Sent from my iPhone
Sent from my iPhone
Sent from my iPhone
Listmania continues (David Letterman's cultural legacy, perhaps, along with Velcro suits) but this time The Daily Meal has come up with something more compelling than a list of Top 10 Cupcakes. Theirs? America's 50 Most Powerful People in Food.
It's a good list, as it would be: The Daily Meal is headed by Saveur co-founder Colman Andrews. It's a list filled with "agribusiness moguls" and government officials and public figures, chefs and restaurateurs and journalists. They've also included "a few men and women whose connection with food is less than obvious, too (and explained why they're there). And #1 on our list doesn't fit neatly into any one slot -- though it's somebody the reader is apt to know very well." Of course. Otherwise what fun would it be.
Is Jonathan Gold on the list? Of course he is. As he pointed out to us himself, he's one above Martha Stewart. Turn the page for the complete list. Did they miss anybody? Include somebody you'd disagree with? And we'd love to know what you think of their (cute? sincere? Socratic, even?) pick for #1.
(P.S. Hugh Grant, #3, is not the British actor, but the CEO of Monsanto. Just in case you were wondering.)
The Daily Meal 50. Adam Rapoport
49. Jeffrey Jordan
48. Ingrid Newkirk
47. Martha Stewart
46. Jonathan Gold
45. Dan Bane
44. Danny Meyer
43. Josh Viertel
42. Barry Estabrook
41. Nobu Matsuhisa
40. Dan Barber
39. Ruth Reichl
38. Michael Pollan
37. Mario Batali
36. David Dillon
35. Susan Ungaro
34. Lockhart Steele
33. Catherine M. Cassidy
32. Daniel Boulud
31. Rich Melman
30. Tom Colicchio
29. Irene Rosenfeld
28. Michael Bloomberg
27. Lisa Sharples
26. Indra Nooyi
25. Tim & Nina Zagat
24. José Andrés
23. Arturo Rodriguez
22. Maria Rodale
21. Oprah Winfrey
20. Grant Achatz
19. Thomas Keller
18. Gregory R. Page
17. Donnie Smith
16. Guy Fieri
15. James Sinegal
14. Rachael Ray
13. Wolfgang Puck
12. John Mackey
11. Michael R. Taylor
10. Jim Skinner
9. Sam Sifton
8. Mike Duke
7. Brooke Johnson
6. Alice Waters
5. Steve Jobs
4. Michelle Obama
3. Hugh Grant
2. Thomas J. Vilsack
1. You
I love lists. Some of my favorite people here! Hugh Grant of Monsanto tops the list. Yum! GMO veggies.
Enlarge Paul Sakuma/APSecond-grader Jonathan Cheng, center, eyes fruits and vegetables at Fairmeadow Elementary School in Palo Alto, Calif., last month.
Paul Sakuma/APSecond-grader Jonathan Cheng, center, eyes fruits and vegetables at Fairmeadow Elementary School in Palo Alto, Calif., last month.
This may come as shock to anyone who hasn't stood in the hot lunch line or watched a certain popular high school sitcom recently, but the school food program is way behind the nutritional times.
The stuff on offer is frequently full of starch, fat and salt, and low on whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. Coupled with poor food choices at home and low exercise rates, it's literally making our kids sick.
So the Department of Agriculture is proposing higher nutritional standards and prodding schools to come up with new ways to make better food on a budget.
"There are a number of ways school districts can address this without breaking the bank," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters on a conference call today.
For example, many localities are working with chefs to develop affordable recipes and strategies that feature more fruits and veggies, and make whole grains taste good — like this program in Washington, D.C.
Vilsack also suggests that school districts consider combining their food orders with neighboring districts or hospitals to make their dollars go further.
And there's several hundred million dollars a year up for grabs each year for schools that meet new standards outlined in the child nutrition law Congress passed last month.
The actions were met with praise from produce growers. "Fruits and vegetables are the stars of USDA’s goal for healthier school meals, and kids and the produce industry will benefit," said Dr. Lorelei DiSogra, United Fresh vice president of nutrition and health.
And this from the Center for Science in the Public Interest's Nutrition Policy Director Margo Wootan: "Requiring school lunches to provide more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables will teach kids healthy eating habits that may last a lifetime."
But it's still a big challenge, given tight education budgets, inadequate school kitchens, and a lack of staff training. Yet the number of kids who rely on these food programs is higher than ever according to a new report out by the Food Research and Action Center.
The new federal nutrition rules aren't perfect. They say nothing about decreasing sugar intake or taking flavored milk off the menu, for instance, but school districts like New York City's are free to take matters into their own hands.
I wonder what Maui schools will be doing with this
Sent from my iPhone
Sent from my iPhone
Sent from my iPhone
Sent from my iPhone
