Chef Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution premieres tonight on ABC

I wonder if they will address how poorly this was received in England. He was tasked with revamping all the meals that the kids were served in school in England. While healthly, the kids hated them and just quit eating, altogether. I can still remember the pictures of parents handing takeout McDonalds bags and the sort through the school fences to their kids!

Beased on what I read about this in England, the parents were the most resistant.

Similar to discipline attempts in schools these days - the parents just undermine the teachers and nothing good results.

I am not saying that I would love to eat 100% of what he is serving/proposing, but my guess is that the kids would be MUCH more receptive to it if they weren't getting all sorts of preconcieved notions about it from the adults.

Jamie was so good on Oprah today. I hope we-Americans-will start to think of eating healthier. To start thinking about it is a start.

Wow, he really had his work cut out for him on these two episodes. When those kids saw how chicken "patties" were made, and still wanted to eat them, I cringed. We've become so far removed from the source of real food in this country, it's scary. God bless him for trying to make a dent in a huge problem.

Oh my gosh!! I loved this show. I was shocked, sickened and just downright pissed off after watching it. And I'm hooked.

I could not believe the kids didn't even know the names of the vegetables much less that french fries were made from potatoes. The chicken patty experiment, even though I knew where he was going, just made me wanna puke.

I so hope this show does make even a dent in the awareness of all the crap we eat.

I dvr'd it, but only the first episode. The family that buried the deep fryer -- so sad, I hope he's able to help at least that family.

I was a little shocked by how angry and defensive the whole town seemed. And that Alice -- we've all known an Alice, yuck.

I'm hooked.

I dvr'd it, but only the first episode. The family that buried the deep fryer -- so sad, I hope he's able to help at least that family.

I was a little shocked by how angry and defensive the whole town seemed. And that Alice -- we've all known an Alice, yuck.

I'm hooked.

I really like this show, its is spot on. But , I've been shocked at how some of my friends feel. They think he's crazy. As a retired teacher,I know the bottom line is $$$.
I do remember when I was in elementary school (a small country school) in the 60's we had real food that they acturally cooked not just processed stuff they heated over. In fact, it was before the free lunch program and some families that farmed, traded fresh vegies etc for free lunches for their kids.
I going to be keeping m;y grandkids this summer ,so I feel the pressure is on me to not just throw chicken nuggets at them for lunch.

I dvr'd it, but only the first episode. The family that buried the deep fryer -- so sad, I hope he's able to help at least that family.

I was a little shocked by how angry and defensive the whole town seemed. And that Alice -- we've all known an Alice, yuck.

I'm hooked.

Yeah, I was puzzled by that too. You would think they would embrace health, at least for the kids. But, I guess it's as cp says, it's all about money.

I would submit it's also about work, or avoidance thereof. The school lunch workers are accustomed to opening cans, heating up frozen stuff, and serving such mushy glop that the kids only need spoons and sometimes forks (not knives) to eat it. I suspect many of the lunch workers are there for a steady easy paycheck and a job that is not too demanding and doesn't require creativity or effort beyond going through the same motions week after week. (Not all of them, just a significant majority) I don't guess it's a secret to anyone that many school systems are really about jobs programs and not so much about education or what's best for the kids.

Did anyone notice what the lunchroom manager looked like? Overweight and pasty-skinned. Not the picture of vibrant health you would hope our lunchroom folks would model for our kids. She no doubt eats a lot of the same kind of stuff she serves, and probably feels threatened by this whole thing. No easy task for a healthy, energetic outsider like Jamie to step in as an expert and show her how to do the job she's been doing all these everhowmany years (sadly, that is how many folks think -- we do it like this because we've always done it like this and you're not from here so what authority do you have to tell me how to do my job....)

Also, education is a huge institution, and in any institution, rocking the boat is hard work, dangerous to the change-bringers, and often unsuccessful, no matter how utterly right and sensible the desired change may be. People who manage to last as part of a big institution are not typically the same kinds of folks who get a big charge out of blazing new trails. Granted, this is a broad generalization, but I do speak from several experiences in different institutions, including public elementary schools, a large public university, and a large diocese. The dynamics were the same in all of these places -- efforts at excellence, creativity, positive change were punished, while mediocre performance and plenty of kissing up to whoever was higher on the hierarchy than you was richly rewarded. Also rewarded was following the rules and policies even in situations where they were clearly not appropriate....

All that said, I think Jamie is right -- if the parents get behind this, it is sure to succeed, but it has to be dedicated parents who are willing to meet with administrators, cafeteria workers and managers, principals, school boards, whatever it takes. ou cannot simply present a good idea and expect that an institution will adopt it because it's a good idea. You have to show them how it will benefit them (the administrators, decisionmakers and workers). They don't care about the overwhelming statistics relating nutrition, health and learning. They care about their job security and how to make it through budget cuts and up to the next pay grade.

There are school lunchrooms in America where this sort of thing is already happening, and typically it's parents who are bringing the changes. In California, there is a small business owned and operated by two moms, and they are catering freshly prepared, healthy school lunches and snacks for a growing roster of public schools. By all reports, the kids love the foods, and they are doing this for the same amount as the schools were spending before on serving up processed grease, starch and chemical glop. I would post the website but cannot at the moment recall the name of the business.

I say Go Jamie!

Susan, is this it?
https://www.choicelunch.com/home.aspx

And here's another
Farm to School program:
Putting the WOW in school lunches

You mentioned people citing their years of experience. One of the best admonitions I've ever heard regarding that is this: don't mistake 10 years' experience for one year of experience repeated 9 times.

Susan, is this it?
https://www.choicelunch.com/home.aspx

And here's another
Farm to School program:
Putting the WOW in school lunches

You mentioned people citing their years of experience. One of the best admonitions I've ever heard regarding that is this: don't mistake 10 years' experience for one year of experience repeated 9 times.

Miss Critter,

Those look great and I'm happy to see them -- but it's not the company I have read about. I know what you mean about experience, but the kind of muggles who say that sort of thing aren't typically the sort who are openminded or self-confident enough to give serious consideration to new methods or ideas, let alone adopting them enthusiastically. When not only your rank and file (lunchroom workers) think like that, but also your leadership, it's even harder.

Not saying it can't be done, just saying it takes numbers of dedicated parents with skills for how to turn the course of a very large battleship about half a degree. Patience is also required, and often the changes one group of parents brings about will not take effect in time to benefit their own children. Agan, speaking from experience here.

There are other ways to make good things happen, like getting new laws enacted, and anyone who's got the connections and skills to require healthier fresh food in Florida schools by law, let me send you a check right now! I am only speaking from the experience of a woman who was a fulltime stay at home mom and small business owner, whose first efforts at change in schools were based on the erroneous belief that teachers, principals and school board members would jump at every chance to do something that was best for the kids.

sadly I think you are right, Susan.

You know it is sad when the world is giving us an intervention! I applaud what Jamie is doing, but I think people have to want to change before any thing can happen. I do not think this nation's obesity and processed food problem is necessarily an issue of being under educated on the subject. I think most people know that eating fast food most days of the week is bad for you, it's just that they don't care. Just like what singinchicken said about the parents in Britain sneaking their kids fast food through the school yard gates.

You know it is sad when the world is giving us an intervention! I applaud what Jamie is doing, but I think people have to want to change before any thing can happen. I do not think this nation's obesity and processed food problem is necessarily an issue of being under educated on the subject. I think most people know that eating fast food most days of the week is bad for you, it's just that they don't care. Just like what singinchicken said about the parents in Britain sneaking their kids fast food through the school yard gates.

You're right, Chels. For many it's just the path of least resistance. Until they become diabetic - or worse - and curse their "bad luck." The bottom line is that real food does require more effort than driving up to a window and unwrapping cr*p disguised as food.

I actually find "fast food" to be more of a hassle/ick than "real" food.

First I have to find something I will eat on their menus, then I have to go wait in line and get it (and check that it's right), then I feel poorly from the crap and grease and preservatives.

There are literally hundreds of healthy meals you can make from scratch/freezer items in less than 20 minutes including prep time.

Our "emergency/fast" meals were tacos (just have to brown meat & onions while you grate cheese and shred lettuce), omelet or scrambled eggs, pasta (boil some pasta while you chop/sautee some veggies and meat OR heat some homemade sauce), stir-fry (bag of mixed veggies combined w/ sauce and leftover meats over rice), or any of many different grilled meat items w/ a green salad or veggie side.

With the exception of the lettuce/spinach and the milk we drank, nothing truly required freshness, just the defrost button and seeing what was in the fridge/freezer.

And with kids helping cook, set the table, and doing the dishes it isn't a big burden on a working parent.