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| Monday, March 29, 2010 |
| Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Continues |
We’ve been talking an awful lot about the obesity epidemic in the United States, the importance of educating our children and the need for radical change on Sensei Talks. Well, Jamie Oliver (better known as The Naked Chef) couldn’t agree with us more and he’s REALLY making an effort to do something about it!
Jennifer wrote about his new show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution last week after the “sneak peek” aired and I just finished watching the official first episode. I love this guy! He’s a talented chef, family man, lover of nutritious whole foods, and he wants to single handedly revolutionize our country’s school lunch program. Now that’s impressive!
So, enough about Jamie…we all know how wonderful he is already! What I’m really dying to know is if any of you had the same reaction to Friday’s night’s episode as I did? Being a dietitian I can’t say I was totally shocked. Maybe extremely disappointed or even heartbroken would be a better way to describe it. You can read statistic after statistic about the state of our country’s health, but the way Food Revolution puts the reality of the situation right in your face really hit home for me.
From start to finish the episode was busting at the seams with impactful, eye opening moments. But there were two segments in particular that really stuck out in my mind (besides the part where Jamie dressed up as a pea of course).
The first was when Jamie decided to do a little experiment with the kids. He made chicken nuggets from a chicken carcass (including the bones, innards, blood, etc.) by adding some filler and spices and pureeing the whole mess in a food processor. He was hoping if the kids knew what was really going into their food they wouldn’t want to eat it. No such luck. When they saw the chicken carcass the kids were completely disgusted. As soon as the pureed chicken parts were transformed into those little nuggets they recognize and love so much, they had no problems eating them.
The second majorly disappointing part for me was when Jamie went into a first grade class to see how well the children were able to identify common vegetables. We’re talking tomatoes and potatoes here people. NONE of the children were able to properly identify ANY of the vegetables, but were easily able to identify every single processed food he showed them including things like pizza, burgers and French fries. That was a really sad moment for me. I just couldn’t believe that they knew what ketchup was but didn’t know that ketchup comes from tomatoes or even what a tomato looks likes. The good news is that the teacher decided to do something about it. She worked with her class and by the end of the episode the kids were able to identify all the veggies correctly.
I think one of the big take home messages here is that a little education can go a long way in helping people to improve their lifestyle habits and health. There will always be people who are in denial, get defensive or try to point the finger. But I believe if people can understand the “why” part, instead of just being told what to do, they will be more likely to make a change. I also think that people need to realize they don’t have to change everything at once. Success is next to impossible if you approach any situation that way. Take small meaningful steps and work on changing one or two things at a time. Maybe start with giving up soda or trying one new vegetable a week.
I don’t know about you but this has me excited and even a little hopeful! Between Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign, our children might have a fighting chance at a healthier future. If we can just remember that our efforts make an impact and that people have the potential to be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem, then I think we can do this!
The next episode of Food Revolution is set to air Friday, April 2nd on ABC at 9:00 pm EST. I highly recommend you and your family to tune in and be sure to let me know what you think.
- Lauren
Related Articles
Sensei Talks: Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution
Sensei Talks: Are Soft Drinks Responsible for Our Weight Problems
Sensei Talks: Posting Calories Improves Food Choices
Labels: Childhood Obesity, Jamie Oliver, Lauren
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posted by My Sensei @ Monday, March 29, 2010   |
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| 2 Comments: |
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I must watch that show. More people have been talking about it. I tell you what - it's so sad!
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I have pposted about this & have been watching & recording it since I am super busy right now. I hope it does some good! I am posting about it again next week!
We need prevention & parents to get involved too!
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I must watch that show. More people have been talking about it. I tell you what - it's so sad!