Jamie's School dinners

thriftlady_2

sarahs999 wrote:

THey have an identifiable national cuisine, something which this country is terribly lacking in. We tend to borrow from other cultures, meaning that we've come to expect that every night of the week we can eat a different kind of food - indian one night, chinese another, italian another, japanese... you get the idea. I really think that we've spoilt ourselves with so much choice, and that we've lost touch with what foods are in season, how to grow them, and how to cook them.

Oh my goodness I so agree with you here, I'm always banging on about this. Nothing wrong with international cusine but I often wonder if in, France or Italy they have all the variety that we do here. I'm sure the answer's no. I have an Italian friend and a Spanish friend and they have such a strong sense of their own food traditions. We do have too much choice.

Another difference about mealtimes here and on the continent is the time allowed for them especially lunch. I think it was Thriftmonster who said her kids only get 10 mins, I don't think mine get much more. What's going on ?
My Italian friend is appalled that our kids eat their packed lunch in the classroom. In Italy they sit down at a table with a cloth, and with proper plates not plastic trays.

Google 'restauration scolaire menu', and you will find menus provided in French schools, sorry they're in French but my O level was enough to understand that they are streets ahead of Britain when it comes to school dinners.

John_T_5

Finland had the highest rates of heart disease in the world, now I may be getting the timescale wrong so apologies in advance.

In the late 1980's the Finnish government came up with a very simple plan, rather than spend large amounts of money on public health campaigns warning people of the danger of poor eating they took the step of introducing free healthy school meals for all, the thinking behind it is that if children grew up enjoying a healthy meal each day they would prefer that type of food over junk food.

The plan worked, the obesity and heart disease levels plummeted and now those children have grown up and have their own families and eat high quality nutritious food at home, because the demand for this food is higher than junk food the price is lower.

One of the accusations I have seen in some newspaper articles about Jamies school meals is that children can get away with eating junk food, there bodies are more resilient to it, perhaps they are, but the point being missed is that it is about forming habits, how can someone who grew up on junk food see healthy food as an acceptable alternative once they are an adult, so they continue on this diet and then the real damage starts to kick in.

earthmother

I've said before that we have in the past used and abused convenience food, but are now significantly changing our, and the kids, diets, and have cut out virtually all processed, refined, and additive laden 'foods'. The seeds were sown by the original Jamie series, but weren't truly put into action across all our meals until a few months ago.

We've noticed a change in the boys - they have more energy, but aren't bouncing off the walls. They seem to be able to concentrate better too. I really did not see how much of an effect the junk was having on them until we got rid of it, although I of course knew that it was affecting them (a recent birthday party they were invited to showed that up - a marked change in their behaviour for the following 24 hours, and they only had a couple of iced/chocolate biscuits and supermarket squash that could be classed as 'junk').


One strange effect though that we've noticed now this has been going on for a while - even though they're probably eating less in quantity as they get used to the new foods, they're gaining weight. Just goes to show what little there is to junk food of any value.

thriftlady_2

You're right about Finland John, I've been reading about their health policy in the 80s. It was in a book about the Mediterranean diet funnily enough, they decided to adopt a Mediterranean style diet but made it policy to rely on Finnish production of fish, cereals, berries, vegetables, low fat meat and dairy products. They also reduced sugar and salt dense food .The plan was a success. If they can do it in Finland why can't we do it ?

thriftmonster

Even our healthy school dinners are served on those stupid airline trays with your custard slopping into the next compartment. This is not enough food for my ds1 - who is pretty skinny and eats like a horse - he needs a dinner plate with proper amounts of protein and carbs and loads of veggies - as he gets at home. When I had school dinners in the 70s we had proper plates and enough time to eat it!!!

Sorry - rant over

beachbeth

Churchmouse wrote:

I do hope this is just urban myth!! I'd hate to think he's so arrogant and ill-mannered as to believe other parents wouldn't provide anything suitable for his children to eat.

Please don't take this as the absolute truth. It is something my mum told me and she watches all the food programmes on Sky. But Im not sure if its 100% gospel.

To add to what you said about most children's parties, my kids were given the sort of choice you mention whenever they went to a party. However, a friend of mine, who didn't like to give her kids too much sugar, took them to a party and all there was to eat was lemon curd sandwiches, biscuits and cakes!!! :eek: Her kids were used to eating pasta in HM sauces and other healthy savoury foods and so ate nothing at this party!

thriftlady_2

Beachbeth, your story has reminded me of something my dad told me (70 next Feb). When I was planning the menu for dd's 6th b'day party he said 'you know in my day we didn't ever have savoury food at a party'.Apparently you had jelly, custard, trifle, blancmange and a lot of cake - that was the point of party food he said - it made you sick after :rotfl: Just an observation that it isn't just a modern day dilemma.

furrypig

I've just got back from helping out at my son's infant school over lunchtime. It is alwys an eye opener seeing what other kids have for their packed lunch. 2 reasons some eat the most amazing things and mums must go to a lot of trouble making, baking, cutting up cooking etc etc and other lunches shock me, where there are 5 different types of chocolate things in one lunch box or nothing fresh all lunch items come in packaging and there is no fruit or veg.
My kids have packed lunch (their choice) and I always give them at least 2 portions of fruit and veg in it and I vat what they have but I do give them processed things like 'dunker' or 'cheez strings' sometimes too. I have given them rice salad type thing with meat balls and although they both ate it my daughter (at juniors) asked not to have it again as everyone took the mickey out of her!!

School dinners today were salmon and pasta in a watercress sauce with broccoli, tomatoe and home made bread. Well the amount of food thrown away was outrageous! The school have to do a fish dish either salmon or pilchards(!!) and very few kids will eat it. One told me she didn't eat pasta, fish, broccoli, cheese or tomatoe so many would be hungry this afternoon. Interestingly the dinner lady blames what ahppens in kids homes and said most kids don't eat with their parents, have frozen kiddy [EMAIL="cr@p"]!!!!!![/EMAIL] and don't see proper foods at home and therefore won't eat it at school! I always find it really interesting to go in as a volunteer and help!!

sluggy1967

I think it is one of the saddest things that so many parents do not make the effort to sit down with their children to eat their meals at the table. I have friends who eat at a different time to their children (usually when the kids are in bed) and 1 or 2 do not even have a table in the 1st place!(I'm not talking about homes where there is a lack of space, these people have dining rooms that are used as second living rooms). Utter madness! The Government are sending mixed messages - backing healthier eating on the one hand but forcing children into "After-school clubs" on the other.

vik6525

Hi! Just read through all this thread, and I have to say, I love jamie oliver! his tv show made me cry the other night, cause he really does seem to be genuinely concerned about the rubbish some kids are force fed. I made my DS watch the original series, and hes never touched so much as an oven chip since (I have to say, I took great pleasure in watching my lovely little uns face when Mr.Oliver showed those kids what goes into chicken nuggets!). Id loe to think that a tv programme could make a difference, but alas, i dont think it can. Every day I see kids my sons age (6) eating chicken nuggets and drinking coke simply because their parents seem to pander to their kids every whim. I think every parent and kid should be forced to watch 'jamies school dinners' cause if that doesnt make them buck their ideas up, nothing will! Oh, and make them watch Gillian McKeith too, cause she scares the PANTS off my little one!