Angry moms promote eating healthy in schools

Westport, Conn. (WTNH) - Jennifer Boyd is a self-proclaimed 'angry mom' from Westport. Her friend Erika Miller is an angry mom too.

"I think we need to go back to basics and take a look at what we're telling our children to put into their bodies," Miller said.

Erika and Jennifer are on a mission to change the way schools approach food. They're part of an angry mom movement started by Connecticut Filmaker Amy Kalafa & New York Doctor Susan Rubin, who've produced an award-winning movie on school nutrition called 'Two Angry Moms '.

"It was extremely eye-opening and it was such a relief to know that there are other moms out there," Miller said.

Erika and Jennifer are hoping to open other moms' eyes too. They're screening the film and hosting a panel discussion next Tuesday morning at the Westport Library.

"I think we need to wake up and realize that we've been duped," Boyd said, duped into thinking food should be processed, packaged and fast. Jennifer's idea of the process is different. It's hands-on.

Jennifer has 20 chickens and she's got a hive of bees to pollenate her herb and vegetable garden. "It's all organic," she said.

These moms believe the tide is turning. They're energized by First Lady Michelle Obama's fight against childhood obesity, inspired by Jamie Oliver's recent 'Food Revolution' series on ABC and encouraged by what Food Service Director Tim Cipriano is doing to raise the standards in New Haven schools.

"We really put our heart and soul into the food," Cipriano told News 8 back in December. "It's not just out of the box, into the pan, into the oven, serve to the kids."

These angry moms won't be happy until healthy food is a priority in every school. "We want to make sure that everyone can access the information, that they can understand and then they can apply it for the best possible outcome for their kids," Boyd said.

Erika and Jennifer will be screening the film 'Two Angry Moms' Tuesday morning, June 1st, at 9:30 a.m. at the Westport Public Library . They've also set up a blog and a Facebook page to recruit more angry moms (and dads) to their movement.