Celeb Chef Jamie Oliver Wants to Start a 'Revolution'

By Denise Warner Posted Mar 24th 2010 03:30PM

Jamie Oliver traveled to what was called the unhealthiest city in the U.S. -- Huntington, West Virginia -- to educate the residents about the food "that's killing America" in his new series, 'Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution,' which premieres March 26 at 8 PM on ABC. (A special preview aired on the 21st.)

During his tenure, the people of West Virginia put up a lot of resistance. A radio DJ in the town bluntly told him, "We don't want to sit around eating lettuce all day!" And the women in the school cafeteria were equally upset with the British chef's presence -- causing Oliver to break down in tears. "They don't understand me," he cried.

However, the British chef persevered, determined to make a difference in everyone's diets and consciousness about their health. Jamie chatted with PopEater about his experience on the show.

"We're not painting a perfect picture of me walking in there and going 'Da da dah.' We follow what really happened. Even to the bitter end," he says.

I really enjoyed the premiere. There are so many misconceptions about the people from that part of the country, and I think you're really helping the world to understand.
Thank you. I think Huntington comes out looking just beautiful over the series. Reality TV has got a bit of a dodgy rep, so we played with it very sensitively.

Were you expecting the kind of resistance you encountered when you first got there?
Honestly, yes. I've never done anything worthwhile involving change that hasn't gotten resistance. Change is the hardest thing in the world and resistance is normal. It's never particularly much fun, but you have to just keep going and push through it and try. It did take about a month and a half before I broke the back of it. The thing that really helped was working with individual families – them spreading the word that I was there for good reasons and I actually was changing their lives and allowing them to live differently.

Watch the First Episode

It seemed that the first family you visited were much more willing and positive about the experience than others.
All of the families that I came in contact with were never saying, "We don't want you, get lost, go." It was more of the opposite. It was, "Help, please. I feel like a bad mom. I know what I'm doing is wrong, I just don't know how to do it right. No one's ever taught me to cook at home or at school, so I'm sitting here with four kids wondering, 'What on Earth do I do?'" Telling that story is quite important. I think there are going to be a lot of parents feeling a bit bad about that. You can't really blame the parents when the whole culture and the whole horizon of food is all the same. Knowing how to shop and to cook a few things gives you so many choices to live differently.

You just want to tell them it's not all their fault.
Absolutely. It's not their fault to a point. Obviously, there comes a point when they've got to deliver. It's all right saying, "You know, you're doing it wrong," but you've got to go and do it. You have to invest time in it. It's not like when your kids learn to ride a bike, they've done it straight away. You've got to invest time in that. When your kids learn to talk or walk, you have to invest time in that. Cooking is no different. Cooking knowledge is no different. I know I'm a biased, but the way I look at it, you use cooking three times a day, normally in your life. Then, probably the second biggest amount of money that you spend in your life is at the supermarket. You might as well get good at shopping and save yourself the money. I haven't actually worked with a family yet who I haven't saved them $100 to $150 dollars a week.

You said it took about a month and a half for the people of Huntington to accept you. Will we see more struggles in upcoming episodes?
The show is very fun and natural and it is what it is. We're not painting a perfect picture of me walking in there and going 'Da da dah.' We follow what really happened. Even to the bitter end ... I'm not saying it's a happy ending. I'm saying that wonderful things are achieved. Really, the happy ending is what's going to happen in the next year or two years.

What's the best advice about cooking that you have?
Oh that's a hard one. Of course, you can keep it simple. You really only need, I call it ten recipes to save your life. Recipes that you enjoy from stew to pasta to sauces to stir fry -- knowing how to make salads taste delicious and making greens taste delicious. Everyday dishes like that, that's the kind of thing you want to have in your repertoire. And ten simple recipes, as well. The other thing is when you're shopping, organizing what you buy so you don't waste money. But one of the biggest things is -- if you turn around a pack and you don't understand what's on the back, if it sounds like a science lesson, don't buy it. That's a quickie.

