Obama Girls Drawn Into Healthy School Lunch Debate
Obama Girls Drawn Into Healthy School Lunch Debate
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
An 8-year-old Miami public school student asks why she can't have the healthy school lunch option enjoyed by President Obama's daughters, Malia and Sasha, in a new ad targeting Washington lawmakers
President Obama's daughters have been drawn into the debate about healthy school lunches in a new advertisement targeting Washington's lawmakers.
In 14 advertisements placed throughout Union Station near Capitol Hill, 8-year-old Jasmine Messiah of Miami asks "President Obama's daughters get healthy school lunches. Why don't I?"
Click on the gallery at the end of the article to see what other kids are eating for their lunches around the world.
The ads are sponsored by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit that wants the Child Nutrition Act to be amended to require schools serve more low-fat vegetarian lunch options as well as fruits and vegetables.
Jasmine, a vegetarian and the daughter of a scientist who studies childhood obesity, has written her congressmen as well first daughters Malia and Sasha asking for better school lunches.
In the letter to the Obama daughters, obtained by AOL Food, Jasmine says: "The problem is that most students eat unhealthy foods, like hot dogs, pepperoni pizza, ham sandwiches and cheeseburgers everyday at school. A lot of schools, including mine, don't offer enough healthy fruits, vegetables and vegetarian meals."
She urges the Obama girls to sign a petition for better school meals at HealthySchoolLunches.org.
Malia and Sasha attend the private school Sidwell Friends in Washington, D.C. According to its Web site, the school serves vegetarian entrées such as vegetable strata, curried tofu salad and grilled veggie wraps. Desserts at the school are fresh fruit options.
"You can go a mile away to the public school in Washington, D.C., and there's no such choice," Dr. Neal Barnard, the president of the Physicians Committee, tells AOL Food. "It's bologna sandwich or if you're looking for something healthier, nothing; it might be a hot dog or nothing; chicken nuggets one day or nothing."
United States Department of Agriculture has been dumping dairy and meats purchased from the nation's farmers when prices are low into the schools.
"Childhood obesity is at its worst point ever," Barnard says. "At least one in six children is already overweight and in some geographic areas as much as one in four, and of course that leads to diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and a lot of health care costs when they reach adulthood."
The group met Jasmine in April when she attended a congressional hearing with her mother and piped up about her own lousy school lunches.
Jasmine's mother, Sarah Messiah, tells AOL Food she's had to pack vegetarian lunches for Jasmine and her two brothers, aged 4 and 11, as the options in the Miami public school system are scant.
"It would make my life a lot easier not to have to but the kids were coming home hungry; they just you know, there's nothing for them to eat or some days there would be and other days there wouldn't be," Messiah said.
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine wants all school children to have a non-dairy vegetarian option each day.
"It has to do with making kids healthier in this country, and it's not just about my daughter, and it's certainly not just about the Obama girls," Sarah Messiah says. "It's about all the kids in this country and the kids in particular that eat school lunch everyday -- that might be in some instances their only source of food nutrition."
The ads featuring Jasmine will remain up throughout August to remind Congressional staffers about the renewal of the Child Nutrition Act, set to be revisited when Congress reconvenes in September.
"What we want is equal treatment for children in America," Barnard says. "No matter how disadvantaged they may be, the investment in their good health should be our absolute top priority. We have Cash for Clunkers, we'll bail out the banks, we'll help GM, but if we are serving kids junk we are hurting them for life."
Click on the gallery below to see school lunches from around the world.
School Lunches Around the World
Finland
The Finnish educational system is often considered one of the best in the world and serving healthy school lunches is a major priority. Government regulations demand that meals are "tasty, colorful and well-balanced." Since the late 1990s, guidelines have specified serving proportions: vegetables, cooked and raw, must cover half the plate (carrot and beet salads are popular), with proteins and starch taking up one-quarter plate each. The majority of the nation's schools offer a vegetarian option every day. The national specialty hernekeitto, a green pea soup often flavored with smoked pork, is usually served on Thursdays in a nod to Finnish tradition.
titilayo, flickr / http://www.flickr.com/photos/titilayo/2367840329/
Australia
Most Aussie kids bring their lunch from home. And most of the time, that lunch is a sandwich of cheese and Vegemite, the jam-like, salty yeast-based spread that's been a staple since 1922. The Vegemite sandwich gets a shout-out in Men At Work's classic antipodean anthem "Down Under."
pengo-au, flickr / http://www.flickr.com/photos/pengo-au/2065218958/
Italy
The sustainable food crowd loves Italy, and with good reason. The majority of Italian schools serve lunches made from organic ingredients, mostly grown nearby. The daily meal at la mensa della scuola -- the school canteen --is usually centered around pasta or risotto, with salad served as a separate course. Meat shows up on the menu only a couple times a week, and in small portions. But it's not all about nutritionally correct eating for Italian children; merendine, aka snacks, are big parts of most children's days. Bread spread with chocolatey Nutella is a classic between-meal sweet and Italy's kids are almost as addicted to packaged candies and cakes as their American counterparts. Italy actually has a higher proportion of overweight children than the U.S.
