A guest post by Judith Natelli McLaughlin.
I guess the biggest food news in recent weeks is the premier of Jamie Oliver’s reality show, Food Revolution. Here are a few of my impressions after watching the first few episodes:—
Kudos to Jamie Oliver for tackling the problem of unhealthy eating habits in the United States. Between Food Revolution and Mrs. Obama’s "Let’s Move” Campaign, I remain confident that the importance of healthy eating WILL spread across our great nation.
Thanks to the great folks of Huntington, West Virginia, where Food Revolution is being filmed. (Their city was named the “unhealthiest” city in America, based on statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.) They are allowing themselves to be filmed in an unflattering and often controversial light, because, I truly believe, these good people want to make the health of their family a priority.
Finally, a round of applause for first grade teacher, Ms. Blake, of Huntington’s Central City Elementary School. When Jamie Oliver visited her class, it was clear her students couldn’t identify their fruits and vegetables. After Jamie left, Ms. Blake put together a display of fruits and veggies, complete with name tags, and taught her students the difference between a tomato and a potato. When Jamie returned to her class for a follow-up, those first graders knew their stuff! This truly was a teachable moment!
The three points I mentioned above tell me that despite the gravity of America’s obesity epidemic, we can make a change. Remember, our nation’s youth is very teachable! This is a sad story, but by no means a lost cause. We MUST teach our kids all about their fruits and veggies. If children learn about broccoli and papayas the way they learn about their abc’s and 123’s, right from the very start, they will be better equipped to make healthy food choices. Really, how can we expect our kids to choose healthy foods, when, as Jamie witnessed, they don’t even know what those healthy food choices are?
So, since that sweet boy on television thought the tomato was a potato, I’m going to suggest a simple and delicious tomato-based recipe:
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Dice three ripe tomatoes. Peel and dice one large cucumber. Combine the tomato and cucumber. Drizzle with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and four tablespoons of your favorite vinegar. Add a big bunch of fresh basil (chopped, torn or whole – however you like it). Season with salt and pepper and serve. (If you are feeling extra adventurous, you can add wet mozzarella balls to the mix). YUM.
And when serving up this tomato creation to your family, recite my Tomato poem, too. It is from my book, "Poems on Fruits & Odes to Veggies–Where Healthy Eating Starts With a Poem." It will make your meal time fun and help you start your own food revolution.
Tomatoes
Grape tomatoes
Vine tomatoes
Steak tomatoes too
Red tomatoes
Green tomatoes
I know what to do
Dice them, slice them
Mince them, seed them
Put them on a plate
Eat them, feed them
To yourself…
They taste really great!
Enjoy!
BIO:
Author/illustrator of the children’s picture book "Poems on Fruits & Odes to Veggies–Where Healthy Eating Starts With a Poem," public speaker, health food enthusiast and mom Judith Natelli McLaughlin is here to help introduce your family to some fruits and veggies they may not know about, while reintroducing them to some old favorites too. Her goal is to educate AND entertain and get you to remember that healthy eating starts with a poem.
