First Lady Mi
chelle Obama has made White House history by having her Food Initiative Coordinator, Sam Kass, do double duty as child nutrition policy wonk and chef. It just one of the many reasons America has had an unprecedented, paradigm-shifting year in our national conversation about food and health. Today, Mrs. Obama announced a plan to expand her idea across the country.The First Lady is calling on all of America's chefs to become local leaders in the Let's Move! campaign, with the new "Chefs Move to Schools” program, in which participating chefs will, like Kass, do double duty as school food wonks and cooks.
The program gives some of the policy goals outlined in the Childhood Obesity Task Force Report, which Mrs. Obama unveiled Tuesday, an immediate practical solution. It couldn't be timelier.
Chefs Move to Schools is pretty simple, and in that simplicity is its genius: Participating chefs will adopt schools in their own communities to help educate kids about nutrition and healthy eating, as well as assist schools in creating delicious meals that meet the schools’ dietary guidelines and budgets. It will coordinate a whole army of highly skilled, creative volunteers, whose gifts have previously been untapped from the national level. Chefs Move to Schools will be located in the Department of Agriculture, and a White House aide said that Kass will be leading the program. A national advisory board is being considered, and many, many organizations are expected to participate as the program rolls out. (Above: In June of 2009, Mrs. Obama and Kass cooked with elementary school kids in the White House kitchen, after the first harvest of the Kitchen Garden)
“We are going to need everyone’s time and talent to solve the childhood obesity epidemic and our nation’s chefs have tremendous power as leaders on this issue because of their deep knowledge of food and nutrition and their standing in the community," Mrs. Obama said in a statement, and noted that many kids consume as many as half of their daily calories at school. These calories need to come from healthy, nutritious foods, and who better to teach and lead the transformation of America's school cafeterias than chefs?A rapid change...and an impact beyond food
There are chefs in every community in America, whether urban or rural, and uleashing them on schools could have dramatic results. Many chefs have an incredible work ethic, and could be ideal for getting changes in school food programs put rapidly in motion. Plus, professional chefs know how to stretch food dollars spent on healthy ingredients as far as possible, which is crucial for schools and their limited budgets. And an All Volunteer Chef Brigade could also ease the financial burden of training school food workers into better practices, as America adopts healthier ideas about food and nutrition. For instance, the volunteer chefs can teach cafeteria workers who are used to just opening pre-made school lunch packages and tossing them onto steam tables how to cut, prep, simmer, poach....
But Chefs Move to Schools is about more than just economics: Chefs have a deep appreciation for food, and gardens, and farming, and all the hardworking people along the foodchain, in addition to their knowledge about nutrition. And they're often creative and inspired, and that's the kind of influence everyone needs, especially kids. Mrs. Obama's program has wide ramifications, beyond 'simply' healthier school foods. It could well foster a deep sense of community and connection, at a time when America seems fragmented by a poisonous civil discourse.
Info:
According to the White House, "Chefs Move to Schools" is open to all who are interested, whether the chef cooks in a diner, a five-star restaurant, or has long experience running, say, a local faith-based food program; all are welcome to get involved. There's a form to fill out here on USDA's website for interested chefs, and a form here for interested schools; pairings will be made at the local level. There's more information about the campaign here, on the Let's Move! website.
Related: This post from when Mrs. Obama unveiled the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report explains many of the recommendations and goals of the policy paper. Download the full Report here [PDF].
*Photo by Obama Foodorama