Browse our Italian recipes
vanz, flickr / http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanz/487191012/
Kenya
People who went to school in Kenya usually have strong feelings about githeri; they're either totally nostalgic or extremely sick of it. A mixture of beans and dried corn, the dish is traditionally associated with the Kikuyu tribe, but it has become the standard school lunch throughout the country. Every day, school children line up with their plastic bowls as servings are ladled out from huge pots.
teachandlearn, flickr / http://www.flickr.com/photos/teachandlearn/2892588820/
Korea
Most school cafeterias in Korea use sectioned metal trays and there's a standard way of filling them up. The two biggest sections are for rice, usually served with pickled vegetable kimchi and soup. Smaller compartments -- there's usually three of them -- hold side dishes of vegetables and fish. As for the beverage, kids are given little plastic bottles of sweet yogurt drink, hugely popular in Korea.
Browse our Kimchi recipes
shinyai, flickr / http://www.flickr.com/photos/shinyai/1372305456/
Barbados
For many kids in Barbados, the best part of school is the morning snack of milk and biscuits -- known as cookies to us Americans -- provided free in all schools since the 1930s. The locally produced Wibisco brand biscuits have nourished generations of children. In 1963, the government began a hot lunch program, with meals, beans and rice, mostly, delivered by van to schools around the island.
chocolategirl64, flickr / http://www.flickr.com/photos/chocolategirl64/760241435/
Brazil
The school day for most students in Brazil starts at 7 a.m. and runs till noon. To stave off hunger pangs during the morning hours, kids will munch on snacks like queijadinhas, which are muffins made from cheese and coconut. While many children eat lunch at home after school, the Brazilian government has sponsored a nationwide school lunch program since 1955, offering hot, healthy meals to underprivileged students.
Browse our Muffin recipes
chris_diewald, flickr / http://www.flickr.com/photos/chris_diewald/490471734/
France
You don't think the French would serve their children sloppy joes, do you? School lunches are taken just as seriously as meals for adults. In fact, kids are served pretty much the same things adults eat. A week's menu in a restaurant scolaire -- the canteen of a French school -- might include veal scallops Marengo, hake with lemon sauce, and lamb with paprika. Fresh bread and salad are, of course, included at every meal and fruit and yogurt are the usual desserts. The only thing the kids don't get is wine.
Browse our French recipes
Diva Eva, flickr / http://www.flickr.com/photos/evafung/320469452/
Japan
In Japan, school lunch known as kyuushoku is an important part of every child's daily schedule. Meals are eaten in the classroom; after the tables are cleared, the student assigned as that day's lunch monitor serves everyone. Rice and fish make up the bulk of the menu, but some days students are treated to the kind of East-West comfort food that Japanese kids especially love: dishes like korokke, which are fried potato croquettes or omurice, an omelet filled with a ketchupy rice and chicken mixture.
liquidindian, flickr / http://www.flickr.com/photos/liquidindian/177498108/
Zambia
School lunch in Zambia is nshima. Actually, pretty much everyone's lunch in Zambia is nshima -- breakfast and dinner too. The starchy dish of white cornmeal cooked to a thick, sticky dough is the staple food of the entire population. It's eaten with your hands and dipped into relishes made from greens, dried sardines called kapenta, or stewed soy protein.
booizzy, flickr / http://www.flickr.com/photos/booizzy/164601516/
Recent Comments
unclejonl 08:09:34 AM Aug 09 2009
Please, Please....... don't bring the Obama girls into this....what ever this is..... No one said anything about the other children that occupied the white house, so why now ? as far as childhood obesity is concerned,,,, I know the influx of video games has very much to do with the inactivity of todays young people... They would rather sit than go outside and run and play... it is a no brainer....come on ! ! !
