The real news here is that Congress is finally waking up to the reality that we are feeding our kids to death.  This action acknowledges that the high calorie, low nutrition processed foods that pass for lunch at most schools is contributing to the obesity epidemic we face today.  And they are offering significant dollars to upgrade the menu.  While current nutrition programs receive about $16 billion annually, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010  provides an additional $4.5 billion over ten years for expanding and adding programs that:

• Help Schools Improve the Nutritional Quality of School Meals
• Create National Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools
• Promote Nutrition and Wellness in Child Care Settings
• Connect More Children to Healthy Local Produce through Farm-to-School Programs
• Strengthen Local School Wellness Policies
• Support Breastfeeding in the WIC Program
• Improve School Food Financing

The OTA release expresses it well, “As we all recognize, the health status of our children is crucial to the well-being of our nation’s future, and the food that they are fed in schools is key to that status.”  These words ring true whether or not the food is organically grown.

Click here to read more about the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 http://ag.senate.gov/Legislation/CN%20budget%20framework-%20nutrition.pdf

Jamie Oliver, British-born chef cum reality television star, has taken to main street USA to tell Americans they are too fat, which is somewhat ironic, given the UK is one of the few countries that can match our collective girth thigh for thigh.  He’s set his sights on Huntington, West Virginia, the least healthy community in the union, and his message is simple: we are feeding our kids to death.  And it’s hard to argue his point, when he shows us young kids suffering with “adult” diseases like heart disease and diabetes or reviews the weekly diet of an obese mom and her three obese kids.

The sad (or frustrating or maddening…your pick) thing is his message isn’t new or something we all don’t already know.  We have spent the last 30 years literally eating ourselves to death and in doing so, created the first generation of kids whose life expectancy is shorter than their parents. 

Oliver’s putting his cooking skill where his mouth is, working with the local schools to improve lunch menus, building basic nutrition into curriculums and spreading the gospel throughout the community…all under the spotlight of a reality television series.  While cynics may question his motivation, there’s no denying the problem is real and the need is great.  So what if it takes a cockney voice to alert us to our problem?  I say jolly good show, old chap!  With any luck, Oliver’s efforts will give a new generation cause to appreciate “When I’m 64”.

Click here for more in formation on Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.

All that changed on November 2 when we introduced Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats.  Same whole grain goodness; same nutty, chewy texture, but with a 5-minute cook time puts Steel Cut Oats on your daily breakfast menu.

Look for Country Choice Organic Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats in your favorite store.  The name’s a mouthful, but worth remembering.  After all, you’ll get to enjoy a steaming bowl of steel cut oats everyday…just like Oprah!

I was reminded the next day, spending time with a third generation Maine lobsterman.  We joined Herman and Monique aboard the Jocelyne K under a warm afternoon sun (much appreciated considering their day started at 5:00 a.m.) and spent a few hours motoring around Mackerel Cove.  We listened to lobster stories, learned about a lifestyle passed down to generations and heard the pride these “farmers of the sea” take in providing real food to people.  We stopped along the way, dining on lobster stew, mussels, steamed lobster and fried clams.  Nothing fortified, not a goji berry to be found…and yet I never felt healthier.

Learn more about Maine lobstermen at http://lobstersonthefly.blogspot.com/