Excellent! I love it. I love the show too! You know this has been a big worry of mine. I never at school lunch because I only like PBJ. I am starting Kiana out early. She has never eaten a jarred baby food. I make everything fresh. Already – she wants to try everything I am eating, which tells me, I set the example. My rule about crappy food is if … See Moreit is not in the house…I also only shop the outside perimeters of the grocery store with the occasion aisle for condiments, baking needs, etc. Some foods are treats and we get those when we are out. FYI – chicken nuggets scared me when I was little, I as afraid of chewing grizzle. So kudos to you for the article. I think we need to get this information out and get it out fast. I am hoping that ABC will re-air the show again, I have lots of parent friends who missed it.

My kids are pretty good. Tabby (3yrs) still loves sweets, though I was amazed after Easter that she completely forgot about her candy and never asked for a single piece (so we ate it all – awesome!). She does truly seem to love fruit almost as much and she’s great about eating about 70% of the veggies I put in front of her. I hope we’ve started her on a good path … that’s probably about all we can do.

Physically, she loves to get out and walk and we’ve been taking her (and Ben – 1 yr) along in the stroller on our outdoor runs. I know they’re not running – though they usually do get a stop a playground somewhere along the journey – but, like my sister said, “They’re going to grow up thinking this is normal!”

We’ve been watching the show with our two sons ( 7 and 9). It’s been great. They are pretty healthy eaters but this has provided us with a great opportunity to talk about healthy choices…and then to cook together!

I totally agree. It is amazing what is in cafeteria food. I’ve been DVRing Jamie’s show and I am very impressed. Our kids need to understand how to eat healthfully — throughout the country.

We live in the rural Midwest where it seems like much of society is also just learning about vegetables. It takes us about an hour and a half to get to Trader Joe’s and other stores with more healthy options, but it is worth it. We also utilize locally grown produce when we can.

Luckily, as we’ve seen Wal-Mart get on the Organic bandwagon we do have some staples available nearby – milk, yogurt, etc. – that can keep us between trips to the other stores.

As always, you’re right on with your thoughts. I couldn’t agree more!

My daughter goes to a school where all the kids bring their own snacks and lunches, so we’ve managed to avoid the school-lunch thing altogether. We also provided our own snacks through two years of preschool and continue to do so for camps and other kids activities where food is served.

As I’ve blogged about (thanks, Kristi, for the mention!), we decided early on that it’s important to teach our daughter that it’s OK to make different food choices. That way she’ll have the knowledge and tools to continue to make good choices later.

But I’ve also become an advocate for improving the way *all* kids eat. The problem is so much bigger than any one family. Industry and policy need to change, and the only way that will happen is if enough of us get loud enough.

Chris

Spoonfed: Raising kids to think about the food they eat
http://www.spoonfedblog.net

Thanks for writing about this. I just mentioned the topic of kids’ eating habits as well. http://www.thrive-style.com/2010/04/dumb-bunny-even-he-changed-for-the-better/

My BF and I are glued to every minute of Jamie Oliver’s show…and we don’t even have kids!

One of the biggest things that “gets” me (I work with hundreds of employees on their own wellness at a local well-known university) is the number of women who tell me how hard it is for them to eat healthy——because they have to have chips and snacks in the house for their kids! I’m quite certain they don’t know the message that puts out, but their own focus is generally just on losing weight (and not on the actual food-health part).
It makes me sad to see how kids eat, and I know it’s hard to “make” your kids choose healthy foods when they haven’t in the past——but lots of things in life are difficult, and this specific thing may be most worthy of the effort.
I’m currently taking a certification program online through Cornell by T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study and over 4 decades of research on nutrition and disease. I highly recommend the book, the topic, and all he has to offer us in the way of Truth about food, government, and big business. (note: the book is highly research/academic based, so be prepared to concentrate on the reading—I re-read chapters a few times so I could absorb the content). Everything by Michael Pollan is also awesome.
The movies Food, Inc. and King Corn are also very worthwhile.
Thanks for this topic—-I’m obsessed with all of it (in a good way!).
Lisa

I am not only watching Jamie Oliver’s show, but will be co-hosting a showing of the award winning movie “Two Angry Moms” on Thursday May 6, 7 – 9 pm at the Pittsford Library community room. This open to the public and focuses on how to implement changes within school cafeterias. Please come and become part of the food revolution in Rochester!

