Civil Eats reviewed the film Lunch Line: Telling the Story of School Food. Interesting analysis, also you can see the preview of the movie.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Jamie Oliver and the School Lunch Plan
It appears that Jamie Oliver’s plan for healthy school lunches is going to be canceled. The UK Health Minister claimed that there was a drop in the number of children buying lunch since the new menu was introduced. For this, he blames an “authoritarian” approach consisting of lecturing people on what they should eat.
Thought Food has looked at the efforts to fix the school lunch, including Oliver’s efforts in West Virginia and while we may not agree with everything that he does, certainly his effort is to be applauded. Good eating habits need to be built up from childhood, a taxpayer funded program should not push junk and kids who come from challenging home situations or live in “food deserts” can benefit from this program. If a few families choose to ignore good dietary rules, should all children suffer? There is evidence to prove that healthy school food has an impact on academic achievements.
If the UK government discovered a flaw in the lunch program devised by Jamie Oliver and then canceled it, that would be understandable. But this simply seems to be an effort to fit in economic austerity measures than a thoughtful approach to planning school meals.
And Jamie Oliver has plenty of support, sometimes from unlikely quarters, like this endorsement from Anthony Bourdain. Being a parent changes everything!
Posted in Nutrition, Uncategorized
USDA’s new Dietary Guidelines
Just a quick note to inform that the USDA’s new nutritional guidelines report is open for public comments till July 8. The report has a fresh approach outlining the need to reduce salt intake, promote a plant based diet, battle obesity and a recognition that we function in a food environment and the whole picture needs to be seen. It is an encouraging step and we can take this opportunity to make our voices heard as well.
Posted in Food Policy, Nutrition, Uncategorized
“American Ethnic Food”!
This video from a grocery store in Berlin shows what the rest of the world thinks of as “american food”. Most of it is spot on although it makes you wonder why hardly any of it is “real food”. A more serious issue: where are the Oreos? And, no peanut butter?
Posted in Uncategorized
Sandra Lee is here!
The New York Times reports that Sandra Lee is hitting the campaign trail in support of her companion, Andrew Cuomo,and she is also promoting heart awareness and canned tuna. As veterans of the Food Channel will agree, resistance is futile. You cannot turn your eyes away from her dumping can after can of processed foods into a slow cooker for that comfort food recipe. Mr. Cuomo has as good as won this thing.
Sandra may have mixed feelings about her current role as the article reveals but you can bet she is full of ideas for tablescapes for those fancy dinners up at the governor’s mansion. I wonder what her followers will call themselves? The Can Openers? Just a thought!
Posted in Uncategorized
Meatless Monday!
Great explanation of the difference between animal and vegetable protein sources here, and what your body really needs.
Posted in Nutrition, Uncategorized
GM crops 101
The Slates’s Green Lantern outlines some concerns that environmentalists have regarding GM crops. To the positives mentioned here, one needs to add the huge productivity increases from growing GM crops which are going to be vital in view of the coming food crisis discussed in the last post. Also, most of these debates do not highlight the possibility of getting better health outcomes from GM crops enhanced with vitamins or nutrients such as Golden Rice enhanced with vitamin A .
Posted in Food Policy, Food Safety, Food Security, Uncategorized
World Water Day
Today is World Water Day and it was heartening to read some encouraging news on the avaiability of clean drinking water. According to The Economist, 87% of the world’s population has access to drinking water from an “improved” source. While this news is encouraging, the U.N. also reported that rampant pollution of our water sources kills more people than war. So the uphill battle to ensure clean drinking water for everyone on the planet continues…
Posted in Uncategorized
Farewell, Bluefish Tuna?
Today, a motion to ban international trade in bluefin tuna failed to pass at the UN Convention on Trade in Endangered Species in Doha, Qatar. Overfishing has drastically reduced stocks of the bluefin tuna but heavy lobbying by the fishing industry and staunch opposition from Japan where bluefin is a prized ingredient for sushi prevented the ban. What does it say about us as human beings that we do not respect another species’ right to exist?
Posted in Uncategorized
Food for Thought
At the grocery store I contemplate a bunch of glistening pink cherries which my daughter has insisted we absolutely need. Why are they shining? Are they coated with wax? Pesticides? Where did they come from and what kind of produce standards are followed in that country? Are they organic and worth the extra money? I wonder if they have been on the news recently for health scares? I need some answers! Thats when I came up with idea of a blog which will provide the information we need on what finds its way to our plates and also let us share what we think about it, and I say “we” because I hope to hear from you too!
Posted in Uncategorized
Thought + Food 