Eat Healthy
Healthy and Kid-Friendly Recipes to Try at Home
Making healthy meals at home doesn’t mean you have to serve up the same old dish every night. Introducing new, nutritious foods in lunchboxes and at the dinner table is easy—and changing things up is a great way to get kids excited about eating healthy. After all, parents and care-givers not only play a key role in making healthy choices for children, they also help children learn to make healthy choices for themselves
Let’s Move!: Two Years of Healthy Changes For Our Nation’s Kids
First Lady Michelle Obama joins students for a "Let's Move!" Salad Bars to Schools launch event at Riverside Elementary School in Miami, Fla., Nov. 22, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
Since launching Let’s Move! on February 9, 2010, significant progress has been made to solve the problem of childhood obesity. Parents, businesses, educators, elected officials, members of the military, chefs, physicians, athletes, childcare providers, community and faith leaders and kids themselves have made substantial commitments to improve the health of our nation’s children. Through working together with Let’s Move!, these groups have provided children with healthier food and greater opportunities for physical activity in schools and communities, helped get families the information they need to make healthier decisions, supported a healthy start in early childhood, and have worked to ensure more people have access to healthy, affordable food.
School Lunch at the White House - Veggie Pasta
Veggie pasta, apple dippers with honey and milk--it's a healthy and affordable lunch following the MyPlate guidelines that White House Executive Chef, who is a mom herself, demonstrated for Amy Boshnack from CafeMom's The Stir. Check out the video:
First Lady Michelle Obama Announces Major New Commitment to Mi Plato
First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a Let’s Move! Initiative event with Aimee Busquet and Goya Foods CEO Bob Unanue at National Supermarket in Tampa, Fla., Jan. 26, 2012. The event showcased the Mi Plato (My Plate) program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s educational tool that assists families in making healthy meal choices. (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)
Kansas City Teen Finds Confidence and Leadership Through Healthy Choices
Brionna Williams of Kansas City understands the nation’s childhood obesity problem. She lived it.
As a middle school student, Brionna tipped the scales at more than 350 pounds. She longed to play sports, but running the length of a basketball court left her gasping for breath.
Team California is On the Move!
An all-star lineup was on hand to kick off an initiative to encourage California kids to make healthier choices, from left: former San Francisco Giants pitcher Bill Laskey, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, San Jose Earthquakes Community Ambassador Kelly Gray, Cy Young award-winning pitcher Vida Blue, and former ‘49ers lineman Bill “Bubba” Paris.
New Commitments to Aid the Fight Against Childhood Obesity Announced at Summit
First Lady Michelle Obama meets with members of the board of Partnership for a Healthier America, an organization working to end childhood obesity, at the Omni Hotel in Washington, D.C., Nov. 30, 2011. Mrs. Obama later delivered the keynote address at the PHA’s inaugural Building a Healthier Future Summit. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), which works with the private sector and its honorary chairwoman First Lady Michelle Obama to solve the nation’s obesity crisis, hosted its first national summit this week on November 29 and 30, 2011. Roughly 800 business leaders, community leaders, academic experts, government officials, parents and others joined together at the Omni Shoreham Hotel for the Building a Healthier Future Summit to share their experiences, form partnerships and announce substantive commitments to aid the fight against childhood obesity.
The two honorary vice chairs of PHA, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Mayor Cory Booker, laid out the challenges the nation faces as a result of the impact of childhood obesity on the economic, the health care system and our military readiness. But the conference was not about reciting the problems. It was about taking action. Senator Frist told of the enormous changes that are taking place in the market place with companies that are selling good-for-you foods showing higher profits and enhanced competitiveness, which you can read more about in a Politico piece penned by Senator Frist and Mayor Booker. Mayor Booker described how his city of Newark and Let’s Move! Cities and Towns all over the country are finding ways to encourage healthy eating and sponsor physical activity.
The Community Food Co-op of Utah Makes Food Fun for Kids
Children in Salt Lake City, Utah are learning more about where their food comes from thanks to the innovative work of the Community Food Co-op of Utah, a Let’s Move supporter. According to their marketing manager, Leslie Proctor, this non-profit organization uses creativity to make learning about nutrition both exciting and rewarding. One activity Leslie incorporates into their nutrition education program is a question and answer game, in which children learn fun facts about healthy food. When a child answers a question correctly, they are rewarded with fresh produce, creating a positive connection between reward and health. Rather than the more frequent association of a sugary snack such as candy serving as an award for success, at this food store veggies are the desired prize. So ignore the sweets and pass the zucchini!
