199 - Protecting Kids' Plates: Battle for Better School Food w/ Congressman Mike Kennedy

Just Ingredients

Health & Fitness

5 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2025

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In today’s episode, Congressman Mike and I dive into the details of the Healthy Lunch Kids Act, discussing its importance in providing healthier school lunches free from harmful artificial ingredients. The Importance of Healthy School Lunches: Congressman Kennedy shares his passion for improving school lunches, emphasizing that the food our children eat directly impacts their focus, learning, and overall health. He highlights how many kids are consuming excessive amounts of sugar and artificial ingredients, which can lead to behavioral issues and hinder their academic performance. The Legislative Process: We discuss how a bill gets passed in Congress. Congressman Kennedy explains the steps involved, from sponsorship to committee reviews and ultimately to the President’s desk. It’s a lengthy and often challenging process, but understanding it empowers us as citizens to engage and advocate for the changes we want to see. Overcoming Opposition: One of the most surprising aspects of our conversation was the pushback that healthy food initiatives face, even when they seem like common sense. Congressman Kennedy discusses the financial interests that often oppose such bills. It’s a reminder that while we may think everyone wants healthier options for our kids, there are significant hurdles to overcome. Bio: Congressman Mike Kennedy is the United States Representative for Utah’s Third District. He practiced family medicine in Utah County for nearly 25 years until he was sworn in as a member of Congress in January of this year. Driven by a desire to better advocate for his patients, he pursued a law degree by attending night classes—all while continuing his full-time medical practice. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Congressman Kennedy is a devoted family man. He and his wife, Katrina, have been married for 31 years and are the proud parents of eight children. Connect with Congressman Mike Kennedy: Instagram: repmikekennedy Facebook: RepMikeKennedy X: repmikekennedy Website: mikekennedy.house.gov Spring is here and we’re celebrating with 20% off all electrolytes—including four new flavors like Blue Hawaiian and Coconut Lime—plus three summer protein powders, including Neapolitan and Tropical Paradise! Shop the launch April 28–May 2 at justingredients.us Looking for more Just Ingredients content? Instagram Stories: @just.ingredients Podcast Instagram: @just.ingredients.podcast Facebook Community: Join our group Discover our non-toxic product line: Shop Just Ingredients Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Just Ingredients podcast. I'm Kar-Linn, and here we talk all things nourishing to the mind, body, and soul.
0:15.5	This is a place where you can find just good ingredients to life.
0:23.2	Welcome back to the show, everyone.
0:25.2	Today I am really excited for our guests.
0:27.9	We have Congressman Mike Kennedy, who is the United States representative for Utah's
0:32.4	third district.
0:33.8	He practiced family medicine in Utah County for nearly 25 years until he was sworn in as a member of Congress in January of this year.
0:42.6	Driven by a desire to better advocate for his patients, he pursued a law degree by attending night classes, all while continuing his full-time medical practice.
0:52.6	Beyond his professional accomplishments,
0:54.7	Congressman Kennedy is a devoted family man. He and his wife, Katrina, have been married for 31
1:00.1	years and are the proud parents of eight children. I am so excited to talk to him today and welcome
1:06.5	Congressman Kennedy. Carlin, thanks for having me on. It's great to be with you and your listeners.
1:11.7	Well, we should tell them why I have you on the show is because you are sponsoring a bill
1:16.7	right now that I believe in heavily and support.
1:20.9	As you know, I helped with the Utah sort of version of this bill.
1:25.3	But the bill that you're working on is called the Healthy Lunch
1:28.9	Kids Act. And I would love for you to tell the listeners what this entails. Yeah, I love to do that.
1:35.3	Before that, I want to talk a little bit about my medical practice because it's been my privilege,
1:40.1	and I'm grateful to be here with you today. It's been my privilege for 25 years to be working
1:44.4	with people on their health and well-being. And I've got a lot to say over those 25 years. First,
1:49.4	in medical school, I don't think they taught us anything about nutrition except for this. Get this.
1:55.4	This is the main thing in medical school I learned about nutrition was when somebody is critically
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