Miserable Bastard

The "sneak peak" episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution came on last night. Here's a clip. Watch it.



It was obvious from the start that he wasn't going to get the support and understanding he deserves. He might has well been here in NC with the miserable bastards here. I must say that overall, the public school lunches that I have seen in elementary schools are not as bad as what they showed in WV, but they are far from good. They are definitely not cooked from fresh or raw ingredients most of the time, and they are over-processed and oftentimes icky. Just last week in the elementary school where I do my practicum hours, the meat choices for lunch were ham biscuits or chicken nuggets. That same day, macaroni & cheese was the side item. (Apparently I missed the memo about macaroni becoming a vegetable.) Out of the 22 children in my class, only a couple had fruit on their plates. I have seen worse elementary menus in one school system in VA. They literally had a potato choice for every lunch one month. Insanity!

Let me just say that I wasn't the only one in this house teary-eyed during parts of last night's episode. Even though it's a nationally broadcast show that is no doubt edited in ways that don't really show the whole truth, Jamie Oliver's heart is in the right place. He gave up time in England with his own family to come to America and try to just wake people up and empower us to make simple changes. I agree with him wholeheartedly that parents in America should be pissed that their children are fed what they are fed, but the bad part is that most of the parents eat the same shat themselves. I admit that I don't always eat healthy foods, but I sure as hell do my damnedest to feed Enid good foods often and pass cooking smarts on to her. She's only 5 and she has ideas for recipes! Anyway, if they're not pissed, then that says even more about the people in this country than I ever could.

On somewhat of a side note: I will never be surprised by people as ignorant as those seen in that first episode. That "DAWG" radio jerk needs to be schooled on sun screen as well as what a government statistic is apparently. Come on, the name of the radio station is bad enough. If any of you saw it, you can probably say you have met more than one American just like that. Those people are the ones that make me cringe, that make me ashamed to be an American, and make me sad for the future of this country. He is living proof of why the average IQ is only 100.

Message from Jamie (from his site)
I believe that every child in America has the right to fresh, nutritious school meals, and that every family deserves real, honest, wholesome food. Too many people are being affected by what they eat. It's time for a national revolution. America needs to stand up for better food!

You live in an amazing country full of inspirational people and you have the power to change things. With your help, we can get better food into homes, schools and communities all over America and give your kids a better future.

Sign the petition to save America's cooking skills and improve school food. It could be the most important thing you ever do for your family. America's health needs you now!