How to eat like a President
Shawn Rabideau of Celebrations.com on the Inaugural lunch spread - and first family's fashion picks
After President Obama's public oath of office Monday, the focus will quickly shift from the speeches and what Michelle is wearing to the food.
The menu is an exclusive surf and turf that includes lobster in clam chowder sauce, grilled bison and apple cake with homemade ice cream.
The meal's three courses, if you eat the whole thing, clocks in at 3027 calories, minus the booze. While it still contains less than the whopping 3,120 calories in The Cheesecake Factory's heart-stopping Bistro Shrimp Pasta that won this year's Xtreme Eating Awards, the decadence of the Inaugural Luncheon has raised a few eyebrows.
CalorieCount.com is a registered dietitian Rachel Berman who analyzed this year’s Inaugural Luncheon menu and came up with its nutrional statistics. “It’s OK to indulge every once in awhile and if the Presidential Inauguration isn’t a special, celebratory occasion to do so, I don’t know what is,” she told the DietsInReview website. “However, in light of the first lady’s obesity initiatives and the fact that the menu was made public, it was definitely a missed opportunity for nutrition education, for example, to offer lightened-up recipe alternatives (even if just on the website).”
Here's how the meal breaks down:
First Course: Steamed Lobster with New England Clam Chowder Sauce
Lobster Tails
New England Clam Chowder Sauce
Sauteed Spinach
Sweet Potato Hay
Per Serving: Calories 783, Fat 45.7g, Saturated Fat 16g, Cholesterol 247 mg, Sodium 1819 mg, Carbohydrates 55g, Dietary Fiber 7.5g, Sugar 14g, Protein 29g
Second Course: Hickory Grilled Bison with Red Potato Horseradish Cake and Wild Huckleberry Reduction
Bison
Butternut Squash Puree
Baby Golden Beets and Green Beans
Red Potato Horseradish Cake
Strawberry Preserve and Red Cabbage
Wild Huckleberry Reduction
Per Serving: Calories 1184, Fat 34.6g, Saturated Fat 16g, Cholesterol 177mg, Sodium 7445mg, Carbohydrates, 149g, Dietary Fiber 16.7, Sugar 97.2g, Protein 51g
Third Course: Hudson Valley Apple Pie with Sour Cream Ice Cream, Aged Cheese and Honey
Pie Dough
Cinnamon Crumble
Apples
Sour Cream Ice Cream
Maple Caramel Sauce
Garnish
Artisan Cheeses
Per Serving: Calories 1060, Fat 64.4g, Saturated Fat 39g, Cholesterol 331mg, Sodium 488mg, Carbohydrates, 108.5g, Dietary Fiber 1.7g, Sugar 75g, Protein 14g
Total Nutritional Counts (not including booze pairing): Calories 3027, Fat 145 g, Saturated Fat 71g (49% of fat), Sodium 9752 mg, Total Carbs 312.5g, Sugar 186.2g (59% of carbs)
Wine Selections for any course:
Tierce Finger Lakes Dry Riesling 2010
Korbel Natural, Special Inaugural Cuvée Champagne, California
Bedell Cellars Merlot 2009
You can find more information on the meal, including the recipes here.
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