I am a chef

也是一位糧食政策制定者。

and a food policy guy,

但是，我來自一個老師世家。

but I come from a whole family of teachers.

我的姐妹在芝加哥擔任特教老師。

My sister is a special ed teacher in Chicago.

我的父親剛從任教了25年的 小學退休。

My father just retired after 25 years teaching fifth grade.

我的姑姑和叔叔都是教授。

My aunt and uncle were professors.

我的堂(表)兄弟姊妹 也都從事教職。

My cousins all teach.

基本上我的家族成員， 除了我以外，都從事教職。

Everybody in my family, basically, teaches except for me.

他們教我， 想要獲得正解的方法只有一種，

They taught me that the only way to get the right answers

那就是問對問題。

is to ask the right questions.

那當談到改善孩童教育成果時，

So what are the right questions

什麼才是對的問題呢?

when it comes to improving the educational outcomes for our children?

顯然有很多舉足輕重的問題，

There's obviously many important questions,

但我想以下面的提問 來切入主題：

but I think the following is a good place to start:

我們認為孩童的身體成長

What do we think the connection is

與心智成長

between a child's growing mind

有何關連?

and their growing body?

我們期望我們的孩童能學到些什麼，

What can we expect our kids to learn

如果他們吃的盡是些 高糖、無營養的垃圾食物?

if their diets are full of sugar and empty of nutrients?

假如他們身體因缺乏適當的營養 而處於飢餓狀態，

What can they possibly learn

他們怎麼能夠專心學習呢?

if their bodies are literally going hungry?

當我們傾注所有資源 到學校的同時，

And with all the resources that we are pouring into schools,

我們應該停下腳步， 捫心自問：

we should stop and ask ourselves:

我們這樣的做法， 真的能讓我們的孩子成功嗎?

Are we really setting our kids up for success?

幾年前，

Now, a few years ago,

我擔任電視節目 《廚藝大賽》的評審，

I was a judge on a cooking competition called "Chopped."

4 位廚師使用神秘食材來比賽，

Four chefs compete with mystery ingredients

看誰能烹煮出最棒的佳餚。

to see who can cook the best dishes.

但是，這一集的節目不同── 它非常特別。

Except for this episode -- it was a very special one.

有別於4位過度熱情、 想獲得大眾關注的廚師們──

Instead of four overzealous chefs trying to break into the limelight --

這些是我不懂的東西──

something that I would know nothing about --

(笑聲)

(Laughter)

他們是學校的廚師 ──

these chefs were school chefs;

你知道的，就是你們說的 「營養午餐阿姨」；

you know, the women that you used to call "lunch ladies,"

但我堅持要稱她們為 校廚。

but the ones I insist we call "school chefs."

現在，這些女士們 ── 上帝保佑她們 ──

Now, these women -- God bless these women --

為數千名的孩童

spend their day cooking for thousands of kids,

做早餐與午餐， 每餐只有2.68塊美金的預算，

breakfast and lunch, with only $2.68 per lunch,

而實際花在餐費的成本， 只有美金1元。

with only about a dollar of that actually going to the food.

在這一集裡，

In this episode,

主要的神秘食材 是藜麥。

the main-course mystery ingredient was quinoa.

我知道，對在座大多數的人而言，

Now, I know it's been a long time

學校的營養午餐 是很久遠以前的事了；

since most of you have had a school lunch,

而我們在改善營養方面， 已有長足的進步。

and we've made a lot of progress on nutrition,

但是，藜麥在多數學校的 自助餐廳裡，尚未成為主食。

but quinoa still is not a staple in most school cafeterias.

(笑聲)

(Laughter)

所以，這是一項挑戰。

So this was a challenge.

讓我難以忘懷的一道菜，

But the dish that I will never forget was cooked by a woman

是由一位雪若‧芭芭拉 所烹煮的。

named Cheryl Barbara.

雪若是一名任職於

Cheryl was the nutrition director

康乃狄克州 社區中學的營養主管。

at High School in the Community in Connecticut.

她煮的這道義大利麵非常好吃。

She cooked this delicious pasta.

它好吃到爆。

It was amazing.

它是義大利寬麵加上義大利香腸、

It was a pappardelle with Italian sausage,

羽衣甘藍和帕瑪森起司。

kale, Parmesan cheese.