I’ve been watching the show, but unfortunately it doesn’t surprise me. I worked 3 years for the USDA’s nutrition program for infant and children. Specifically I went into home daycares to evaluate the meals they served. The regulations are nearly identical for schools. When the regs were written, years ago, it was aimed at low income children who were not getting enough fat or calories in their diets. Really unhealthy foods such as vienna sausages counted as a protein source.

I really hope this program can spark change in the US.

My kids do have sugar–too much, and I’m trying to cut back. Julianna only drinks chocolate milk, but I am okay with that. She’s not the one eating too much sugar from other sources.’

I hate the school lunch program. It is all processed junk. They serve half-dead, bruised awful looking apples and then claim that there’s no sense serving fresh fruits the kids won’t eat them. They serve something called chicken fries. It’s really abysmal.

My kids are great eaters though–a very wide variety of foods in their diet, lots of fresh vegetables that they enjoy and fruits too.

It was amazing to me that the kids couldn’t name the vegetables. So, so sad.

I think parents would be willing to pay more to get better quality lunches in place in the schools, but maybe I’m wrong. I don’t know. With the rate of free/reduced price lunches, maybe they truly can’t afford to pay more.

It’s not easy to make better choices, it does take money and time that a lot of struggling parents are already short on. I think it’s important to acknowledge that. The trick is helping parents to see just how important it is and what the payoffs are down the road. I’m amazed at how many of my kids friends don’t even have a family dinner together every night–how are kids ever going to learn healthy eating habits if they’re not modeled for them? The kids I watch exist purely on fast food and take out. They won’t eat veggies or simply prepared foods like baked or grilled chicken. Sad.

I’ve watched a couple of episodes now, and I don’t like a couple of things about the show. Number 1, he’s playing a little fast and loose with the facts, and the danger of that is that people will disregard his whole message. Chocolate milk does not have more sugar and soda. Horizon chocolate milk has 27g. of sugar, 1% milk has 12g., so chocolate milk has 15 added grams. A same-size serving of coke has 39 grams. Big, big difference. Also, I don’t believe most experts would say that this generation is in danger of dying in their 30′s. Again, the danger is it dilutes his whole message.

Also, I don’t like him telling the kids to clean their plates, eat it all up, etc. I thought we got rid of that kind of language long ago. I will never say that to my kids.

I was also disappointed that he didn’t try to meet the kids half-way. Why not do a baked chicken nugget if the kids want nuggets so badly? I like his message, and I definitely wish our school lunch program would take a lot of his advice, but I think you have to meet the kids where they’re at and move from there.

Why not serve freshly defrosted peas instead of gross canned peas? Baby carrots with a low-fat dip instead of cooked carrots? Those kinds of things.

That was supposed to be chocolate milk doesn’t have more sugar than soda. Oops!

Did JO really say this generation is in danger of dying in its 30s? I don’t remember that. But I do know there’s persuasive evidence showing that our kids are on track to have a shorter lifespan than we do. (It’s referenced here in a piece I wrote before the show started: http://spoonfedblog.net/2010/03/21/talking-bout-a-revolution/ )

As for why he simply didn’t make homemade chicken nuggets, JO’s whole point is that kids should be eating real food, not “kid food.”

Same thing with the colored milk: Even if soda indeed has more sugar than the milk those kids were drinking in Huntington (which we can’t know for sure unless you’ve checked the label on that exact milk), the point is that kids can learn to drink plain milk without all the additives.

I have my own quibbles with the show (namely that it doesn’t do enough to address how government policy and food industrialization have led to this mess), but I think he’s doing a whole lot more right than wrong. And it’s certainly got people talking!

Chris

Spoonfed: Raising kids to think about the food they eat
http://www.spoonfedblog.net

I think that as parents it is our job to give our kids the tools to make good choices and empower them to know how and when to make less than healthy choices as well. Since I was quite young nutrition has been one of my favorite topics, I even chose my college advisor based on the fact that he was (probably is) the world expert on equine nutrition. I also have twins that have been given wholesome healthy choices and the knowledge about what food does in the body. They know why they eat what they eat. And I have one who will eat anything you put in front of her, she is super adventurous and will choose fruits and veggies as her choices at restaurants, edamame is also one of her favs and she requests broccoli and asparagus regularly. The other however would eat like Kristi if I let him, minus the chicken. So he eats bread and pasta and only the crust of pizza, and only if it is my homemade dough. Ironically he ate every single veggie I put in front of him as a baby. Hmmmm… We also have family dinner every single night, we also have breakfast and lunch together when we can. This is one of the easiest ways for children to learn good habits.

