Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Spells Out Common Issues For All Parents

This season on ABC, Jamie Oliver is taking on a small town in Huntington, West Virginia in order to try and change the American school lunch system on the show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution which airs on Friday evenings at 9/8 Central time.
It is a very admirable and daunting task at hand and yet his winning spirit is shining through.

As a gluten free parent, I have hopes that if the school lunch programs were changed from processed food, that my daughter would be able to find healthy alternatives at school rather than in a packed lunch. I am sure that most parents would feel better about school lunches if that were the case. I think we forget that most parents are facing very similar struggles each week when the school lunch menu is revealed.

However, while watching the show there are a few facts that are shatteringly clear:

1. Not only are our gluten free children better off in the long run than on a regular school lunch program, but processed food could have been a catalyst for the onset of their medical issues to begin with. After all every immune disorder has to have a catalyst. How many of us were innocently opting for processed food all along from our children's conception to the time of their diagnosis? The question lingers for me quite often since diabetes and celiac are linked in some cases and other food allergies often accompany a celiac diagnosis.

2. Our children are blank slates begging for the knowledge of experiencing new things which includes starting a healthy relationship with their food by getting involved in the cooking. They are proven to be less likely to form negative opinions once they are taught about a new vegetable or food and then cook that very same food themselves - They will invariably at least try it.

3. Convenience and affordability outweigh the average consumer's viewpoints on food's nutritional values. Perhaps this is why movements like Slow Food or Food, Inc. have taken some time in becoming popular and only reach a certain faction of the general public. Thank goodness for people like Oprah and Jamie Oliver for at least making the subject matter more mainstream.

4. For gluten free parents, the struggles with providing nutritional alternatives are normal in the overall challenges that many parents face. The myth that the schools are providing our children with the right nutritional choices has got to be put to rest and we all need to get more involved with that process. The old saying, "It takes a village to raise a child" is clearly having to be revisited for parents everywhere when they watch The Food Revolution.

Kudos to Jamie Oliver for tackling the challenges and bringing the realities back home that we should have been aware of all along.

Here is a preview of one episode:

Watch The Food Revolution every Friday night on ABC.

Kids Love To Make Gluten Free Kabobs For Lunch

Kabobs are a fantastic way to use dinner left-overs for a school lunch box the next day. Those living gluten free have a plethora of things they can eat like: fruits, meats, and vegetables in their natural state before processing.

Gluten Free Meat Kabobs

The great thing about being gluten free is that instead of using processed luncheon meat you get to use home cooked natural meats. Grilling season is upon us and lunch boxes can be happier for a change of pace by using grilled chicken breast or even steak. I usually grill one extra breast or steak intended for that use.

The next day, you can just use a wooden skewer and place the washed vegetables out on the chopping block for them to assemble their own Gluten Free Meat Kabob with what they like. This gives children a bit of say so in their own creation and a sense of excitement about eating:-)

Gluten Free Vegan Kabobs

Nothing is a nutritious side dish like raw fresh veggies or grilled ones placed as an accompaniment to lunch. We do the same assembly method to make these and send them on their way maybe with a dipping sauce or hummus.

Gluten Free Fruit Kabobs

Seasonal fruit makes the perfect accompaniment in a lunch box and when assembled by kids, they have fun and get the fruits they want that day. You can even use bits of fruit leather which is usually gluten free and lends a bit of fun to the kabob. Or marshmellows to make a fruit salad with a sweet kick for dessert.

Perhaps your children could make an assortment of kabobs to have their own kind of fondue themed lunch.I even get a bit creative and use grilled pineapple with pork chop cubes, kind of a sweet & sour taste combo...the sky is the limit if you just let your children's creativity lend for a more fun and interactive cooking experience.

Studies show that if they get involved in making their own lunch - they will be 9 times more likely to try something new:-)

Bento Box lunch container

We Just Want A Gluten Free PB&J We Can Sink Our Teeth Into

Have you tried commercially baked gluten free bread that tastes like cardboard? We know you have.

When my Doodle went gluten free, none of my family were the consummate bakers. Sure we made biscuits occasionally or even the Southern staple of cornbread - But we weren't in the habit of baking our own sandwich breads. We bought Ener-G Tapioca because we read it was a favorite of some kids. How this rumour came to pass we will never know because our child decided she'd rather go bread free than to eat that.

Luckily, the gluten free commercial bread offerings are like the old Virginia Slims commercial - "We've come a long way baby" - Because then came Udi's and Katz.

Udi's has been critically hailed by the gluten free community and for a small bakery out of Denver, Colorado they aren't doing half bad in taking the gluten free market by storm. The first gluten free bread I have had which required NO toasting or microwaving in order to make it palatable.

They are now available locally through Healthy Home Market, Earthfare, & A&S Natural Health Store. Their product offerings include two sandwich bread types which will make you think you are eating gluten bread again complete with airholes and chewiness:

Udi's Gluten Free White Sandwich Bread is their best selling product and not one gluten free child I know has complained about it tasting gluten free. The week we found this option, our Doodle ate PBJ's all week long. The poor dear had just about given up on them as she couldn't stand crumbly gluten free bread.

Udi's Gluten Free Whole Grain Sandwich Bread is the more wholesome of the two choices. Made with flax seed, brown rice flour, and teff flour, this bread is packed with nutrition and tastes better than some of the gluten versions on the market.

Katz Kosher Gluten Free Bakery is based out of New York and gives those who are living gluten free and also eat kosher some wonderful options. We do not eat kosher per se, but were amazed at the delicious options in bread they have come up with.

Our favorite Katz products include the Gluten Free Challah Bread & the Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread.

The Challah bread we found to be incredible as French Toast. The Whole Grain bread is high in protein and not only holds together but is punched with nutrients and keeps you feeling full.

So get ready for picnics again with sandwiches in tow - PBJ and all:-)