它很美味， 具餐廳級的水準，除了 ──

It was delicious, like, restaurant-quality good, except --

基本上她只是把藜麥， 幾乎是生的，

she basically just threw the quinoa, pretty much uncooked,

灑在麵上。

into the dish.

她選的食材很奇怪，

It was a strange choice,

但是它吃起來超酥脆的。

and it was super crunchy.

(笑聲)

(Laughter)

所以我做了身為電視節目 毒舌評審應該做的事，

So I took on the TV accusatory judge thing that you're supposed to do,

我問她為什麼要灑這個上去。

and I asked her why she did that.

雪若答說: 「嗯，首先， 我不知道藜麥是什麼。」

Cheryl responded, "Well, first, I don't know what quinoa is."

(笑聲)

(Laughter)

「但是，我知道 每個禮拜一

"But I do know that it's a Monday,

在我服務的社區中學，

and that in my school, at High School in the Community,

我都會煮義大利麵。」

I always cook pasta."

你們看，雪若說明了 大多數學童的狀況，

See, Cheryl explained that for many of her kids,

周末沒有正餐吃。

there were no meals on the weekends.

禮拜六沒有，

No meals on Saturday.

禮拜天也沒有。

No meals on Sunday, either.

雪若煮義大利麵， 因為她想要確保

So she cooked pasta because she wanted to make sure

她煮的是孩童會想吃的一餐。

she cooked something she knew her children would eat.

會讓他們茁壯、長肉的食物， 她說道。

Something that would stick to their ribs, she said.

能夠餵飽他們的食物。

Something that would fill them up.

雪若說禮拜一一到，

Cheryl talked about how, by the time Monday came,

她的學童們早已飢腸轆轆，

her kids' hunger pangs were so intense

餓到他們無法想到學習這件事。

that they couldn't even begin to think about learning.

他們唯一惦記的就是食物。

Food was the only thing on their mind.

吃飽這件事而已。

The only thing.

遺憾的是，每一州 它們的情況都一樣。

And unfortunately, the stats -- they tell the same story.

讓我們將孩童 套用在此情境中。

So, let's put this into the context of a child.

我們將聚焦在

And we're going to focus on

一天當中最重要的一餐， 早餐。

the most important meal of the day, breakfast.

這位是愛莉森。

Meet Allison.

今年12歲。

She's 12 years old,

非常聰明靈巧。

she's smart as a whip

長大後想成為物理學家。

and she wants to be a physicist when she grows up.

假如愛莉森上的學校，

If Allison goes to a school that serves a nutritious breakfast

提供學童們富含營養的早餐，

to all of their kids,

我們可以預見接下來的事情。

here's what's going to follow.

她獲得營養膳食的機會，

Her chances of getting a nutritious meal,

指的是包含水果、 牛奶、低糖與低鹽的飲食，

one with fruit and milk, one lower in sugar and salt,

大幅地增加了。

dramatically increase.

比起一般學童來說， 愛莉森變肥胖的機率較低。

Allison will have a lower rate of obesity than the average kid.

她看校護的次數也會減少。

She'll have to visit the nurse less.

她的焦慮感、沮喪感會較低。

She'll have lower levels of anxiety and depression.

她的行為表現較佳。

She'll have better behavior.

她上課會有較佳的出席率 且更常準時上學。

She'll have better attendance, and she'll show up on time more often.

為什麼?

Why?

因為學校有好吃的餐點 在等著她。

Well, because there's a good meal waiting for her at school.

總而言之， 比起其他的學童

Overall, Allison is in much better health

愛莉森的健康狀況更好。

than the average school kid.

那些沒有營養早餐

So what about that kid

等著他們的學童呢?

who doesn't have a nutritious breakfast waiting for him?

讓我來看看湯米。

Well, meet Tommy.

他也是12歲，是個很棒的小孩。

He's also 12. He's a wonderful kid.

長大後想成為一名醫生。

He wants to be a doctor.

湯米上幼稚園時，

By the time Tommy is in kindergarten,

他的數學已經趕不上 同年的小孩了。

he's already underperforming in math.

到他三年級的時候，

By the time he's in third grade,

他的數學與閱讀成績都不理想。

he's got lower math and reading scores.

11歲時，

By the time he's 11,

湯米很可能要留級重讀。

it's more likely that Tommy will have to have repeated a grade.

