07/08/2005

Jamie's School Dinners

So in my previous post I was craving British food, but what kind was I craving is the problem! I just watched Jamie Oliver's School Dinners as I love the show. I am so happy to see school dinners changing. I don't remember eating hamburgers, chips, baked beans, fish fingers or chicken nuggets when I was in Lady Margaret where I attended both elementary and middle school, however once I moved to Greenford High School things changed.

Only once did I ever go to the canteen and saw exactly what Jamie has been trying to ban from the school canteen. I used to eat outside of school but the food that I ate was no better. My friends and I would choose as to which one of our local chippies we should visit, the choices were, soggy, crispy or the other place that served burgers - our favourite was the soggy chips, they took the malt vinegar really well, so our bags of chips were absolutely drenched! Sometimes we opted for sandwiches that a local supermarket made in their little deli, but again the meat was all processed or I would go for my favourite Pot Noodles, chicken and mushroom flavour, an even better choice! Later close to finishing up our A levels a pizza place opened up right outside of the school gates, cause we were the older kids we were allowed out earlier and managed to beat the huge ques that would constantly be there with kids racing against each other to first.

I didn't realize until watching the TV show how bad the food got. That was my high school but to see the younger kids eating that was really upsetting. I know that the typical diet for quite a large number of Brits consist of baked beans with some processed meat which reminds me of the Monty Python sketch "I Don't Like Spam!" one of my all time favourites!!!

I live in a country were the younger children go home for lunch but high school kids stay at school to eat or may go to some fast food restaurants outside of school. The school meals are pretty healthy and quite well balanced and some restaurants outside of school is equally the same. But many kids choose junk food just like any other country. There's a lot of food on the street like "deok bokki" rice cake cooked in a fiery red sauce with cabbage or the various types of fried chicken or chicken on a stick.

Anyway I will try and cut out my cola...Wish me luck! In the meantime check out the site for Jamie's School Dinners and click on the animation it's really well made.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sharon you forgot the sauage in batter!!! Chips in the sandwich!! mmmmm what tasty food!!!
Now we are much older we think twice about the food intake!! Having 2 children I am always trying to give them a healthy option!!
THis is what we are doing at school.