Michelle Obama Tells Kids that ‘Folks in Congress’ Trying to Make Their Food Unhealthy
MICHELLE OBAMA: "Now, I know that some of you might have friends who want to bring back the junk food in the schools, right? Because there’s always those kids. They're like, give me my junk food back. (Laughter.) And I know that in recent months, we’ve even seen grownups, including folks in Congress, trying to undo some of the progress that we’ve made to get healthier food into our schools. And while the vast majority of the schools are doing just fine with these new standards, those few complaining voices happen to be the loudest voices and they’re getting the most attention right now.
"So here’s what I’m going to ask you to do for this year. I need you guys to make your voices heard, too. It’s important. And don’t be shy. I want you to speak up, talk to your classmates and your teachers. Share with them what you’ve learned about healthy eating and cooking, about how to craft interesting things. Like, Braeden, you might even get your school to test your recipe in the lunchroom for other kids. Teach them what you know about healthy eating.
"And also, to the parents, parents play a really important role in what happens on the ground. And in many instances, parents are way more powerful than people like us in the White House. So I urge you guys to speak up as well, and to continue speaking up. Go to those PTA meetings and those school board meetings and tell them what you know and what you’re learning, to make sure that they're listening to all the voices on this issue.
"There’s a lot of money involved in feeding our kids at school. We are currently spending $10 billion a year -- did you hear that, $10 billion a year -- on our school lunch programs. So it’s not surprising that there are certain interests that are resisting change and trying to take us back to the old ways of doing business, because for them there’s a lot of money is on the line. But you all have a right to expect that your hard-earned tax dollars will be spent on food that meets basic nutrition standards."
