Maryland's first lady serves up recipe for healthy eating habits
CHRISTINE CULLEN n Staff Writer
Maryland's first lady Katie O'Malley, left, speaks with Worcester County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jon Andes and board of education member Sara Thompson on Tuesday. (July 3, 2009) To a resounding chorus of "Yuck!" Maryland's First Lady Katie O'Malley announced that her favorite vegetable is spinach.
While most of the 87 students in the summer school academy at Buckingham Elementary School in Berlin wrinkled their noses at the thought of eating spinach, there were a few who shared the first lady's taste in vegetables.
O'Malley visited the school on Tuesday to help dish out lunches to the students and talk to them about proper nutrition and the importance of healthy eating.
"It was a great opportunity to come and talk to the kids about eating healthy. The earlier, the better, so they will grow up eating healthy," she said.
The kids munched on miniature pizzas, carrot sticks, milk and a fruit cup, though many asked O'Malley if they could skip the carrots. "Just eat a few," she told them all. "They're good for you."
Katie O'Malley, wife of Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, serves lunch to 87 students at Buckingham Elementary School in Berlin Tuesday. The students are taking part in the summer school academy, and O'Malley was on hand to promote healthy eating habits. O'Malley was promoting "Share Our Strength to End Child Hunger in Maryland," a program that aims to end childhood hunger in the state by 2013 by increasing participation in federal food and nutrition programs that are being underutilized.
Programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), summer food service program and school lunch and breakfast programs are available but not being fully taken advantage of.
The summer food service program tied in to the summer school lunches served by O'Malley that day. The program provides cash reimbursement for meals served at eligible sites — schools, camps and nonprofit organizations — in areas with low-income families when school is not in session.
The program is administered by the Maryland State Department of Education and served more than 2.2 million summer meals to needy students in 2008.
"We as a nation have a lot of obesity. That's why we've got to instill good eating habits early," O'Malley said.
She told the children that it's important to eat a good breakfast every day because you need "really good fuel in your system" for the day, and the best foods to eat are those "that are right out of nature." Fruits and vegetables are much healthier than processed snacks, she said.
"I always try to keep my own kids away from the Cheetos," she said, adding with a laugh that it's her husband, Gov. Martin O'Malley, who gives in and buys the junk food at the grocery store.