研究顯示學童如果沒有持續地 攝取足夠的營養，

Research shows that kids who do not have consistent nourishment,

尤其是早餐，

particularly at breakfast,

總體的認知功能會較差。

have poor cognitive function overall.

所以，這個問題 有多廣泛、多嚴重呢?

So how widespread is this problem?

不幸的是， 全國都面臨著這個問題。

Well, unfortunately, it's pervasive.

讓我給各位舉兩個例子，

Let me give you two stats

他們看起來截然不同，

that seem like they're on opposite ends of the issue,

但其實他們是一體的兩面。

but are actually two sides of the same coin.

從一方面來看，

On the one hand,

1/6 的美國人處在糧食危機中，

one in six Americans are food insecure,

包含一千六百萬孩童 ── 將近20%的比例，

including 16 million children -- almost 20 percent --

處於糧食危機中。

are food insecure.

單就這個城市 紐約而言，

In this city alone, in New York City,

474,000名18歲以下的孩童 每年都面臨飢餓的危機。

474,000 kids under the age of 18 face hunger every year.

這令人難以置信。

It's crazy.

另一方面，

On the other hand,

飲食和營養是目前 本國可預防死亡與疾病的

diet and nutrition is the number one cause of preventable death and disease

首要因素。

in this country, by far.

而我們今晚談論的孩童中，

And fully a third of the kids that we've been talking about tonight

有1/3的人可能終其一生 都會受糖尿病之苦。

are on track to have diabetes in their lifetime.

很難兜在一起，但卻是事實，

Now, what's hard to put together but is true

遭受飢餓之苦與糖尿病之苦的小孩， 常是同一群小孩。

is that, many times, these are the same children.

他們攝取生活中垂手可得、 家庭負擔得起的

So they fill up on the unhealthy and cheap calories

不健康、廉價的卡路里食品。

that surround them in their communities and that their families can afford.

到了月底時，

But then by the end of the month,

當伙食費花完或 家長時薪工作的時數被刪減，

food stamps run out or hours get cut at work,

他們就沒有足夠的錢來支付 基本的伙食所需。

and they don't have the money to cover the basic cost of food.

但是，我們應該可以 解決這個問題，對吧?

But we should be able to solve this problem, right?

我們知道問題的答案是什麼。

We know what the answers are.

我在白宮的工作項目中， 有個我們針對

As part of my work at the White House, we instituted a program

全校超過40%低收入家庭的 全美學校，所設立的一個計畫。

that for all schools that had 40 percent more low-income kids,

我們提供免費的早餐和午餐

we could serve breakfast and lunch to every kid in that school.

給全校的孩童。

For free.

這個計畫獲得卓越的成效，

This program has been incredibly successful,

因它幫助我們克服了 一個在提供營養早餐給孩童時，

because it helped us overcome a very difficult barrier

極為棘手的障礙。

when it came to getting kids a nutritious breakfast.

那個障礙就是污名。

And that was the barrier of stigma.

學校在每天上課前提供早餐，

See, schools serve breakfast before school,

而且只提供給貧窮的學童。

and it was only available for the poor kids.

這時大家就都知道誰家很窮， 誰需要政府的補助了。

So everybody knew who was poor and who needed government help.

現在，所有的孩童 不論貧富，

Now, all kids, no matter how much or how little their parents make,

都能保有自尊。

have a lot of pride.

結果如何呢?

So what happened?

有執行這個計畫的學校，

Well, the schools that have implemented this program

他們學生的數學與閱讀成績， 提升了17.5%。

saw an increase in math and reading scores by 17.5 percent.

17.5%。

17.5 percent.

而研究顯示，當孩童持續地 攝取營養早餐，

And research shows that when kids have a consistent, nutritious breakfast,

他們順利畢業的機率提高20%。

their chances of graduating increase by 20 percent.

20%。

20 percent.

當我們提供孩童所需的營養，

When we give our kids the nourishment they need,

我們就提供了他們茁壯成長的機會，

we give them the chance to thrive,

不論在校內或校外。

both in the classroom and beyond.

你們可以不買我的帳，

Now, you don't have to trust me on this,

但是你們得和唐娜‧瑪汀談談。

but you should talk to Donna Martin.

我愛唐娜‧瑪汀。

I love Donna Martin.

