Jamie Oliver isn't known for being particularly humble.
Or quiet.
Or even relatively modest, for crying out loud.
However much of what he says and does--is for the greater good in food-dom.
In the most recent
Cooking Light issue, Jamie puts my thoughts into words,
exactly. 100%. Wholeheartedly. I nod-my-head-convulsively. He is asked:
What kind of change [in the eating habits of Britain/America] are you hoping for?Look: I'm not a nutritionist--I love food, including burgers, and pizza, and stuff like that. I'm not yelling, "Hey you, lose weight!" That's not what it's about. It's about empowering people with the skills they need to nourish themselves an their families, to feel that sense of pride, which is really as basic as making a panini or poached egg, and getting people reconnected with the simplicity of knocking a few ingredients together and making proper food.This is where I begin to say a big, "Amen, brother!":
You use that term a lot, "proper food." How do you define it?Food from scratch, really. We know most of the problems with the health in both of our countries in largely due to huge amounts of soda, sugar, fat deep-frying, and a load of additives. If you could at least half of the time buy, or do yourself, something that was remotely scratch-based, you probably could fix 98% of the [nutrition] problems in America. It's so much more than just "eat less." We need to arm the public with basic cooking skills! They don't need equations or graphs or nutritional science. Just arm them with the ability to turn a bunch of seasonal ingredients, whether they're fresh or frozen--because frozen stuff can be great--into meals.The two items in bold are what I preach to anyone who asks me anything about why or how I eat the way I do, or how I maintain a healthy lifestyle. I cannot stress enough the importance of learning just a few cooking basics and preparing homemade meals for your family. I hear a lot of moms say "well I just don't have time" or "I don't have the energy to do it." I find this hard to believe, nor do I think it's a valid argument. This is your family, your whole life--why wouldn't you seek every effort to enable them to be healthy? When I hear these excuses I immediately think of women a hundred years ago, or even 50 years ago, or even missionary families in Africa or women in third world nations. All of these women have (or have had) children, often far more than the average women today, and they were/are able to put a full, home-cooked meal on the table every evening--regardless of all the day's tasks.
It amazes me.
Also, many believe that if they just "eat less" they will solve all their problems, lose weight, and be happy. Eating smaller portions is huge, helpful, and necessary, but if you are eating less of the same types of foods, you aren't really helping your body regain health, only minimizing the amount of bad foods and not adding the good, natural, healthier ones that are so necessary to cell regeneration and growth. It could be likened to running half a race, but failing to finish it.
The second thing Oliver mentions is the use of additives and steering clear of them. It amazes me how many foods have additives, foods I never realized (I continue to be made aware of all the things I consume with artificial colors or flavors). I read somewhere recently that if the cereal you eat every morning changes the color of your milk you shouldn't be eating it! I never really thought about that, though it makes perfect sense. Or even canned veggies (sometimes even frozen veggies) contain various preservatives and colorings.
Another major item is lunch meat. We all eat it, along with bacon and even spiral-cut ham that most have on Christmas. All of these have nitrites, a preservative that has caused cancer in mice. You aren't supposed to eat processed meats while you are pregnant due to a bacteria that can reside within the meat. While I was pregs I took note of this and asked myself, "Well if I can't eat it now, why would I eat it when I'm not pregnant?" Thus began the road to awareness of this issue. Another milestone came when my son began eating solid food. I was in shock of buying baby food in jars that have been on the shelf, packed in a plant in some city, somewhere far from me. How do I know what processing practices they use? How do I know everything that has gone into the canning of the product? I had horrible visions of meat-packing plants circa 1900, very a la Upton Sinclair's
The Jungle; it cause many-a-shudder. Then I went on to ask myself, "Well, if I can't fathom putting baby food made by someone else in my son's body, why would I put food from an unknown source in my own body? Or my husband's?
It's like a huge curtain was lifted.
I realize most of America would tend to disagree with me. To be frank, we are a lazy nation. We turn our eyes and ears to issues like this because they take effort and energy and research. We want to run to the store for our frozen, packaged, premade goods and not think of how far they traveled to get there or how many hands have touched that piece of fruit or head of broccoli.
We don't want to know. We don't want to care. We just want to live our lives and not be bothered by the details.
I can only say this because I tend to lean this way myself. I've observed this in most people I come in contact with. I can't say I buy everything "organic" or don't partake in the occasional boxed brownie mix or hunk of Velveeta (come on, there are just some recipes that NEED the ooey-gooey goodness of processed cheese, these are the recipes in which I shut my eyes and ears and just plain EAT--I'm only human, not a saint!) but I am making progressively greater leaps in the right direction.
Today I searched online for grass-fed beef in my area. I sought CSA's and community coops to purchase free range chicken & eggs. I peruse my local farmer's market when-in-season. I shop at the local organic foods store. I make meals for my family using fresh veggies/fruits, sometimes organic (but not always), organic chicken, all-natural/organic dairy, whole grains, and bake my own bread.
I'm getting there, but I'm not THERE.
My husband and I talked today about significantly lowering our monthly eating-out budget. In truth, we really don't eat out at all so our budget it's now virtually non-existent. We made this decision so that I can make all our meals at home, and so that I might have more money to buy healthier food for my family (because, shamefully, healthy food costs more). Eating out is expensive, and often, quite unhealthy (and I, again, don't know what's going into my food exactly--which is somewhat disturbing). It's a sacrifice, but it's one I'm willing to make.
My family means that much to me.
Some may think I'm being extreme, and that's fine--you're free to have your opinion. Christians might say, "It doesn't matter what I put into my body, it's the state of my heart." This too, is true. However, God also commands us to treat our bodies as temples--pure and pleasing to Him. If we aren't treating our bodies well, we aren't exercising what we've been given to it's best use. We are damaging what He has entrusted to us. We do this more acutely when we gorge or starve ourselves, but we also do it when we don't take significant aims to treat our bodies well.
Anyway, let me tip-toe down from my soapbox.
Har har.
Sorry, folks, didn't mean for this to be as long as it is! However, as you can see, it's something I feel very strongly about. I hope it has helped you think more deeply about yourself and what you are feeding your family.
And in light of this new year, or perhaps, new decade, consider Jamie's words. I know I have.
Here's to health [raising glass], peace, and joy for you and yours!
Happy New Year :)
