Don't just sit-in EAT-IN for healthy school lunches

Been to an Eat-In recently?  Wonder what it is?

An Eat-In is a new take on the grand old tradition of sit-ins, and being used today to bring awareness to the devastating effects that poor nutrition, and specifically, inadequate, unhealthy, and additive-full school lunches are having on children.  The Eat-Ins are sponsored by Slow Food USA.  And whether or not you make it to an actual Eat-In in your community the idea is easily do-able wherever you are: sit down with your children, your friends, or your co-works and eat a healthy meal.  And then, sign the petition to get a Child Nutrition Act that will actually get nutritious food to children in schools.

This is a big deal as the National School Lunch Program provides a meal to more than 30 million children every school day. For some kids this is their only meal of the day.  And the issues with the school lunch program are enormous.  Read more in previous Green Mama blogs. 

Nora Gainer attended the Slow Food Eat-In in Chicago with me. She had the following to say about the Child Nutrition Act and the Chicago Eat-IN event.  

"The Child Nutrition Act is a federal law that comes up for re-authorization in Congress every four to five years. It governs the National School Lunch Program, which sets the standard for the food that more than 30 million children eat every school day. In the last few decades, as school budgets have been cut, our nation's schools have struggled to serve children the real food they need. The deadline for reauthorizing the current Child Nutrition Act is September 2009. Unless we speak up this summer, “business as usual” on Capitol Hill will let Congress pass a Child Nutrition Act that continues to fail our children.

Chicago's Eat-In event was great! Despite the weather there was a good crowd, free fresh fruit, walking vegetables and a super line-up of speakers. Please click the link above and sign the petition to show Congress that thousands of people across America support giving kids real food at school. You DON’T NEED TO HAVE KIDS! This is an issue for anyone who wants to lower health care costs due to diet (which are almost all) related illnesses.

 Speakers from today who deserve your support:
 M.C. Mike Nowak from the Mike Nowak Show on WCPT
 Lynn Peemoeller, President Slow Food Chicago
 Jim Braun, co-Chair IL Local & Organic Food & Farms Task Force & Slow Food USA Board Member
 State Representative Julie Hamos
 Cleo Record- Growing Power Youth Intern
 Lucy Gomez Feliciano, Logan Square Neighborhood Association
 Lynn Morton- co-Chair Power- PAC
 Josh Viertel, President Slow Food USA

 MILLE GRAZIE!!!!!!!!!!!"