I believe in giving credit where credit is due. And, Jamie Oliver deserves some credit for jolting school nutrition programs into tooting their horns more loudly. Thousand of “lunch ladies" and gentlemen have been creating a revolution in school nutrition for years; they just haven’t been on prime time TV.
You can read my take on Mr. Oliver's late arrival to the positive school meal scene, PSST ... Mr. Oliver ... We Started the School Nutrition Revolution Before You Got Here, on the IFIC Food Insight blog and under More Information for You.
I have also posted a great press release from Vermont SNA and Vermont Campaign to End Child Hunger. They do a wonderful job of explaining why school meals are so important to hungry, low-income children:
“School meals may be the only source of consistent and balanced daily nutrition for the 36% of Vermont schoolchildren who rely on free or reduced price school meals. Vermont school nutrition allies hope that ‘Food Revolution’ sparks a dynamic and ongoing community conversation about how Vermont schools nutrition programs can promote the success and health of Vermont schoolchildren.”
Susan Finn makes an excellent point about another of Jamie Oliver’s missing ingredients – nutrition education – in her post on Nutrition Viewpoint:
"Jamie Oliver's commitment is noble, but when the lights and the cameras are gone, no change will remain unless extensive nutrition education is part of his recipe."
What can you do? Start tooting your own horn today by sending in your entry for School Meals That Rock. I promise to share the entries far and wide – and to brag about your awesome meals every chance I get!
Please send examples of your Nutrition Education That Rocks TOO – my friend Susan is spot on! Nutrition education is essential for children to be well-nourished and ready to succeed in the future!
Thanks, Dayle for taking up the side of school food service professionals who have been fighting the fight for years to make our programs better with little help (wouldn't it be nice to have all of our programs underwritten by celebrities' wallets and their backers?)! I've also said the same thing about the fact that we've been quietly having our own "revolution" - but no TV cameras to cover it!
ReplyDeleteKelly Minnick
Riverside Local Schools, Ohio
This is great, I recently started a blog doing just what you are doing! I am working at Great Valley School District in Malvern Pa. We got so tired of all the negativity about school food service so we decided to Blog about what positive things are happening in school food service. I write about what is happening on our lunch line, about our school food service garden, and highlight best practises from around the country. Please check us out at http://greatvalleyfoodservice.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteOur revolution has been going on for years!