With all the talk about childhood obesity and the dire straits of the school lunch program, the abysmal situation has taken a positive turn. Let’s backtrack a little. The First Lady has been an active, vocal spokesperson for getting our youth off the couches and onto the playgrounds. Michelle Obama has talked repeatedly and eloquently about the obesity problem in this country; that it is killing our future. She demonstrated the importance of fresh foods with the planting of the White House Garden and with her frequent leadership conversations about the importance of eating healthy and being healthy. Look at the Let’s Move program for a start or go thru the archives of this blog to see her commitment to these important issues.

Then there’s Jamie Oliver, the Brit who came across the Pond to teach us how to make changes to what he believes is the killer school lunch program. His Revolution spurred numerous school systems to consider bringing in more local foods and evaluating the foods that currently comprise what our children are given often for breakfast and again at lunch. Many systems are probably breathing a collective sigh of relief that summer recess is almost here; that they have time to make some of the changes that will eventually be mandated.

Then there is the combination effect: The USDA, The White House under the leadership of assistant chef Sam Kass (former personal chef for the family), First Lady Michelle Obama, and the near 1,000 chefs nationwide who have already signed up to contribute their skills and knowledge to the Chefs Move to Schools initiative. Many of these chefs have already visited schools neighboring their restaurants and in other neighborhoods throughout their cities. Recognize the importance of this step. Chefs by nature are very generous in their participation to end hunger (SOS, City Harvest) and in turn they are good fundraisers as their causes often attract members of their community who can put money behind their campaigns.

Changing the National School Lunch Program has its initial limitations as the Federal Government has been stuck with a third world monetary commitment of under $3 per child per lunch. As Oliver found as he did his quick tour of school cafeterias and brought celebrity attention to this issue, some schools are limited in what they can do as their equipment is minimal while others have what he called impressive kitchens filled with equipment that is not being used to its fullest.

Now what can these busy, hard-working creative chefs accomplish? A lot. Major changes. Just their presence in the schools, their trips to Capitol Hill, and their visibility in the communities can spearhead a campaign to bring about change. With the First Lady championing all aspects of the healthy food campaign, combined with the national prominence of these industry leaders, we will  see changes in the way the school lunch program exists.

We are talking action.

Thanks, Chefs for lending your expertise to this most important food issue.