Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution finale was last night. In the six-episode series, he was able to bring to the attention of an unhealthy community the detriments of today's run-of-the-mill meals. He focused mainly on schools where unhealthy choices were the only choices for lunch. After feeling increasingly concerned about the way children are eating these days, I am so glad that someone felt so passionate about putting a foot down and saying "No, it's gotta be good, honest food that we make our families, not just frozen dinners."
I am
not a perfect mom; there are many areas in which I can improve, even with meals. However, I was raised by a mother who taught me well. We had balanced, nutritious meals and I consider it a huge health advantage even now. We had a large garden and cooked delicious meals with basic ingredients. I can't think of one person in my family who doesn't know how to cook. Is it coincidence that we all have healthy bodies? Watching and learning from my mother was a lifelong blessing because that knowledge has stuck with me and increased my interest in home cooking.
(This next part may offend some people, and that is
not what it is meant to do; I'm just writing to vent, and possibly expose myself as a hypocrite on occasion. Maybe if I fire people up to change their eating habits, it will stretch me to improve my own.)
Okay, all you MOMS out there. Listen, it's true...
stocking up on chicken nuggets is pathetic. PATHETIC! I have no problem with the occasional meal of chicken nuggets, but REALLY?! EVERY WEEK?! There is so much good food out there that we can expose our kids to that we have NO EXCUSE. We live in such a consumer world that we are obsessing over
fast food. We want it
when we want it. We live in world that is getting increasingly convenient. The problem is that we are becoming lazy, even to the point that we can't spend 30 minutes to make a decent meal for our families. And there is one more thing: WHY are we repeating the meals we make for our families over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again? Most of those meals are laden with butter, cream cheese, sour cream, salt, cheese, cream of chicken soup, etc. (AND IN CASE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR MY DISCLAIMER, HERE IT IS: I, MYSELF, HAVE BEEN A STRONG SUPPORTER OF USING THOSE INGREDIENTS AT WILL SOMETIMES.) Switch it up. Try
adding vegetables! They won't kill your kids, I promise. You are the parent and one of your responsibilities is to raise your kids with healthy habits. They may not like those green beans the first, fourth, or even possibly the fifteenth time they eat them. But try and don't give up. There are different ways to prepare them and also to sneak them in (have you heard of the
"Deceptively Delicious" cookbook?)
There is the argument that your kids, husband, or even yourself are picky eaters and you just can't force-feed them. Well, that may be true, but I truly believe that while some "picky-ness" is due to nature, a lot of it has to do with exposure. If the bowl of peas is passed around untouched every time, then
nurture is to blame for a pea aversion. Just TRY it! One trick that I've heard of to get your kids to like different foods is to have them help you prepare it. They take pride in their efforts, and are usually more willing to give it a go.
The statistic that was brought up over and over again on the series was that this is the first generation of kids that is expected to live a shorter life than their parents. That is really sad, especially with all the knowledge we have.
People are not unaware of the food guide pyramid. It's everywhere. In doubt, use it. Also, read labels on your food. Also, you may be thinking you're getting something so healthy, when in fact, it's full of fillers and sweeteners. Just the other day, I bought a couple of those Bolthouse Farms juices (similar to Naked Juices, POM, etc.) On the front of the label in bold letters it reads "100% Fruits and Veggies", or something to that effect. I bought it because I love the way they taste and for the pure fruits and veggies. Well, I did a little reading of the label as we were driving home and saw that there were 4 servings per bottle, each serving being around 200 calories. Uh............ oops. I usually drink the whole bottle in about an hour's time. I was shocked to find out that I had been drinking nearly 800 calories from that seemingly perfect little bottle. Check labels. Those portions are tricky, tricky.
Hmmm, what else?
Oh, yes. The argument about the expense of whole, natural foods and that it's just out of the budget. Penny by penny, square inch by square inch, whole foods are generally cheaper. Just saying. And I just have to add in a little tidbit on organic foods. While I was in college, I researched plants and many of my professors had us study crops. The only argument against non-organic crops is the affect they have on soil, not the food. So if you are buying organic food to "Save the Earth", then more power to you; but if you are buying it, thinking that you are helping your body, you're wasting your money. Plain and simple.
I signed the
petition. You should sign it to.
