You may not be able to eat like the leader of the free world at your next meal, but if you want to eat healthier and fuel your own rise, the former White House chef Sam Kass suggests doing it one meal at a time.
In his new cookbook, "Eat A Little Better: Great Flavor, Good Health, Better World," Kass shares the recipes he prepared for President Obama and his family. It includes the president's ["lucky pasta,"] (https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Little-Better-Flavor-Health/dp/0451494946) which Kass made for Obama before his second debate with GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney in 2012. After the president delivered a strong performance in that debate, Kass wrote that he decided to make that same pasta for the president before Obama's last presidential debate and on election night.
"Eat A Little Better" was written as a guide to eating healthier and doing good for the environment plate by plate. Kass recommends small steps to eating a little better each day, eventually achieving a big change.
"People end up trying to get these utopic ideals of a what a perfect diet looks like, and then they fail, they get discouraged, and they give up," said Kass. "This book really celebrates progress, and it's like here are some real tools to make steps in the right direction day in and day out, and then over time it really adds up."
Kass's book isn't just a compilation of his favorite recipes. It's filled with glimpses inside the Obamas' life at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. He wrote about his "audition" for Michelle and their children and ripping up part of the White House's South Lawn to plant a vegetable garden.
Kass first connected with the Obamas months after then-Senator Obama launched his campaign for president in 2007. Michelle Obama wanted someone to keep the family running on healthy food while she joined candidate Obama on the campaign trail. Kass cooked up creations for the first family for eight years.
While his cooking landed him a spot in the White House kitchen, Kass also served as the senior policy advisor for nutrition policy, playing a key role in passing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010. That measure made school lunches healthier for more than 31 million children across America.
Kass said that while he was teaching President Obama about food, the president was teaching him about politics. The best piece of policy advice he ever received from the president?
"You always start off with 'what's the right thing to do?' and then you go from there."
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/former-white-house-chef-sam-kass-shares-the-obama-familys-favorite-dishes).
Melissa Eamer, founder and CEO of aging wellness brand Modern Age, joins Cheddar News to discuss the recent launch of its digital experience and flagship in New York City.
Danny Trejo is teaming up with Tostitos the once again for Cinco de Mayo. The actor and restaurateur is starring in the tortilla chip brand's commercial with Sofia Reyes to inspire others on how to celebrate the holiday. The "Machete" star joined Cheddar News to talk about the campaign. "I only do things I like, and I like Tostitos," he said. "You know, I love their Scoops. They don't break in the guacamole."
Award-winning chef and television host, Aarón Sánchez is hosting a new Spanish language cooking competition series El Sabor de Aarón. For the first time ever and entirely in Spanish, Aarón has recruited 20 professional chefs who will attempt to concoct the quintessential Hispanic "sabor" across every type of Hispanic cuisine. Chef Sánchez joined Cheddar News to talk about the new series dropping on Hogar de HGTV.
Every April 27th, we celebrate the treat that could be sweet but also be salty and has an array of dips to choose from. This National Pretzel Day, Philip Given, co-founder of The Pretzel Company, joined News Wrap's Food Stand to tell us all about the knotty treats.
After Thai rapper Milli took the Coachella stage to perform her hit single 'Mango Sticky Rice,' while simultaneously eating the dish, she unknowingly created the latest food craze. Eve Mokkarat, co-founder, and Bia Nattapatch, manager of NYC Thai restaurant Soothr, joined News Wrap's Food Stand to break down the dish!
New York City’s geography makes it particularly at risk to the impacts of climate change - like rising seas and subsequent flooding. The city has already experienced the effects of increasingly severe weather. In response, the city is building a plan to protect itself, from flood walls, to levees, to redesigning its coast.
Daisy Pitkin, author of "On The Line: A Story of Class, Solidarity, and Two Women's Epic Fight to Build a Union," joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss her work as a union organizer at Workers United, helping Starbucks workers to organize. Pitkin expressed her enthusiasm for the recent labor push across the country, and explained how the movement can gain even more momentum in the future.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 27, 2022, with Tesla stocks absorbing an initial hit following Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, Russia pausing its natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 mission taking off, and more.
Members-only home swapping network Kindred recently announced its launch alongside a $7.75 million seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz. Homeowners and renters can exchange homes on Kindred's platform, which the company says allows members to travel and take advantage of remote-work flexibility at the fraction of the cost of a hotel or rental home. Justin Palefsky and Tas Amina, co-founders of Kindred, join Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
