Dippin' Dots in a High School? It really is the future.

As a show it does seem a bit contrived at times. The combative radio host, the stubborn lunch lady, etc. I'm not saying it's all fake (except for the radio guy, who is obviously putting on an act), but at the very least it is heavily edited for effect.

I think one thing the show mostly fails to address is that it's not just Jamie showing up to try and create a new food program, it's Jamie and cameras and a production crew filming a documentary too. When Jamie met with the hospital execs they edited it to make it seem like they were just griping on old comments he had made, but if you listen to what they were saying it's clear they were concerned about the show Jamie was shooting at the time and how it would portray them and their community. Those are legitimate concerns for anyone who he is trying to bring on board the program. Instead of addressing those issues head on, the show makes it seem like they distrust Jamie personally.

See I think your position ignores the catch-22 nature here. The fresh food is more expensive BECAUSE no one asks the distributors for it.

I disagree. They ARE to blame for cramming as much crap into the processed food to make a nickel more profit instead of caring about their product. They would grind old newspaper into their chicken nuggets if they could get away with it. The truth is the processed food is cheaper BECAUSE it is made up of junk that would otherwise not be considered "food" by an average diner in its pre-processed state. Therefore inedible garbage gets churned into something they can sell. The schools are just trying to stay within their budget. Frozen pre-processed food is the easiest, cheapest way to do that.

If the schools started to request fresh produce, the distributors would be able to provide it more cheaply without having to worry about spoilage and the associated income loss. Continuous inventory rotation would make the fresh items more reasonably stockable and less expensive for the distributor. Add in that the local farmers would have a more consistent outlet for distribution of their produce, and it becomes a win for everyone involved.

This.

I mean if one of the poorest towns in Italy can make due then why can't any American school?

To be honest these food basics should be taught at home. Those kids not knowing what a potato is is downright shameful. Not knowing how to use utensils?

I'll add another +1 to this.

Just watched the finale of this and I have to say wow, I'm just disgusted!

Even though the show ended on a hopeful note, the entire hour was filled with examples of the kind of 'stupid people' that I thought were unique to the LA area.

After just 3 months later, nearly all the progress he had made seemed to have been forgotten! We really are doomed as a species. It just seems like there are soo many idiots out there who actually have power and influence over the general population and they are just completely useless!

To watch these administrative a-holes just throw their hands up in the air and act like 'well there's nothing we can do!'

Its cheaper so we ordered it! The government says we have to so we serve the chocolate milk! TAKE A STAND FOR CHRISSAKE! I mean Jesus Christ, you have a nationally televised TV show broadcasting your stupid decision making skills to the world!

Even the parents who actually went through the trouble of packing a lunch for their kid and what do they put in, even worse crap than the processed crap the schools were serving! Lunchables, fluorescent colored jellos and candy and potato chips! What kind of person gives that to their kid for lunch??? Probably the same ones who stop at Micky Ds for dinner. I mean if you cant take care of your kid the right way, dont freakin have one you selfish arrogant dumbfucks!

I seriously weep for the future. These people DESERVE their fat diabetic kids dying in front of there eyes!

Sorry, enough of my ranting...

It was fun to see the old battleaxe lunchlady Alice come around as Jamie turned her into his ambassador. Sad to hear that she got hate mail because I'm sure her heart is in the right place.

The Green Giant product-placements were pretty ridiculous. They flash-freeze it!!!

No, they're just really adept at lining their pockets. To me, what we witnessed was Darwinism in action. Really.

They're just too lazy to bother. Which is probably why they HAVE kids - too lazy to get/use birth control. "I can't be bothered to put on a rubber. Let's just roll the dice!"

Well, you can't regulate people into doing the right/healthy thing. Like everything bad for you, it is addictive... though deliberately foisting that crap on your kids is analogus to giving them crack.

I don't know. It seems the hate mail somewhat motivated her enough to push on. Still, it was great that she got on board and was EQUALLY disgusted by the "processed Friday" lunches. YUCK!

Here is the article Jamie pointed out about the stockpile of processed food. I'll give Rhonda a word in, since I suspect the show was a little unfair to her editing her comments early on and then insinuating that she was the problem later in the episode.

Looking around the site for other articles I found this article, it's 99% just a recap of the episode that I could have done, but it did have this tidbit: "[After Jamie's farewell concert,] the show flew Central City Elementary principal Patrick O'Neal and Pastor Steve Willis of First Baptist Church of Kenova to Washington, D.C., for a meeting with first lady Michelle Obama. A last-minute scheduling conflict canceled that meeting."

I also found the school menus for last week, so we can compare Jamie's to the normal fare (spoilerized for size):

that's what I didn't understand why were the parents even making their kids lunchbags when the school provides a hot lunch - do the parents have to pay extra for their kids to eat 'school food' ?

I went to DC Public Schools are I have to admit the only time I ever ate the food was in high school, cause I was always damn hungry, I'd eat my lunchbag lunch then saunter off the cafeteria and buy some fries or something salty, the ice cream guy would come by lunch time and that was an opportunity to buy a dessert. You could also wander off school grounds at lunchtime and go over to Wisconsin Ave. and buy whatever you fancied - alot of Georgetown Day school kids go off campus (The seniors I think) and frequent the nearby food establishments, subways, a sushi place, a whole foods, chinese carry out, the Safeway.

'lunchables' are vile, have you read what's in that? is like glorified ratfood. When I worked with pre-schoolers it was amazing what parents thought was healthy food and sitting down with them at lunchtime and force them to eat the good food was a major chore. However the cute Thai kid's parents gave him the best lunches, I was like 'I'll trade you your eggroll for some of my carrots' I of course was joking with him, but damn if someone made me THAT lunch everyday I'd be very happy.

I remember in elementary school I had a friend that was an exchange student from Japan. It was amazing to see the lunch he would bring every day in a small bento box. Homemade fresh sushi everyday.