Tags: jamie oliver, jamie olivers food revolution

Comments

(152)

Thursday 25 March

By casielei

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I think it's high time someone tried to encourage our children to eat properly. There are too many families out there that get their kids fast food these days because they are too tired to cook or too lazy to do it. I think the system has, over the years, allowed the kids to dictate what they want to eat instead of feeding them a nutritious meal. I hope he makes it to my area.

By paul

The funny thing is he is right! American people dont eat right nor do they want to.If people would be open and learn you can have great tasting food without a negitive over tone. What americans dont realize is people in Europe and other lands are healthier and happier and their not eating card board or oats. I find with many its the fear of not knowning and that fear can be overwhelming. So instead of food bashing and saying how could you eat that, stop take the spoon or fork and try. Stop because he has a valed point. Ask yourself this, how many people do you know either through family or friends or even work that if they changed their diets how much better they would be or still be here for that fact.

By Suzy

First, I'm an American--a Southerner at that, so I'm a little sensitive at the "dumb Southerner" stereotype. However, and more IMPORTANTLY, the typical western diet leaves a LOT to be desired. Oliver is absolutely right that one of the most important concepts of reforming our diets is that if we don't "...understand what's on the back [of the food package], if it sounds like a science lesson, don't buy it."

It's time we American change our diets to reverse the obesity and diabetes epidemics we are now suffering. We really have little choice.

By Kathy

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I really admire what he tried to do. I watched a little of the preview and what the children were eating was just awful. Nothing was "real" food. Everything was processed within an inch of its life. Just becasue the first ingredient in a product said "chicken", it didn't say what part of the chicken it was from. I think Americans are killing themselves with the way we eat and I think its really sad that we are raising a generation of children who think salt, fat and chemicals are food.

By litabuddybo

Please do us all a favor and learn your geography. It's West Virginia (WV) not Virginia (VA). West Virginia has been a state since the Civil War.

By Allison

I think it's a great thing that he's trying to help with the health issues in Huntington. I have lived in Barboursville/Huntington and grew up in another part of WV. There is a major problem with the food in the school systems all over the state. I think it would be great if we could use less processed food items and take advantage of our local fresh produce, etc. It's great that he's trying to teach everyone.

I'm saddened by the fact that he was met with some resistance but I know people in WV are always nervous as to how the rest of the world are going to portray them. WV is NOT a group of fat, stupid, incest, redneck, hillbillies and it is a separate state from Virginia(I will never understand people who don't know this but still make fun of the people from there). Everyone who either lives in or is from West Virginia is tired of being treated that way. I haven't seen the episode but I really hope they don't portray the entire state to be that way.

By kelly rourk

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It is west virginia not virginia. It is also a great place with good hearted people.

By eliz

Go jamie!
I moved from the west coast to the midwest 2 years ago and truthfully...there ARE more obese people here than Ive ever seen anywhere. granted,there are some enlightened folks as well..there is a movement to grow organic amd eat locally. BUT the majority of the population is content with junk.
It is a such a heartbreaking thing to see parents satisfied with feeding their children empty "food". By adulthood they will be ill and teir palates will be set to high levels of salt,fat and sugar. To reset their desire for fresh foods will take a miracle.
So yes,I'm all for Jamie and his revolution!!!!!! So what if he's "English"....so what if he makes a bit of cash...arent your kids worth the effort to provide some veggies/GOOD food now and again?

By benaulick7

I can't believe you all have the audacity to be on Jamie's side! His crew follow the most obese students around and harrassed them! I am proud to be a student at HHS, and I am even more proud to be apart of the track team. We have some of the best athletes in the state at our school, and it is not fair that they just followed around the fatter children, and if you haven't noticed, JAMIE IS FAT! He eats healthy and all, but I'd bet a pretty penny he couldn't do more the 20 push ups! And one more thing, he didn't cry because he had his feelings hurt, he cried because he is trying to make a good television show. Jamie Oliver can bite me! GO HIGHLANDERS!

