As one of Bravo's “Top Chef Masters” and author of Lorena Garcia's New Latin Classics: Fresh Ideas for Favorite Dishes, I’m thrilled to introduce this MomsRising Latino Blog Carnival -- Making the School Day Healthier. Healthy and delicious foods are my passion so I’m very happy that kids this year will have more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in school meals because of new standards introduced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This is particularly important for the estimated 38.2 percent of Latino children who are overweight or obese, putting them at higher risk of developing chronic diseases.

Below you’ll find my post and links to lots of other great posts from Latinos about healthy foods for kids. Join the conversation by leaving a comment on a blog that inspires you! ¡Salud!

Nicole Presley, "Riverside School Cafeterias Are Changing For The Best"
"People snickered and told him his plan of healthy eating would not and could not work, but Rodney just kept his goals in sight of making a better lunch meal and changing the perception of school food service. One of the first things he incorporated to entice his students to come and eat in the cafeteria was start daily bar-b-que."

Ericka Sanchez, "Que honor ser reconocida en La Casa Blanca y poder apoyar los estándares nuevas nutritivas"
"Como madre y bloguista de comida, las estadísticas relacionadas con la obesidad infantil fueron sorprendentes. Casi uno de cada tres niños y adolescentes son obesos."

Chef Lorena Garcia, "Alliance for a Healthier Generation: Paying Attention To What We Feed Our Kids"
"Here is the bottom line: we can reverse this epidemic. Parents, schools, students and community members can come together and make a difference."

Lily Eskelsen, "The Truth About Healthy Food (and Kids and Schools)"
"It took us years to develop into a culture that sits too much and eats too much of too much of the wrong things. It’s going to take some time to develop healthier habits in our kids. But we’ll start with the school leading the way."

Ericka Sanchez, "Honored to Be Recognized At the White House, Proud to Stand Up for New Nutrition Standards"
"As a mother and food blogger, the statistics relating to childhood obesity were astonishing. Nearly one in three children and teenagers are overweight or obese."

Veronica Gonzalez-Smith, "Packing School Lunches Your Kids Will Love"
"Kids are extremely creative when it comes to creating colorful skewers of fruit. Just set some fruit in front of them and watch what happens."

Nicole Presley, "A Thumbs Up to These Great Federal Food Initiatives!"
"For Latino children it literally is feast or famine. Thirty percent of Latino children are obese and 30 percent are struggling to find their next meal."

Jessica Fuentes, "Healthy School Meals: A Step Forward for Latino Children"
"The USDA’s new guidelines make a significant positive impact in the lives of Latino children. In 2011, almost 32 million children participated in some type of school meal program. According to the Urban Institute, 'Hispanic children represent over one third of all low-income uninsured children who participate in these programs.'"

For related stories around the web, check out the following links:
"Entrepreneurs tackle childhood obesity with 10,000 healthy lunches a day", Adriana Lopez for The Times-Picayune