Food Revolution Day

Jamie Oliver has 4 different foundations he has created and support. This week, I researched one on them, and it is the Food Revolution Day campaign for his Food Foundation and registered charity. Now, I could write an essay on what this campaign is all about, but what the video below and hear from Jamie Oliver what this is all about!

If you watched this video, you would have been stunned by some of the statistics, such as:
- there are over 42 million children under the age of 5 are overweight or obese
- diet-related illnesses are among the world's biggest killers
- kids today are likely to live shorter lives than their parents!
These statistics are scary, and it is not just happening in one country more than another - this is an global epidemic and we must make a change to this if we want our next generations to live a long and healthy life.

From the site, there is a quote from Jamie Oliver on what is the answer to making this change and goes to show how serious he is wanting this to go, in order for real change to happen for our younger citizens of the world:

“By educating children about food in a practical, fun and engaging way, we can provide them with the knowledge and skills they so urgently need to lead healthier, happier lives. We need to make practical food education a compulsory part of every school curriculum across the world, and that’s why I’ve launched a petition calling on all G20 countries to action this. With enough support from millions of people around the world, I truly believe that we can create a movement that’s powerful enough to make governments take action.”

Now, this is not just a website full of daunting statistics, and a petition that everyone should sign (and share!) to support making food education mandatory in the curriculum worldwide, there is also a song and actual Food Revolution Day. The celebratory day is May 15, and last year as Jamie Oliver was getting assistance from Ed Sheeran, they created a song and got help from a number of celebrities and recording artists - including: Ed Sheeran, Paul McCartney, Hugh Jackman and The London Youth Choir. So, if the statistics, YouTube video of Jamie Oliver, the petition or website in general haven't influenced you to believe in this change and support this cause, you must watch this music video! It may even change your mind around if chefs can rap as well...
 

I have so enjoyed doing all the research I did for this week's post. I have signed this petition, and as a future Health and Physical Education teacher I know that I have an important role around supporting healthy eating and food choices - especially since Healthy Eating and Nutrition is included in the HPE curriculum! When teaching my students, I will not just educate through words or videos on the importance of healthy food choices, but I can teach them hands-on about healthy eating! Maybe I can have a class create their healthy versions of a fast food breakfast meal, or have them create their own smoothies and try to get the most amount of superfoods in there. The ideas are endless, and I am determined to support this cause and teach the importance of living a healthy and happy life! 

Stay tuned for next week's blog post...will it be on a different foundation of Jamie Oliver's or will it be on another dish I try to conquer in the kitchen!

Video References:
1. Food Revolution Day. (2016, Feb 8). Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. [Video]. Retrieved from: bit.ly/1HeZJgP

2.  Food Revolution Day. (2016, Feb 8). Jamie Oliver #FoodRevolutionDaySong. [Video]. Retrieved from: bit.ly/1H6le1u