Tag Archives: Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution

Let’s Move! Chefs Move to Schools

I’ve been following the Obama administration’s “Let’s Move” campaign for a while now. Led by First Lady Michelle Obama, it’s the effort to end childhood obesity within a generation – no small task given our trends in America! I signed up to receive email updates on the work and the headline below came through on Friday.

Essentially, the First Lady is calling on chefs to offer their services to local schools to help improve the taste, variety, and healthfulness of food served in schools while working within the schools’ dietary guidelines and budgets.

My reaction? BRAVO! This initiative reapplies the successful Jamie Oliver Food Revolution idea which I’ve blogged about here, in an incredibly smart way. I love how this leverages the local presence and often extreme local influence of chefs to help community schools, just like Jamie did in Huntington, West Virginia. The program will be run by the US Department of Agriculture but its success really rests upon the active participation of an eventual ARMY of chef volunteers. I am so hopeful that chefs will step up to serve their communities in this meaningful way. Don’t you just wonder which fabulous local chef will assist YOUR child’s school in this effort?

The fact is, more than 31 million students participate in the National School Lunch program and more than 11 million in the National School Breakfast program – for many children, the bulk of their nutritional needs must be met through this no cost or low cost school-provided food. Amping up the nutritional quality as well as the taste of those meals could go a long way toward rebuilding a nation of people who understand and appreciate fresh, quality food. And of course, the healthier school food is, the bigger impact it can have on reducing childhood obesity in the near term.

i can’t wait to see how this idea plays out across the country!

Here’s the text of the email from the Let’s Move office…would love to hear what YOU think!

Announcing “Chefs Move to Schools”

Posted May 14, 2010

By Sam Kass, White House Assistant Chef and the Food Initiative Coordinator

Since the groundbreaking of the White House Kitchen Garden more than a year ago, local students have spent time on the South Lawn of the White House planting seeds, harvesting vegetables and learning about health and nutrition along the way. Through the garden, the First Lady started a discussion on the role food plays in living a healthy life. The discussion grew into the Let’s Move! campaign and like the garden – we just keep on growing.

Today, I’m excited to announce the “Chefs Move to Schools” program – an opportunity for chefs around the country to adopt a local school to help solve the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation. In the words of the Mrs. Obama:

We are going to need everyone’s time and talent to solve the childhood obesity epidemic and our Nation’s chefs have tremendous power as leaders on this issue because of their deep knowledge of food and nutrition and their standing in the community. I want to thank them for joining the Let’s Move! Campaign.

“Chefs Move to Schools” will pair chefs with schools in their communities to bring fun to fruits and vegetables, and teach kids about food, nutrition and cooking in an engaging way. And by working with school food service employees, administrators and teachers — chefs can help deliver these messages from the cafeteria to the classroom. After hearing fifth graders cheer for broccoli, I know firsthand that chefs can have a huge impact on kid’s health and well being.

Chefs and schools that are interested in participating can sign up here or through www.LetsMove.gov.

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Would somebody hand me a microphone?

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution. While I continue to be a huge supporter of what he’s trying to accomplish (namely getting Americans to eat real food, made in their own kitchens, more often), I was less than impressed with his appearance on Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s Fit Nation show on CNN this weekend…

To begin, the two of them went to a grocery store where Jamie was supposed to outline his shopping recommendations for families, before returning to the studio for more Q&A. I was watching while I was on the elliptical machine – in fact, I extended my workout to catch this piece that CNN had plugged – and I was so disappointed in the whole thing.

Jamie has center stage in America right now on the topic of healthful eating, and he’s earned it with a host of food-related credits to his name. He grew up in the restaurant business and had his own TV show (The Naked Chef) by the time he was 25. He’s published a number of cookbooks, has his own magazine, owns multiple restaurants, and has become quite a food activist in recent years. All this to say he has EARNED the stage he’s enjoying with his Ryan Seacrest-produced 6-episode show. Yet his answers to pretty easy questions from Dr. Gupta really missed the mark. I found myself thinking “How do I get my hands on that microphone?” And then I remembered my blog….

So here goes – should CNN ever decide to ask me any of the questions they asked Jamie, here’s what I’d say!

Q – Cherylanne, if I’m in charge of grocery shopping for a busy family, what are the top 3 things you’d tell me to think about when I get into the store?

A – The first thing I’d say is to think BEFORE you get to the store! Having a plan and a list before you shop is absolutely critical to your success throughout the week. Second, I’d say to load up your cart with fresh foods by shopping the perimeter of the store, where all the produce, meat, dairy, and seafood is located. Most of the highly processed foods are housed in the aisles, so shopping mostly the perimeter is one easy way know you’re getting the most wholesome ingredients for your family. Third, I’d plan for most dinners to include a protein, a high-fiber whole grain, and at least one vegetable or fruit. That way, if you keep your freezer stocked with good quality, lean proteins (chicken, fish, lean pork, lean beef, beans, tofu) that you buy in bulk, and your pantry stocked with high fiber whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, high fiber whole grain breads and crackers, sweet potatoes) then most of your “weekly” shopping trip can be focused on fruits, vegetables, and dairy. This makes shopping a breeze and you are never more than a few ingredients away from a healthy dinner!

