Let’s Eat Healthy
[Guest post by DRJ]
The Obama Administration and First Lady Michelle Obama have taken an interest in what Americans eat. For example, Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign is aimed at fighting childhood obesity and the FDA announced it plans to limit salt in processed foods.
I wish people and government would keep their noses out of Americans’ private lives but clearly I’m out-of-step in Obama’s world. So to thank them for their interest in our private lives, here’s some friendly advice to the vacationing Obamas — your diet sucks:
“Obama and first lady Michelle Obama landed in the Blue Ridge Mountains and made a quick stop at Twelve Bones Smokehouse on the way to their resort. The White House said the first couple ate ribs, macaroni and cheese, greens, baked beans, corn bread and corn pudding and washed it down with sweet tea.
And then a short time later, they set about working off the meal; the Obamas went on a mountain hike and the president then hit the golf course.”
Lay off the carbs, folks. There aren’t enough golf courses in Asheville to walk that diet off, especially when you ride a cart.
— DRJ
There’s no aspect of our lives too trivial for big-government nannies to concern themselves with.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (9eb641) — 4/23/2010 @ 7:35 pmI golf A LOT and all over the place, and I don’t get anywhere close to how often the leader of the free world gets to.
We are in the worst recession since the Great Depression, and he finds time to golf over 35 ti
Imagine if Bush had this. Never mind, you do not have to imagine. We know.
JD (9f2abc) — 4/23/2010 @ 7:47 pmThe White House said the first couple ate ribs, macaroni and cheese, greens, baked beans, corn bread and corn pudding and washed it down with sweet tea.
I hope I can explain this clearly but while this interference into our eating habits is of course, utterly annoying, there is an interesting aspect to this whole “let’s eat healthy’ campaign: the meal the President and Mrs. Obama had is a typical southern meal, the kind traditionally made by the black community. This is as much a part of the culinary history of our country, and specifically the African American history in our country. I work for a public school and every year during February’s Black History Month, the African Americans on our staff treat the entire staff to a sumptuous buffet of these traditional foods listed (and more!). It’s a way to share their unique culinary history as well as the community itself. So it’s a bit ironic that not only do the Obamas apparently have a do-as-I-not-as-I-do behavior, but the interference into the dietary practices of Americans by default attempts to change to some degree a portion of a cultural heritage. Including their own.
It reminds me how uber-trendy chefs like Alice Waters see it as their personal mission to change how people eat and view food while ignoring the fact that it’s precisely *how* certain foods have been prepared by certain ethnic groups that make it an integral piece of their unique history. Who is she or anyone to attempt to judge and remake a history – even a culinary one? Food isn’t just food. It’s history, community, and what has bound varying communities together. There’s a sublime arrogance to this.
Dana (1e5ad4) — 4/23/2010 @ 8:14 pmJD,
Personally, I wish he would play more golf. As a matter of fact, I wish he would play golf all the time.
To the point, I’m quite sure any legislation regulating what people eat will be very successful.
I also think that making salt a controlled substance would assure that everyone lives to be at least 100.
That may put a crimp on federal health-care, but it may cut down on abortions, since someone will have to pay for the well-being of more age-challenged people.
Also, I read that the Sun will become a gas-giant in about five billion years, completely engulfing the Earth. Why isn’t Congress considering this?
And my neighbor keeps calling me Ken. My name is not Ken. This must stop. I’m calling on all right-thinking Americans to put an end to this incorrect name-calling immediately by contacting your Congressperson for immediate legislation to make neighbors stop calling people by an incorrect name.
Also, get off my lawn.
Ag80 (f67beb) — 4/23/2010 @ 8:15 pmWe’ll get right on this, Ken!
AD - RtR/OS! (9562e0) — 4/23/2010 @ 8:50 pmThat meal is an old fashioned southern meal, no matter who’s eating it. My mom made this meal quite regularly. And I can tell you, there is salt, sugar and pork fat galore in all of it. YUM!
Ken – ever thought about changing your name?? 🙂
PatAZ (9d1bb3) — 4/23/2010 @ 9:45 pmMy name’s not Ken, you salt-eating porkers.
Ag80 (f67beb) — 4/23/2010 @ 9:58 pmi denounce Ear Leader and the First Klingon for eating what Dana says is a meal “traditionally made by the black community”. it was racist of them to not eat a meal from a different culture and they should be censured for their lack of sensitivity and inclusiveness.
how are we, as a nation, ever going to get past racial identities and politics if the people living in the White House are allowed to display such disgusting behavior without an outcry of revulsion?
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 4/23/2010 @ 10:03 pmThe only line on the “Nutrition Facts” labels that’s worth anything.
A recent change in my health inspired my health care team to require me to eat more carbohydrates. Like, 8 times as much as I did before.
OTOH, I used to go out to eat and order a steak and potato and throw away the potato, so maybe they had a point.
Just sayin’ that carbs aren’t the lone culprit they are sometimes made out to be.
