Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution

When I first saw the preview for Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, I got tears in my eyes watching it. Why? Because the food being consumed in our country is causing childhood obesity, diabetes and other disease to rise dramatically, and kids are unhealthier than ever. We’re talking about kids being so unhealthy that they may not even outlive their parents. Schools are serving up pizza for breakfast dripping with gooey cheese and sausage, heaping piles of french fries and fried chicken cutlets on big white buns for lunch (french fries count as a vegetable in schools!), and pink-colored, processed milk that has more sugar than a soda. There is not a drop of whole, natural food anywhere in sight. As Jamie said in tonight’s episode, “This is America. These are your kids. They have all been abused by food.“

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution is about getting into the schools and helping to create a change in what they are being served. His mission: “I believe that every child in America has the right to fresh, nutritious school meals, and that every family deserves real, honest, wholesome food.”

On the show (it airs Fridays at 9pm EST on ABC) Jamie plants himself in the town deemed “unhealthiest in America” by the Center for Disease Control – Huntington, West Virginia – and makes an attempt to change what the schools are feeding kids. Of course, it is a struggle to get the schools to cook and serve healthier food when it’s cheaper, quicker and faster to serve up fries and pizza all day. Watch full episodes here.

In the elementary schools, the focus is on getting the cafeterias to change what they serve, because young kids don’t have enough information yet to make healthy choices — but in high schools, as tonight’s episode proved, Jamie has to work with the students so they WANT to choose the right thing. Some of the kids in tonight’s episodes have been directly affected by obesity. One young girl said she was given only 7 more years to live because of her weight and health problems. As the kids get more information and learn that they can make a difference, they become passionate about changing things. Knowledge is power here. One kid said of the Food Revolution program, “I want to get an earlier start and help people live better lives.”

Jamie is teaching kids how to cook healthy meals based on whole foods and nutritious ingredients, educating them about the choices they have, and spreading the word about how nutrition is affecting people’s lives. Whenever a naysayer tells me how hard its going to be to change the way America eats, I tell them that no matter how long it takes, I know this is a step in the right direction, I feel it with every cell in my body. For all the people who say things can never change, I don’t care how hard it might be, we CAN create change, little by little. Step by step we can create a ripple effect.

Some people are saying that Jamie isn’t making much of a difference because he’s only filming in this one town. Well guess what? The show is being watched by millions of people! The message about nutrition and how it can help our country is spreading. As soon as the Food Revolution show ended tonight, Twitter was being updated every second with someone raving about the show.

Tweets from people across America being updated by the second:

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I am so on board with Jamie Oliver’s food revolution!

Jamie Oliver‘s Food Revolution may be the best thing to ever happen to television. Everyone should be watching it.

I am a cynical bastard but Jamie Oliver‘s Food Revolution is a very powerful and inspiring show, hands way down!

Jamie Oliver‘s Food Revolution is my new favorite show! A real eye opener!

Watching Jamie Oliver‘s Food Revolution. Wow, what a great show. Didn’t realize french fries are classified as vegetables in schools

Jamie Oliver‘s Food Revolution is one of the best shows to hit TV in a long time. I hope he accomplishes more than he dreamed of.

Everyone needs to listen to Jamie Oliver! Food revolution!! LET’S GO

Has anyone seen Jamie Oliver‘s Food Revolution? I’m crying. Let’s change what we’re eating America.

Jamie Oliver‘s Food Revolution is downright phenomenal!

Just watched Food revolution with Jamie Oliver. Majorly love the show and very much agree with what he is trying to do.

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(To see these tweets for yourself, type in “Jamie Oliver Food Revolution” in the Twitter search box)

What I’m trying to show by posting these tweets is that something is starting to happen here. People are starting to wake up. I feel it every time I’m in class at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. There are teachers and school principals in my class who are committed to changing their schools. This can happen! It truly is the start of a food revolution. So get on board people!!

“I know I’m fighting the good battle. I know I am.” -Jamie Oliver

**Side note: a “Chocolate Cheerios” commercial aired during the show. Fail.

Check out Jamie Oliver’s book if you want to get cooking.

Check out the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to get educated on changing the future of America’s relationship with food.

Get involved. Sign the Food Revolution Petition.

If you have kids or if you even KNOW a kid, teach them about fruits and vegetables. And make a small change in your own health today. Every little bit counts!!