The ceremonial lunch President Obama and his former congressional colleagues are eating Monday tops out at 3,000 calories, according to a website that has tallied up the luxurious menu of lobster, bison and apple pie.
HealthyFoodRecipe.net posted the full menu, complete with its calorie count, and said it was “unsatisfactory” to see such an unhealthy spread, given first lady Michelle Obama’s push for healthier eating.
She has come under fire for the high-calorie counts of some of the state dinners she’s hosted at the White House, but other nutritionists have given her a pass, saying indulging on special occasions is perfectly fine. Inaugurations, which come every four years, are about as special as occasions get.
The first course is lobster tails in a New England clam chowder sauce. The second course is bison with a red potato horseradish cake. The dessert is apple pie with sour cream ice cream.
The chef preparing all of this is Shannon Shaffer, who also prepared the 2009 luncheon.
The menu was determined by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugurual Ceremonies, which is chaired by Sen. Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat. Mr. Schumer’s home town of New York already requires all fast-food chains to post calorie counts.
And soon the rest of the country will have to follow suit. Mr. Obama’s health law includes that same requirement.
Some of those restaurants have objected. Pizza chains said they’ll have to post extensive signs with thousands of combinations of ingredients to meet the requirements.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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