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Oliver shares thoughts on Huntington's eating habits, 'health' food and more
Jamie Oliver poses for a photo in his healthy food education center on 3rd Avenue on Saturday, September 26, 2009.
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Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver shared his thoughts last week on a number of topics surrounding his unscripted television series about Huntington's eating habits. Here's a look at what he said:
FOOD CENTER: A food information bureau called Jamie's Kitchen, located on 3rd Avenue across from Pullman Square, will open in the near future, Oliver said. Training already is under way for local volunteers.
The shop is modeled after Oliver's "Ministry of Food" television series in Britain. It will include cooking stations where Oliver and his staff will conduct demonstrations. Oliver said he also envisions pre- and postnatal cooking classes for women and grocery store shopping expeditions to teach people how to eat properly on a tight budget.
Oliver will fund the kitchen until the end of November unless he finds local sponsors to get involved.
"This is an idea that just doesn't tell people what to do, it actually shows people what to do," he said. "There's a lot of literature and Web sites out there, but not enough skin-on-skin contact."
POVERTY: Oliver said he knows there is a link between poverty and poor eating habits, but he doesn't believe income has everything to do with it.
"In my experience, the main things that connect poverty and bad health are a lack of knowledge to budget and shop effectively and the inability to cook.
"People on the poverty line aren't the only ones dealing with this. We live in countries where mom and dad both work, and the kids aren't being taught to eat or cook at home. More often than not, the family unit is split up for meals."
HATING THE WORD HEALTHY: Oliver said he doesn't want Huntington residents to think he is trying to get rid of certain foods altogether. Rather, he wants to show people how a few subtle changes can make a long-term impact.
"Of course I want to integrate healthier food into schools and onto dinner tables, but I hate the word healthy with a passion. It's such a load of rubbish," he said. "I'd much rather the word be 'proper.'
"My point is when people live a life of fast and processed food, it's a challenge getting them to realize that if they learn how to cook properly, they can save money, enjoy their food more and reap all of the health benefits without feeling like a lentil-eating hippie. I don't want to take grub away from a big man and give him a lentil."
PRODUCE: Oliver said he hasn't spent a lot of time on the availability of fresh, local produce at supermarkets and isn't sure if it will be a focus of the television show. Film crews, however, have done some filming in supermarkets, he said.Asked why he made a comment to an international news service last week that grocery stores don't offer fresh, local produce, Oliver responded, "Because it's a fact."
"I've been to the (Capitol Market) in Charleston, and they have incredible local veggies there. So I know they exist in this area," he said. "But I've also been around long enough to know there's not a plethora of that stuff in the large franchise supermarkets. It's much easier and cheaper for them to buy centrally."
Oliver said supermarkets have a duty to carry local produce and recommends that they provide shoppers with free recipe cards in their produce sections.
"My guess is the only place people go to more than supermarkets in this town is church," he said. "People are very loyal to their supermarket. If the large supermarket is going to come in and take money out of this community, the least they could do is support local farmers."
SHOW DETAILS: Oliver said the six-episode series is tentatively scheduled to debut in February on ABC. A name hasn't been chosen, but it might be called "Jamie's Food Revolution" or "America's Food Revolution," he said.
The editorial content of the show will be shared between Oliver's production company and Ryan Seacrest Productions, Oliver said. Seacrest, host of "American Idol," will come to Huntington in the near future to get involved in the show, Oliver said.
"We'll film and cut it, but ABC can tell us to change things if they don't like what they see," Oliver said. "I would say if you ever want a conservative, safe family broadcast, ABC is where it's at."
Oliver said he would like to thank Huntington by hosting a large festival called "Foodstock" sometime in late November. The festival would include live music, food vendors from West Virginia and healthy-cooking demonstrations, among other things.