But I think the point about federal guidelines is a fair one, and I feel as though Jamie Oliver has done a great job of showing this. Ummm 2 breads?? What? French fries are veggies…??? It is systemic and rooted in poor education. I bet you will easily find good eating habits correlated with higher levels of education in the parents regardless of income. And I know plenty of poor people with higher levels of education. (not poverty level but poor) So where is the system failing? Are we doing such a bad job with food education? I think the answer is yes, you cannot educate kids about good choices and then send them to a cafeteria with very little ‘food’ in it. I am a little in love with Michael Pollan and he refers to the “National Eating Disorder” how is a country so obsessed with food and image still the fattest in the world?
I am extremely disappointed in my district’s school lunch menu, but I will say our daycare offers fabulous fresh choices, usually. But my children have requested that I make and send their lunches. Which is a pain but I happily do it. I hope it continues when the school cafe offers Domino’s pizza and ‘Italian dunkers’ as choices…

Carolyn-What you’re doing with your daughter is fantastic. I made my children’s (organic) baby food as well, and I like to think it’s made my three-year-old the (somewhat) adventurous eater she is today. The two 18-month-olds, though? Let’s just say I’m working on that issue.

Jess-It sounds like you’re doing an incredible job. And my daughter forgot about all her Easter candy as well. She’s not asked for it once!

Alice-Great idea to watch it with your kids. TV can supply those “teachable moments” after all.

Jamie-I wish we had a Trader Joe’s here in Rochester. I love that store. And yes, if Wal-Mart can get on the organic food bandwagon, then perhaps this will convince many Americans who might not have otherwise been exposed to organics to give them a try.

Christina-I completely agree. The problem is huge in scope, and it’s only going to change when people start standing up and demanding it. And thank you again for contributing to this post!

Lisa-I read your post, and it’s spot-on. Just as Christina has said, kids CAN learn how to make healthly eating choices, and your friend’s son is a perfect example. Our kids don’t have to subsist on so-called “kid food.” If we don’t buy it, then they won’t eat it (and we won’t either). Thanks for the book and movie suggestions too. I loved Food, Inc. (as much as anyone can love a movie that’s so disturbing) and I will have to check out King Corn.

Jennifer-Thanks for sharing the news of this movie showing. I am going to try and make it, and I will share it on the Midtown Facebook page too.

Rachel-How sad. The problem is so pervasive and so systemic. I truly hope Jamie’s plan makes a difference.

Stacey-I agree. Eating healthfully does cost a lot more. But you’re right-the long-term benefits are so important, and getting parents to understand this is sometimes an uphill battle.

I have some problems with the show too, and they are similar to the ones Christina mentions. I noted these in the post. But I also agree that kids can learn to make choices that are completely healthy, and not just somewhat healthy. I think Jamie’s going “all in” and wants big change. Baked nuggets over fried ones isn’t going to do it, because in the end, it’s all questionable, ground-up chicken parts, isn’t it?

Kellie-You have one great little eater there, and that’s great. I, too, am scared about the public school cafeteria options. Viva la brown bag!

Let’s remember that sometimes dwindling school budgets and Federal school lunch requirements have a significant impact on what happens in the school cafeteria.

Fresh food and organic food often cost more than “processed” food, and although junk food in the schools isn’t a new problem, in an era of economic downturn and declining tax revenue, while teachers and administrators are being laid off, schools might not have the luxury to improve the menu beyond the minimum guidelines. Nobody wants to pay higher taxes right? In an era when Democrats are expanding some programs and using money to stimulate the economy and provide healthcare, an increasing number of people seem to be screaming about big government and crying about massive spending increases. Well that’s probably what it would take to overhaul the nation’s school food programs. The money has to come from somewhere, especially if the states don’t have it. And they there’s the old ”states’ rights” argument that the Federal government shouldn’t get involved in something that’s a local matter, which is ridiculous because a well-fed school population has an impact on the entire country.

As for Federal school lunch guidelines, the New York Times recently had an article about a school in the New York metro area that found it difficult to adhere to Federal guidelines while trying to improve the freshness and quality of the food they offered. For example, in the name of food safety, Federal guidelines (according to the article) prevent the use of fresh poultry and beef, in order to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Nobody wants kids to run the risk of getting sick from school food, but then you’re left with frozen food that’s cooked to death to ensure some level of food safety. Not ideal.

I think a solution to the problem starts at home, as do most solutions related to child development. Parents need to see a good example, and for the most part, children will likely follow along. Of course, when they’re out of the house with friends they might have things they normally wouldn’t have at home, but children aren’t little monks who should live a life of Spartan deprivation of things that we ourselves had growing up. Nor are they science experiments for overprotective parents. I think just about any reasonable nutritionist would tell you there’s nothing wrong with any food in moderation, and the 80/20 rule of good vs not-so-good eating would probably serve us and our children well.

