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When I was growing up, going to a restaurant was a rare treat.

I would look forward to savoring a greasy burger and fries, or a steak and baked potato. Maybe I would even be fortunate enough to get soft serve swirled in a dish for dessert. Times have changed though. Today, one-third of all meals are eaten in restaurants.

I now travel quite a bit, so restaurants have become more of a staple for me. And, although all of us try as often as possible to dish up homemade food for our families, it’s not an easy task in today’s fast paced world. Thus, while I still look forward (on most days) to eating great tasting restaurant food, even if not the most nourishing, I also appreciate recent efforts to enhance the number of healthy choices on restaurant menus.

The President has already committed to enhancing our national food safety system through the Food Safety Working Group, and has supported new initiatives to educate consumers about the importance of food safety. And, now, the First Lady is tackling food nutrition and health. Indeed, last week, First Lady Michelle Obama addressed the National Restaurant Association ("NRA"). She called on restaurants to “create healthier versions of the foods we all love” and to decrease portion sizes. Fighting childhood obesity has long been a cause of Mrs. Obama, and her “Let’s Move” campaign aims to educate parents about nutrition, present healthier foods in schools, improve access to healthy food and increase physical activity.

Although none of us should tell restaurant owners what to offer on their menu, the First Lady did leave the NRA with some food for thought. Consumers have already been requesting more healthy alternatives, and assuming Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiatives are successful, awareness and new demand will only increase. Obviously, restaurants want to continue serving up one-third (and perhaps more) of our daily meals.

In any event, I would like to commend the many restaurants that have already made great strides in providing healthy (and safe) food to their patrons. Thanks for giving us the choice between indulging in a treat or moderating in lighter, yet still tasty, fare.

With that said, it's lunchtime, and I’m going to go get a greasy burger and fries.

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Hamburgers and fries have long been a staple of both American diet and culture.

In recognition of that, President Barack Obama treated fellow world-leader, Dimitri Medvedev, to lunch at Washington’s favorite burger restaurant.

Ray’s Hell-Burger, a Washington hot-spot, is known for delicious, ten-ounce behemoths which are built from hand-trimmed, freshly ground beef. The restaurant is located in an unassuming storefront and boasts numerous B-movie posters and wooden tables outfitted with an assortment of condiments and a roll of paper-towels.

What did the two leaders talk about while consuming the all beef patties? Ironically, it was poultry. The men agreed, over their 10-ounce burgers, to resume poultry exports to Russia, overturning a ban that was put in place earlier this year. The dispute arose over the use of a chlorine rinse which Russia said violated its food-safety rules. Fortunately, the Washington burgers helped seal the deal, and poultry is now back on the menu. 

And, once again, a simple meal proves its worth in bringing the world just a little bit closer.

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The President's “Food Safety Working Group,” chaired by the Secretaries of the Department of Health and Human Services (Kathleen Sebelius) and the Department of Agriculture (Tom Vilsack), was conceived in March 2009 to help modernize our food safety system. In turn, Vice President Biden, Sebelius and Vilsack, have now announced key findings of the Group.

Following numerous meetings, and imput from key stakeholders, the Working Group has recommended a new approach to food safety based on three core principles: (1) prioritizing prevention; (2) strengthening surveillance and enforcement; and (3) improving response and recovery.

"There are few responsibilities more basic or more important for the government than making sure the food our families eat is safe," said Vice President Biden. "Our food safety system must be updated – 1 in 4 people get sick every year due to food-borne illness, and children and the elderly are more at risk. I applaud the Secretaries of HHS and the USDA for tackling this problem head-on, and coming up with key recommendations to ensure the health and safety of our food supply and, with it, the American people."

"Instead of spending their time trying to get kids to eat healthier food, too many parents and families are worrying about whether their food is safe in the first place," said Secretary Sebelius. "In just the past few months since we began work with the Food Safety Working Group, we have seen recalls on everything from spinach to peanut products to now even cookie dough.” According to Sebelius, the Administration believes “that the current system just isn’t working for America’s families, and under the President’s leadership, we are taking action to keep our food supply safe and prevent outbreaks that can impact millions of Americans."

"There isn’t a single American that isn’t impacted by our efforts to protect the food supply," said Secretary Vilsack. "We owe it to the American people to deliver on President Obama’s bold promise to greatly enhance our food safety system, moving our approach into the 21st century, employing the best surveillance techniques available, and ensuring that we are doing all we can to prevent illness before it occurs."

In its announcement, the Working Group outlined specific steps designed to advance its three core principles:

• HHS and USDA are targeting Salmonella contamination by developing tougher standards to protect the safety of eggs, poultry, and turkey.

• To fight the threat of E. coli, USDA is stepping up enforcement in beef facilities and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is developing new industry guidance improving protections for leafy greens, melons, and tomatoes.

• The Obama Administration is building a new national traceback and response system including clearer industry guidance, a new unified incident command system, and improved use of technology to deliver individual food safety alerts to consumers.

• Finally, the Administration announced a plan to strengthen the organization of federal food safety functions, including the creation of new positions at key food safety agencies and a continuing oversight role for the Food Safety Working Group.

The Food Safety Working Group is chaired by Secretaries Sebelius and Vilsack, and participating agencies include the FDA, the FSIS, the CDC, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Commerce, the Department of State, the Environmental Protection Agency, and several offices of the White House.

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