The search for a remedy has led to much finger-pointing and
Lady Michelle Obama brought national focus to the issue through
blame. School-food professionals have been demonized, the restau-
her Let’s Move! campaign, an initiative launched in 2010 to help
rant industry has been vilified and parents have been shamed about
children and families make healthy choices around diet and exer-
the contents of their pantries. One thing is certain: the solution
cise. From the beginning, it was clear that people were ready to
is complex and requires comprehensive change. At the Healthy
take on the challenge. “The country’s response to the initiative has
Flavors, Healthy Kids conference hosted at the Culinary Institute
been overwhelming and showed us that people are ready to get in-
of America’s San Antonio campus last spring, nutrition writer
volved and be agents for positive change,” says Marissa N. Duswalt,
and teacher Sanna Delmonico reminded a room full of educators,
associate director of policy and events for Let’s Move! “We’ve seen
school-lunch professionals and nutritionists that making chang-
everyone from CEOs to pastors to parents take action to champion
es in America’s food culture will take time. “We’re talking about
our children’s health, from improving healthy menu and grocery
changing our culture, not just changing our food. It takes a long
choices to growing gardens to walking more as a family.”
time to see results, just as it took a long time to get to the place we
One of the program’s first targets was making healthful food more available at school. The National School Lunch Program,
are today.” While many have been working on the problem for years, First
which serves meals to over 31 million children daily, provides the
Find us at:
Greenling • Hillside Farmacy • SFC Farmers Market Downtown Ranch to Trailer @ 1104 E. 6th Street
®
34
SPRING 2013
EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM
210.930.0841 • thunderheartbison.com
Photography by Bianca Bidiuc
Katie Kraemer of Tecolote Farm sampling her produce to students during a Meet the Farmer program on Food Day 2012 at Andrews Elementary School.