest of Michelle Obama this coming week at the White House.  Bravo, Matt!

Jamie Oliver's TV Campaign Against Obesity in the U.S.

Set your TIVO or DVR to Friday, March 26, 8:00 EDT/7:00 CDT on ABC to catch the first of seven episodes of "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution."

Jamie has hit on the crucial element missing in Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign (http://www.letsmove.gov/) against childhood obesity: cooking healthy foods at home.

First Lady visits new grocery in former food desert

Michelle Obama visited a new north Philadelphia Fresh Grocer store to talk about the Let's Move campaign goal to increase access to healthy foods in impoverished neighborhoods.  

The Healthy Food Financing Initiative will invest $400 million a year to provide innovative financing to bring grocery stores to underserved areas and help places such as convenience stores and bodegas carry healthier food options.   This initiative is part of the President’s proposed FY 2011 budget.