# Jamie's School Dinner's



## mitch_the_chef (Jun 12, 2005)

Well I always thought that I would be the last one in this fourm, but i recently saw a show that caught my attention. As some of you may guess the show is called _Jamie's School Dinner's_. It really opened my eyes as to what kid's like me are eating. The one thing that really caught my eye was yesterday's episode when a kid thought a piece of asparagus was kiwi. Okay I did laugh a bit, but seriously I couldn't believe it. I've heard that it's worse in Europe, and maybe it is, but it is still pretty bad in here in North America. What do you all think about it?


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## jkath (Jun 12, 2005)

I can imagine a child not knowing something that isn't ever in his/her region, but *ack*!

I have always taken my children to the grocery store and let them help pick out produce with me. If kids take an interest in what the food looks like, they'll try it on their plates.

I think if parents want to get their kids super-interested, they ought to let each of their kids have a little 5-gallon wooden tub filled with dirt that they can plant vegetable seeds in.


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## mitch_the_chef (Jun 12, 2005)

I think your totally right. If children got more interested in healthier foods then they might start eating them more often. Also if the parents took them to the grocery store and helped them pick healthy things out. The children might get more into it.Again your totally right


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## kyles (Jun 13, 2005)

England is terrifying. When I first arrived I had a job caring for kids with special needs. These children do not eat vegetables, all their food comes out of tins and packets or from McD's or KFC. These children, by and large, do not eat with their parents. Kids meals are taken in front of the telly at 5 pm, and their parents eat later.

The numbers of children growing up with malnutrition are frightening. And it doesn't stop with the kids. The number of times I have bought stuff at the supermarket and the sales assistant has either had to ask me to identify the produce, or they have put it through as the wrong thing (usually cheaper - so I don't complain - let them learn from their ignorance), is quite worrying.

The school dinners thing has been an eye opener for me. We always took a packed lunch to school, but historically in this country schools have always provided a hot meal in the middle of the day. And lately its been complete rubbish. To be honest, there were many schools and programmes already in place to correct this, before Jamie got involved, but he certainly has brought the issue to the attention of government who have now imposed targets for healthy eating on schools, about time too.


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## jkath (Jun 13, 2005)

Is Jamie's school lunch program a series? If so, I'd certainly like to see it!


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## Michael in FtW (Jun 13, 2005)

I'm a firm believer of "Kids in the Kitchen" - even if for only one meal a week. If you get children involved in shopping and preparing a meal - they will eat things they helped prepare that they might not otherwise even taste. 

In the "olden days" - my sons used to watch the cooking programs on PBS with me on Saturday ... then we would go to the store ... and come home and cook together. It usually wasn't what had been cooked on TV - but it was a family time and the boys got into it. We talked about food - what we could do with something ... and then we went home and worked together to prepare it. When kids help prepare something - they will eat it.


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## kyles (Jun 13, 2005)

It's a series, he took over a school and turned the whole school meals around. He educated the children (often with huge resistance) the parents, the teachers and the dinner ladies, who were given ridiculously unrealistic budgets to feed the children. Of course simple carbs, fats and manufactured meats are cheap. Changing to organic vegetables put a huge strain on resources, and now the British government have agreed to increase the budgets for school dinners. Here in the UK we spend three times more on meals for prisoners than we spend on our kids.


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## mitch_the_chef (Jun 13, 2005)

Hehe kyles. The show is just starting here. Please don't tell me all the cool things that happen. I have to have something to look forward to on the weekends.


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## crewsk (Jun 14, 2005)

Another beliver in kids in the kitchen here! Both of my children are with me constantly in the kitchen & at the grocery store. When I have some extra cash(which isin't often) they get to go through my cookbooks & theirs & eack pick out one dish to try. We then go to the store to get the ingredients & come home & cook together. They are leaning not only about diffrent foods & nutrition, but it helps with math & reading skills. My only rules for picking out a dish to try are, 1) it has to be something we haven't made before, 2) it has to be nutritious, 3) they have to at least try it after it's cooked, & 4) they have to have fun! As a reward, the 3 of us decide on a new dessert to try too. They are curious about fruits & veggies when we go to the store & never hesitate to ask what something is. If I don't have an answer for them or the product isin't labled clearly, we ask someone in the produce section. There are still some things they refuse to eat, but I can live with that because I know everyone has likes & dislikes. The 3 of us have learned a lot from doing this.


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## Andy M. (Jun 14, 2005)

Bravo, crewsk!  You are growing future foodies at your house!  

I wish I had had that opportunity when my girls were young.  Now they are among the fussiest eaters with very limited palates.  I keep trying, but as adults, they can more effectively fight off my attempts!


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## crewsk (Jun 14, 2005)

Thanks Andy! I want them to be able to go out into the worl one day & be able to feed themselves & their future families well. My brothers 4 kids think food is evil & it drives me crazy that they won't eat or try anything new. They won't even eat applesauce!!


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## mrsdove (Jun 14, 2005)

I had watched a special that had shown how what a kid eats affects his/her behavior.  The more junk the kid ate the worse he/she acted. They had implemented a healthy eating program in a school especially for kids with behavioral problems (these were kids that were about 2 seconds from juvenile hall) and after just a few days of eating well at school, their behavior drastically changed. 

I'm a firm believer that you need to teach your kids to eat healthy and that if you do they will follow that later on in life.


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## mrsmac (Jul 5, 2005)

Our school canteens are all changing over to healthy food only now. My daughter's school has no chips or lollies or junk and they make interesting and healthy treats like melon balls and home made muffins. They also freeze cups of unsweetened pineapple juice and sell them and the kids LOVE them. My daughter was amazed when I made her some at home too!!
Unfortunately high schools here have a long way to go, my older daughter's canteen sells Coca Cola.


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## Little Miss J (Jul 10, 2005)

I watched it and thought it was shocking.  As a kid growing up I always helped out in the kitchen and cooked "dinner parties" for grandparents when I was in primary school (supervised of course!).  I am only 22 but was shocked to see how much attitudes have changed...I didn't think Jamie would've had such a hard task.  It was unbelievable!


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