I was REALLY shocked by this video from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. It is a new show that will premiere in March 26th and I guess the theme is real food. Now if you had asked me what "most" kids today would say is their favorite food I would guess things like pizza, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, etc. BUT I would never have guessed that kids wouldn't at least know what the major fruits and veggies were named if asked.
The kids in this video cannot identify tomatoes, cauliflower, potatoes, and mushrooms. WTH are these kids eating?! If our kids are eating so much stuff out of boxes that they cannot even identify, non-processed, real food than we have a huge problem as a society.
I decided to have my daughter (Kindergarten) watch it with me and she identified every food Oliver held up except the beet and I take ownership of that cause I hate beets and rarely buy them. She would recognize them cut and cooked from grandma's house though. I also paused it at the beginning when he uncovers the food and she identified mushrooms, onions, carrots, artichokes, pumpkin, squash, asparagus, and bell peppers. She mentioned that she had snacked on bell peppers and carrots all throughout the day today (we like to keep cut veggies at eye level in the frig for the kids to grab). Whew… I am doing something right.
This looks like a promising show. Can't wait to tune in!
That was so awful. They didn’t know tomatoes!? How is that even possible?
I am looking forward to watching this show. I admit it is a slow shift in our house to (real) foods and my 2.5 year old is definitely in a picky phase…but she knows at least some of the vegetables you listed! I think a lot of that has to do with parents not taking time to teach things to their children. Even if it is something as simple as teaching them the names of different fruits and veggies, their little minds are still learning. Education starts at home! (it’s just a soapbox issue for me!)
When I was 6, I would not have been able to name those vegetables except maybe potatoes. We ate mostly frozen and some canned vegetables due to cost. My 2.5 year old knows a lot of veggies because we have a garden and I use mainly fresh vegetables.
I think those kids would have recognized more if they were presented cooked and on a plate. Or, I could just be optimistic.
I had a similar reaction when I saw the video yesterday. It really made me upset that my 18-month-old knew the names of more veggies than six-year-olds! While I agree that “education starts at home,” I think the video highlights that healthy eating can be an economic issue. It’s no secret that Huntington, WV, where Oliver set his program, is an impoverished area. As far as I know, much of the industry there continues to be coal mining. I think it’s pretty sick that eating healthy food costs more than eating processed junk! “Food, Inc.” had some pretty illuminating stories about that. It’s a problem I think about a lot!
Is it really cost though? I think cut baby carrots would be about the same price as a bag of chips. In summer we may eat salted tomatoes for dinner and I know that has to be as cheap as a box of Macaroni and Cheese. I think some of it may be money but when fruit and veggies are in season they are not expensive and they are very easy and cheap to grow yourself.
One of the reasons that I don’t buy processed stuff is because it is so EXPENSIVE. I could get a box of 2 Hot Pockets or feed my whole family on rice and beans for 3 dinners. And we happen to like rice and beans a lot. When you consider how NOT filling the processed crap is, you get way less bang for your buck.
“Food, Inc.” does a great job of illustrating that for many it IS cost as much as it is education. Like one family in the film, many people see they could buy one bunch of broccoli for the price of two bags of chips (or the like). It does become about quantity–especially when it’s a family. Additionally, many inner-city neighborhoods lack a “proper” grocery store with fresh produce–shopping is often done at costly corner markets where packaged goods dominate the shelves. Though some neighborhoods have community gardens, this is certainly not the norm. I am not arguing that education has no role, but as long as corporations keep cranking out cheap, corn-based processed foods (and huge marketing machines to sell it), we will continue to struggle with obesity, diabetes, and a plethora of other ailments. You are certainly doing your part to educate people about healthy alternatives to the mainstream!
I think your point is right on. Maybe I have misspoken: it sometimes APPEARS that you get more food with processed goods, but it is not the case. As you stated, the food is often empty calories that leaves you hungry (and jonesing for more fat, sugar and salt) soon after finishing. However, you will find that a bag of Wonderbread is definitely cheaper than a whole-grain loaf.
This so terrible! I am a far cry from being where I want to be nutritionally but I have always been exposed to fruits/veggies along with the boxed mac n cheese. I also recall being taught in school about stuff like that. How sickening (and shocking for me to discover) that what I learned is not mainstream!
My son is 2yo and he could easily name the bulk of these. Like you, there is some he wouldnt be familiar with because I dont keep them around (mushrooms for example) but wow, school age kids not knowing? Thats sad! And I honestly DONT believe its a cost thing, I think those people who think that have been brainwashed and never even go near the produce section. But perhaps other parts of the country really are drastically different? What a crazy world!
That’s ridiculous! I know my daughter wouldn’t recognize an artichoke but all the others, hand’s down! People are relying on packages and processed foods these days. I see it when my daycare kids come over for the day and their parents pack them snacks. I’m like “where’s the real food?” Yuck!
I watched Oliver’s British version of this show several years ago and found it very eye opening. It was pretty much the same situation – an impoverished area and a school that provided very unhealthy meal options for the kids. He turned the school’s lunch program around, educated the kids about good foods, and everyone noticed positive changes in the kids’ behavior and performance.
It definitely motivated me to stay on top of eating well and educating my (then future) children about fruits and veggies and such. I’m very excited to tune into this show this month.
I heard about Jamie Olivier and this video. Unfortunately You Tube won’t let me view because I am in England and ABC is worried about copyright laws. Go figure. The chef is from here! Anyway, I heard about it and it’s sad and pathetic. My toddler – almost preschooler can name most of those vegetables, except artichoke and beets. There are so many reasons for kids to learn and eat real food. Thanks for sharing this Tiffany.
Just stumbled on your site today, will definately visit again! I haven’t watched this video yet, but plan to with my boys when they are home from school….just to make sure they have been paying attention to all the new healthy foods we have been introduced to over the last year with our CSA…..by the way, I hated beets too until I had the ones from our CSA….so sweet and delicious…I love them now!
That was interesting. My 3 year old knew most of the vegetables. She did think that the beet was a big radish (it kind of looks like a big radish). I was surprised by that cause I love beets, so we eat them sometimes. Now she wants to watch Jamie Oliver’s new show. I’d certainly rather watch than Dora. :)
Wish I could say I’m shocked but I’m not. Interested in tuning into the show too.
And for the record, my kids can identify fruits and veggies because we eat them! — daily.
Nell
How many of these kids can identify the Eggo Waffle?
My local newspaper featured an article titled “Don’t leggo of lessons in Eggo waffles shortage,” discussing the opportunity of teaching kids about economics.
It discusses how kids have been affected by the shortage and have noticed signs at the market and what they can learn from this lesson.
I thought is was pathetic that a “food” with a long list of ingredients and void of just about any nutrition, could teach our kids valuable lessons about money and losing something they love.
One funny line featured a student offering a way to get around the “crises.” She enlightened us to make our own! Wow, glad someone pointed that out!
I am sure an apple or broccoli shortage would receive little media coverage but what a great lesson in growing your own food and being sustainable.
If you feel inspired by Jamie’s campaign, he has created an online petition, promoting healthy food for children, that he will present to the White House. You can find the petition here:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition. Pass it along!
It’s really sad that so many kids don’t know their veggies. I do wonder how accessible fresh vegetables are in that area, since I do know that can be an issue in some areas. Sad but true.
My kids would do really well at that. They don’t like every kind of vegetable I serve them, but they’ve been lucky enough to try a huge variety as well as grow many kinds in our garden.