Quote of the Week – March 24, 2010
“Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!”"
- Robin Williams
Photo of the Week – 3/24/10 – Colorful Breakfast
Feast for both the eyes and the mouth.
We took a little getaway last weekend to Cape May, NJ. One morning we ate breakfast at one of our favorite restaurants, The Blue Pig Tavern. I chose this very colorful egg white veggie omelet. It make all of my senses happy (well, maybe not my ears).
Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution
Did you catch the preview last night of the new ABC series featuring Jamie Oliver? I did because it was shown after one of my guilty pleasures, “Desperate Housewives”. There’s nothing guilty about this show, just surprising. If you missed it, you can view the program on ABC’s website at: http://abc.go.com/watch/jamie-olivers-food-revolution/250784/254757/episode-101 . The program follows renowned British Chef Jamie Oliver as he attempts to turn around the food habits of Huntington, VA, the city that has been named the unhealthiest in the US based upon government statistics, including the fact that nearly 50% of the adult population is obese.
One of the more dramatic segments in the show was when Oliver sat down with one of the pastors in this city, who is himself on a mission to educate his congregation in making better food choices. As they sat together flipping through the church’s directory of parishioners, on each page the pastor pointed to members who had died at a young age due to obesity related health complications. It was very sad.
In another segment he visited the home of a typical family in the region and had them pile up all the food they ate within a week on their kitchen table. The mom of the family, who only intended good things for them, was upset when confronted with the truth. The graphic illustration of the high fat, processed food made her realize that she wasn’t achieving her goal of feeding her family well. I didn’t see a single fruit or vegetable on that table, and the most used kitchen appliance, which Jamie helped them to bury in the yard, was the deep fat fryer. Here’s an example of how we so often go through our lives and days without thinking about our actions, because once we face them head on like this Mom, there’s no question that we need to make a change.
One of Oliver’s direct missions while in this town will be to turn around the school food program. It was obvious that he would be met with a lot of resistance on all levels. The school cooks were comfortable with their kitchen routines, the children preferred the unhealthy food when presented with a freshly cooked option, and the bureaucrats hammered him on a ridiculous technicality that there needed to be two breads served at the meal! Imagine – two breads are required to meet federal food regulations, in a country that is hoping to stem the tide of childhood obesity. All I could do is shake my head in sympathy.
I’m going to follow this program closely to see if Oliver accomplishes his goals. He was successful back in the UK with improving their school food system. But can an outsider accomplish the same thing here? I really wonder. I applaud ABC for taking on a show like this. I don’t imagine there are many large food companies or fast food chains willing to advertise on this program! I also question how large the audience is for this message, and whether it will be enough for network standards. Oliver is forcing us to face the decisions we make as we feed our families, and challenging us to do things in a way that requires a bit more effort, even if it’s just mental effort. But with the dramatic examples, and his effusive enthusiasm for the cause, I’ll put my money on his making at least a dent in the problem.