Jamie Olivers rant about packed lunches.

[misdee]

LONDON (Reuters) - Jamie Oliver, the television chef famous for his crusade to improve school dinners, lashed out at parents on Thursday over the food they give to their children.

Speaking at the launch of his new TV programme, Oliver said 70 percent of packed lunches in were "disgraceful" and he would like to see them banned.

He said the decisions parents made regarding the diets of their children
were sometimes just plain wrong.
"I've spent two years being politically correct about parents but it's time to say, if you're giving your young kids fizzy drinks, you're an a*hole and a tosser," Oliver said.

"If you give them bags of crisps, you're an idiot. If you aren't cooking them a hot meal, sort it out."

Oliver said headteachers were too frightened of some parents to tell them what they should give their child to bring to school.

He was particularly critical of parents who give their children Red Bull an energy drink when they are tired, saying it was not much better than giving them a line of cocaine.

Oliver's new programme, "Jamie's Return to School Dinners", is a follow-up to his successful Channel 4 series on improving school meals.

We have had a child become very violent, the reason, three cans of red bull in a day!

omg people actually give there kids redbull

It is true though - shocking how ignorant some people are as to childrens basic nutritional needs and the things you really shouldn't give them!

Get them all on Mumsnet - the food police would sort them out!

THe case I'm talking about was in secondary, so the kid might have bough them himself. But nothing would surprise me.

We had a case one year of a girl who broght in a box of vodka filled chocolates to hand out to the class that her mother had given her. She was in year 8. some parents really are arseholes! Not all, by any means, or even most, but some....

i rarely drink red bull, it makes me very jittery. i remember about 3 years ago, there was a death by dangerous driivng. the man driving driving had drank a load of caffine energy drinks like red bull, and his father was trying to bring about some sort of ban.

a MB's post. Unbelievable!

He is right for far too many children/parents. At secondary level I have seen the contents of some children's packed lunch boxes, and it is just bad!

Maybe we should go back to the old system. Everyone stays for dinner or goes home (not to the shops, but home home). At school there is two choices - meat or veggie - and you eat in groups, serve each other, and leave the room together at the end. I don't remember it ever being an issue at school back when I was there.

The problems only started with the introduction of cafeteria type systems in schools.

The school my ds's go to they are not allowed to take crisps/fizzy drinks etc.
at red bull.

"If you give them a bag of crisps you are an idiot" - how nice for Mr Oliver that he doesn't live in a family with allergies or other special needs where a bag of crisps might actually be the difference between being able to eat a packed lunch or not.

Yes I agree about the ones with MSG - but a packet of plain crisps probably has far less salt than anything I've ever seen him cook.

Maybe a father who comes home at 5pm every day and baths their children should launch a criticism of fathers who jet all around the world making adverts and TV programmes.

if we stop having a go at him (not saying he's greta, but let's look at this issue at hand)
he isn't talking about people with allergies and such like, he is talking about the fact that poarents think it is ok to give their kids red bull and crips and choclsate EVERY day and think thats its a good healthy lunch.
my dd1 doesn't have packed lunch because luckily her school offers good lunches and because she would only eat crap in a packed lunch box so she doesn't get it. What I mean is, with her limited diet(she's fussy and I blame myself) she wouldn't eat a salad in her lunchbox or humous on pitta (wish she would) I agree with him about the shocking amount of people who COULD put it other things, that give their kids the same crap every day.

Who bloomin gave Jamie OLiver the job of head of childrens nutrition anyway?

Makes me cross

i would say that mumsnet has taught me more about food than jamie oliver. i can't help but not like him, he makes me squirm

But his food is good I regularly cook stuff from his books and so far never had a bad meal.

DD's new school has a lot of Jamie Oliver and The Dinnerlady inspired meals. You can tell by reading the menu on the walll. I recognise the titles

IO am glad he has taken an interest inc hildren's diets. When I was teacher I would not eat school dinners. They were bad. But equally so was the rubbish in the average (not talking of those with allergies, etc.) child's packed lunch box. Things are changing, but slowly. Something needs to be done.

At least he has been prepared to get off him bum and look at it and take some action. Awareness has been created through his actions - no one elses, certainly not the Governments. So good on him. He cares. He wants to make a difference. Brilliant! Why is that such a bad thing???

