First the White House lectured you on sugar. Then they tried to motivate you to plant an organic vegetable garden. Now they want to shove leafy greens down your kids’ throat.
As part of the "Let’s Move" campaign, it’s been reported that First Lady Michelle Obama plans to announce a new initiative on Monday that would place up to 5,000 salad bars in public schools nationwide.-- We knew the president liked arugula. We didn’t know it was this much.
The effort is collaboration with the White House, United Fresh Produce Association, the National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, and Whole Foods.
But the plan might not be as easy as the slap chop. A report says many schools refuse to install salad bars for food safety reasons and rigid USDA rules that govern the federally subsidized lunch program.
They fear that kids will sneeze on the spicy ranch or pick their nose before plucking a green pepper out of the salad station, failing to use the designated utensils, thus infecting other kids with their germs.
And like the TSA, it appears that salad bars, too, require check points.
According to this same report, the USDA's Food and Nutrition Services division, which oversees the subsidized meal program, circulated a memo saying that while it encourages the use of salad bars in schools, “school menu planners must tell students the minimum amounts they must take from salad bars, cashiers ‘must be trained to judge accurately the quantities of self-service items,’ and point-of-sale registers "must be stationed after the salad bar."
So not only are a bunch of TSA agents going to pat down your kids at airport security, students will have to double back and pass muster with their lunch lady to prevent an over serving of Bacos. Yes, while we're worried about terrorists and other things, the government is worried about an excess of toppings.
For the first time in my adult life I can say that I am officially puzzled by my country.
It’s all part of the left and nanny staters' new, bizarre food fetish. And Michelle Obama isn’t alone. New York city Mayor Bloomberg has been increasingly crazed about the Big Apple’s cuisine. From banning trans-fats to spending over 100k of taxpayer money on a campaign to stop salt in soup, Hizzoner has expanded the role of government to Top Chef.
While this not only speaks to more central planning type government intrusion and control, it's also a direct result of universal health care. If the state is going to start paying for your treatment, they are going to have a vested interest in what you’re putting in your mouth, and kids are no different. This is just the beginning.
Eating healthy is important, but when the first lady assumes the role of nutritionist-in-chief, one has to wonder where our country's priorities are. While the nation and the world is worried about the financial safety of America, unemployment is on the uptick and radicals are still at war with everything we believe in, the White House is preoccupied with a more pressing platform: salad.
People are looking for jobs and the government is offering lettuce. Welcome to Michelle Obama's America.
Andrea Tantaros is a conservative columnist and Fox News contributor. Follow her on Twitter @andreatantaros.
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