Food Politics

I couldn’t believe that the room full of kids didn’t know what a potato or tomato was! I was so grateful that the teacher recognized this as a definite problem and took it in her own hands to teach these kids! I was also a tad surprised that the kids still opted to eat the chicken nuggets after seeing a whole carcass being food processed…yuck. I hope this show will help teach kids and parents alike.

If nothing else, he is starting a conversation. One that has existed in blogs and fan pages and on the sidelines and pushing it into the mainstream. His show was rated 1st in the time slot on Friday. People are listening and let’s hope we start acting.

I got a chuckle when the, uh, “food service worker” acted insulted at being called a “lunch lady” — she told Oliver her job title was “cook,” yet I didn’t see her doing much cooking. I think his assessment was correct.

I LOVE this show and love the idea behind it, and hope everybody is watching and getting excited. For years we’ve watched food fads come and go – could it be that REAL FOOD’s time has come?!! And if it has, how will food processors exploit it? I can see it now — product packages telling us they are now “Made with Real Food!”

I am waiting for the food revolution to begin… I’d like nothing more as a dietitian than to become obsolete

Dr Nestle:

Teaching people — adults and children — to cook and feed themselves is the answer to problems surrounding the Western food delivery system. Teach someone to cook a fish and they will eat for a lifetime, teaching others throughout. It has to start in schools because parents will pay attention to what their kids eat before raising concerns about their own food habits. Mr Oliver’s program hit the nail on the head.

Information about where whole food comes from and the deleterious effects of refined processing, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, artificial nutrients and chemical additives are important. But knowing how to cook whole foods enables us to eat well and sustain health. Only then can we choose to buy real food and pass on the adulterated food products that are, essentially, inedible.

I enjoyed Oliver’s talk on TED.com about this very issue: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jamie_oliver.html

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Food4Health, Lesley Chesterman, Leesie, nyusteinhardt, Christine Binder and others. Christine Binder said: @marionnestle on @jamie_oliver 's new show: http://cli.gs/VG9p5 [...]

I was most impressed by the principal on Friday’s episode. You could just see the lightbulb go off in his head, and watching him revise his educational philosophy on the spot as he went round the cafeteria watching the little kids with their cutlery and helping them adjust their grips so they could use a fork successfully. Since they are clearly not getting these lessons at home (obviously, otherwise they’d know how to use a fork, right) they have to come from somewhere before that town raises an entire generation of cretins who won’t know how to eat in public. The principal seems like a good person, very genuine, and was clearly embarrassed by the knowledge gap and I was so happy to see him jump in with both feet rather than put up even more resistance than the intransigent lunch lady.

(Tangentially, the other non-Alice lunch ladies seem a *lot* more amenable to change but I think they’re frightened by the head “cook”. At least two of them seemed pretty pleased about working with Jamie and actually cooking some food for a change.)

[...] in Daily life, Education, Food, Health at 12:46 pm by LeisureGuy Take a look at what she writes in her blog: I’m not much of a TV-watcher but from what I’ve been hearing about Jamie Oliver’s new [...]

@Kate: While it is frightening to note that these kids are obviously not getting this at home rather than call their parents and neighbors names, please consider the hardships or misunderstanding that may lead these folks to the situation they’re in. We can’t help them, our fellow citizens, to better health if we think they are stupid or can’t learn, right? And in the episode in question, so many of the parents were ashamed and mortified of what they didn’t know about the food being served to their kids, not just in the school, in their own homes. So let’s be excited that they are willing to learn and help them continue to expand their knowledge!! This is exciting stuff!

What do you think about: http://reason.com/archives/2010/03/25/jamie-olivers-ministry-of-food/singlepage

The other missed opportunity was at the doctor’s office. Did that family have insurance? Didn’t seem like it. Hence the lack of regular checkups. Four kids on a truck driver salary doesn’t leave a lot of room to pay out of pocket — just another element of the health aspect here — our kids are fatter and sicker because of bad food and a system that makes it more and more difficult for the neediest kids to get care.
And I loved the 2nd visit to the classroom. Like teaching them to use knives and forks — kids need to be *taught* things — go teachers!

Three cheers for Jamie Oliver and his new show. He made major change in the school food system in England and I hope he has success in North America in chaning our lunch system for the better.

Way to go, Jamie! Is it the “start” of the revolution? No, but anyone who approaches this overwhelming challenge with the passion, creativity, and care that he does should be encouraged. You can’t make overwhelming change that starts from the top…you have to start with the individual(s). Good for him for starting the conversation; our schools are not set up for success when it comes to feeding America’s children.