And while there is junk on the school menu, I have to wonder if there aren’t also healthy choices availabe. A quick look at the menu from a couple district here in Texas shows that while pizza is available, the menus are balanced in terms of protein, carb, fat, fruit, and vegetable, and there are plenty of healthy choices available. And yes, the dreaded chicken nuggest is on the menu. Horrors!

I have 2 grandsons ,3 and 5 and I spend a lot of dinners with them. I have seen first hand ,that with a lot of intervention , they can be taught to eat well. You can make it fun. They like their vegetables raw with lots of organic ketchup, pancakes are a treat made with banana, almond butter,eggs and cinammon.Dessert is the last 2 pancakes with some chocolate syrup.We always discuss how healthy it is for them .They want to be strong.
I have found that adults are the ones who just can’t give up giving kids their sugar fix.
I work as a school nurse and I care for 7 diabetics. I’ve become an expert on carbohydrates and preservatives in food and yet we just keep serving it. Walmart cupcakes have about 50 ingredients,makes my hair stand up .
If Grandma couldn’t pronounce it ,” don”t eat it”. The school lunches are loaded with Carbs and all said about the government regulations,all true.
Virginia looked better than Rochester to me,they made the food, ours is all processed. Breakfast is an enriched donut and graham crackers Healthy eating has become a passion for me…

This may be a weird question but why dont parents provide packed lunches for their kids?

Here in SA, its still the norm to send your kids to school with a packed lunch. Many of the private schools have a lunch program but it is usually very strictly run with a good selection of healthy options.

It stuns me that parents would allow their kids to eat junk e.v.e.r.y day?

I had to share this here. This is a woman I am friendly with online, she is a high school drop out, this is her response to a post on how to get kids to eat healthy food
“The boys like fish sticks, nuggets, grilled cheese… but they also like other stuff too. They LOVE homemade sausage and hamburger pizza. Jackie also likes pepperoni on his. J likes green beans and Z likes corn. So that is their healthy veggie I make on the side to go with their nuggets or fish sticks. They like yogurt so that is their healthy snack.
Don’t get me wrong, they do get their share of junk food… ”

Her initial list is the ‘healthy’ list of foods, it isn’t her fault but clearly education has broken down somewhere, and our poor and our uneducated are hit the hardest by the flood of unhealthy foods.

I also want to add that I agree with Andrew, I think it is a bad practice to label foods with value judgements as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ with the exception of McDonald’s which my kids call ‘poison’. Otherwise I agree with the 80/20 rule, otherwise those are the kids that will gorge on junk when given the opportunity, kind of like the old joke about Catholic school girls.

Andy-I agree with you. She show did touch on the difficulty of securing fresh, non-processed food because of USDA difficulties and cost, but not until the final episode, which aired Friday night. I wish there had been more of that earlier on in the show. And yes, the 80/20 rule (although my rule is probably more like a 90/10) is a good way to go. My three-year-old is not deprived of the occasional treat, and while I try to regulate what she eats when we’re out, most of the time when we’re visiting relatives or friends, all bets are off.

But I disagree with districts that offer a mix of processed foods with good ones. Why offer them at all if there is little-to-no nutritional value? And if kids aren’t learning good eating habits at home (and like the kids on one episode, could not even identify a tomato), they certainly aren’t going to choose a salad over chicken nuggets. If the processed foods aren’t offered at all, however, they’ll have no choice but to eat healthfully.

Kathleen-I love your rule (“If grandma can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it!”). Kids need all the help they can get in making smart food choices, and your grandsons are fortunate to have both parents and a grandma who cares about their nutrition. How sad that you care for diabetic children. If that isn’t a wake-up call, I don’t know what is.

Mel-parents do send packed lunches. And if parents are on-board with healthy eating, that’s fantastic and a great way to ensure that their kids are eating well. But at least in Huntington, West Virginia, where this show was filmed, the packed lunches were just as unhealthy as what the schools were serving. Jamie wanted to ensure that the kids were eating lunch at the school’s cafeteria, so they were getting at least one nutritious meal each day.

Kellie-I think your friend’s comment is exactly what Jamie was talking about in an interview with the British press, in which he said this of the people of Huntington: “They are all anemic with information. Like, when you meet these people, they are not stupid. They are not ignorant. It’s just they have never had food from scratch in their life.” Somewhere, there is a breakdown of good food education. I just hope it can be remedied.