Jamie Oliver

This weekend I managed to watch all of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. As some of you already know, I don't have a TV linked up to cable in the house. I just have a TV that can play DVD's. In our last house we had a TV that got all the channels and I just couldn't deal with all the adverts. I also didn't like the fact that I couldn't really control what my children were watching, so in this house we decided to go without. Great for the children but slightly annoying when I want to see something..........then I discovered hulu.com. You can watch anything you want that has been on TV recently with a limited amount of adverts - LOVE IT.

So anyway, back to Jamie and his Food Revolution..........

Do I like Jamie Oliver?? Not that much, I do find him slightly annoying with his 'fake' cockney accent, (he is actually middle class) and his 'pukka this' and 'brother that'. But, I do love his recipes and I adore his cooking attitude. I also think he is amazing live, I had the wonderful opportunity to see him on stage when I was in Sydney in 2002. I own most of his cookbooks and a couple of his DVD's. Here is another big but, BUT........I do love him for what he has done for children in England and what he is trying to do for American children too.

He started this food revolution about 5-6 years ago in English schools and to answer the question, 'Can one person really change anything?' - the answer is a huge YES!! Jamie Oliver made history, not only did he manage to change the food offered in our public schools, he even managed to get the Prime Minister to increase the amount of money spent per child on school lunches. A food hero, no doubt he will be knighted when he is older and will be known as Sir Jamie Oliver and jolly well deserved.

The thing is he doesn't have to do it. He is very successful and very wealthy, he is not doing this just for a TV show or to sell a few books, he is doing it because he is passionate about the cause and wants to be heard. I truly love him for that as it is a cause I feel very strongly about.

Food companies and supermarkets cottoned on to Jamie and to what parents wanted and made it very easy for parents to feed their children healthy, organic food. You would be amazed if you went into an English supermarket at all the wonderful organic products geared to feeding your children.

Before moving to America I only had one experience of a pre-school. My eldest Oompa Loompa went to a wonderful little school, set in a beautiful village. They had a school cook and the lunches were outstanding. Everything was cooked from scratch, using organic or local produce. I thought that this was normal.................roll on a couple of months.

I moved to America, enrolled eldest OL into the local pre-school and all was going well until they proudly showed me their weekly lunch menu. I was totally horrified and asked her what the other parents though about the menu. She replied that most parents were so thankful for the lunches as it was the healthiest that their children ate all day!! Man, I did ask myself where was Jamie Oliver when you needed him.

Even to this day I have moments of unbelievable horror. A case in point is this soccer club that eldest OL is enrolled in. Each week, us Mothers take it in turns to provide the team a snack, well............I have been flabbergasted at what the other mother think is an appropriate snack, especially considering the team is made up of 4 year olds and 5 year olds!!

But I am relaxed, I don't stop my children eating these things. I do not want them to feel that they are missing out. I just look the other way and make sure that I feed them as healthily as I can when it is in my control. I also don't blame the other Mothers, I just believe that they don't realise what is in that food.

I am just so thrilled that Jamie Oliver has come over to America to spread the word. I was one of those Mothers, before Jamie showed us what was in an English Chicken Nugget, I too was in ignorant bliss. Happily feeding myself and others nuggets galore!! I believed that because things were aimed at children, there is no way that they could put anything bad into them. How WRONG was I!!!

So, I urge you to watch this series if you get the chance. It is one of the best things I have seen for a while. It is close to my heart and Jamie Oliver is an inspiration. Have a happy Monday.