Margo Wootan is the director of nutrition policy at CSPI. Wootan received her B.S. in nutrition from Cornell University and her doctorate in nutrition from Harvard University’s School of Public Health. Wootan co-founded and coordinates the activities of the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA) and the Food Marketing Workgroup. She has coordinated and led efforts to require calorie labeling at fast-food and other chain restaurants, require trans fat labeling on packaged foods, improve school foods, reduce junk-food marketing aimed at children, and expand the nutrition and physical activity program at CDC. Wootan has received numerous awards and is quoted regularly in the nation’s major media. This week on What Doesn’t Kill You, Katy Keiffer is taking on school food with Margo. Tune into this episode to hear about Margo’s work with school food, and how recent legislation is changing snacking in schools. Find out why vending machines were introduced into schools in the 70s in order to bolster underfunded school programs. How do schools eliminate the stigma associated with buying school lunch? Find out all of this and more on this week’s episode of What Doesn’t Kill You! Thanks to our sponsor, White Oak Pastures. Today’s music has been provided by Dead Stars.

“School lunches teach kids how to eat healthy, and prepare them to eat healthily their whole lives.” [5:35]

“Kids have a more refined palate than in the past, and they want to try new food items.” [22:40]

— Margo Wootan on What Doesn’t Kill You