Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

I know my blog's original intent was more about becoming vegetarian and finding new delicious foods to eat that don't involve meat, but lately I've found a second food related interest that I've picked up...

SCHOOL LUNCH

It all started when I read about that elementary school teacher who decided to eat the school lunch everyday. I subscribed to their blog, wrote a post about my reaction, and have been continuing to read it. It really is eye-opening to see what the school food system has come to. Although my lunch meals weren't much healthier than what her school's serving in elementary school, they didn't come in the individual prepackaging which is horrible for the environment and probably has a TON of preservatives in it. My meals were cooked by women and men in the school kitchen. The only packaged stuff was the milk and orange juice. (Well I suppose everything was packaged and with preservatives it just was in a more economical Sam's Club size packaging).

Anyways, another new find in this school lunch conundrum is this new show on ABC Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. Jamie Oliver (The Naked Chef as he used to be called) read a CDC report about Huntington, WV which stated that it is the most obese town in the nation (and our nation is the most obese nation in the world) and decided to start with that city for his food revolution. A look at his Wikipedia profile and from watching the show told me that he has done a similar project in England. He basically has 3 projects at once going on: he's helping a family (his "grass roots" effort), changing up the menu at an elementary school, and opening a shop where he gives free cooking lessons to kids.

It's kind of overly dramatic at times, and maybe not the best directed show, but there have been some real shocking moments for me in each of the two episodes so far. Also, I feel like the cooking shop thing is a little contrived- where do these kids come from? I mean in one episode a kid from his family comes in but the other kids just walked in without a chaperon...which was a little weird to say the least.

Anyways, first episode shockers: The family he's working with that want his help appeared to regularly consume NOTHING except fried foods and pizza, the kids in the school also apparently only wanted to eat said foods and strawberry or chocolate milk and the BIG one- the kids DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ANY VEGETABLES WERE!!!! I was shocked. First off, my family cooked real food at home and had me cook with them and most of my friends parents cooked real meals too (although most weren't as active with the food as I was). I live in the south and noone I know fries everything they eat except for pizza. Second, my elementary school only had chocolate milk on Fridays! What's this chocolate milk everyday thing all about? And not knowing any vegetables?! They didn't even know what a potato was! With all the french fries and mashed potatoes they eat I thought for sure that they'd know a potato!

Second episode shocker (really only one thing in this episode surprised me): The kids don't know how to use knives!!! The lunch ladies were like, 'are you saying they actually give knives to kids in your schools???' like it's some kind of alien idea. My elementary school had forks, spoons and knives, as have all of the cafeteria's I have ever been in. My parents gave me silverware as long as I can remember (I mean I'm sure they started me off with plastic wear and all, but still). All of my nephews and my niece know how to use silverware except for the newest one who is less than 5 months old! That just blows my mind.

Basically if you haven't checked it out yet, you should. It's up on Hulu and it's on ABC at kind of irregular times. The first episode premiered on 3/21/2010 and there was another episode yesterday (3/26/2010) and according to the show's website the next episode will be on 4/2/2010 and then on 4/3/2010.