Get All Access for $5/mo

This Major Franchise Just Announced a 3-Year Project With the White House As part of her 'Let's Move' initiative, Michelle Obama gets Subway to encourage children to eat more fruits and vegetables.

By Catherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Michelle Obama and her beautiful biceps captured the attention of the fashion industry easily, but for the First Lady to get the franchise industry to warm up to the White House is a surprising hat trick.

As part of her Let's Move campaign to improve the health of children in the U.S, Michelle Obama announced a three-year commitment from Subway to encourage kids to eat healthy. In addition to adding apples as an option for a side and making low-fat milk or water the default beverage for kids meals, Subway has agreed to launch its largest targeted marketing campaign aimed at getting kids to make healthy eating decisions.

Related: Obama Picks Maria Contreras-Sweet to Lead the SBA

"I'm excited about these initiatives not just as a First Lady, but also as a mom," Michelle Obama said in the statement from the White House. "Subway's kids' menu makes life easier for parents, because they know that no matter what their kids order, it's going to be a healthy choice."

The goal of the Let's Move White House initiative is to end childhood obesity within a single generation. There are more than 40,000 Subway franchisees around the world and in recent years, the franchise industry has fought with efforts out of Washington D.C. to raise the minimum wage.

Related: Meet the Top Franchise of 2014

Catherine Clifford

Frequently covers crowdfunding, the sharing economy and social entrepreneurship.

Catherine Clifford is a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Catherine attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. Email her at CClifford@entrepreneur.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Management

Why Business Owners Should Mix Strategy with Hands-On Involvement

Conventional wisdom says to work on the business, not in the business. That sounds like good advice, but is there more to it? Yes, and finding the balance is key to entrepreneurial success.

Starting a Business

How to Find the Right Programmers: A Brief Guideline for Startup Founders

For startup founders under a plethora of challenges like timing, investors and changing market demand, it is extremely hard to hire programmers who can deliver.

Fundraising

Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video Conferencing

As more and more businesses go remote, these are ways to be more effective and efficient on conference calls.

Growing a Business

The Best Way to Run a Business Meeting

All too often, meetings run longer than they should and fail to keep attendees engaged. Here's how to run a meeting the right way.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Growing a Business

You Need an Advisory Team More Than Ever. Here's Why — and How to Run One Effectively.

The right advice, particularly in a company's early stages, can be an existential matter: how to surround yourself with the right minds.