Children dream big. Many want to be basketball stars or celebrity chefs or members of Congress. But the opportunity to grow up healthy shouldn’t be just a dream. That’s why NBA basketball star John Salley went to Capitol Hill last month to explain why healthy school meals are so important.
Salley joined leading researchers, educators, and students to discuss how Congress can reform the Child Nutrition Act to help schools offer healthy lunches that would reverse America’s obesity epidemic and other diet-related diseases that stress our health care system.
At the event, covered in the congressional newspaper The Hill, attendees were also treated to lunchroom-friendly, healthful food samples, and basketballs signed by Salley.
“Students need more fruits and vegetables that will help them stay healthy, fit, and ready to learn. That’s why it’s important for Congress to stay on top of its game by reforming the Child Nutrition Act,” said Salley, the first NBA player in history to play on three different championship-winning teams.
Salley—who played for the Detroit Pistons, the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls, and the Los Angeles Lakers—was joined by Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., PCRM’s Elizabeth Kucinich and Neal Barnard, M.D., and Washington, D.C.-area students.
Chef Lauren Von Der Pool, who taught a cooking demonstration for attendees, is a former gang member who has become a successful Hollywood chef specializing in vegan cuisine. She has catered at the Oscars, Grammys, and other celebrity events. She also teaches a culinary arts course at Ballou Senior High School in Washington, D.C.
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