Originally posted on 9/26/2013
Move over Jamie Oliver, we've got Chuck Hughes on the case now! And it's time we started taking the message of eating real food right to the kids. Quite frankly, I don't care if we have to circumvent the parents or go over heads...whatever it takes to get to those little, developing, taste buds, I say!
And I can hear it now, all the local food hardliners; "You know, Hellmann's is owned by Unilever and they're owned by some other evil empire...blah, blah, blah...." Look folks, follow any trail long enough and there's some huge, mega-corp at the end. That's the reality of the corporate world we live it. It will implode some day; I only hope I live long enough to see the collapse of this unsustainable financial growth and expansion model. I mean, for realz, anyone who's ever blown a bubble knows you can't keep on pumping in air forever!
My point is: See those kids? They're trading bags of candy and cheesie poofs for fresh veggies and fruit. End. Of. Story. Well, actually, no...I'm just getting started.
First, allow me to make a retraction: I really don't want Jamie Oliver to move over...unless he wants to move on over here. (Hubba hubba). I think it's great that he's teamed up with Sobeys.
The more the merrier! We need as many good food fighters as we can find. And the fact that Hellmann's is giving grants to schools and community organizations to plant veg gardens and bring real food to kiddies is good enough for me. You can waste precious time having esoteric debates about the corporate evils if you want; I'd rather get a kid to try cucumber for the first time.
Hellmann's Real Food Movement launched in 2007 and since then has handed out $320,000 in Real Food Grants across Canada.
And, I don't care if this does improve Hellmann's or Unilever's bottom line. Good. They'll keep doing it, then. And, dear Foodies, do not ask why we can't make our own mayo. Most of us barely have time to make a meal from whole ingredients, let alone make our own condiments, too. Some real food does come in a tub or jar. I don't always make my own yogurt or cheese, either.
See this little cutie pie...I mean the kid, not Chuck. Sheesh, ladies, ladies!! Did he get through? Will these kids want apples and carrots tomorrow or next week? Who knows. Will the parents pick up the ball? What about the school? What's going on in the lunch room? I'm just not willing to be a jaded old curmudgeon about this. I'm going to remain hopeful that initiatives like this - yes, corporate banner and all - do some good.