And isn’t that crabgrass right here in your lawn, Ken? You need to take care of that or I’m gonna stop walking my dog here.
EW1(SG) (edc268) — 4/24/2010 @ 5:48 amI’ll listen to our new overlords when His Awesomness finally gives up his unfortunate nicotine addiction after getting caught sneaking a cancer stick in the basement of the WH and subsequently being bitch – slapped by his wife.
Dmac (21311c) — 4/24/2010 @ 8:09 amGolfing! Vacations! Good food! Great times!
Look at that Obama, focusing on the economy like a laser while the rest of us are broke, unemployed, or on the battlefield.
Metallica (bb58d8) — 4/24/2010 @ 8:44 amLook at the bright side: at least it’s not a damn salt TAX they’re talking about. You’ll still be able to add your own salt at the table if you need to.
I’m glad the Obamas are enjoying their nice nights out. I remember way back when I was able to afford to eat out at a sitdown restaurant once in a while.
I just got the letter that says my health insurance premium is going up 20% starting next month. Must be too much salt in my diet.
gp (14ea9b) — 4/24/2010 @ 10:07 amI second the sentiment that I would prefer Obama played golf (I hate the use of golf as a verb) every day, twice if possible.
I can see the day when there is a black market in salt and transfats. Complete with federal agents at the border. Illegal immigrants aren’t that important but black market salt will bring out the big guns.
Mike K (2cf494) — 4/24/2010 @ 10:15 am> It reminds me how uber-trendy chefs like Alice Waters see it as their personal mission to change how people eat and view food
Dana, I don’t know squat about Alice Waters, but I have no problem of any kind with her or anyone attempting to persuade me or anyone else to examine and/or change our diets in a direction he/she believes is better (as long as it’s not clearly NOT better, at least).
It’s when our civil uber-lords attempt to “fix” the problems by explicit diktat that I take major issue.
IgotBupkis (79d71d) — 4/24/2010 @ 10:43 am> My name’s not Ken, you salt-eating porkers.
Allah will strike them down*, Ken, you need not be concerned.
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* With furious vengeance, or something along those lines.
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> You’ll still be able to add your own salt at the table if you need to
Actually, a salt tax would be fine. We’d then just have to follow in Gandhi’s footsteps, wouldn’t we?
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IgotBupkis (79d71d) — 4/24/2010 @ 10:57 amP.S. Fausta has a piece on this subject, too:
No-salt lunacy, part 2
This is so stupid. The Obama keep going out of their way to insult “middle class” people with their “middle class” vacations. Like it’s a sacrifice to live normally, and middle class people wouldn’t prefer to go to Hawaii and eat well (a lot of them do because we’re a rich nation).
Give me a break.
Bill Clinton didn’t have to insult the middle class to eat some unhealthy food or enjoy himself. While I don’t like the man, he wasn’t faking. When you try so hard to fake it, all you’re telling is is how hard you’re willing to go to lie to us. That’s the theme of the Obama administration.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 4/24/2010 @ 11:07 am“Like it’s a sacrifice to live normally, and middle class people wouldn’t prefer to go to Hawaii and eat well (a lot of them do because we’re a rich nation).”
I had a friend who went to hawaii and reported that the Red Lobster was always full of tourists. People must be hurting out there if that’s the best they can do.
imdw (7ae49a) — 4/24/2010 @ 11:28 amBarry doesn’t have to work off carbs normally, he has special metabolism boosters IYKWIMAITTYD
Teresa (8d67a3) — 4/24/2010 @ 11:39 amThe Grove Park Inn in Asheville is not a middle class vacation. Even from a historical perspective it has always been where the wealthy and the elite vacation.
To say it is middle class is ignorant.
blure (64a145) — 4/24/2010 @ 1:06 pmYeah, how horrible of them to promote healthy eating in order to fight child obesity. How awful.
Chris Hooten (0e1f31) — 4/24/2010 @ 2:51 pmHow are the Obamas promoting healthy eating with this diet?
DRJ (09fa6c) — 4/24/2010 @ 3:22 pmBecause, we are supposed to do as we are told, not as they do.
AD - RtR/OS! (9562e0) — 4/24/2010 @ 3:31 pmWhat exactly is your point, doofus? Because you quite clearly don’t have one.
And the last time I was at the Red Lobster in Hono it was pretty good. After all, it’s not like fresh seafood is difficult to come by there.
EW1(SG) (edc268) — 4/24/2010 @ 3:32 pm> While I don’t like the man, he wasn’t faking.
Oh, sure he was. He was just one of the teflon types. Everyone knew he was lying. Too many people didn’t give a sh**.
Barry appeared to be teflon, but it was more because no one ever actually got close to really flinging anything at him, or the flungstuff was batted away with a quick “racist!” epithet…
His “non-stick” cred is now in tatters.
IgotBupkis (79d71d) — 4/25/2010 @ 12:32 am