唐娜‧瑪汀在喬治亞州

Donna Martin is the school nutrition director at Burke County

韋恩斯伯勒的伯克郡 擔任學校的營養主管。

in Waynesboro, Georgia.

伯克郡是全美赤貧區的

Burke County is one of the poorest districts

前五名之一。

in the fifth-poorest state in the country,

唐娜所有的學生都是 生活在貧窮指標以下。

and about 100 percent of Donna's students live at or below the poverty line.

幾年前，

A few years ago,

唐娜決定帶頭迎接新標準的來臨，

Donna decided to get out ahead of the new standards that were coming,

重新仔細檢視它的營養標準。

and overhaul her nutrition standards.

她增加了蔬菜、水果與全麥食品。

She improved and added fruit and vegetables and whole grains.

她提供所有孩童營養早餐。

She served breakfast in the classroom to all of her kids.

她也置入了晚餐計畫。

And she implemented a dinner program.

為什麼?

Why?

許多她的學生回家後， 沒有晚餐可吃。

Well, many of her kids didn't have dinner when they went home.

這些孩童覺得如何呢?

So how did they respond?

他們愛這些食物。

Well, the kids loved the food.

他們喜愛較營養的餐點，

They loved the better nutrition,

當然也欣喜不用再餓肚子了。

and they loved not being hungry.

但是，唐娜的最大贊助者 來自一個出乎意料的人。

But Donna's biggest supporter came from an unexpected place.

他的名字是艾力克‧帕爾克。

His name from Eric Parker,

他是伯克郡熊隊的足球首席教練。

and he was the head football coach for the Burke County Bears.

現在，帕爾克教練 在一般球隊任教多年。

Now, Coach Parker had coached mediocre teams for years.

熊隊通常沒能晉級比賽 ──

The Bears often ended in the middle of the pack --

以一個對足球充滿狂熱的州來說，

a big disappointment in one of the most passionate football states

是一件憾事。

in the Union.

但當唐娜改變菜單的那年，

But the year Donna changed the menus,

熊隊不僅贏得了區賽，

the Bears not only won their division,

更贏得了州際盃的冠軍賽，

they went on to win the state championship,

以28比14大勝橘郡的

beating the Peach County Trojans

特洛伊人隊。

28-14.

(笑聲)

(Laughter)

而帕爾克教練，

And Coach Parker,

他把獲勝的功勞歸於唐娜‧瑪汀。

he credited that championship to Donna Martin.

當我們供給孩子們 基本的營養所需，

When we give our kids the basic nourishment,

他們就會茁壯與成長。

they're going to thrive.

這並非只靠雪若‧芭芭拉

And it's not just up to the Cheryl Barbaras

和唐娜‧瑪汀。

and the Donna Martins of the world.

而是有賴大家一起來完成。

It's on all of us.

讓我們的孩童攝取基本的營養品， 只是個開端。

And feeding our kids the basic nutrition is just the starting point.

我所提出來的是一個

What I've laid out is really a model

大家所面臨眾多急迫性 議題中的例子。

for so many of the most pressing issues that we face.

假如我們能純粹聚焦在 適當地滋養我們自身，

If we focus on the simple goal of properly nourishing ourselves,

我們就能看到一個更穩定與 更安全的世界；

we could see a world that is more stable and secure;

我們能大幅地提升經濟生產力；

we could dramatically improve our economic productivity;

我們能改善醫療保健，

we could transform our health care

並確保地球能夠永續地供應

and we could go a long way

我們世代子孫所需。

in ensuring that the Earth can provide for generations to come.

食物就是我們集眾人之力，

Food is that place where our collective efforts

就能產生巨大成效的項目 。

can have the greatest impact.

所以，我們捫心自問： 什麼是對的問題?

So we have to ask ourselves: What is the right question?

如果我們攝取更多的營養、 增加更多的永續綠色飲食，

What would happen

會如何呢 ?

if we fed ourselves more nutritious, more sustainably grown food?

會帶來什麼樣的影響呢 ?

What would be the impact?

雪若‧芭芭拉、

Cheryl Barbara,

唐娜‧瑪汀、

Donna Martin,

帕爾克教練與伯克郡的熊隊 ──

Coach Parker and the Burke County Bears --

我想他們知道答案。

I think they know the answer.

非常謝謝大家。

Thank you guys so very much.

(掌聲)

(Applause)