By rick

This is an interesting blog. How does the track team bring good food to the school. I would be willing to bet you bring your lunch.
Students can petition for change. Talk to your civils teach or an old dude from the 60's. Change the system. March, boycott, give menu suggestions to school officials. Exciting, Scary, do it.
Go Highlanders and continue to speak your mind and push for change. Expect to be called an idiot and fight FOR those that call change agents idiots as much as those that just need to be educated. I'm sure Lincoln, Washington, King were considered to be an idiot by some.

By jm

A lot of the people on the show (and here) seem to have a problem with the fact that Jamie is from England.
What if he was from Wisconsin? Would folks still say "go back where you came from and teach YOUR people how to eat"?
Probably. And THAT is the sad part of all of this.
The man is trying to show people how easy it is to cook plain old chicken, versus pizza or processed chicken nuggets. It takes about one extra minute, only because you have to sprinkle some seasoning on it.
Did you see the lip wrinkles on those lunch ladies? If they spent more time cooking, and less time smoking outside the back kitchen door, they MIGHT have time to give a hoot!

By Karen

Forty percent (40%) of food is thrown away. This school is teaching kids to waste food. At least the students could be allowed to choose what they want to eat. (I get it now, Americans want cheap food so they can throw it away.)

By PJ

Good for anyone who is trying to undo our terrible eating habits. We all know better but somehow can't seem to resist the sweets and the fast food. Educating our kids on health should be a top priority....look what happened to the Romans when they got lazy and fat. It's too bad we can't do it for ourselves.

By Momof3

Go Jamie Go!
I usually pack my kids lunch because the lunch served here in Ky at public schools is similar to Huntington.
I think your experience at the Huntington school system shows we Americans eat too many carbs. And Jamie needs to approach government at a higher level to make an impact on the hot lunch program. Perhaps with some help of Michelle Obama! She wants American kids to be healthy too!
I am with you 100%!
Kelly Jo

By teresa

It's really about Listening.The Diet here in America is out of control. We feed our mouths with the worst food..Stop eating for taste start eating for health and it will make you wiser to your own habits. Health is a issue. If you don't like seeing your doctor than stop eating the endless calories you ingest.

By da

It doesn't matter where he films in the US - there are ignorant people all over - America is the fattest nation on the planet! I hope he wakes this country up to the realities of eating poorly! Now that we have a government-controlled healthcare system in place, better do everything we can to maintain our health. . . cause the government isn't going to save us!

This is an add on to my earlier post. I love how you people from other places(besides huntington)think you know what went on! Let me just say, ALL SCHOOL FOOD SUCKS. It doesn't matter wher you live. So don't be all like "Oh, my childrens school food is healthy and it's not processed" because it is. I was there durning the filming of the show. I watched him take the food off kid's trays and throw it away, I watched him follow the largest people around. I know what happened

Aren't you a High School student? He was at an Elementary School, at least for the show. How would you have seen what he did?

By TinaMcG

My husband is from the UK, and he bought me Jamie's "Food Revolution" cookbook for Christmas. I've always been a crfeative cook and make healthy meals, and I love getting new cookbooks. This one is fabulous!! I use it all the time. And if you like curries as we do, his recipes for curry pasts are restaurant quality (once you find all the ingredients) and allow us to make delicious curries for a fraction of the cost of eating at a restaurant.

Friday 26 March

By Trainer78

I am really excited about what Jamie is trying to do. I watched the show when he did this in England and thought it was great. The whole point is to educate the children and parents.
I don't think that which school they picked is really the point. This is a reflection on what is happening in schools all across the country.
The obesity in this country is out of control. Much of this is do to us not being educated from a young age on what or how to eat. When I took nutrition classes in college, I was appalled at all the misconceptions I had about food. There are times in our fast past, processed society that we are down right mislead about what we are eating.
I really want to see a change in our countries school lunches and nutrition education, so children can grow up and make educated decisions about something that makes such a huge impact on their health.

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