I agree with him that kids need healthy packed lunches although I think the crisps comment is a bit extreme, I think if a parent is giving a healthy lunch and then puts in a packet of msg free crisps that they are hardly idiots but I get the impression he isn't talking about these parents. I think he's using his celebrity chef status to try and make people aware of how important healthy eating is for children and I don't see anything wrong with this.

I love Jamie Oliver and always use his recipes and ideas, and even though he does fly around the world ect he seems to be such a devoted father and husband. He also makes programes about things that do need attention like school lunches.

At my highschool (baring in mind this was3yrs ago) The only thing in the canteen was chips/burgers and greasy sausage rolls. You could also get crisps and chocolate from the vinding machine. There was a pathetic salad sectioon with about 3 pre made salad bowls that were kept with the warm food so were gross.

The kids that brought lunches some were terrible they had a sandwich but then loads of choccy bars, crisps, sweets and a bottle of coke!

I also suspect his comments have been taken out of context int he article.

"Maybe a father who comes home at 5pm every day and baths their children should launch a criticism of fathers who jet all around the world making adverts and TV programmes. "

Would we say the same about parents in the forces, those with long hours in the city, etc? The long hours and flights away are part and parcel of his job. He and his wife knew that when he got married, and presumably figured it would work for them when they had children.

Jamie Oliver has got my children interested in what they eat, in cooking meals and in trying different things. I recorded his original School Dinners series (it was on too late for the boys to watch) and they then watched it with me. DS2 frequently asks me if he can cook a "Jamie" dinner and he does and it's delicious and DS2 will actually eat it. Had I cooked it without his assistance, he would probably have rejected it (fussy sod).

The junior school has recently awarded the school dinners contract to a new company called Zebedees. Their menus look fantastic with Hot & Kickin Chicken, Lamb Lasagne, Beef Chilli and Potato Wedges, etc. My only gripe is that there is only one option per day (unless you have previously ordered a veggie meal) and, if a child doesn't like what's on offer (e.g. DS3 doesn't like spicy food and DS2 doesn't like fish), then it's a lot of money (£1.90 per day) to pay for them just to eat dessert. I've emailed them about this, but so far no substantive response.

However, I'm sure that these sorts of meals would not have been on offer if it weren't for JO, so all power to his elbow!

I'm glad he has spoken up, but I'm not sure that the people in question will take a blind bit of notice. Luckily at ds's and his cousin's school they are very strict about banning chocolates, crisps and fizzy drinks from lunchboxes.

I like JO and I agree with what he is trying to do in prinicple for the average child. I know his kids are young but at least he HAS them! Unlike some people we know who try to preach on bringing up kids/what they should eat etc and they do not even HAVE them themselves!!!

On the other hand, I find the earlier comment about getting home at 5pm for bath time a bit odd and off key. A lot of DH's are the main breadwinner and therefore have to work the hours they have to work (sadly long!) - most DH's I know in this position are not in the house by 5pm or sometimes even in time for bathtime! Might be missing the point here but my DH spends a fair deal of time away from home (and he always tries to get home to bath DD whenever he is working locally). I know he would rather spend time with us but hey - he earns the pennies and that allows me to stay at home with my little girl for the time being (similar to JO and Jools no doubt!)! I personally don't think there is anything wrong with it - sorry rant over!

I remember at preschool a little boy who was sent with a pack up of jam butty (white bread) jam swiss roll, mini pack of choccy biccies and crisps with a small bottle of panda pops. He's a bright kid and the same age as my ds, they are both teens now and the boy is in constant trouble gets tons of temporary exclusions etc and just isnt thriving. He will only eat c**p now as its all he's been given, unfortunately I don't believe his mum knows otherwise she thinks its a load of old cobblers this food business

If Jamie can help raise nutrition issues with parents then good for him, someone needs to!

I used to think Mr Oliver was a bit annoying, but I like him more and more these days. Someone needs to say this sort of thing.

My dd'd school does not allow fizzy drinks or chocolate biscuits. She has a sandwich, packet of crisps, fruit bar and a piece of fruit each day. Along with a big bottle of sugar free squash. Its the same as I took when I was at school.

I did just fine and I am sure she will too.