Posted by Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General on November 1, 2016
When I accepted Fitbit’s two-week Step It Up! Challenge, my hope was that we would tap into America’s competitive spirit and get everyone to walk more. The challenge was designed so that folks could team up and invite others to step it up, too. While some participants seemed to really enjoy competing and comparing their step count with mine, the real goal wasn’t about who walks more or less. It was about establishing a habit that would set us on a path to a stronger, healthier nation.
Posted by Emily Gallivan, Administrative & Programs Associate, Chef Ann Foundation on October 31, 2016
Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools celebrated National Farm to School Month the entire month of October, paying homage to the hard work and dedication of food service professionals, farmers and educators across the country who connect their communities with fresh, healthy and local food. And what better way to finish out the month than to highlight one of the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools grantees who is using school salad bars as a vehicle to drive farm to school forward: Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) in Madison, WI which serves 27,000 students across 50 schools. We sat down with Food & Nutrition Director Steve Youngbauer and Food Service Coordinator Dustin Lundt to find out more.
Posted by Cathy Burns, President, Produce Marketing Association on October 27, 2016
As a mom with a teen and a tween at home, it’s my job to be sure they grow up healthy, smart, and strong. I’m alert to what they see and I watch what they watch. And let me tell you, when it comes to food marketing, they’re not seeing a lot about fresh fruits and vegetables.
We know marketing works – we can see it in efforts to sell everything from cars and phones to all sorts of foods. It works to drive awareness of products and deliver persuasive, compelling, and often behavior-changing routines on consumers, including our children.
Posted by Nick Wallace, Associate, Health and Wellness, Institute for Youth, Education and Families, National League of Cities on October 24, 2016
The City of McAllen, Texas, home to 136,639 residents living along the U.S‐Mexico border, has been named the first-ever Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties (LMCTC) All-Star, the highest achievement for participants of LMCTC. McAllen, in partnership with residents, governmental organizations, non-profits, and small businesses, has made physical activity and healthy eating an integral part of the city’s fabric through the creation of a bike-share program, the adoption of city design guidelines that encourage walking and other forms of physical activity, the expansion of farmers markets, and the launch of a Kids Marathon.
Posted by Dr. Katie Wilson, Deputy Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, USDA on October 11, 2016
Ed. Note: This is a cross post from the USDA Blog. You can find the original post here.
Last week, children from more than a dozen schools and child care centers across the nation joined First Lady Michelle Obama for her final harvest of the White House garden. This event was more than just photo ops and shaking hands; kids got their hands dirty, harvesting the produce they later used to prepare a healthy meal. This was a neat experience for the students who participated, but it was also representative of the types of activities students are participating in all around the country. School gardens, nutritious snacks, farm to lunch tray meals, and nutrition education are all part of the healthier school environments students are experiencing each and every day.
Posted by Kelly Miterko, Deputy Director, Let’s Move! on October 7, 2016
President Obama stopped by the First Lady’s final harvest of the White House Kitchen Garden for this Administration. After greeting the students from across the country and special guests who had joined Mrs. Obama for the harvest, he took time to admire the new table, benches, arbor, and entryway which the First Lady unveiled during the garden dedication on Wednesday.
Posted by Sasha Bard, MS, RD, Associate Director, Let’s Move! on October 7, 2016
White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford and her team joined the First Lady, students from around the country, and some special guest helpers yesterday for the First Lady’s final Fall White House Kitchen Garden Harvest. Together they prepared Grilled Flatbread with Basil Puree and Garden Vegetables using ingredients grown in the White House Kitchen Garden and picked fresh that day. Yum!
Posted by Debra Eschmeyer, Executive Director of Let’s Move! and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition on October 5, 2016
Today, First Lady Michelle Obama dedicated the White House Kitchen Garden, unveiling numerous updates and announcing how the garden will be preserved into the future. Making the garden even more accessible to kids and world leaders alike, the updates include establishing a revised layout with a new threshold, an entryway with an arbor, a wider walkway, and a gathering area with a table and benches.
Posted by Catherine Oakar, Associate Director, Let’s Move! on October 5, 2016
Ever wonder what the world today looks like through the eyes of a child?
Of course, it can be vastly different from state to state, city to city, neighborhood to neighborhood, and family to family. But, as we reflect on the past six and a half years of Let’s Move! and our collective efforts to raise a healthier generation, we’re taking a step back to think about how the changes we’ve made have impacted the day-to-day life of a child. This means looking beyond the policy, the programs and the partnerships, and considering the tangible changes that an everyday American kid might see or experience as a result of our work!
Posted by Deborah Kane, Director, Office of Community Food Systems, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture on October 3, 2016
Ed. Note: This is a cross post from the USDA Blog. You can find the original post here.
It’s National Farm to School Month and USDA’s Office of Community Food Systems is here to help…and not just in October! All year long, we offer research, grants, training and technical assistance to help connect child nutrition programs with local foods. Here’s why.
