Dietitian Allison J. Stowell and chef Erin Dow offered a webinar to those who were interested in Guiding Stars changing school lunches. Allison and Erin noted the rising obesity rates among children and how a change is needed as soon as possible. The issue at hand is childhood obesity and how changing school lunches can help lower obesity. The webinar basically described steps that Allison and Erin took to change a school district’s meal plan. The team offered advise to those who would like to implement healthy meals at schools in their home towns.

Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 will take effect July 2012. Congress passed the act to help children grow into healthy adults. Guiding Star wants to educate children, parents, staff, and administrators about the importance of healthy eating, and they want people from the community to gather credible research about children eating healthy at schools and summarize it to the school board or community members. With that support and information, they can get everyone on board for the cause. The next step is to find a chef who is willing to work with the school and help create healthy recipes for the kids. Finally, schools need to enlist the help of staff and teachers to encourage and educate kids on the importance of eating healthy.
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Jamie Olivermay not be a fitness guru, but he has revolutionized the food and health industry. Born May 27, 1975 in Clavering, Essex, England, Jamie had a normal childhood until the age of 8 when he started working at his parents’ pub The Cricketers in Calvering. He would help around the kitchen and run errands for his parents. Jamie was around the kitchen so much that he found a passion for food. He completed training at Westminster Catering College at 16 years old and then France was calling Jaime’s name. He spent some time there working for a variety of restaurants. Upon his return to London he worked at Neal Street and then at the infamous River Cafe for three-and-a-half years with Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers. This is where his passion for Italian food was ignited.

His formal career started in 1997 after being featured in a documentary about the River Cafe. Jamie was offered his own show; thus The Naked Chef was born. Jamie kept himself busy with his projects, but gave back to the community. In 2001, he opened “Jamie’s Kitchen,” a training restaurant for English citizens who weren’t in school or employed. His open heart and love for cooking benefited people in need. The next project to catch Jamie’s attention was the poor state of school lunches in United Kingdom schools. In 2004, Jamie launched a national campaign called “Feed Me Better,” then went into schools and educated kids on the importance of eating healthy. “Feed Me Better” shed light on the obesity problem eradicating the UK.
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As part of our weekly cooking series, we’re doing a special feature today on how to cook with real food, in celebration of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Day.

The idea is simple: Put away the fake ingredients and pre-made mixes and sauces and cook with real food for better health.

This idea is being brought to American dinner tables and school cafeterias by one seriously-determined British chef – Jamie Oliver. Oliver has started a movement both stateside and in Britain called the Food Revolution, which aims to get back to real, quality food, and move away from the high-fat, sugar-laden processed foods most Americans are eating today.

For a better sense of how Oliver views healthy eating, here is his food philosophy as stated on his website.
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Yesterday morning, like most American women, I was checking my favorite blogs. It’s part of my a.m. routine just as much as coffee and showering. Daily and habitual.

So when I stopped by my friend Katie’s blog, Yes I Want Cake, I was thrilled to see she’d partnered with Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, which works to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.

This is a movement I’m totally on board with. Exposing kids and their families to real, nutritious food and spreading the buzz on health? Sign me up. In fact, I just did.

Jamie launched his Food Revolution back in 2010, and his latest project is a small but mighty extension of that: The Giving Assistant. It’s an app you can download for free onto your web browser with just a few clicks, and it acts as a virtual fundraiser, giving money to the cause every time you make a purchase with one of their online partners – like gap.com, hotels.com, bestbuy.com. When you check out, a portion of the proceeds is automatically donated to the Jamie Oliver Foundation. It’s that simple.
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Food Revolution leader Jamie Oliver may have stuck his foot in his mouth this week while giving an interview in Australia.

Jamie Oliver, the celebrity chef, cookbook author, and health advocate was in Australia to promote his partnership with the government to address the nation’s obesity issues. While giving an interview with a female NBC News journalist, Oliver got very defensive with one of her questions after she asked if he had gained weight.

“I don’t know. I am very healthy. I think the last time I had a filling in my teeth, which was quite recently, I was in good nick. But really, I am not really sure. Are you from a tabloid? Thank you for noticing, you bitch.”

Oliver later explained that he wasn’t feeling well after having drinks the night before and that he didn’t understand what the question was implying.

“I went out last night and had a few drinks after a very long day, (and) my brain did not quite understand that question.”

Oliver also defended his health to the critics who came down on him for not practicing what he preaches about health.

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