I watched the first two episodes this weekend and was blown away. I couldn't believe how horrible the food was and how no one really seemed to think it was a big deal except Jamie. It might be that, like you, I eat extremely healthy. Significantly more healthy than any of my peers (I'm still in college) and all of that processed food just looks disgusting to me. I couldn't believe after he did the demo of how chicken patties were made, the kids still wanted them! Those looked horrible, I know I'm never going to have it again.

When I was in elementary school, more than half of us I would say brought our own lunches from home. My dad made it for me every morning, and he's a bigger health nut than I am, so I know it was good stuff.

A large problem seemed to be that the kids just did not like the healthy stuff. That's not their fault of course. I am by no means an expert on raising kids but there has to be some way to get them to like vegetables. I should ask my parents; carrots and broccoli have been two of my favorite foods for as long as I can remember.


Even if he fails in changing the food at the schools, I hope his message still gets out to all the adults out there who can make changes in their own lives before it is too late. Convincing people to eat better can be hard though, I've tried to get my roommate to eat better, but he's still hooked on pizza rolls.

Originally posted by Nessosin
Significantly more healthy than any of my peers (I'm still in college) and all of that processed food just looks disgusting to me. I couldn't believe after he did the demo of how chicken patties were made, the kids still wanted them! Those looked horrible, I know I'm never going to have it again.

The chicken things were horrible, however fast food doesn't have to be bad. Pizza for example can actually be quite healthy if you use it in moderation and make it yourself. You can pack a pizza with vegetables and it'll be really tasty. Still we need to encourage people away from having it every day.

Originally posted by Nessosin
When I was in elementary school, more than half of us I would say brought our own lunches from home. My dad made it for me every morning, and he's a bigger health nut than I am, so I know it was good stuff.

When i was in school tons of kids had packed lunches that were very healthy. The kids who had school meals also had healthy stuff. I'm only 24, i'm not sure when it changed.

Originally posted by Nessosin
A large problem seemed to be that the kids just did not like the healthy stuff. That's not their fault of course. I am by no means an expert on raising kids but there has to be some way to get them to like vegetables. I should ask my parents; carrots and broccoli have been two of my favorite foods for as long as I can remember.

It's the parents fault that their kids don't like healthy stuff. While evolution has designed children to not like certain foods like broccoli (this goes back to thinking certain foods are poisonous) this can be overcome by caring parents who force their children to eat healthy foods. Children treated in such a way will develop a taste for healthy foods.

It has been shown that happy memories associated with foods means the child will eat more of those foods in future. That is Why companies like McDonalds use a clown and birthday parties, they know of this link! Hook them early and they will follow.

Originally posted by Nessosin
Even if he fails in changing the food at the schools, I hope his message still gets out to all the adults out there who can make changes in their own lives before it is too late. Convincing people to eat better can be hard though, I've tried to get my roommate to eat better, but he's still hooked on pizza rolls.

I hope he can achieve something, even if he changes one life it is worth it. It will be interesting to see the rest of his shows.

I was just looking around at another site discussing him and saw his photo. Is it me or does he look overweight to you too? At the very least he is quite round and large with a lot of "softness" overlying his musculature. Has he admitted to having a weight problem himself? If not I'd say he's a bit deluded.

Old Jamie has definitely improved meal times at my house... Most of the stuff we cook comes straight out of his recipe books and shows.....

He has a good heart and is definitely trying to help people to learn to cook healthy meals.. He did the same here in the UK and basically changed the menus in schools... Even learnt a whole town in the north of England how to cook something more than chips (fries) and eating take out...

And a s Jew, he has taught me more things to do with chicken lol...

You guys should listen to him.. He is a force for good and knows his stuff.. He also has away of shaming parents into giving their kids proper food and a love for cooking....

This is how it's done, folks. Sure, Mr. Oliver will make lots of money from this, but at the same time he'll likely help bring about much needed improvements to millions of diets. Bravo!

Sadly, the WV school food program is built for affordability, not for nutrition. Of course, it should be the other way around, but sometimes things just don't work like they ought to. Getting rid of the flavored milk is a good first step, but I do have a place in my heart for Broughton (company that makes the milk) because I can drive to their milk processing place in like 5 minutes. You should see all the crazy flavors they've made over the years, they've had an orange creamsicle flavor, a cookies and cream, and most memorably root beer. I live in and grew up here in WV, so I'm sure I could answer some questions about the school food.

I remember there was a bit in Morgan Spurlock's "Super Size Me" where he went to a West Virginia elementary school and criticized their lunch program.

Originally posted by ChrisCrikey
I was just looking around at another site discussing him and saw his photo. Is it me or does he look overweight to you too? At the very least he is quite round and large with a lot of "softness" overlying his musculature. Has he admitted to having a weight problem himself? If not I'd say he's a bit deluded.

I can understand you dont want some fat tongued Limey coming over the pond and telling you that your eating habits are killing your children. Its a bitter pill to swallow, he has had bad reactions in parts of the UK where he has been seen as a condisending southerner.
But, at the end of the day the proof is in the pudding, If you read the article I just posted, the schools in the UK who trialed Jamies menu have seen a marked rise in pupil behaviour and accademic acores.

while I agree on principle, a better diet would imrove the health of both the uk and usa. However, i have to say jamie oliver in paticular has done more harm than good, he was the catalyst for this new and frankly rediculous public perception of "nature good/ artificial bad". as i said ridiculous, a tornado is natural but that doesent make it good and the computer your siting at is artificial but it is not bad - im fed up of these presumptions and genralisations, E numbers for example are demonised yet in fact all the E means is that they have been trialed and tested until they meet with EU safty standards. if anything E numbers should be positively acnolaged - hell vitimin c is in fact a E number. a few anomilys shouldent mean the judgment of the entire class indeed artificial flavorsvmay be the greatest tool in ceating a healthier planet since, to be honest, vegtibales taste like sh** to most kids myself included the best idea is simply to change the flavor to sometying more apitising. while you have to br carefull artificial colours, flavors anf preservitives are nothing to fear and socity needs to stop going backwards by rejecting them.

ps: sorry for the spelling