In a world of text messages and emojis, it may seem hard to believe that people still put pen to paper, write letters, address envelopes, and lick stamps the “old fashioned way.” Here at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, mail still pours in from all across the country. Many of the letters for First Lady Michelle Obama talk about the Let’s Move! initiative and how Americans of all ages have been inspired or impacted by this work.

As we near the end of 2016, we are reflecting back on all of the amazing Let’s Move! moments throughout the year. From the First Lady’s surprise garden visits and dedication of the White House Kitchen Garden to announcing the modernized Nutrition Facts label and hosting the first-ever fun run, we continued to make impactful progress, while also having some fun, in this final year of the Obama Administration.

The transformation of Cabell County Schools’ Food Service Program hasn’t always been easy, but today, students are benefitting from healthy, well-balanced meals mostly made from scratch.

When I accepted Fitbit’s two-week Step It Up! Challenge, my hope was that we would tap into America’s competitive spirit and get everyone to walk more. The challenge was designed so that folks could team up and invite others to step it up, too. While some participants seemed to really enjoy competing and comparing their step count with mine, the real goal wasn’t about who walks more or less. It was about establishing a habit that would set us on a path to a stronger, healthier nation.

As a mom with a teen and a tween at home, it’s my job to be sure they grow up healthy, smart, and strong. I’m alert to what they see and I watch what they watch.  And let me tell you, when it comes to food marketing, they’re not seeing a lot about fresh fruits and vegetables. We know marketing works – we can see it in efforts to sell everything from cars and phones to all sorts of foods. It works to drive awareness of products and deliver persuasive, compelling, and often behavior-changing routines on consumers, including our children.

Ed. Note: This is a cross post from the USDA Blog. You can find the original post here.  Last week, children from more than a dozen schools and child care centers across the nation joined First Lady Michelle Obama for her final harvest of the White House garden. This event was more than just photo ops and shaking hands; kids got their hands dirty, harvesting the produce they later used to prepare a healthy meal. This was a neat experience for the students who participated, but it was also representative of the types of activities students are participating in all around the country. School gardens, nutritious snacks, farm to lunch tray meals, and nutrition education are all part of the healthier school environments students are experiencing each and every day.

White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford and her team joined the First Lady, students from around the country, and some special guest helpers yesterday for the First Lady’s final Fall White House Kitchen Garden Harvest. Together they prepared Grilled Flatbread with Basil Puree and Garden Vegetables using ingredients grown in the White House Kitchen Garden and picked fresh that day. Yum!