Q – What about all that stuff in the middle aisles…don’t we need some of it? I mean, it takes up about 90% of the store real estate!

A – I’m most concerned about the heavily processed “convenience foods” that fill the aisles. If you are a savvy label-reader, you can certainly incorporate some items from the center aisles into a healthful diet. For example, cold breakfast cereal is one thing most homes in America have on hand. But the range of nutritional density up and down that aisle is staggering. Read labels! Look for high fiber, low sugar cereals that will start your day with a boost of slow-burning energy. Many (okay MOST) cereals, even the ones labeled “Whole Grain” by food marketers, are just the opposite – high in sugar and low in fiber. Beyond that, frozen vegetables can be real time savers for busy families and as long as they are not prepared with sauces, they can be every bit as nutritious as fresh vegetables! Pasta, rice, spices, canned beans, and broths are all in the center aisles and make it into my family’s cart nearly every week.

Q – Doesn’t it take a lot of TIME to cook if you are doing it without convenience foods? Between work and my kids’ activities, there is barely any time to put a meal on the table!

A – There are so many dinners that can be on the table in 15 minutes or less. As you plan your week, you’ll see where your crunch points are and can choose the simplest meals (or leftovers!) for those nights, and save any meals that require more preparation time for the weekends or for nights with fewer activities. I think if you can grill a piece of meat, bake a potato in the microwave, and steam a vegetable or toss a salad, you are about 15 minutes away from dinner any night of the week.

Q – What’s the biggest mistake people make when grocery shopping?

A – I think one of the biggest mistakes is believing the food marketing claims on the front of packages. Today, nearly EVERY food in the store that has a package is making a health claim – like “whole grain” or “zero trans fat” or “all natural”. But the truth is actually revealed not on the front label, but in the ingredient list and nutrition label. For example, even if the front of the package says “whole grain”, if there are less than 3 grams of fiber per serving, you really can’t feel like there are enough whole grains in there to matter! I encourage people to become savvy label readers before they settle into routinely purchasing an item for their family. It really makes a difference!

So there you have it…a bit of my first mock interview with CNN…what other questions would you ask if YOU were the reporter? Maybe I’ll do future Q&A posts here to practice!

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Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution


While I have always liked the Tracy Chapman song Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution…it’s not the reason for this particular post. Instead, I’m inspired by what superstar chef Jamie Oliver (of Naked Chef fame) is up to with his new show “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.” Airing on ABC on Friday nights at 9PM EDT, I caught up on the first episode via DVR last night. And I have to say that I was simultaneously impressed with his incredible chutzpah and appalled by the reception he got from the very people he was trying to help. His philosophy is so sane and so balanced that it’s hard to imagine anyone ARGUING with him…but argue they did. It reminded me that food is personal and when someone threatens established habits of an entire city as he does in his show (set in Huntington, WV – deemed the unhealthiest city in America by the Center for Disease Control) it can get a little ugly!

In the show, Jamie focuses on improving school food and on teaching people to cook from fresh, whole ingredients. He doesn’t completely eschew sweets or treats, but views them as occasional indulgences, not as everyday fare. There’s an incredible scene where he dumps out all the food one family eats in a week on the kitchen table and everything…I mean everything…is “golden brown”. Not a color to be seen. This is how America eats??

Here is the philosophy Jamie outlines on his website…see what you think.

“My philosophy to food and healthy eating has always been about enjoying everything in a balanced, and sane way. Food is one of life’s greatest joys yet we’ve reached this really sad point where we’re turning food into the enemy, and something to be afraid of. I believe that when you use good ingredients to make pasta dishes, salads, stews, burgers, grilled vegetables, fruit salads, and even outrageous cakes, they all have a place in our diets. We just need to rediscover our common sense: if you want to curl up and eat macaroni and cheese every once in a while – that’s alright! Just have a sensible portion next to a fresh salad, and don’t eat a big old helping of chocolate cake afterwards.

Knowing how to cook means you’ll be able to turn all sorts of fresh ingredients into meals when they’re in season, at their best, and cheapest! Cooking this way will always be cheaper than buying processed food, not to mention better for you. And because you’ll be cooking a variety of lovely things, you’ll naturally start to find a sensible balance. Some days you’ll feel like making something light, and fresh, other days you’ll want something warming and hearty. If you’ve got to snack between meals, try to go for something healthy rather than loading up on chocolate or potato crisps. Basically, as long as we all recognize that treats should be treats, not a daily occurrence, we’ll be in a good place. So when I talk about having a ‘healthy’ approach to food, and eating better I’m talking about achieving that sense of balance: lots of the good stuff, loads of variety, and the odd indulgence every now and then.”

I suppose it’s easy for me to view his philosophy as balanced when it lines up so well with my own! I’d love to hear other points of view on his philosophy, the Food Revolution he is trying to start, or the show in general….check out his site…or the show…and tell me what you think by commenting here.

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