This afternoon our elected leaders are going to continue the national conversation about what our kids are eating in schools. When the House Education Committee convenes they will begin debate on the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition and WIC act. This is where the hard work is going to happen and we need your help.
During the debate we’ll hear arguments for why investing in the health of our kids is crucial to the health of our nation as a whole. The statistics are alarming. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have indicated that of the children born in the year 2000, one out of every three Caucasians and two out of every three African Americans and Hispanics will contract diabetes in their lifetimes.
We’ll also hear the argument that we can’t afford to invest in our kids. When President Obama released his 2011 budget, he allocated an extra $1 billion per year to child nutrition. This may seem like a solid investment, but once I ran the numbers it came out to mere pennies for every school lunch. Not even enough to buy a fresh piece of fruit each day.
This morning I outline in the Washington Post the need for investing an additional $1 in every school lunch. This investment could guarantee that fresh, healthy foods find their way onto our kid’s lunch trays.
Join me in asking Congress to make this investment in our kids. It’s up to Congress to ensure that enough money is invested in school food to grow a healthier generation. It’s up to Congress to ensure the future health of America. And it’s up to us to make sure they do it. Please write your elected officials today and urge them to invest an extra $1 a day in healthy school food. This is the work we must do to demand a better future. Let’s do it together. Forward this to others who can help in the fight for better school food.
Chef Ann
Bob Foley on his Howell Mountain Property
They normally prepare great meals but…..knowing that they will all be off to college in about 9 months, I thought they might benefit from a little professional instruction. So, Sharon put together a fabulous class that not only taught us all simple recipes but also reinforced the use of fresh, local ingredients….keeping it simple….and celebrating the meal.
Thank you all for your interest in our transition home. You could probably infer by the lack of my blogging that it has been..hmm…a bit overwheming? I came right back into our busy season with a million ideas and inspirations. There are so many stories I could tell about the adjustment of the last month but I will let them surface as they may. I can tell you that things are different….we are different…..we walk a lot more…..we spend more time with our friends and family…our priorities are different….yes, even the kids. My girls have asked to cook more then they ever have in the past….they complain about ingredients….lack of flavor….expense….they don’t generate as much laundry….ha….we will see how long that lasts! Although they have hit the ground running, there is this new bond between us…a knowing…that life is good…life is precious….and life is finite….therefore, simply LIVE.
