IM ALL FOR HEALTHY FOODS FOR KIDS, BUT TO INSULT THE PARENTS IS NOT A GOOD THING. HE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A MORE POSITIVE RESPONSE BY SENDING HOME INFORMATION FOR THE PARENTS WHO WOULD LEARN WHAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE BEING TAUGHT. TO BEAT IT OVER THE HEADS OF THE PARENTS NOT GOOD!!I THINK THIS HEALTHY STYLE OF EATING CAN BE TAKEN TO FARAT TIMES! USE TO WATCH HIS SHOW ALL THE TIME AND ENJOYED HIS KNOWLEDGE OF FOOD AND THE EASE OF PEPERATIONS. YOU CAN TELL HE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT FOOD. GOD KNOWS THEY NEED MORE CHOSES IN THE SCHOOL LUNCH!

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I've always found Jamie Oliver to be a smug and irritating prettyboy, but I really admire his efforts to get that deep-fried country to eat healthier. See also:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006430142,00.html

Also, MJ: Welcome to the internet!

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honestly, i don't blame jamie for getting mad. as a parent, you are the one in charge. just because your kid WANTS something doesn't mean they should get it. all kids would love t live on crappy food, but like i said, *you* as the adult are supposed to make the decision in an adult way.

when there are perfectly good things to feed kids that they might like but you feed them crap out of either laziness or a lack of being able to say "no", then that is aggravating. i used to teach grade school and the crap people feed thier kids is really ridiculous. plus, half the time they play with the stuff, barely eat it (especially that lunchable crap) and then fall asleep in the afternoon. thats no good for anyone.

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The first season of Jamie's School Dinners aired in Canada this past winter. I found it really eye-opening because as a kid I always took a (relatively healthy) bagged lunch to school. I didn't encounter a cafeteria until high school, and even then I brought a lunch.

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What I find fascinating is that in the U.S., health/nutrition has been a standard part of the school curriculum in both elementary school and high school for over 30 years. Parents shouldn't need "educational" information sent home with their kids -- this was something they supposedly learned themselves. Is it that parents don't know (so what went wrong with the teaching methods?) or that they figure it's all beyond their control and a lot of trouble?

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I stand by Jamie Oliver's efforts. As a parent, you soon realize no matter how hard you try to teach your child to eat well, there is no-end of pressure and advertising aimed at undoing your efforts, no end of bad food choices being pushed at your children. And not just at school. While Disney is now very public about pulling junk food partnerships, just last week I saw sugar-filled cereals with "Pirates of the Caribbean" characters and branding. It's also toys and online games, commercials, movie product placement. Everywhere. Think about it. You'll be angry too. Read more on this:
Toying with Nutrition

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I'm on Jamie's side. And it is the parents you have to beat on, especially when it comes to younger kid's meals. It's the parents responsiblity to see to their nutrition even more so than older kids who can go off on their own and eat what they will.

I hadn't heard about his UK school meals thing until I saw him mention it in his short series "Jamie's Italian Adventure" where he visited an Italian school kitchen. He gushed over what the served and how they did it on so little money.

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I think that Jamie has hit on a hugely important issue. Students learn eating habits in school that they take with them the rest of the lives, so it makes sense to be concerned.

It’s no controversial notion that our nation faces an epidemic of chronic disease caused largely by poor eating habits. Schools are the best place to start if we want to contain that epidemic in the future.

I’ve seen firsthand the difference that a school can make if it commits to serving healthy and wholesome food. I’m lucky enough to be at Bowdoin college, which was recently ranked by the Princeton review as having the best college foodservice in the country. Not only does Bowdoin’s quality food produce happy students now, those students graduate with healthy eating habits that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.

If you’re interested, you can get an inside look Bowdoin’s food through my blog at http://BowdoinGourmet.com.

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Don't forget, I sent you this tip and the YouTube link! Jamie is not doing 'School Dinners' in Australia, but a local version of the training restaurant Fifteen. More about it here http://www.profitablehospitality.com/public/282.cfm

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In a nutshell, all what is needed is a strict supervision of the Department of Health on any food substances material being sent to schools.

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Expat -- your link is missing, what site were you thinking of?

Local to me, schools are working on improving, but there is still a long way to go. This week's elementary school lunches include an awful lot of cheese, processed meats (burgers, chicken nuggets & patties, bologna sandwiches), and pizza is available every day. The "approved snack list" (for parents to send to in-school parties) was made up by a trade association, and is filled with fruit roll ups, oreos, and chips. ( That's here: http://www.nyschoolnutrition.org/ , click on the "recommended snack list" at the top of the page )

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Thanks J.H. Went to the Uk website and those kids lunches that they are ordering out makes our fast food look healthy! Hamberburger, fried sausage, meat pie?,french fries and I forgot what else but everything was fried. It looked quite greasy from the picture! Enjoyed the article! Thanks again!!

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The first series aired in the US a few months ago without fanfare on, I believe, TLC. Like Blush, our Canadian friend above, I was always a brown-bagger myself; I didn't want to come anywhere *near* the crud they served at my school cafeterias.

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does anyone have his email addy.. because i would really really like him to come down to underhill school in barnet and take a look at what the kids are eating down here?
they are discusting! the kids hate them the teachers wont go near them., and over half the kids are on packed lunch. mine changes after half term.
the parents pay for these (could you call them) meals?
more and more schools in barnet are cooking for the meals on wheels and get the local schools to provied them. our and my kids do not like veg crumble or the sludge they call rice. not to mention fish pie! they do not like it and most but not all gets chucked away.
i am begging for someone to please pass this onto jamie. because i feel we in barnet have been well and truly left out!!!

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oh and another thing!
do any other schools get all there veg vacumed packed?
god knows how much salt is in the bags of carrots they get.
what ever happened to the spud pealer.
sorry about the spelling folks.
but putting my neck on the line. i'm a meal time supervisor at the school. playground and canteen duty only. so i see what these kid get to eat.

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What a load of tripe! I've seen McNuggets being made and I can confirm, at least in Australia, they are made with quality breast meat from local suppliers. They used to include some dark meat - thigh - but the recipe was changed last year.

As for Fast Food Nation: http://www.theperthfiles.blogspot.com

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i think hes a nerd

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