So, what are you doing tonight? Watching television? Watching a movie? Going out to dinner perhaps? No matter what your plans are, you should make it a priority to set your DVR for 9 p.m. EST to record Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. If you aren’t familiar with what this is exactly, I wrote a post about it here. Tonight is the third week of the Food Revolution on television and I have to tell you I am pumped. Jamie Oliver’s mission is a big one and he is taking it seriously and so am I, along with many other Americans. His goal? To change the school lunch programs across the United States, and ultimately, the way everyone in the United States eats. The obesity in this country is frightening and even more sad is that so much of it is our children who are overweight or obese.
I decided to make a surprise visit to my son’s school today at lunchtime for some good spying Mom/son bonding. I love when I can spend a little time with him during the school day and he really enjoys me coming because I am such a “cool” Mom to have around. Probably not very cool to other kids at the table as I scrutinized their lunches one by one.(Next time I will take pictures). Yes, they love me! Many had the school’s hot lunch for the day, which was pizza, an apple, and a pre-packaged Rice Krispie Treat. Sadly, a couple didn’t even touch the apple. One boy’s excuse to me was literally, “the apple is cold and I don’t like cold food.” Hmm, okay. Of course the pizza was gobbled up with what the school calls “healthier” because there is wheat in the dough? Hello! Unless it’s whole wheat, the wheat means nothing as far as nutrition goes.
I can’t forget to mention the beverages. There were two: chocolate milk and apple juice. Both loaded with sugar and bursting with, well, nothing good in my opinion. I would love to see the school encourage students to bring a water bottle and fill it up at a fountain, or maybe make the chocolate milk and orange juice organic, at the very least.
Proud momma brag: My eleven year old sixth grader was eating his lunch brought from home (crafted by me) and realized he was thirsty, but had forgotten his water bottle all the way upstairs in his locker. He didn’t even so much as ask me for money to buy a bottle of something from the machine behind his table, but instead, got up, went up to his locker and returned with his reusable water bottle. That’s right, he’s my boy!
So, in the distance, I can see a child at another table with one of the a la carte options that the school offers. Can you guess what it is? It is a huge student favorite and possibly my least favorite? Nachos! And not nachos with real cheese and loaded with veggies, but nachos with some sort of “fake” cheese that was squeezed out of a machine with a lever. I know your mouth is watering right now. Stop! Wipe the drool and pay attention! The nachos are NOT good, but when I mentiond this, they all exclaimed that they were their favorites. Really? Oh, my heart…..and their perservative filled bodies. I was weeping inside for all of us.
A very sad side note: the child across the cafeteria eating the nachos today was, in fact overweight, and eats foods like that on a daily basis at school.
My philosophy is simple. If the choices aren’t available, they will not buy them. I am attending a meeting in a couple of weeks regarding the school lunch program in this district. Although my children both bring a lunch from home, I still feel I need to attend and take action to support a change. Wouldn’t it be great if Jamie Oliver could come? Hmm, I wonder if he’s busy already. Oh, he probably is…..all famous and stuff, traveling the country, and improving the health of our children, one city at a time! Go Jamie!
Now, if you haven’t already, go to Jamie’s page ( I put the button at the top of the post for you to click) and sign the petition showing him you support his mission! Now, go…..go on now!
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