In An Exclusive Interview With Cooking Light, First Lady Michelle Obama Talks About The State Of Family Dinner & How She Will Measure The Success Of Let's Move!

NEW YORK and BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Cooking Light, Time Inc.'s (NYSE: TIME) leading epicurean brand that celebrates great food and good health, features an exclusive interview with First Lady Michelle Obama in its March 2015 issue.  Mrs. Obama discusses the state of family dinner in America today, how she will measure the success of Let's Move!, what meals were like growing up in the Robinson household, and more.  Cooking Light's "Family Dinner" issue marks the first time in the brand's 28-year history that it has featured a person on the cover.  The issue hits newsstands nationwide on Friday, February 13, and the full interview with the first lady is available at CookingLight.com/LetsCook.

In "The First Lady of Food," Cooking Light Editor Hunter Lewis examines Mrs. Obama's role as the most food-focused first lady ever.  Excerpts from the feature and an extended Q&A with Mrs. Obama:

On the progress of Let's Move! since its launch five years ago …
"We're really proud of the changes we've seen across the country — most proud of the fact that it feels like there's a new norm in how families think about food and what's healthy."

On some of the challenges Let's Move! has faced over the last five years …
"Change is hard for anybody.  And when you're talking about food, food is really personal.  So when you're telling people to rethink their dietary habits that they've lived with all their lives, it's really personal."

On measuring the success of Let's Move! ...
"We measure this in terms of a generation. … So we're looking at those kids who are coming into kindergarten right now, who are coming out of preschools who have now adopted new standards, and they're serving different snacks. … We're looking at that kid going through high school and then entering college with a whole new set of habits and taste buds."

On the impact of Let's Move! …
"… I think one of the most impactful things that we've done today when we look back … are the changes in the school lunch program. I mean, millions and millions of children rely on the school lunch program for the vast majority of their nutritional calories."

On why the Obamas made food such a big part of their platform … 
"… The most powerful thing that [people] can do for their overall health is feed their bodies good nutritious food — if you don't like the doctor, if you don't like government, if you don't like folks messing with your life, the best thing to do is make sure you're healthy."

On empowering, not guilting, people to return to the kitchen …
"We have to be deliberate about [getting back to home cooking traditions].  It won't happen by accident.  People are busier today.  Life is different … but we have to find those new healthier norms."

On what Mrs. Obama will continue to do once she leaves the White House to promote healthy eating, physical activity, and family cooking … 
"… Because our goals are generational, clearly we won't be done by the time we leave the White House. So we're going to be thinking hard about ways that I can use my next platform as a way to keep shining a light on the things that we're doing. If there's one word that I could say about what we do in the future, it's 'more.' It's more of this."

On how Sam Kass helped change the eating habits of the Obama family … 
"… He was a core of our processed-food elimination … and my kids loved the macaroni and cheese in a box … He said, there's nothing wrong with mac and cheese, but it's got to be real food. So my oldest daughter [Malia], who was probably 8 at the time, he took a block of cheese and he said, if you can cut this cheese up into the powder that is the cheese of the boxed macaroni and cheese, then we'll use it. She sat there for 30 minutes trying to pulverize a block of cheese into dust … And from then on, we stopped eating macaroni and cheese out of a box, because cheese dust is not food, as was the moral of that story."

On her mother's cooking …
"She was famous for her lemon chicken, and that was a good Sunday dish. There was always the sad and unfortunate liver Wednesdays … weekends were more fun … fish on Friday, and maybe once a week we'd do takeout, get pizza.  But there was a pattern to what we ate.  They were familiar flavors … we would sit around the table with the plastic tablecloth, and that's when we would catch up and we'd talk about what we were eating, talk about what was going on in the day."

On dinnertime at the White House … 
"We've found that we've been able to have dinner … almost every night together, between 6:30 and 7.  We have a bigger table and somebody else is doing the cooking, but the conversation and the mood and the tone are still the same.  It's our most important time of the day."

Inspired, in part, by Mrs. Obama's work with Let's Move!, Cooking Light is launching Let's Cook!, a curriculum for cooks of all skill levels and ages, to make cooking at home more practical for busy families.  Each recipe requires minimal equipment, costs less than $12 to prepare for four people, and takes less than 30 minutes.  The recipes are cheaper and healthier than fast food, and all the ingredients are available at your local supermarket.  To download the full curriculum in English or Spanish, go to CookingLight.com/LetsCook.

For more on Lewis's conversation with First Lady Michelle Obama, go to CookingLight.com/LetsCook.

About Cooking Light
Cooking Light is one of the largest epicurean magazine brands in the U.S. and is uniquely positioned at the intersection of great-tasting food and good health.  The brand delivers innovative recipes, nutrition advice, and resources to live a healthful lifestyle via its magazine, website, and portfolio of cookbooks; across all tablets; through the highly acclaimed Cooking Light Quick & Healthy Menu Maker app; with a fresh prepared-foods line and branded cookware; and on social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter (@Cooking_Light), Pinterest, Instagram (@cookinglight), and Google+.  In 2013, Cooking Light received two James Beard Foundation Book, Broadcast, and Journalism Awards. Cooking Light is owned by Time Inc., one of the largest media companies in the world.

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SOURCE Cooking Light

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