Michelle Obama Cookbook 'American Grown' To Be Released April 2012

Michelle Obama may not be a chef, but we have a feeling that it won't matter. Michelle Obama's first cookbook, American Grown: How the White House Kitchen Garden Inspires Families, Schools, and Communities will go on sale nationwide on April 10, 2012. The book will tell the story of the White House kitchen garden, and also focuses on healthy, affordable food for families and communities across America. American Grown aims to provide ideas and resources for communities to create gardens, support farmers' markets and make small lifestyle changes to achieve positive health results. The press release explains:

Mrs. Obama will describe how her daughters Sasha and Malia were catalysts for change in her own family's eating behavior, which inspired Mrs. Obama to plant an edible garden on the South Lawn -- the first since Eleanor Roosevelt's "Victory Garden" planted during World War II.

Today, the First Lady is appearing in Chicago for Let's Move's first annual food desert summit. Sam Kass, Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives, told Obama Foodorama that the First Lady will eradicate all food deserts by 2017. "I firmly believe we can meet that goal, he said. "We're seeing amazing energy around the issue and communities really starting to begin to tackle this in ways that make sense to them."

See the full book cover below:

Comments

[Howard Faulkner]

03:28 PM on 10/27/2011

Thank you, Michelle and husband for getting to the root, no pun intended just an accident, of a very serious problem the nation faces....a problem that is draining the life out of the country We are what we eat, and you've looked at us and see why our healthcare costs have exploded in the last 10-15 years. You are leading in the field against our worst enemy, quiet corporate toxin manufacturers that we, out of ignorance, fall prey to every single day. You are one important missionary of the most important mission in life.....to eat right.

[Vanessa1129]

11:44 AM on 10/27/2011

Kudos & congrats to First Lady! Great covah!

[Kellybelle22]

10:58 AM on 10/27/2011

Gardening is great, but a great many of the at-risk families who live in areas where there's a nutritious food drought don't have land to cultivate. I'd love to see more of these inner-city areas forming produce cooperatives and working together in neighborhood community gardens, which would allow them to grow their own. These alternatives are already being encouraged in metropolitan areas with sophisticated, organized locavore movements. I'd love to see those in more metropolitan areas, including mine (Dallas).

[bmitche]

03:18 PM on 10/26/2011

She is trying to improve people's health by focusing on healthy and affordable foods. Some will benefit from the information, and some will ignore it.

[patriciacaldwell]

12:14 PM on 11/04/2011

Those who ignore it will harm themselves and this country. We need a healthy workforce if this country is to move forward.

[Angrykitteh]

02:26 PM on 10/26/2011

Well ya know, there wouldn't be as many "food deserts" if people could afford all those wonderful fresh vegetables, organic dairy products and meats.

Making these foods available is not the only answer.

[patriciacaldwell]

12:22 PM on 11/04/2011

Most food grown in this country is in the hands of big business, not individual farmers or coops. The bottom line is more important to them than concern about pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Education about nutrition needs to begin with young children and their families. Support local farmers markets.

[journ student]

01:24 PM on 10/26/2011

Good lord what a bunch of nasty people some of you are. Obesity is a serious problem in the U.S. and she's trying to address it by educating people about healthy food options, helping people in food deserts have access to fresh produce, and encouragin­g kids to get regular exercise. Can someone please tell me what about any of that is bad? Nowhere, to my knowledge, has she said anything about "forcing" people to eat something or not eat something. Methinks some of you are projecting­; you'd force people to do what you wanted if given the chance and therefore assume Mrs. Obama would too.
Frankly I think a lot of people would say awful, ignorant things about her no matter what she did.

[Vanessa1129]

11:45 AM on 10/27/2011

Sad, but true

@ Frankly I think a lot of people would say awful, ignorant things about her no matter what she did.

[gingercurls]

01:09 PM on 10/26/2011

I love cookbooks. I must have over 100 and would love to add this one to my collection. Healthy eating is not Liberal or Conservative, Republican or Democrat.

[Vanessa1129]

11:46 AM on 10/27/2011

*tapping Ginger on shoulder*

Can Ness come ovah for dinner sometime? lol

[gingercurls]

12:38 PM on 10/28/2011

Sure! Always room for one more.

[KatherineOne]

11:10 AM on 10/26/2011

I'm not a fan of Michele for many reasons but one fact remains true, todays kids are overweight and need to get away from the video games and fries and become active in something.

