Can schools stop obesity? Should they even try? | Get Schooled

Can schools stop obesity? Should they even try? Get Schooled: "Koebnick said the obesity epidemic is driven by a combination of lack of physical activity and poor eating habits. “It’s unhealthy eating habits — fast food versus slow food,” she said. Parents need to be role models for their children, Koebnick stressed. “There are studies suggesting parent’s weight has a significant influence on the child’s weight,” she noted. Extreme obesity can lead to serious health problems such as diabetes and heart disease, Koebnick added"

I get so very angry about the slow food vs. fast food issue. It still amazes me that some of my friends are in their 20s and don't know how to peel an onion. Their reasoning is I just don't like to cook. Here is a great recipe that takes 20 minutes to prepare and put in the crock pot, filled with great vegetables that you cut up yourself.

1 onion - peeled and diced
1 jalapeno - diced with seeds
1 green pepper - seeded and diced
1 pound of organic, grass fed, free range ground beef, browned
1 16 oz can of organic hot chili beans (I use canned here now but am moving towards making my own, soaking beans the night before)
1 32 oz can of organic diced tomatoes (this I just read an article on how we shouldn't use canned tomatoes so I'm going to start moving away from it)

Dump it all in a crock pot- turn on low and when you get home you have crock pot chili

Seriously what more could you ask for - you have vegetables and meats in one dish that doesn't take any time to put in the crock pot. Heck even if you serve it with Frito's you still are more healthy than fast foods. I don't understand why our country has made it so scary to cook at home. There is an overwhelming fear of cooking that I just don't understand. If you have a fear of cooking, please send me an email at battle2heal@gmail.com and let me know why. Is it that you failed home economics? Is it that you have never done it before? Is it that you fear failure? Because if it's any of these, I can help overcome these fears and get you on the road to healthy successful cooking!

There is also this thought that going out to dinner is faster than cooking at home. I have timed it - going to a Mexican restaurant or making it at home - home wins the battle of time every time. Because going out isn't just ordering food and getting it. You have to drive to the restaurant, wait in line to be seated, order a drink (hopefully water), get chips and salsa (like 1000 calories a basketful), order, get the food, eat, pay the bill, leave a tip, get in the car and then drive home. This is at least 90 minutes start to finish. When I cook Mexican total time with clean up is 60 minutes and that involves 30 minutes for eating. We save 1000's of calories in the basket of chips alone.

Okay, I'm done with my rant today. Please take a moment, cut up a vegetable, sing while you do it and I promise it will be the best tasting vegetable ever. A friend once told me there is nothing better than cooking with love for the people eating. Love yourself today!