To think that Jamie Oliver is right...

[Easywriter]

Shoot me down should you care to but I don't want my children to eat rubbish.

I'm not obsessed by my childrens diet but I want them to eat fresh, wholesome, nutritious food in the correct quantities.

The Government should stand behind Jamie Oliver in his quest to ensure that school meals are of a decent standard.

For some children it may be the only decent meal they eat in a day, for others it will be continuing what is standard in their homes.

If mothers want to feed their children hamburgers through school railings then they deserve to be preached to about healthy eating to within an inch of their lives. Being stupid yourself is no reason to justify letting your stupidity affect your child (I mean the hamburger mothers).

It's not cool to simply disagree with everything the previous Government (as a means to signify a new regime or as a cost cutting exercise) did and surely to give school children good meals is a no-brainer.

Just do it simpleton co-elition!
Surely I'm right!

'then they deserve to be preached to about healthy eating to within an inch of their lives' i'd pay to see that

hear hear!! YANBU.

(whispers) I love Jamie. LOVE him.

yadnbu

Entirely agree, school meals should be healthy, the minister is an idiot!

YANBU

Why are the new Government telling him to 'get his coat'.

Muppets!

Especially since they both have young children.

Grrrr!

Eh? What's the news?

Over a year only 20% of all meals (assuming 3 meals a day) are eaten at schools... So even if the "hamburger kids" are forced to eat nutritiously at school there is still the possibility that 80% of their meals are crap....

I don't think the minister is saying that the food shouldn't be healthy just that they approach being taken isn't working. Some schools have had a 25% decrease in children choosing school dinners since the initiative has been introduced.

Is that any reason to give up on those children.

Surely that's why it's important to get that healthy 20% into them.

He's a bit annoying.

My grandmother was Head school cook in the 70's/80's (infant & juniors),I've seen her old meal plans ,they had healthy meals.I remember having healthly school meals at juniors too.

It all went to rat shit at seniors.

DD whose 15 goes to school with a packed lunch as does ds whose 7.Ds has can have a good healthy cooked meal but I can't afford it,dd would have chips & pizza,if we gave her the option, coz she is 15.

Kinda agree

ohhh, I thought you meant Oliver James.......Jamie Oliver is fine

Who decided it was a good idea to rip the kitchens out of schools>?

I used to love my school dinners, remember Semolina?

I also chose a college further away because they made their own bread and did prawn curry

I think Jamie was definitely on the right track!

Semolina [vomit]

Why doesn't that work.

I love Jamie Oliver and think it is brilliant all the good work he has done with fifteen and trying to make childrens meals healthier. He deserves a knighthood not criticism.
I do think school meals should be tasty not just healthy if a child eats a healthy dish that is overcooked with poor quality food it will put them off for life.

I think Jamie Oliver is a legend!

If the government are so sure on cutting obesity levels in this country, surely one fail safe way is to offer healthy school meals.

I remember healthhy meals at primary school, but by the time I hit high school, it was all pizzas/sausages/sausage rolls/chips. These were on the menu EVERY SINGLE DAY.

DD1 has school meals, and DD2 will have school meals when she starts in august. There is nothing on the 4 week rotating menu that DD2 wont eat, and only 3 meals (out of 20) that DD1 doesnt like (fussy eater)

They always have fresh salad and fruit available too.

I do wonder how the hell the "burger mums" think they are doing the right thing by their children.

I don't think anyone's arguing that school dinners shouldn't be healthy. The turkey twizzler is not about to make a comeback. However, having healthy school dinners is not tackling the wider problem of obesity. Neither did the 'Change 4 Life' initiative for that matter.

People who value their and their children's health already didn't need to change in the first place. Whereas the people who genuinely need to improve their lifestyle habits are defiantly not listening to government, doctors, Oliver or anyone else. So I think it's right to re-examine & question the strategy.

No use keep preaching to the converted.

He's OK by me.
He also gives a percentage of his restaurant profits to various school meals funding.

Am at the sight of my Swedish nephews' school dinner. Healthy and appetising, no puddings, but plenty of greens and plenty of variety, and I am even told they are well cooked.

But there is a difference: they are wholly paid for by the tax payers, which means a pretty well 100% takeup: very few parents are going to be paying to send in a packed lunch when there is a free meal already there waiting for their child.

No doubt, this will mean reductions in health bills, as the children get used to the idea of eating nutritiously. Societies get what they pay for.

My hairdresser is Jamie Olivers best friend - so I 'nearly' know him. nerr.

I hugely admire Jamie Oliver.

At my DCs schools, although they give lip service to healthy eating, it is possible to eat pizza and chocolate cake every single day, with a fizzy drink (masquerading as fruit juice, but is actually sweetened fruit flavour drink).

We need to withdraw all unhealthy choices,and include fruit and vegetables. Puddings and cake should not be seerved either.

The Tories are no doubt giving someone else a good kicking as they build up to scrapping healthy eating standards in favour of serving school children cheap shite again. Nothing new there, really.

YANBU. Someone had to make an issue of the rubbish that kids were eating in schools (in fact, someone needs to make an issue of the fact that schools still serve a lot of rubbish under the guise of healthy eating. Greasy pizza, anyone?)