Michelle Obama: The First Lady and a Serious Eater?
According to the New York Times, Michelle Obama has taken on healthy, delicious, and local food as one of her main issues. The serious eaters at world headquarters here certainly second that emotion and support her efforts, and how can we not love and cherish a first lady who eats (and talks up) local and still takes her staff to Five Guys for a burger and fries?
In fact, she says the White House kitchen can rustle up "a mean batch of french fries" (fresh, we're sure) when called upon. Oh, yeah. She and our president also indulge their craving for their favorite Chicago pizzeria. So Michelle Obama likes healthy and delicious local food, burgers, and pizza. Here are some of our favorite quotes from the Times article:
"It’s like: How do we keep the calories down but keep the flavors up?” said Mrs. Obama, who also praised a healthy broccoli soup prepared by White House chefs.
“That’s one of the things that we’re talking a lot about,” she said. “When you grow something yourself and it’s close and it’s local, oftentimes it tastes really good.
“And when you’re dealing with kids, for example, you want to get them to try that carrot. Well, if it tastes like a real carrot and it’s really sweet, they’re going to think that it’s a piece of candy. So my kids are more inclined to try different vegetables if they’re fresh and local and delicious.”
Can there be any doubt she's a serious eater?
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13 Comments:
Waters will be happy.
meleyna at 9:48AM on 03/11/09
i love her. i just do.
Ariel777 at 10:34AM on 03/11/09
Pardon me while I speak Canadian here:
I wish Laureen Harper would take a clue from Michelle Obama. The Obamas are way cooler than the Harpers.
(Let that be advice to the opposition's wives.)
CanadianFoodieGirl at 10:50AM on 03/11/09
Yeah, I love this woman.
Celeriac at 10:56AM on 03/11/09
Anybody who starts eating locally grown, healthy and/or organic food because Michelle Obama (or Alice Waters) thinks it's a good idea, just doesn't get it and is doing it for the wrong reason. Just becasue a famous person or somebody who has celebrity status advocates something, doesn't mean that it's right. What if Michelle Obama came out tomorrow and said that everybody should eat every meal at McDonalds? Would everybody fall all over themselves saying how cool and hip she was and think it was a great idea?
"Celebrity" endorsements aside, people should be eating locally grown, organic and healthy foods because it is good for our environment, good for our health and it's the right thing to do.
chilepepper99 at 11:44AM on 03/11/09
@chilepepper99
What's with the damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't attitude?
Michelle Obama is doing a great thing here, and the fact that she can influence other people to follow suit is something that she should and does take advantage of. She's not simply saying, "do it because I do it," she's saying, "I do it because of X and Y," where X and Y happen to be very good reasons. She's not preaching or endorsing. She's expressing her opinion the same way everyone in this country is entitled to. It just happens that her opinions get heard by many more people.
The fact that we voted for a first family that actually cares about food and where it's coming from and chooses to eat local and eat well instead of at McDonald's, and that people find this cool and hip gives me a bit more hope for our future.
GoodEaterKenji at 12:02PM on 03/11/09
i think you are viewing this news tidbit a little too cynically chilepepper99. for example, if somebody who doesn't much care about their eating habits decides to reform because mrs. obama has it on her agenda, there really is no loss involved. they will be eating better (and healthier) regardless if you think it's for the "right" reasons or not. why you wouldn't be an advocate for the average american to eat better doesn't make much sense.
secondly, her "celebrity" status shouldn't make a difference here. her status doesn't make anything she endorses inherently wrong or right. in this case, eating locally, etc. is a conscientious decision and one that we would benefit to take into account. besides, people aren't sheep. you know that right? lastly, i don't really see how you can have a problem. you're kind of acting like laura prepon's character on the last "how i met your mother". i get the feeling that you have a better than thou complex when it comes to your views on food. you aren't the gatekeeper of "locally grown, healthy, and/or organic foods".
mikeismora at 12:18PM on 03/11/09
Mike - You think that I have a complex when it comes to this stuff??? Re-read your own comment before you go accusing anybody of being "better than thou". First you say it's good that somebody changes their eating habits because of Michelle Obama and then you say that her celebrity status has nothing to do with it.
People need to make their own decisions when it comes to this stuff because it's a complicated issue. The availability and cost of locally grown and organic food makes it a problem for the average American family. I think that it's a good idea, but I'm not going to tell anybody else what to do or look down on anybody else for choosing not to do it.
I'm glad that you set me straight on this issue. I guess that questioning ones character is a much better tactic than actually presenting the facts :)
chilepepper99 at 1:11PM on 03/11/09
Yeah I love her too. Even more now!
@CanadianFoodieGirl - I know eh!? Our PM can be quite embarassing...
hungrychristel at 2:38PM on 03/11/09
"Anybody who starts eating locally grown, healthy and/or organic food because Michelle Obama (or Alice Waters) thinks it's a good idea, just doesn't get it and is doing it for the wrong reason."
this was what i cued in on. there shouldn't be a judgment on people who follow her advice/suggestions. people don't need to make such a decision for any so-called "right" reasons. i think it's great that a person in her position is making healthy living one of her agenda items and therefore putting it in the national spotlight. she isn't creating some task force that cracks down on "unhealthy" eating or telling you not to eat this and that, she's putting the idea of healthy living on a national level. how that's wrong, i just don't understand. in the article, it alludes to how she wants this initiative to be accessible to all. i shouldn't have mentioned my opinion on your attitude, but i would really like to know what's wrong with mrs. obama putting healthy living on the national agenda.
mikeismora at 4:24PM on 03/11/09
michelle wouldn't want you guys to be bickering...
gastronomeg at 5:41PM on 03/11/09
I so miss Five Guys burgers. They brought one to my neighborhood in Pittsburgh before I left ... and now I live in AZ where no one wil STFU about In-N-Out (which is FAR inferior).
joyyy at 5:43PM on 03/11/09
"there shouldn't be a judgment on people who follow her advice/suggestions."
So, in other words, if Michelle Obama came out and told people that she thought it was a good idea to stick a fork in your eye (and some people would do it, you know they would), then that would be OK?
All I'm saying is that people should follow their own convictions and do some research before blindly following the suggestions of somebody who has suddenly become an expert on any given topic just because they have become a celebrity. This applies to ANY celebrity whether that be Michelle Obama, Rush Limbaugh, Homer Simpson or whomever.
Mike if you're OK doing whatever Michelle Obama says is good, then that's fine by me - but if she ever does come out with the fork in the eye advice, I would strongly advise against it ;)
PS - Joyyy I agree with you; In-n-Out burgers are waaaaaaaay overrated.
chilepepper99 at 10:31AM on 03/12/09