For years, American mothers have navigated the complex maze of feeding their children meals they want to eat, while also worrying about obesity, chronic illness, and the many unhealthy offerings crowding every grocery aisle and school cafeteria. Now, in a historic step, the Trump Administration is poised to deliver landmark recommendations that promise to empower moms to improve the health of their children.
The “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) Commission, led by Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., presented President Trump with a plan to finally tackle obesity and chronic disease among our nation’s children.
The original MAHA assessment released in May painted a stark picture about the health of our kids. It found that more than one in five children over age six are obese, marking a more than 270 percent increase since the 1970s. Pre-diabetes now affects over one in four teens, having more than doubled in just two decades. Childhood cancer has surged nearly 40% since 1975, while autism spectrum disorder affects one in 31 children today.
These statistics are startling. But they are also a call to action among moms and HHS under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership.
The MAHA initiative provides a clear road map for making our kids healthy again. Now that the federal government is committed to combatting factors fueling childhood obesity, moms can be empowered to push schools to provide healthier natural foods, and less processed snacks. Giving moms the tools to make informed choices is key.
This would represent a massive change to the status quo that is making kids sick. While it may be shocking for parents to hear that nearly 70 percent of children’s calories now come from processed foods, knowledge is power. Having this data empowers parents to demand better options that can be both healthy and delicious.
For too long, healthy has been seen by kids as synonymous with bland. But herbs and spices can play a central role in changing that. When we think of spices we think of flavor but there’s more to spices than flavor, there are health benefits as well.
Cinnamon can help regulate blood sugar, making it a smart addition to breakfast oatmeal or baked apples. Garlic, oregano, and thyme boast antimicrobial properties, which can help keep children healthier through the school year. Even a sprinkle of black pepper can boost nutrient absorption from other foods. In this way, spices provide more than flavor. They can be a strategic tool for moms looking to provide more whole and nutritious natural foods, without a family mutiny at the dinner table.
Given the role spices can play in a healthier America, now is not the time to make them more expensive. After all, the grocery bill is one of the biggest strains on the family budget, made worse by Biden-era policy decisions.
We strongly endorse President Trump’s trade agenda and acknowledge that tariffs have proven successful by bringing in significant revenue to America. One area that should be looked at as an exception lies in essential kitchen staples. The good news is that President Trump’s new Executive Order provides a pathway to reduce or eliminate tariffs on “unavailable natural resources,” like coffee, tea, and yes, spices.
Many spices used each day in American households require a tropical climate or cannot be grown in mom’s garden. Given that families don’t have the option of buying many American-grown spices, spice tariffs will put those families trying to make ends meet in a bind. Pay more for natural spices or save money with artificial alternatives.
Keeping children safe and healthy is something that unites conservative mothers across the nation, and the collaboration between RFK Jr. and President Trump is a welcome alliance. Together, they’ve turned rhetoric into reality. Plenty of politicians have talked about how much they care about children’s health, but what we have now is genuine action from the federal government that puts the power back in the hands of parents.
Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Kennedy, healthier diets and better food options are finally being prioritized. The time has come when we can finally say we are making America’s children healthy again.
Emily Stack is Executive Director of Moms for America Action.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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