I just watched an episode of the ABC show Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. The premise of the show is a chef, formerly on Food Network, bringing attention to poor food choices and options in schools and the community. During the second season of this show, Jamie Oliver is attempting to transform L.A county school’s menus to be healthier. So far he has been completely banned from all county school lunchrooms and kitchens and is banned from speaking to students about their opinions about food options. It is unclear whether the school board is concerned about having a T.V crew interfering with education or has something they don’t want to be publicized.
An important theme from this program that has been emphasized in both of our reading this semester is that healthier food isn’t necessarily more expensive. Small additional costs are always worth the benefit. All over the country though there are budget cuts to schools and it’s hard to determine priorities when fine arts and extracurricular are being cut completely. Completely changing a school’s menu requires planning and funding that won’t be achieved without strong support from parents and community members. Growing up, I always had a packed lunch because it was more economical and healthy. This might be a good idea for many parents concerned about their children’s health but it can’t be the solution for everyone. In many school systems, including mine, free or discounted lunches are provided to students from low income families. Both of our reading have also pointed out that these lowest income families typically have the unhealthiest diets. This fact makes it even more important to provide healthy meals at schools. Resources to start petitions and contact local school boards are available on the “Food Revolution” website.
http://www.jamieoliver.com/us/foundation/jamies-food-revolution/school-food
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