By now, you guys all know that food isn’t as simple as farm to grocery store.  There are all kinds of forces shaping the way we eat and the way we think about food, which contributes to the obesity problem in America.  From lack of access to healthy produce, to labeling regulations, to the kind of food cafeterias are mandated to feed children, there is a whole lot more than personal choice going on when...

read more

Our partner, Life's Sweeter, an effort out of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, just released a new PSA about the dangers of sugar-sweetened beverages.   Life's Sweeter aims to reduce consumption of sugary drinks to three per person per week by 2020.  They are starting by releasing the facts.   Check out their super-cool PSA, available in both English and Spanish, and link it to your friends!   If you want to...

read more

HUGE news, friends!  The new federal guidelines for school lunches have been released.  This change is the first revamp of our government’s school lunch (and breakfast!) program in 15 years.  This is important because 32 million kids just like you regularly eat school lunch.  The new plan has its strengths and weaknesses, but most people are celebrating these relatively huge steps to fight obesity and make sure kids are eating healthy food in schools! Here...

read more

Thanks to Catalyst’s Activate: U Mini-Grants, nine schools and community groups have been busy implementing initiatives to make their worlds healthier. We awarded the mini-grants of $1000 late last year, and are beginning to see the programs they’re going towards flourish. Check out the cool stuff going on with each of our nine mini-grant recipients below.1) Madelia High SchoolStudents at Madelia High are using their mini-grant funds to help pay for their new, healthy vending...

read more

Hey guys! I know I am always talking about taking initiatives for your health, eating well, and talking to others about why healthy food is important to you.  But the truth is I don’t always walk the walk.  Sometimes I get too busy to eat well, much less talk to others why they should help provide healthy options to students like you.  And though I have been lecturing my parents on fruits and vegetables and...

read more

So we're really excited to announce our magazine! We've been working on it for a while, and our goal is to show all the cool projects Catalyst students have been working on, and also feature projects going on around the country! Please check it, It's full of interesting stories, bio's from our youth board, and lots more!     Open publication - Free publishing - More catalyst

read more

Guys, I just watched a terrifying movie about scientific experiments spreading far beyond their intended uses and wreaking havoc on the Earth.  While this was happening, the makers of the technology monopolized the industry and even got into influential positions in the government, allowing the technology to continue to take over the Earth. No, this isn’t the latest sci-fi flick.  This movie was a pretty scary documentary called The Future of Food.  Which means, yes,...

read more

Hopkins School District serves some of the freshest and most nutritious school lunches in the state, thanks in a large part to Bertrand Weber. Weber overhauled Hopkins food service when he held the position of Royale Cuisine director of operations with the district from 2003 to 2006. Now, Minneapolis Public Schools are hoping to benefit from his experience and knowledge. Weber was recently hired as director of nutrition services for Minneapolis Public Schools. City and...

read more

In a recent twist in food marketing tactics, McDonalds has attempted to put a Farm to Fork spin on their fries. Check the ad here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cXgKCFqACkw. Though their new ad suggests that their fries go straight from this friendly potato supplier to their restaurants, the truth is, after harvest, the fries travel to a supply company, where they are washed, peeled, cut, blanched, deep fried, and dipped in sugar.  Then they travel to the restaurants, where they...

read more

Good news! All the hard work going into lowering America's obesity rate might actually be working! There is some encouraging news from New York City: obesity prevalance in elementary and middle schoolers has been on the decline. Check out the details in the article below! Inspiring results from New York City By Jeannine Stein, Los Angeles Times / For the Booster Shots blog 3:20 p.m. CST, December 15, 2011 Some encouraging news on the childhood...

read more

Our friends over at the Center for Science in the Public Interest put together some awesome infographics to portray why food marketers need some advice from the Interagency Working Group on how to improve their food marketing to kids.   The Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children was formed in 2009 by Congress to develop guidelines for companies that market food to kids.  They proposed a strong set of guidelines earlier this year, but...

read more

  I'm no food scientest, but the more I look at the above image, the less it looks like a carrot. But apparently the U.S. Congress think it does.  Congress just sent a clear message that protecting the food industry is more important to them than protecting children's health.  Congress passed an Agriculture spending bill that weakens the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) ability to implement strong, common-sense standards for school meals.  As a result...

read more

Candy has a way of tempting us from its pedastal in the grocery check out lanes. Nearly all of us have sucuumb to its taunting as we stand there, waiting for the cashier to scan our healthier options. So, in efforts to rid sweets of their appeal and contribute to America's health, some grocers have opted to clear out gum and candy from select check out lines, and replace it with fruits, vegetables and other...

read more

Hey all!  I hope you had an awesome Thanksgiving!  Right before I left for break, something AWESOME happened.  I got to eat lunch with a lunch lady at my school.  Her name is Piper and she is awesome!  But she’s not just a lunch lady; she’s actually the Midwest Fellow for Bon Appétit, the company that caters for our cafeteria.  We also met with more local company leaders.  They had lots of awesome stuff to say, and they served all...

read more

On October 24, Catalyst members acros the state celebrated Food Day at their high schools. Check out the pics below documenting how they took a stand against sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity!

read more

Are you ready for this, Catalyst?  I am finally ready to show you what it is like to eat at Macalester College every day, and get us started thinking about little things we can do to be healthy daily!   Why not a whole week?  Well, I got really excited about doing this and wanted to start right away, but I forgot that Fall Break fell at the end of this particular week.  I decided...

read more

Inspired by Catalyst's activism event at the 2011 Summit, Arizona in Action built a giant bar graph in the town of Goodyear, AZ, to demonstrate Arizona's rising obesity rates through the last 30 years. The event was part of Goodyear in Action Day. The graph was partially filled with empty soda cans, to demonstrate soda's role in the skyrocketing obesity rates. Arizona in Action promotes and motivates people of all ages in Arizona towards healthier...

read more

Guess what guys? Monday was Food Day, and Catalyst wants to know what you were up to!  If you were one of the people who recieved our activism kits, or even if you just rocked it out on your own, send pictures of your event to colleen@bethecatalyst.org! Hopefully, we'll see your events on the website and our facebook page soon.  Until then, here's a look at what I did on Food Day, as well as...

read more

It is Food Week, Catalyst! What is this madness? Well, World Food Day, USA was yesterday- Sunday, October 16, 2011. World Food Day is a worldwide event that aims to increase awareness and understanding of world hunger and inspire informed, year-round action to fight it. Check out the website here- http://www.worldfooddayusa.org/ And Food Day is an American event that will be happening next Monday, October 24, 2011! Food Day’s goals are to 1- Reduce diet-related...

read more

Our friends over at The Lunch Tray just posted a disturbing but informative infographic on childhood obesity. Check it out.

read more