RealCatchForBabe 03:46:33 PM Aug 08 2009
For some years now a sizeable number of schools are open all Summer in order to provide government cheese lunches to kids.. Yet another program created mainly for the purpose of feeding the children of minority and illegal parents who have been taught by the Leftist Liberals who have been growing The Nanny State since FDR that the parents don't have to be responsible but the government will provide for them... With your and MY money of course! That's how Democrats grow their constituency of loyal (and beholden) voters.
bendale 02:13:44 PM Aug 08 2009
While we are at it, why not vegan, vegetarian, meat-only, and Kosher lunches, plus lunches using the foods of various ethnic oritions so every child can have food they are familiar with. Maybe the children could be given menus so they can select the foods they want, or should the parents have that right? Oh and as a taxpayer I demand that you keep the cost rock bottom so all can afford the lunches and end all government subsidies.
Loisekramer 01:08:57 PM Aug 08 2009
do we know any child who attends school who does not have a care giver in their life? I think that is not a good example to use in support of free lunches that are not free. There are many programs to help those who truely need a hand. Perhaps all the many $$$ that support and fund a kitchen, lunch rooms and food could be gotten out into the food banks and stamp program. parents can still make a lunch for less then any school provides because of overhead and if they want to be frugal. We live in an entytled time where adults/parents put there own needs above the childrens need. tobacco, alchohol, more clothes then fit in a closet, to many cars, games, tv, sports, to name but a few. it still astounds me at what even the very poor see as necessary. This way of life and thinking has been years in the making. This adminastration will not be able to fix it in one or even two terms. My hope is that it can shift into a path of improvement.
Shedaisia 12:33:43 PM Aug 08 2009
On the other hand, while we're speaking on the subject of Obama, maybe his girls' school would be an appropriate venue to hold a trial run on his redistribution of wealth ideas. Lets take half of what's on his girls' lunch plates and give it to the other school mentioned in this article, and see how he feels about it. Because it doesn't matter how hard you work to earn privileges like gourmet food for lunch, it should all be shared equally across the board so that everybody has the same, regardless of whether or not they even made an attempt to earn their living.
Shedaisia 12:32:08 PM Aug 08 2009
I am not a fan of Obama, but this story bugs the heck out of me. If this mom (a scientist, who no doubt makes plenty of money to live comfortably) is so concerned about her child's nutrition, she should make a trip to the grocery store and pack her lunch. It is the parent's responsibility to make sure kids are eating properly, not the schools. If parents don't like the choice or convenience of school lunch, then they can buy food elsewhere.To someone who called that thinking "dumb" earlier on this board and said that children can't "provide their own food", I would just like to say that parents who can afford it can find other alternatives, those who can't should just be thankful that their children are eating. Isn't a full belly more important than having a choice in what to eat? On the other hand, while we're speaking on the subject of Obama, maybe his girls' school would be an appropriate venue to hold a trial run on his redistribution of wealth ideas. Lets take half of what's
MEWrightNow 12:09:08 PM Aug 08 2009
Schools are responsible for teaching kids and although nutrition is an important subject to learn about, it is the parents responsibility to make sure these kids get well balanced eating habits at home. Also, what is healthier for adults is not necessarily the same for children. Although keeping an adults cholesterol level down is important, children benefit from some fatty, starchy foods. There growing bodies are equipped to utilize and process them, more so than an adult. Children need SOME fat in there food, such as whole or 2% milk as apposed to skim milk for example.In my personal experience getting kids off to school with a decent breakfast is essential. Sitting down at the dinner table is where the good nutrition can be learned best. Not giving the children the option is key at dinner, with a "treat" after a clean plate is produced.But, while in school a balanced meal is ideal, getting kids to eat that way is not the school's responsibility. In today's society, the schools are a
Sundancer2453 11:01:07 AM Aug 08 2009
I agree with everyone saying that the parents need to step up and take care of their own kids, but what about the kids who may only get that one meal a day because their parents can't afford decent food, or maybe who's parents don't even exist anymore. Like the old saying "It takes a community to raise a child." We are all responsible for the wellbeing of the children of this world. It is a combination of parenting and a caring community to raise healthy children. Like it or not, we are ALL responsible.
Loisekramer 10:50:07 AM Aug 08 2009
I walked to school and carried my lunch all my life. I wonder what would happen if no lunches were unavailable through the school. Could we come up with a plan to feed all children, where by the families would be responsible for there own childrens food health. Have we gone lazy as parents and the school food issue is just another indicator of the way many depend or outside resorces rather then taking the time and hard work that is part of being a responsible adult and parent. It seems that many screem out that there is to much goverment but over the years have asked or given more and more personal responsibilities to the goverment to maintain. We just can't have it both ways.
Labluver8 10:16:10 AM Aug 08 2009
i agree with mtod, and would like to add, I don't believe for a minute that this 8 yr old composed or even thought of writing this letter.
