Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution: Lessons Learned

After the disappointment in the last episode of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, it was a wonderful surprise to see that the administrator of West Adams High had hopefully found a loophole, so that Jamie and his kids could indeed cook for the entire school, at least as an assembly. The administrator said that the school was based on experiential teaching and preparing kids for college, so healthy eating fit right into their principles. In the mean time, Jamie continued his role of instructor, trying out different subjects beyond culinary arts.

In math class, Jamie taught about calories and consequences by allowing students to choose a snack between soda, chocolate bars, pizza, or oranges. He then allowed them to experience weight gain using weight backpacks. Jamie then took his math students out to the track having the students walk around the track enough times to burn the calories of what they had just eaten.

In social studies class, Jamie brought in adults from the community to share their health stories with the students. By the end of the period, the kids were all in tears and identifying how the stories related to their own families.

Jamie finally took Los Angeles’ Food Revolution into the home to single father’s family. The dad clearly felt guilty about how much fast food he was feeding his two boys, but felt like he did not know how to cook. Jamie explained that parents choose fast food by default because they just don’t yet know what to do. Jamie showed them just how much fast food they were in eating in typical Jamie Oliver style. The better visualization was when Jamie sent dad out to get a normal lunch for his family, while Jamie stayed home to instruct the boys on preparing a meal. In less time than it took dad to drive through and pick up fast food, the boys prepared everything from scratch, including the drink, salad dressing, and a tomato sauce. Dad spent $31, but the meal the boys prepared was only $23. It was clear that Jamie made a real impact on this family.

In the meantime, all permits for filming in any LAUSD school were revoked from the Food Revolution. Although the administrator of West Adams High and MLA fought the decision, Jamie vows to move his kitchen to a building near the school, stating “In my kitchen, it’s a free country.” It’s an interesting statement for a Brit to make in the United States.

Don’t forget to watch Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution on ABC at 9p EST Friday evenings.

June 14th, 2011

View the original article here

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution: Know What You’re Eating

If you are like me, you didn’t realize that ABC had snuck Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution back into the line up on a new day and time. Luckily, I was able to catch up on Hulu.com. Hopefully, the rest of the season will continue on Fridays at 9p EST.

In the third episode of the second season, Jamie finally made some progress with Deno at Patra’s who we saw last episode. Jamie offered to renovate the entire diner and join him live on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show if Deno would agree to upgrade the meat in his burgers from the patties he knows nothing about. Deno said that his concern was more about if his customers would like it rather than the extra 13 cents per patty, but he also spoke about the “bottom line” a lot in this episode. Jamie introduced Deno to Sophia, one of the students from West Adams High, who shared her story and her concern that fast food is the primary contributor to diabetes in her entire family.

I was appalled that Deno would argue to a crying teenager that fast food is a choice, just like alcohol or cigarettes. When a child is given fast food, whose choice was it to purchase it? When lower quality ingredients are used to make foods, whose choice was that? Yes, I choose not to eat fast food, and my coworkers have said they hide their “bad” lunch choices from my sight. Yet, I am disturbed by the lack of compassion and the choice to blame rather than to take responsibility for one’s own choices.

Eventually, Deno did take Jamie up on his offer after his chef urged him to do it. Eventually, when his restaurant was overrun with customers during the grand re-opening, a customer from the neighborhood seemed to finally convince him. I hope that this truly is the end of the mystery meat at Patra’s.

Back at West Adams High, Jamie and his ten students easily prepared a meal of healthy macaroni and cheese, roast chicken, salad, and fruit salad for 150 students. Jamie’s students were eager and willing to take on the challenge of cooking for the entire school next. As they prepared to serve their meal, they found they had been demoted to serving in the furthest corner of the school. The administrator explained to Jamie that they had been told they were not allowed to compete with the cafeteria food served by union workers. When Jamie spoke to the parent volunteers meeting, he was clearly frustrated, tired, and emotional.

Jamie was shocked to discover that the teenagers of West Adams High did not know the basics of the origins of foods like butter, honey, sausage, and cheese. Although not allowed to serve food, Jamie was allowed to teach, so he created a demonstration and object lesson about where some “food” items come from. Seeing bugs, duck feathers, and human hair added to ice cream certainly grossed out most of the kids. It was educational for me as well. These object lessons may be the best thing Jamie does, besides cooking. The kids and I both took away from that class that we all need to know what we are eating, and if you don’t understand the crazy ingredients, don’t buy it.

June 13th, 2011

View the original article here