Food Makeover Courtesy of Jamie Oliver

Americans love makeover TV.  Extreme Home Makeover, What Not to Wear, heck even car makeovers with Pimp My Ride.  I especially love weight loss makeovers ala Celebrity Fit Club or Biggest Loser.  Seeing the light bulb go on and then watching how participants triumph over their exercise and nutrition demons is inspiring.  Makes those watching believe they can do it too. 

Last night, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution aired on ABC.  Jamie is a British chef who is on a mission to change how Americans, especially children, eat.  He choose to start the American movement (he already is working on England) in Huntington, West Virginia -- the unhealthiest city in the world.  Huntington not only has the highest obesity rate of any town in the US, they also appear to have some of the angriest, most negative and most change adverse people around.   Although this show isn't a typical weight loss makeover show, it is bigger.  It is about planting a seed of change that could have a positive health impact on all those featured and all who watch.

The show began with Jamie attempting to alter an elementary school lunch program.  Not sure about you, but I remember my lunch ladies being pretty set in their ways.  One in particular even gets offended when Jamie calls her a "lunch lady."  The cooks, as they prefer to be called, proudly defended serving pizza for breakfast and potato pearls (don't ask).  Although I felt badly for Jamie, I also sympathized with the cooks -- they had a job to do and budget to meet.  

What I liked most about the first show was how it made me really think about what I serve my kids and what they might be eating at school.  Thankfully, I pack my little one's lunch every day, but what about the older kids who make their own choices?  It also sparked conversation between my hubby and I about why people resist change, as well as what other challenges Jamie will face in coming weeks.  We were wondering...

• How do you offer fresh foods at school while keeping on budget and without increasing staffing needs?
• How do you get kids to choose healthier options when the less healthy options are still being offered?
• How do you convince parents to change eating habits at home, especially when budget is a factor?

I can't wait for the full premiere on Friday to see how Jamie tackles these issues and more.  For more information about Jamie Oliver and his food revolution, check out his site:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution