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What would Jamie Oliver pack?
If this celebrity chef looked through your child's lunchbox, would he approve?
Wed, Apr 28 2010 at 10:13 AM
 14

Related Topics:

Healthy Eating, Jamie Oliver, Schools

Photo: Holly Farrell/ABC

I finally got the opportunity to watch the final three episodes of "Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution" last night. There has been a lot of discussion about the success or failure of Jamie's revolution, and I’m working on putting my thoughts — as well as some other people's thoughts — together about that.
 
If you saw the final episode, you’ll know that Jamie went back to Huntington, W. Va., three months after he left. One of the things he found was that many of the children had started to bring bagged lunches because they didn’t like the changes to the school lunch program.
 
Jamie walked around looking at the bagged lunches. One girl had jelly beans and two kinds of chips. Jamie likened that lunch to child abuse. Another had what looked like cold chicken nuggets. Several children had Lunchable-type meals. Jamie held the ingredients list up to the camera from one of them. It was a mile long. He found one girl who had cut up apples, but she hadn’t touched them yet. Instead she was eating her neon blue-glowing jello. You can see Jamie’s thoughts on these lunches in this video:
 
 
This morning as I was throwing lunches together for my boys about five minutes before they were due at school, I started to feel Jamie’s eyes peering over my shoulder. My husband walked in the kitchen, and I told him all I could think about was Jamie Oliver commenting about my boys’ lunches. He told me he thought the same thing as he saw me making the lunches.
 
Would Jamie approve of the organic peanut butter and all-fruit jelly on whole wheat bread, homemade whole-wheat oatmeal raisin cookies (only two of them), an apple, and an iced-tea in each reusable lunchbox?
 
The iced-tea made me nervous. He wouldn’t like that. There’s sugar in it. Maybe I should start letting my kids buy milk again at school. But the lines are so long, and the lunch period so short. If they stand in line to buy milk, they might not get to eat their lunches. Short-lived panic started to set in. If Jamie saw me sending my kids off to school with that lunch, would he stop following me on Twitter?
 
I know some of you are laughing with me right now, and some of you are thinking, “This woman needs to get a grip on reality.”
 
I’ve already gotten a grip on my ever over-active imagination. All I needed to do was remind myself, as Robyn O’Brien, author of "The Unhealthy Truth," said several times in our interview last year, not to make perfect the enemy of good. I packed a good lunch. Was it perfect? No. Was it a heck of lot better than jelly beans and chips? Definitely. Was it a heck of a lot better than whatever the cafeteria would be serving today? Absolutely. Will my boys drink milk later today when they get home from school? Sure — probably a half gallon between the two of them.
 
I think it’s good that I will now have an imaginary Jamie Oliver peering over my shoulder and his voice in my head in the morning as I pack my boys’ lunches. It will be a little reminder to make sure what’s in there is balanced and wholesome.
 
One of the major goals of "Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution" was to change the school-made lunches. Hopefully, this last episode got people thinking about changing their bagged lunches, too, and put a little voice in their heads that says, “What would Jamie pack?” 
 
I'd love it if you would tell us about what goes in your child's packed lunch. Let's get some ideas for healthy bagged lunches that kids will like.
 

The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.

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Comments: 14
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anonymous
Aly May 02 2010 at 2:17 AM
I am always trying to conserve money by not buying lunch at work. Which is the mall food court. Not to mention none of its healthy, unless I head to california pizza kitchen and special order a salmon fillet with a side of veggies. So bringing my lunch can be bit of a challenge, and that I usually eat most of it before I get to my lunch/dinner break. So I pack alot of extra snacks to eat, so that come to break, I dont over eat and get sleepy. I eat yogurt a sandwich, cheese sticks, nuts, bananas,
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I love apples, and I found these applesauce pouches in the Publix Veggie area, they are little pouches of applesauce and they are really healthy. You can read all of the ingredients which is like 4. and its apples, lemon juice, other fruit, bananas. and its resealable. I love them! and they are cheap too!
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anonymous
Donna Apr 30 2010 at 1:14 AM
I feed my kids as healthy as possible - fresh fruit, veggies, whole wheat, organics where possible, no HFC, so why do I still feel guilty. Well...I feel guilty because last week I had to keep my daughter home from preschool so that she wouldn't be the "outcast." Her preschool actually SPONSORED a McDonalds Day. Yep...happy meals for all. Kids had the option to bring a bagged lunch but when I asked the teacher if anyone else was doing that they said only 1 kid. Who for all I know could have had a
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food allergy. So approximately 15 kids' parents thought McDonalds was a good lunch. Rather than have her be one of 2 kids without a Happy Meal I kept her home. So what is a parent to do - I don't want her to be the weird kid in class because I pack her healthy foods. But it is becoming a recurrent theme. She talks about kids with lunchables and asks why she can't have one or Doritos or a hoard of other stuff we try to avoid. And after sports the parents rotate snacks and I'm shocked at what they bring, but how can I get a 5 yr old to refuse a juice box and junk in a package when all the other kids are having them? She's well versed on why we eat healthy and for 5 she really does try. She told me after the last snack round - mom, I took the crackers since I thought they would be healthier than the cookies. Aww....But seriously I'm feeling like an island in suburban NJ...Torn between wanting her to eat healthy and not to be picked on for being weird or having the weird mom who shuns packaged junk.
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anonymous
Guest Apr 29 2010 at 9:46 PM
When we go places we pack our own lunches and they are pita vegan/vegetarian with lots of dark green vegetables, cheese,red, purple, yellow vegetables. NO milk, but nut milks and homemade veggie or fruit juices. Or we pack up in the hot/cold food carrier that is plugged into the car lighter thingie, left over soups, stews, casseroles from last nights dinner. For us lunch is simply a smaller dinner, and not something that is much different. And the public schools in my area (we homeschool) also
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offer nut milk, healthy juices and bottled water. ~Beth~
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anonymous
Cajun Chef Ryan Apr 29 2010 at 3:04 PM

I pack my son's lunch every day and typically I make a turkey sandwich on some of my fresh baked whole wheat bread, a little mayonnaise and some Creole mustard, and some fresh lettuce leaves. Then he also gets a bottle of juice and some cookies and crackers.
http://cajunchefryan.rymocs.com/blog2/

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anonymous
Melinda Apr 29 2010 at 2:16 PM
My daughter is four - so to me that means a little juice mixed with water, string cheese, two spoonfuls plain whole fat yogurt mixed with frozen berries, maybe carrots and a berry muffin made from scratch without added sugar. Veggies that don't get eaten at lunch get eaten at home and leftover lunch becomes an after school snack! ;-) Because it's preschool - there's a ban on peanut butter. We make so many things from scratch and prepare a lot of fresh foods to avoid additives, flavors and sugars
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- and it just tastes better! Sugar is just a substitute for freshness and the real flavor of foods!
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anonymous
Robyn O'Brien Apr 29 2010 at 1:24 PM

Stick with ingredients your grandmother would have used in her kiddos' school lunches that you (and your 3rd grader!) can pronounce!

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anonymous
EKB Apr 29 2010 at 12:48 PM

I find the easiest and healthiest way to pack lunches for my child is to give her homemade soups and stews in her lunch...kept warm in a thermos. Chili, chicken soup, even casseroles from the night before!! Add a piece of fruit and a some carrot sticks or whatever vegies your child likes and you have a well rounded nutritious lunch!

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anonymous
The Giving Garden Apr 29 2010 at 11:29 AM
I think Jamie is on the right track, but there won't be any permanent changes until parents get on board. I'm appalled not only at what the government mandates, but also what parents condone. At our school, baked goods or anything that is not individually wrapped (including fresh fruit and vegetables) are a thing of the past. Now everything has to be prepackaged that enters our school. Not only does that mean loaded with preservatives, and junk like high fructose corn syrup, it also means more waste.
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Parents are just as much to blame. My kids tell me what the other kids bring for lunch and my jaw drops. If we are teaching children healthy habits, and also teaching them how to be environmental stewards, then why are we sending them mixed messages.http://www.thegivinggarden.com
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anonymous
MotherLodeBeth Apr 29 2010 at 9:55 PM
Am glad you mentioned what the government mandates and what parents condone. The major blame has to be the government where those who deal with the money are looking at costs and want cheap food. All taxpayers should be hounding their elected officials! Because its actually a waste of our tax dollars to feed the junk they feed, since the long term health issues will cost us even more. Not to mention a child who isnt fed healthy food, lacks the attention span, often acts up in class and thus doesnt
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succeed in school, which costs us as taxpayers when they drop out or get in trouble. Pay now or pay later.
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anonymous
Jennifer Apr 29 2010 at 11:09 AM

A few crisps never hurt anyone. What hurts people is just having crisps. It's a bit outrageous for Jamie to completely shun all those sorts of things- the point is that they should be treats, not a staple food everyday in the lunchbox.

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anonymous
Judy May 10 2010 at 12:46 PM

Jamie said he loved a good burger and fries or crisps. He was all about ingredients and moderation. Not just being a food nazi.

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anonymous
MotherLodeBeth Apr 29 2010 at 9:50 PM

While I agree with you Jennifer that a few crisps never hurt anyone, I think the show proved that crisps were served daily and that some kids only ate the crisps and other junk food and nothing else. Then at home they got more crisps since the parents assumed a potato was healthy, rather than stopping to think that fried and eaten daily, wasnt healthy.

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anonymous
Ken Leebow Apr 29 2010 at 10:21 AM
There's been a lot of conversation about the Food Revolution. Leading the way are Mrs. Obama and Jamie Oliver. While their mission is admirable, their methodology is not. The problem with Jamie Oliver is that he is promoting healthy lunches that are prepared at school. He even advocates not bringing your own lunch to school. Got news for you: If you want change, pack your brown bag and bring lunch to school. To be healthy, kids can't eat the school lunch and their parents can't go out to fast food
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joints and national restaurant chains. My advice, pack it! Do that and you will always be in control. Sorry Jamie and Mrs. Obama, I am not going to wait for Uncle Sam to change its ways. Ken Leebowhttp://www.FeedYourHeadDiet.com
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anonymous
Vickie Crews Apr 28 2010 at 4:57 PM

Motts make single serve applesauces with no sugar added. They are convenient and they taste good with no more calories than a piece of fruit.

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