Lagniappe: TEDTalks Jamie Oliver "Teach Every Child About Food"

Seems like such a simple idea, doesn't it? Teaching kids about food? I mean, we spend plenty of hours teaching them practically useless bullshit in school like algebra and geometry--surely we'd wile away at least a few hours teaching them how to put food in their face holes, right?

Right?

False, brosef. And it's the most disappointing thing in America, and that includes Kim Kardashian.

(And before any of you nerds get all fired up about algebra and geometry, I challenge you to give me examples in the comments of when, as a NORMAL FUNCTIONING ADULT, you have used algebra/geometry three times a day *every* day in your life. No? OK so yes, food education is more important.)

How can we expect anyone to eat right if they don't know their ass-end from a rutabaga? How can we explain to an insecure crash-dieting teenager girl that she doesn't need to do all that crap to be slim--all she has to do is eat some damn chicken--or beans, or fish, or other high protein food combined with a fibruous vegetable on the side...?

It's not rocket science and it's (clearly) a subject I feel passionately about. Jamie Oliver does, too. The next time you're making one of my yummy recipes, because of course you are, prop up your laptop or iPad or whatever and hit play on his great TED talk, below.

You can find the original link here.

Everyone's a critic, though, and I get that too. "Jamie Oliver has millions of dollars and a bunch of assistants, of COURSE he has the time and resources to feed his kids properly." I hear you. I can also recognise that I am a young single kidless person. Granted, I have no money, but you'll notice I'm not spending my meager funds on garbage food. Who knows, maybe when I spawn I'll be stuffing my kids with all the same fried poison--but I doubt it.

Why? Because I know better. Because I taught myself. Because no one else did, and certainly not in school. Jamie Oliver is trying to change that, and I applaud and support his efforts. Knowledge is power. I hope that I can do the same, even if it's on the tiniest scale, even if it's just one recipe from this silly little blog that someone decides to cook instead of tossing some frozen chicken nuglets in the oven or whatever.

And you know what dudes! The stuff I post isn't crazy stuff. That's my whole credo, for crying out loud. Good food (and when we say "good" I mean both good-tasting and good-FOR-YOU) doesn't have to be expensive, or complicated. As cheesy (hah) as it is, sometimes the best things in life are the simplest.

Last thing I will say on the subject: life is about balance. So is eating. You're not going to do permanent damage to your body if you have a McDonald's double cheeseburger every ONCE in a while. It's the day-to-day decisions we make that make all the difference.

Take a look at that video, friends, and pass it on. Let's all make a commitment to changing the way WE eat, and then serve as examples for the next generation.