It's not a secret that healthy choices need to be more available for Americans dining out...but is it the governments job to do it?

Michelle Obama is entertaining the mommy-state hat to appeal to restaurants in New York and speak about what they need to do so YOU don't get so fat.
She suggested that Americans are "programmed" by taste and advertising to eat many things that the government and health professionals know are not healthy for their bodies. So she wants to facilitate a nationwide re-programming of personal tastes by having restaurants start serving less of what customers ignorantly want and more of what they should have.

One idea Mrs. Obama had is to serve apple slices as the default side dish with, say, hamburgers, instead of French fries, which she confessed to liking. 

Also she'd like less butter and cream in restaurant dinners,...Substitute whole wheat pasta for white...Smaller portions (presumably for smaller prices)...Less mac and cheese, chicken fingers and cheeseburgers on kids' menus. More carrots.

The first lady doesn't mind ordinary families eating out on special occasions.

"As humans, we are programmed to crave sugary, fatty, salty foods," Mrs. Obama told the group.

"And as people who work to meet those needs, I know it’s tempting to respond by creating products that are sweeter, richer and saltier than ever before. But here’s the catch. See, feeding those cravings doesn't just respond to people’s natural desires, it actually helps shape them. The more of these foods people eat, the more they're accustomed to that taste, and after a while, those unhealthy foods become a permanent part of their eating habits."

She would like to slap every hand as it tries to reach for the cookie jar, but that's not as fun as passing sweeping big government legislation.