Food Revolution

Jaime Oliver's new show was on last night, Food Revolution. It was sneak peek, which I think means they will replay it on Friday for anyone that missed it. If you missed it...WATCH! It is frightening. It is also inspiring but shock and fear are the first things I felt. Watching the future of America go through the cafeteria line and be served pizza for breakfast then "chicken" nuggets and mashed potatoes (pearls mind you, not real potatoes but little pearls that you reconstitute with water!) for lunch and seeing them grab junky sugary dye filled milk products was horrifying. These are our future business leaders. Our future teachers. Our future President for goodness sake! And we're filling their stomachs with cheap, non nutritious food on a daily basis for 3/4 of their lives. And we don't see a problem with that? Don't we?? My sons generation has a shorter live expectancy than mine. Don't we see the connection?

I applaud Jamie Oliver for trying to shine a spot light on a huge problem that people talk about but no one seems to DO anything about. There is so many layers to the problem but so much of it comes down to the dollar. We have to feed each child for barely over $1.00. A latte costs more than what the school districts across America spend to feed each child lunch. I realize there are discounts when you buy in bulk but come on, not that much of a discount! We have to be willing to invest in their health because that is what it is. It is a long term investment that won't be paid back until these little ones are adults and in the work force and don't have to take so many sick days to deal with their obesity related health issues! The investment will be paid back when their medical bills are not astronomically high to deal with their obesity related health issues! When their brains develop with good healthy nourishing food and then they can go on to become scientists who cure diseases, teachers who inspire, artists who move and yes someone has to become the President, that's when our investment gets paid back.

In my own little bubble I find it hard to understand why some of the parents we will see on this show don't think about what they are feeding their children. I spend a lot of time thinking about it. Planning meals. Finding new recipes. Shopping for groceries. Putting away groceries. Preslicing veggies and fruits. Cooking meals. Cleaning up from meals. It's a huge part of my life. I have friends who are just like me, so I find the other side of the coin hard to comprehend. I get convenience. I do, I'm a working Momma, I get the desire to tear open a box and have something that resembles food on the table in short order but I can't do that. It's just not a good investment. I need my children to thrive. In order for them to thrive I have to fuel their development at a most basic level with the best possible food. It's not cheap, it's not always quick, but it is so worth it.

I hope that Jaime's ambitious Revolution takes hold in Huntington. They need the help. They need the guidance. I hope that people can set down their pride and see that what was does not have to be. Something different is nothing to be feared if it improves your health. Food is the most basic human need and our children deserve the best. So many of these children eat 66% of their meals at school, what better place to start and make the biggest difference in their health than at school?