Chef Jamie Oliver's crusade against processed foods in U.K. schools has sparked a backlash
British professor says moderation, not a ban, best way to treat obesity, writes Caroline Mallan

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LONDON—The land of fish and chips, greasy curry houses and deep-fried Mars bars might be the last place you'd expect to find a raging debate over the availability of junk food in schools.

But amid the waft of the deep fryer, a move to ban junk food has taken on the whiff of religion. Complete, now, with the apostates.

It began with a high priest, none other than TV celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.

Oliver launched a crusade earlier this year against the processed frozen foods that dominate the menu in what is considered a prized cornerstone of Britain's social safety net — the free hot school lunch for every child.

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and further on ...

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In Ontario, Premier Dalton McGuinty's 2003 election promise to ban junk food in elementary school vending machines was a vote-getter with parents.

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Which only goes to show Ontario voters are cheap dates when it comes to social democracy.

http://tinyurl.com/bsqma

Contrast and compare "free hot school lunch for every child in Britain" to our own Liberal enforcers of social democracy offering to ban junk food in Ontario schools.

[ 24 October 2005: Message edited by: Fidel ]

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Contrast and compare "free hot school lunch for every child in Britain" to our own Liberal enforcers of social democracy offering to ban junk food in Ontario schools.

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When I was in high school I ate lunch in the cafeteria every day. My parents gave me $2, and I usually had change left over afterward.

Clearly we can't have a school lunch costing $6 or kids will just go across the street to the fast food joint and save a buck or two. But if lunch costs some nominal fee then I think that's a good way to ensure kids actually eat it rather than ordering the meal just to nibble at the fries (or to throw at someone).

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Originally posted by kurichina:
That was precisely the thrust of Oliver's campaign, Train.

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Added: I guess some casseroles would fit the bill, too. I just can't imagine kids tolerating casseroles and soups day after day after day.

[ 24 October 2005: Message edited by: Train ]

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Originally posted by Boom Boom:
Maybe where you are. When I was hospitalized in St. Anthony, NL, the meals were absolutely first class, except for breakfast - breakfast toast was a bit soggy (steam heat under the trays) and eggs were overcooked. I was there for ten days. Except for the occasional disappointing breakfast, all their meals were terrific. Three weeks ago I had to go back, I stayed in an apartment, and went back to the hospital cafeteria for my meals - again, they were great.

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Originally posted by Boom Boom:
How big was the hospital? What difference does that make? You said "Hospital food is disgusting."
Not at the hospital at St. Anthony. Even the smaller hospital in Blanc Sablon (Qc) had more than acceptable food.

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I never once ate hot food for lunch in school. A sandwich (peanut butter, cheese or leftover meat), a juice, a couple of cookies, and a piece of fruit or celery and carrots. That's basically what I had everyday for lunch and I was quite well nourished.

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Originally posted by Train:
As someone raised on London hot lunches (often greasy sausages and grey lumps of mashed potatoes), I beg you, abandon this suggestion. Provide lunch? Absolutely. But food. Decent sandwiches or wraps and salads, please.

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I think the trend in our hospitals now is not to even have a proper kitchen. Frozen foodsicles are trucked into our hospitals from Toronto and is microwaved now. Private enterprise really doesn't do it better. The food ends up tasting a neutral boiled kleenex flavour. Blech!

But cudos for the Brits hanging on to hot lunches in schools. I suppose there were some things Maggie didn't take away from them. Ya, the food's terrible in southern England. They don't know know good northern cooking in London. My cousins were eating Yorkshire pud's smotha'd in gravy, hot beef and roasted potatoes on a good day at Sheffield schools in the 1970's. Some sliced banana with custard washed down with milk before afta'noon classes would chase away the belly yellies. Oh aye.

And did anyone know that Iran spends 80 million dollars a year on school milk programs?.

The UN says 74 countries have school milk integrated into their school feeding programmes. The UN arranged for 45 countries to meet last April in China to discuss global school milk uptake. I wonder if PM PM sent a Canadian contingent ?.

[ 25 October 2005: Message edited by: Fidel ]

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I guess it's not impossible but I've just never seen it pulled off. Hospital food is disgusting. Hot school lunches in London were disgusting. Buffet restaurants are moderately disgusting. Grease and unhealthy food aren't the only problem. There's also the mechanics of the operation. Try preparing enough broccoli and cheese sauce for a large elementary school and you'll end up with limp, soggy, overcooked broccoli and lumpy cheese sauce. Soup would be the exception, I guess. You can make good soup and keep it hot in large quantities.

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I am part of a collective which creates well-balanced, pay-what-you-can vegan lunches for between 100-300 university students/staff, four days per week. The food is delicious and we manage as an entirely volunteer run organization. And the meals are almost always hot.

When I was studying in Italy I found the food at the university resto remarkably good (there were also little tetrapaks of vino for 200 lire) but some of the Italian students complained as it wasn't as good as mamma's. It was a hell of a lot better than anything I'd ever had in schools and universities here, and highly subsidised. Though I wouldn't be surprised if Berlusconi has taken an axe to the subsidies...

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Originally posted by Fidel:
But vino tetra-paks ?. Gettata town. No way?.

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