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Jamie's school dinners - Mike Grimes (17th Mar 2005 - 02:12:17) Well the series is over and full marks to Channel 4 for producing it (and full marks to Timothy Spall for throwing off that 'auf wiedersehen pet' image.) I am still apallled by the 'food' that schools feed our children. I fully support the idea of a cooked school lunch but I want it to be healthy and nutritious fresh food, not 'football striker', 'turkey twizler', processed junk. I think that the anecdotal evidence that good quality food significantly improves childrens behaviour, attention in class and allergic reactions cannot be ignored any more than the fact that schools routinely give our children food packed with salts, hydrogenated fats, antioxidants, colourants, emulsifying agents with their mechanically recovered meat product. Jamie's campaign should have hit home with the government but all it got was a bit of lip service from Charles Clarke before he went off on his House Arrest crusade. Meanwhile Ruth (I only went to private school because I won a scholarship [after prep-school]) Kelly is merely planning the contents of her own children's lunch boxes. There is somewhere you can make your voice heard http://www.feedmebetter.com/getinvolved/signexplain.php but there must be something we can do locally, if Greenwich can do it, surely we can.

Re: Jamie's school dinners - marian (17th Mar 2005 - 19:20:49) I too watched Jamie's dinners and of course it was no surprise to learn that children who normally line up for their asthma puffers after lunch - no longer needed to. Also there were many anecdotes about children being much much calmer. I wonder what it will take for this government (or the next) to wake up and think about the facts. What do others think and should we be lobbying Hampshire caterers to find out what they intend to do to improve the situation for our children? After quizzing my nine year old who has school dinners having watched the programme I was not convinced that all the food they serve up is fresh and made up at the school. Interestingly I picked up a leaflet for HC3 catering and they have a nice picture of a kiwi fruit on the cover. According to my daughter there is fresh fruit on offer but it is hardly ever chosen because there are cakes offered alongside. So they seem to have stopped providing it as often. I think Jamie is right that a whole package of education is needed to help our children and he found that the only way to get children eating the healthy stuff was to only offer healthy options. While the turkey twizzlers remained an option they were chosen.

Re: Jamie's school dinners - Kay (17th Mar 2005 - 22:26:11) I enjoyed this programme thoroughly and was amazed at Jammie's sneaky tactics to get the kids to eat. He has a brilliant passion for what he does and I am sure a great deal of parents stand behind his fresh food concept. After seeing the reality of what 'more or less' goes into turkey twizlers, that's enough to put any child off (and adult if they are in their right minds). My children are starting school in Liphook in April and I would stongly support a campaign for introducing Jamie's school dinners to our county's schools. In fact if the government had any sense they WOULD ban junk food totally at the schools but I some how think it is not high up on their agenda list. I would imagine there is a number of procedures and steps to be followed to get a project going in our area. Has anybody have an idea of where we should start? Cheers Kay

Re: Jamie's school dinners - marian (18th Mar 2005 - 11:33:55) I have just visited the "feed me better" website (info above) and it appears that none of the Liphook schools are currently signed up under this scheme. I think we could begin by talking to the school about the scheme and also thinking about what support the school might need in bringing about any changes. There is a pack available at the beginning of April that costs £10 (4.50 for P & P) which is designed to supply most of what schools need to know. I am happy to co-ordinate if needed. It just seems too important an issue not to do something. Any volunteers out there want to lend a hand?

Re: Jamie's school dinners - Tracey H (18th Mar 2005 - 21:41:42) Marian Someone has already approached the junior school with info from the website. One of the teachers appears to support the change. If you call me, I can fill you in a bit!

Re: Jamie's school dinners - Mike Grimes (31st Mar 2005 - 00:32:43) TV chef welcomes £280m meals plan Jamie Oliver delivered his petition to Tony Blair Chef Jamie Oliver has welcomed the government's extra £280m to tackle the school meals "crisis" in England. At least 50p will be spent on each primary school lunch and 60p in secondaries. Some primaries currently spend as little as 37p on ingredients. He said it would "make a difference to every kid in this country", after delivering a petition to Tony Blair. Mr Blair paid tribute to the chef, but said the government had been working on the issue for "quite a long time". Well Well Well, anyone would think there is an imminent election, but before anyone stops giving their child a packed lunch because of the gourmet food that this now makes available lets look at the figures. £280m, that's a lot of money. So take off £60m for the new quango to supervise it (hey, who was supervising this before?). OK £220m, that's a lot of money. How many children is this for? 14 million, well that's a lot but there is plenty to go round isn't there? Well £16.00 per Child actually. How many meals per year are there? well 39 times 5 less 5 inset days (190 meals). so that's 8p per child per day then? Well no, this money is for three years, not one. Less than 3p per day then? Yes. So 37p + 3p = more than 50p or 60p? You do the sums. Oh, and notice Blairs comment 'we have been working on this for some time' this means that this is the same money that was announced last November but now would seem an oppertune moment to announce it again Sir Jamie of Effing Forest has more to do!

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