There’s no doubt that the entire first family eats well. The Obamas have made strides to improve nutrition in America in the past eight years, including Michelle's Let’s Move initiative, the White House Kitchen Garden, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 and the first ever Task Force on Childhood Obesity.
In light of my appreciation for the first family’s health habits, I initially wanted to eat exactly like the President for one week. That proved to be quite the challenge as a freshman in college without access to over 25 White House staff and assistant chefs to whip up nutritious meals for me. I also struggled to find (what seems to be top secret information) on Obama’s everyday meals. Instead, here are nine ways we can all be a little healthier and a little more presidential.
1. Eat whole foods.
The Obamas love their fresh fruits and vegetables, especially when they are grown right in their backyard. The President particularly loves broccoli, as well as apples (which he keeps a giant bowl of in the Oval Office). While he loves seasonal vegetables, he will only eat salads in an emergency.
2. Eat lots of nuts.
Obama especially loves almonds and pistachios. In fact, he eats exactly seven lightly salted almonds every night. The President also loves trail mix, but not the kind with M&M’s. Obama’s right-hand man, Reggie Love (former Duke University football and basketball star), once made the mistake of buying Obama the wrong trail mix before a flight to New York City and the President reportedly picked out every M&M, holding them in his palm like pieces of candy-coated toxic waste, claiming, “I’m not going to eat these.” We’ll take them, Mr. President.
3. Avoid fast food.
As President Obama’s body man, Reggie Love learned a lot about Obama’s eating habits and food pet peeves. In his memoir, “Power Forward: My Presidential Education,” Love gave us a look into the President’s healthy diet, in which he replaces batter and fried foods with grilled fish or chicken as well as avoids fast food and soda at all costs.
4. Find your favorite chili recipe.
The Obama’s have a special family chili recipe that has been around since the President was in college. Check out the full recipe here.
5. Drink OJ and green tea, but ditch the coffee.
While most of need coffee to get us through the day, the President surprisingly isn’t a coffee drinker. Instead, he prefers to start his mornings with orange juice or green tea. But if you are in the White House and looking for a cup of joe, you can bet that it will be Hawaiian Kona coffee, the staff’s favorite.
6. Never eat mayonnaise.
While I personally am very fond of mayonnaise, many people find the condiment bland or even revolting, Obama being one of them. According to Reggie Love, the President absolutely hates mayo.
7. Drink Black Forest Berry Honest Tea
If he’s not drinking OJ or green tea, he’s probably sipping his other favorite beverage, organic Black Forest Berry Honest Tea. This drink is hard to find, but his staff tries to keep bottles on hand. In a pinch, the President will go for homemade black cherry ice tea made with green tea leaves.
8. Eat at one of Mario Batali's restaurants.
Mario Batali, an internationally-acclaimed chef, writer, media personality, and long-time supporter of Michelle's Let’s Move program, was asked to prepare the Obamas’ final White House state dinner. To get a taste of what the Obamas enjoyed at the state dinner, pay a visit to one of the renowned chef’s 14 restaurants in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Boston, California, Connecticut, and Singapore. My fellow Duke students were graced with the chef's presence when he visited our campus in November for a cooking demo.
9. Treat yourself once in a while.
While the Obamas are very conscientious eaters, they take pride in splurging on treats and desserts once in a while. Mrs. Obama was once spotted chowing down on a 1,700-calorie order from Shake Shack which included a burger, fries, chocolate milkshake, and a Diet Coke. President Obama is also an ardent lover of cheeseburgers, often taking VP and BFF Joe Biden for out for burgers and fries at various burger joints around D.C.
We will never forget the impact the Obamas’ have made on food culture in America within the past eight years, from humorous Vines to life-changing programs and campaigns. We'll miss you, President Obama.