Michelle Obama is hoping to shift food culture with her newest campaign. The former first lady and her Higher Ground Productions company teamed up with Partnership for a Healthier America for their new Pass the Love W/ Waffles + Moch initiative, which intends to distribute one million bundled meal boxes to families in food insecure communities while raising awareness of food equity issues. Walmart and Blue Apron will also support the cause.
The campaign coincides with the release Obama’s “Waffles + Mochi” — her new Netflix children’s show about two buddies who “travel the world exploring the wonders of food and culture while learning how to cook with fresh ingredients.”
“On our new show on Netflix, we have so much fun as Waffles and Mochi take us on adventures all around the world—trying new pastas in Italy, eating mushrooms in Japan, visiting salt ponds in Peru,” Obama said in a statement. “At the same time, we know the pandemic has made this year hard on so many, and we want to help make sure families all over the country can access fresh, nutritious food. That’s why our goal is to provide more than one million meals to families in need through our Pass the Love campaign with the Partnership for a Healthier America.”
Funds from the campaign will be used to provide Pass the Love meal boxes to less fortunate families in cities throughout the country. Each box “will include high-quality ingredients, and easy, replicable recipes to create three family meals that are fun, fast and affordable.”
In addition to the provision of meals, the Waffles and Mochi website will inform “Waffles + Mochi” viewers about the importance of food equity. It will also feature recipes inspired by the Netflix show.
Obama’s latest initiative comes after she announced she’s preparing to retire from her career as a public figure.