@ Jennifer, I didn’t call the parents or neighbors names. I guarantee that the parents know how to use a knife and fork, but they are not instructing their children. Even if you eat nothing but processed and frozen food, you can teach your children to use a fork and knife: pizza, breaded chicken, fishsticks, meatloaf, lasagna, etc. all can be eaten (and in a few cases *should* be eaten) with utensils.

I also thought the first two episodes were great (after Jamie Oliver’s bewildered reply “but I’m not going to cook you a lettuce” I was hooked). I noticed quite a few people reacted badly to, what they perceived to be, a pretentious Brit knocking the good ‘ol American lifestyle (“Who are you tell us what to do?”) and he really had to drive home the point that this was not a strictly American issue. Whether or not they bought it is another story. It makes me wonder though if an American chef would have been better received…. Eh, probably not.

Wow, that Reason.com thing is really insulting! Of course our gov’t plays a huge role in the problem, but if Jamie can make a difference with parents, those parents might be able to make a difference by voting.

I applaud the show and its overlying message but I have to take issue with the displayed horror at consuming pizza for breakfast. Pizza can be a very complete and healthy way to start off the day. As a reluctant breakfast eater in my childhood, it kept me going through many early school mornings. No doubt it’s also probably much better for you than the majority of cereals, pop tarts and other “complete breakfasts” most people envision as the typical morning meal. Why the anti-pizza sentiment?

One thing really stood out for me in the reason.com article: the statement that many adults can’t identify beets, eggplant, or cauliflower in their raw forms – let alone children. Really?

@Kate: When I reread your post I understood that you were lamenting a possible future and I apologize for getting needlessly defensive! Sorry!

It is so refreshing to see the evolution of the reality show get to a point where it can change lives for the better. One thing that was appalling to me was the quantity of food that was tossed into the can (both the before AND after food). In one sense it is good because there is less food being consumed, thus fewer calories, however, on the other hand, it looked like half of the food was going into the bin.

I don’t know how the show turns out but I hope through streamlining the process they reduce the blatant waste. Also, if the waste is all going into one bin, where does recycling of the containers occur? Composting? Or does it all go to the landfill? So many questions…but isn’t it refreshing to see such a positive message on TV?

This is well needed change. I know that I would never let my children eat the food they serve in school today. Kids should be taught and understand for themselves what foods are good for them and why…we need to prepare our kids to make healthy lifestyle choices.

I love the show and my kids are in awe of what they have seen and heard thus far! It even inspired me to start my blog on the very topic. I hope Jamie does bring on a Food Revolution in our country….we need it!

[...] a wussy generation? What about the kids in Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution reality TV show who can’t tell a tomato from a potato and don’t know how to use a knife and a fork, thanks to their steady diet of corn dogs, pizza [...]

I also watched this show….I give props for Jamie trying to change things, but unfortunately, the schools systems have a long way to go. I was shocked when they were requiring two breads at one meal? That just doesn’t seem right…

It is a good show. Sometimes you just have to laugh at the American food culture…take a look. I’m sure you will be laughing when you watch these videos and you just might change your eating habits: http://bit.ly/1F6z48

I think it is a great show– Oliver is fun and interesting, and he is great with the kids. He is fighting against an entrenched food culture of convenience and fat/sugar obsession, so this isn’t easy. I think so far the series, despite a few cheesy moments, makes the point that cooking for yourself and using whole ingredients is better for one’s health. (I know it has changed mine!)

BTW, the reason.com’s essay is OF COURSE going to be against what Oliver is doing. The writer has a food blog that bemoans the loss of bacon fried chicken sandwiches at KFC and thinks the government has no part to play in promoting healthy food– even though it already plays a huge part in promoting french fries as a “vegetable” (among other things). If we are paying tax dollars to the USDA anyway, why not have them promote healthy eating habits?

Could you please comment on this lecture? He talks a lot about the difference between glucose and fructose, especially around the 45 minute mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

Loved the show. Was sad to see all the “lunch ladies” were so overweight themselves, made me think no wonder they don’t see reason to change the food, this is how they must eat also. And, I thought it was a telling moment about what parents must be doing (or not doing) at home when the kids don’t recognize real fruits and vegetables…obviously they are not seeing those things at home, either. Good food choices and habits start at home, obviously not getting done. Noticed many of the parents shown in the town scenes were also obese. Both the home and the school environments need changing.

I thought Food Revolution was great. I could not believe how resistant some of the people were to even entertaining the idea of changing their eating habits. It shows how brain washed the average American has become with the bombardment of fast food options everywhere and the broad acceptance these foods get even from our government, i.e. the frozen chicken nuggets and “breakfast” pizza served to our children and considered nutritionally adequate by the USDA??? I think it boils down to the fact that people do not like to be told they are WRONG, nor do they want to think that what they’re feeding their kids could be killing them. It’s time to wake up America!!!