Biting Into Healthy Eating

Movement is afoot to get Americans eating more healthfully, and some of it is already working. People are taking a greater interest than ever in their food and where it comes from.

The US Department of Agriculture recently launched a new campaign called "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food," which aims to help people make wise eating decisions by learning about where their food comes from. And the department is promoting farmers markets as healthy alternatives for food shopping, according to NPR.

First Lady Michelle Obama has been a vocal advocate of getting kids involved in growing food. And now school systems are getting into gardening and sourcing their lunches locally. Baltimore City Public School system, in fact, just received the 2009 Award for Visionary Leadership in Local Food Procurement and Food Education from Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. The award recognizes the school system for getting students involved with farms and gardens, both for eating from and working in.

Now we hear, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that U.S. high schools are increasingly less likely to have unhealthy snacks and sodas available to students. The study, which took place in 34 states, found that the median percentage of secondary schools that avoided selling high-calories drinks jumped from 38 percent in 2006 to 63 percent in 2008. The median percentage of schools that weren’t selling candy or salty snacks popped up from 46 percent in 2006 to 64 percent in 2008.

This is all good news, but there is much more to be done. I plan to start by eating a carrot at lunch today. You?

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