Elmo at the White House? Monster Plugs School Lunch Bill

[Guest guest]

Elmo at the White House? Monster Plugs School Lunch Bill

By Bonnie Rochman Thursday, December 16, 2010

There's nothing like a furry red creature with a big nose to add a dash of

excitement to the churn of bureaucracy. Elmo bounded into the White House

kitchen earlier this week and talked turkey with hunky assistant presidential

chef Sam Kass (Elmo calls him “Mr. Sam”) to mark the passage of the Healthy,

Hunger-Free Kids Act, which aims to boost the nutrition and taste quotient found

in school lunchrooms.

Elmo: Elmo's a little worried. Elmo's mommy told him he's going to go to school

and eat lunch in school.

Kass: So why are you worried? That's great!

Elmo: Because what if there isn't any good food at school?

Kass: Oh, Elmo, there's going to be great food in school. And because of this

new law that's passed, we're going to make sure that all food in school is

healthy, nutritious and delicious.

Elmo: Really? (Here, the monster sounds incredulous. It is, in fact, quite a

pledge. School lunches are not renowned for their healthiness, nutritiousness or

deliciousness. Earlier this year, my kindergartener and second-grader begged to

buy lunch at school. Tacos were on the menu, and they love tacos. Well, turns

out they didn't love school-lunch tacos; actually, they hated them. Their

flirtation with school-lunch buying ended as quickly as it began. Fortunately,

they have a choice. But many millions of kids who qualify for free or reduced

school meals don't.)

President Obama, who signed the legislation this week at a Washington, D.C.,

school, explained his support in terms of making sure “our kids have the energy

and the capacity to go toe to toe with any of their peers, anywhere in the

world. And we need to make sure that they're all reaching their potential. "

What's all this talk about capacity and potential got to do with the Sloppy Joes

served up by the school cafeteria? More than 31 million U.S. children

participate in school lunch programs. With the economy reeling, some of these

kids get their only meals at school. Consider that one of every three kids in

America qualifies as overweight or obese, and it's not hard to see why breakfast

and lunch eaten at school can make a big difference when it comes to many

schoolchildren's diet.

Both Democrats and Republicans hope the child nutrition bill will result in

healthier food selection in school cafeterias and help teach kids about proper

nutrition. It also aims to give the government the authority to set nutritional

standards for all foods regularly sold in schools during the school day,

including vending machines, and offers additional funding to schools that offer

more nutritious meals. (More on Time.com: Study: 40% of Kids' Calories Come From

Solid Fat and Sugar)

First Lady Michele Obama, who has mounted a public campaign against childhood

obesity, commented that “we can all agree that in the wealthiest nation on

Earth, all children should have the basic nutrition they need to learn and grow

and to pursue their dreams, because in the end, nothing is more important than

the health and well-being of our children. Nothing.”

But back to Elmo. The preschooler is incredulous when he hears that Kass intends

to show him some examples of the kind of food he can expect to find in the

school lunchroom. (More on Time.com: Mom and Consumer Group Sue Mc's For

Luring Kids with Happy Meal Toys)

Elmo: Mr. Sam has the same kind of food that they have at school here at the

White House?

Kass: I do.

Elmo: Well, that's very convenient. (Elmo does a great job of saying this

tongue-in-cheek.)

Kass whips out a few plates of appetizingly prepared and perfectly balanced

meals — whole-wheat lasagna and salad, rice-and-bean burritos, garnished with

apples and carrots.

If it's good enough for the White House, apparently, it's good enough for our

public schools. Or is it the other way around?

Read more:

http://healthland.time.com/2010/12/16/elmo-at-the-white-house-monster-plugs-scho\

ol-lunch-bill/print/#ixzz18KiZXcQv