[Vanessa1129]

11:47 AM on 10/27/2011

Truth!


@ todays kids are overweight and need to get away from the video games and fries and become active in something.

[thrillsupmeleg]

03:43 PM on 10/29/2011

Silly me...and I thought so many kids are obese because of poor parenting. Thank God the fed gvt is involved...and not even an elected official spending the tax $$$ on her "plans" for the fatties.

[Prnzez]

11:02 AM on 10/26/2011

Did I miss it or does it say where the profits for this book are going? In her pocket I'm guessing.
I think it would be nice to donate the profits, but then that's just me.

[patriciacaldwell]

12:38 PM on 11/04/2011

This has been stated repeatedly in HP articles: "As for the profits? Mrs. Obama won't get a dime. No book advance here; all proceeds will go to to-be-determined charities." Read more: http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/22/michelle-obama-to-publish-gardening-cooking-book/#ixzz1cktGnTFP

[Bafun]

10:27 AM on 10/26/2011

She looks great again on this picture. As usual, warm, friendly and likable.

[Vanessa1129]

11:47 AM on 10/27/2011

Cosign!

[klile]

10:27 AM on 10/26/2011

The United States is the #2 most obese nation in the world. Mrs. Obama has made addressing childhood obesity one of her causes. This is a good thing. It is too bad that small minded individuals posting here feel compelled to make snarky comments, trying to turn her efforts into something negative. Grow up, people!

[lorenardgerunner]

12:58 PM on 10/26/2011

You took the word right out of my mouth....

[katybird241]

12:31 PM on 11/04/2011

It's big government how?

[cree1997]

09:52 AM on 10/26/2011

When the garden had its first harvest there was a story on the news about the soil containing some not so healthy lead or something about the soil not being good and they would not eat the harvest. Did anyone else hear anything about that.

[Apelika]

12:10 PM on 10/26/2011

I remember that as well.

[patriciacaldwell]

12:42 PM on 11/04/2011

That was misinformation. Surprise!! The soil was sampled for various chemicals and replaced by composed soil. I did the same thing for my organic garden years ago.

[Kathy Foreman Werner]

09:14 AM on 10/26/2011

sounds like an interesting book - I'll have to check it out if only to find out what a "food desert" is :). Is it anything like the Sahara?? Or does someone not know how to spell dessert lol??

[henrys gramma]

11:38 AM on 10/26/2011

A food desert is an area in the inner city where only there are no available sources for healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables and most of the food is the unhealthy fasf food type. Mrs Obama is trying to get more stores to carry fruits, vegetables and more healthy food choices for these areas. In Chicago, she has been successful in getting some Walgreens stores to install refridgerated sections and to have these foods available for their customers, instead of just chips, candy, etc.

[Apelika]

12:13 PM on 10/26/2011

Oh really? Lets see, I have found frozen pizza and ice cream and lots of cold beer at Walgreens. I have never found fresh foods.

[bpd9227]

09:07 AM on 10/26/2011

All of a sudden she's Martha Stewart.

[thrillsupmeleg]

03:48 PM on 10/29/2011

It does appear those wig hats are applied with a Stewart hot glue gun, available at your local Target...near the Lysol.

[sugarcreekchile]

07:00 AM on 10/26/2011

The First Lady is just putting out a cookbook of other's recipes. Anyone else notice that there was no mention of any of the profits from her book going to any charity, such as a food bank or to fund urban gardens.

[LQM50]

08:05 AM on 10/26/2011

From the original press release: "Mrs. Obama accepted no advance for the book and will donate all net or after-tax author proceeds to a charity or charities to be named later. Random House, Inc. will also make a donation to an appropriate charity to be named later."

It's not about "recipes", it's about healthy eating and improving people's lives. How dare she!

[sugarcreekchile]

08:49 AM on 10/26/2011

Not having seen the original press release, I'm glad to hear that the proceeds of the book will go to charities. This Huffpost article does the First Lady a disservice by not noting that she will not profit from the book. A cookbook is about recipes in this case healthy ones using home-grown produce and the recipes are not the First Lady's but one's she endorses.

[Natalie Brown Bostelman]

10:46 AM on 10/26/2011

Thank you. F & F

[jcstarkman]

01:43 PM on 10/26/2011

others'