I'm Amy Jussel, the founder and executive director of Shaping Youth.org, a nonpartisan, nonprofit consortium dealing with media & marketing (and its impact on kids!) We shift the media momentum to a healthier track and dial down the damage already out there by counter-marketing junk food with the help of industry insiders, using the power of media for positive change. We blog about the industry from the inside out to shift the momentum in a favorable direction by lifting the veil and revealing the reality of the profit motives. We use fun, reality show formats which we hope to keep open source for global access via digital download. (We partner with specialists like nutritionists/pediatric dieticians to create impactful, fun games that work. Now we're making them standards compliant for in-school wellness educational programs!

How did you become passionate about healthy eating?
Playground duty...seeing kids swap healthy food for junk, become obsessed w/perceived coolness trading empty calorie crud based on media/marketing allure. From energy drinks and sports beverages to caffeine concoctions considered hip, we see the impact and corollary between what kids are consuming in media, mind and body via daily logs/research journals!

Would you want to come on the show to share your efforts?
Sure...at some point. We have a dvd blurb if you'd like to see the program in action, but I'd rather we have the fully produced turnkey kit ready to roll first, in train-the-trainer-format. (We're offering short sheets per topic, pertaining to diff ages/stages--- e.g cartoon mktg vs. body image/celeb spin, etc.)

Do you have a favorite healthy meal to make?
Not really ---LOVE all things grilled; I grew up all over the world, mostly Hawaii, so my palate is very eclectic, and my daughter's is too! The 'bland palate' theory with kids meals and fried food and such is ludicrous, habits are set early on and kids snarf our creations with ease. We did a spin on 'Using Shrek Against his Drek and kids LOVED the greens, spinach pasta/pesto, green tomatillo etc

What healthy staples do you always keep in your pantry or fridge?
Fresh pesto/parmesan, cruciferous veggies (primaveras, grillables) hmn...gotta go look. ;-)

What one thing can other people do to make a difference when it comes to health and nutrition?
Get familiar with the label lingo, watch out for portion distortion on packaging. Use media literacy to deconstruct what's REALLY in a product (ingredient order vs. marketing hype) Teach kids early on in fun ways how to make healthy choices, (presentation, dips, tips, substitutions etc.)