Let me tell you about one of the best days of my professional life as a chef. In June, I proudly represented Sodexo as I joined First Lady Michelle Obama and several hundred other chefs from across the country at the White House for the launch of Chefs Move to Schools, a program that pairs chefs up with schools in their community to promote nutrition education and healthy eating.
This program, which is part of the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative to end childhood obesity, is near and dear to me because I cook food for a living, and I am also concerned about the health and well-being of students. In fact, each summer I volunteer to serve as “Chef Coach” for an all-girl team of teenaged basketball players. In this role, I travel with the team to prepare healthy and delicious meals while also counseling the players on the benefits of making healthy nutrition choices in life.
Not only was the launch of Let’s Move great because it raised awareness of an important issue, but it brought the nation’s culinary community together to rally around the cause. Todd Gray and White House Chef Sam Kass , two of the most highly-regarded chefs in Washington, joined the First Lady onstage and emphasized the need to work together to end this health epidemic.
The First Lady spoke to the group about the important role chefs play in ending childhood obesity and she challenged everyone in attendance to reach out to our culinary comrades to recruit them to the fight. I’ve taken that challenge to heart and I am talking with my fellow Sodexo colleagues about the program whenever I have an opportunity.
As Sodexo chefs, we have an opportunity to make a change because the company is one of the leading student nutrition providers in the country, and also a partner in the Let’s Move campaign.
It was an overwhelming honor to represent Sodexo at such an important event and I am confident that the unity inspired within the culinary field will be a driving force in fighting and ultimately ending childhood obesity.
Jackie Craig is an executive chef for the Sodexo Campus Services. To see photos of the event, as well as a few pictures Jackie snapped while at the White House, click here.