In a special Thanksgiving edition of PRESS Pass, White House assistant chef Sam Kass gave David an inside look at the first family's kitchen and talked about his special advisory role in the Obama administration. As the senior policy adviser for healthy food initiatives, Kass has been a high-profile advocate for Michelle Obama’s "Let's Move!" campaign and other children’s health programs. His goal while in the administration is to have a “transformative impact” on the health of the country, particularly children.
Kass spoke with David Gregory about how much the White House should be involved in child nutrition, saying that in schools, “it’s clear we have a responsibility to ensure that there are good standards that are based on science.” But he admitted to being bewildered on one government food policy: Congress’ decision that pizza can be called a vegetable.
"You're gonna have to ask [Congress] ... for the answer on that one," he said.
Kass, who prepares everything from state dinners to the Obama family’s private meals, revealed what excites him most as a chef and talked about the rewards of cooking healthy from the First Lady’s garden. David also got some insight into the first family’s kitchen, where, Kass says, vegetables are non-negotiable and the Obama children have to fend for themselves when it comes to snacks.
For the White House Thanksgiving, though, he says “we just try to have fun.”
Watch PRESS Pass above to hear more about cooking in the White House and the first lady’s food programs -- as well as Sam Kass’ Thanksgiving stuffing secret.
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Yeah, its a wonderful thing we now have arugula in our schools. The children will have a much, much better education now....
They would be serving pizza if Cain ever got in the office.
Chef Kass and Mrs. Obama are such hypocrites. While they pose as supporters of healthy food, they ignore the US Department of Agriculture which pushes the most unhealthy, sugar-filled foods upon the elderly and children through their USDA distributions to Food Banks and other programs. I am a 72-year-old disabled vet and a diabetic. I have to turn down most of the food the Monterey, County, California, Food Bank brings each month to our low-income seniors residence; because it is unfit for diabetics. Over 30% of the elderly residents in my home and a majority of the poor clients with children in our county suffer with diabetes. The attitude of the government and the Food Bank is, when questioned about this is, "If the people have no bread, let them eat cake. We have to put any old thing in their bellies, even if it is unhealthy and virtually poisonous." Diabetes and obesity is epidemic among the elderly and the poor. Get a clue, Chef Kass and Mrs. Obama. Stop posturing for the press and take on the USDA. Put your influence to work and promote real reform, not piddling little changes. Help cure the plague not the common cold. The time is coming when the tumbrels will roll again and the guillotine will be set up on the National Mall.
Jack 3472184 first of all thank you for your service. Secondly, yes most food banks receive food from the USDA but the bulk of the food is from grocery stores and food vendors. Food banks do not have control over what food is donated.
comments from another vet
Chef Kass and Mrs Obama Has nothing to do with the donations to food banks. I understand what you are saying, average people can't even afford healthy food such as veggies and fruits they are expensive and you want to blame the first lady and her chef? they can make choice for what they eat not for what you and I eat get it? what ever happened to personal responsibility? Oh and thank you for your service as well.
fordays
" they can make choice for what they eat not for what you and I eat get it? what ever happened to personal responsibility? Oh and thank you for your service as well "
That is one reason Michelle should keep her advice to herself and not be trying to tell Americans what they should be eating or feeding their children. She is not aware what people can afford to buy and put on their table.
We don't need more government telling us how to raise our children, much less taking advice from a woman that doesn't raise her own children but relies on her mother and an expanded staff to do it for her. She should also look in the mirror and see the blubber she is carrying from the waist down.
Chef Kass and Mrs. Obama are such hypocrites. While they pose as supporters of healthy food, they ignore the US Department of Agriculture which pushes the most unhealthy, sugar-filled foods upon the elderly and children through their USDA distributions to Food Banks and other programs. I am a 72-year-old disabled vet and a diabetic. I have to turn down most of the food the Monterey, County, California, Food Bank brings each month to our low-income seniors residence; because it is unfit for diabetics. Over 30% of the elderly residents in my home and a majority of the poor clients with children in our county suffer with diabetes. The attitude of the government and the Food Bank is, when questioned about this is, "If the people have no bread, let them eat cake. We have to put any old thing in their bellies, even if it is unhealthy and virtually poisonous." Diabetes and obesity is epidemic among the elderly and the poor. Get a clue, Chef Kass and Mrs. Obama. Stop posturing for the press and take on the USDA. Put your influence to work and promote real reform, not piddling little changes. Help cure the plague not the common cold. The time is coming when the tumbrels will roll again and the guillotine will be set up on the National Mall.
Since PETA declared eating a turkey is the same as eating your dog, the Obamas have pardoned the turkey and will be dining on the family dog this Thanksgiving. (Tell me, when was the last time you actually saw the dog? The last time I saw it was when they got it.)
If they could think, two turkeys would be grateful for their Presidential pardons.
Those two pardons are just the beginning; wait till you see the turkeys he pardons between election day 2012 and inauguration day 2013.
I truly suspect Obama will pardon the Muslims at Gitmo before he leaves office. These are his brothers that he has so much in common with. When was the last time you heard him even mention Gitmo?
His big concern is for the Muslims whether they are terrorists or not, not for our country or it's citizens.
Oh yeah, pardon the turkey. Should have pardoned one young black man who was innocent yet put to death anyways. You're right, wait and see all the turkeys (and buzzards) he pardons at election time.
Sarcasm and insults rule with abandon ... not comments really worth reading ... certainly most comments are not meant to cultivate thought ... merely venting spite.
EXCEPT Jack and Dot who bring a good point (without the hypocrite tag, please) ... it would be a wonderful project for some organization to work on bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to our food banks. Surely we throw so much away that could be routed to local food banks instead.
Americans will continue to consume billions of dollars of unhealthy food as long as the food industry can make policy in Washington and continue to find lower cost ways of making anything taste good. The cost of eating unhealthy food is not the primarily objective even for children because someone can always point to personal responsibility but in the end mass marketing wins. You are in many ways what society wants you to be and in many cases society is corporate marketing. It's a wonder that you can find any nutritional information on any food item. Only now in the face of record breaking heart disease and obesity do people question the ethics !!
White House assistant chef Sam Kass was supposedly given special instruction by Michelle Obumba; "horse" will now be included on the weekly menu at the White House since Congress recently lifted the ban on horse meat in a spending bill and which President Barack Obumba himself signed into law on November 18, 2011.