Posted by Laura Printon, Vermont on August 15, 2012
Laura took a cooking class in the third grade, which inspired her desire to pick “salsa ingredients” from the garden, reports her mother, Catherine. Because Laura’s brother likes soft tortillas, Laura incorporated chicken or tofu tortillas into the meal along with serving beans and fruit, like kiwi. –Laura Printon, age 9, Vermont
Makes 6 servings
Posted by Gabriel Reed, Virgin Islands on August 15, 2012
“We grew fresh greens at Gabriel’s school,” reports his mom, Vanessa. “We chose kale, tomatoes, and basil from the garden, and made lasagna. We served samples to 84 fourth-graders, and they loved it!” Gabriel often has this with fresh slices of mango and milk. —Gabriel Reed, age 11, Virgin Islands
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
Posted by Marissa Duswalt on August 14, 2012
Posted by Rebecca Dresner on August 14, 2012
Ed. Note: This article is a cross post from USDA's Blog
Do you know what a Malanga is? What about a Chocolate Pepper? A group of students at Slater Jr. High School in Pawtucket, Rhode Island do -- they learned about these unusual vegetables and more during a fruit and vegetable taste testing at their Summer Food Service Program. For the less adventurous vegetable eater, a Malanga is a root vegetable that has a nutlike flavor and looks similar to a sweet potato when cut open. A Chocolate Pepper is a purple Bell Pepper.
Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal grain is a grain product. Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits are great examples. Grains are divided into two subgroups, whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel—the bran, germ, and endosperm. People who eat whole grains as part of a healthy diet have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Here are ten tips that should help you eat more whole grains and start eating healthier:
Posted by Falcon Wiles, Alabama on August 12, 2012
"I came up with my recipe because tomatoes and yellow bell peppers are in season and they are really good for you. And Alabama's tomatoes are both delicious and nutritious," says Falcon. "I like a toasted turkey and cheese sandwich with my soup to include all the Choosemyplate food groups." -- Falcon Wiles, age 9, Alabama
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Posted by Dion Killsback on August 8, 2012
On the evening of July 30, I had the honor of addressing the 165 youth leaders from 53 tribes who were attending the 2012 National Intertribal Youth Summit in Chevy Chase, Maryland. I stressed the importance of fitness within all of the American Indian and Alaska Native communities, especially since childhood obesity is one of the most pressing issues currently facing Indian Country. I believe that through sports like lacrosse, which increase physical activity and simultaneously reinforce cultural heritage, we can help to get our youth on the path toward healthier lifestyles. Thanks to US Lacrosse, the sport’s national governing body, we spent an hour and a half getting active and learning the basic skills of the game.
Posted by Jessica Larson on August 6, 2012
Calling all Houstonians -- the Move It Movement Tour is coming to your city. In support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition has partnered with the Cartoon Network to launch the third annual Move It Movement Tour, a national campaign to get kids moving more and eating healthy in a fun and interactive outdoor environment. Think your kid won’t like it? Think again! Kids have been eager to try different activities at every stop. Our favorite quotes: “This is the best day of summer camp yet!” and “I wish this was here every day.”
After hosting events in several cities around the country, the tour wraps up on August 12 in Houston, Texas. The First Lady appeared on the Cartoon Network on May 28 to inform kids and families how they can get involved with Let’s Move! through the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA+) program. The tour officially kicked off in Atlanta on June 10, and at each of the 17 stops, families have been able to enjoy a wide range of active games, such as basketball and soccer shootouts, football and golf drills, and sidewalk art creation stations. By exposing kids to various activities, families can learn more about different ways they can lead a healthy, active lifestyle.
Posted by Dara Torres on August 6, 2012
Ed note: This guest post was provided by Dara Torres, who competed in five Olympic games and won 12 medals for Team USA.
My daughter Tessa and I really had such an amazing experience traveling to London together for the first week of the Olympics. Although I was hoping to be there as an athlete (having just missed making the team by nine one hundredths of a second), it was still fun to be there as a spectator.
When we talk about all the wonderful things we did over there, the one thing that stands out in both our minds was the Let's Move event put on by the First Lady and Nickelodeon.
Posted by Colleen Curtis on August 6, 2012
Ed. Note: This article was first published on Whitehouse.gov
Go behind the scenes with First Lady Michelle Obama and members of Team USA past and present, as they join military kids and 2,000 American military children and American and British students at Let’s Move! London, an event held to spread the spirit of the Olympic Games in London.
And make sure to check out the Storify gallery we put together of the great tweets from people who were at the event in London with the First Lady, which is included below:
