It’s intriguing to think of the concept: British chef Jamie Oliver (of “Naked Chef” fame) comes to America and takes a peek at our food ways. As he comments in the opening preview of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,” Pizza for breakfast. I’ve never seen anything like this.” Mind you, he was in Huntington, WVA, a city the CDC labeled the Unhealthiest City in America, not a positive banner headline!
His goal is to create lifestyle changes that reverse the devastating health statistics surrounding early death and severe obesity. Without giving too much away, let me say his welcome did not resemble a cuddly, warm, open-arm reception. He was laughed at, viewed as a threat, and generally undermined, if that’s possible to do to the the delightfully entertaining Oliver. The kitchen staff at the first elementary school scoffed at what they considered an intruder; after all they had been there for decades doing the same thing. When they showed him how they make mashed potatoes, with potato pearls, he struggled to hold his composure.
His goal is simple: Effect the lives of the community and bring about healthy changes. He’s working with families and introducing them to foods that are not processed, deep-fried, and come out of the freezer section. Challenges are in every corner, for the students who are asked to choose between a home-cooked chicken lunch v. a slice of pizza–you know who wins! The lunch ladies, as he calls them, can barely hide their resentment and disgust. They admit that they said he could try to set up his school guidelines as he has done in the UK, but they emit skepticism.
Enough of this first episode. Recognize that he is tackling the very issues First Lady Michelle Obama has so eloquently addressed. His goal is to have schools, administrations, families and in general, the US think about the food that goes into our bodies. In this blog we’ve talked plenty about nutrition and childhood obesity; let’s hope that Jamie’s Kitchen becomes a model for how we can change the nutritional guidelines of school lunch programs and help families learn how to shop for foods that are not laden with lines of ingredients.
As they say, check your local listings for upcoming episodes.
As an aside, maybe the biggest irony of the show was the commercial for a fast food restaurant that talks about giving you more for less. They obviously never received the Jamie Oliver memo!
