By Joy Pierson on April 20, 2010

Food Revolution

The Food Revolution has begun, and we must all participate if we want our children and our planet to survive and thrive. Our consciousness is being raised by many inspirational people: T. Colin Campbell, Alicia Silverstone, Tal Ronen, Rory Freedman & Kathy Freston, to name a few, all best-selling authors with a message and passion for creating a healthier culture and planet. Also, let’s acknowledge the passionate Jamie Oliver, who is taking a stand in what I call a “food intervention” in Huntington, West Virginia after his successful ventures in England. He clearly identifies that lack of fresh food is a matter of life and death. As a nutritionist, I am overjoyed by Jamie’s candor and care for people’s health, happiness and culinary satisfaction. I share his triumphs and failures as I have spent the past 4 years working with the NY Coalition for Healthy School Food and The New York Department of School Food in the Future Leaders Institute (FLI) School, a charter school in Harlem. There have been plenty of tears of frustration and yelps of joy over the past years, as we have worked on the front lines of change within the New York City school food system. The challenges are many, but the importance of feeding our children quality, plant-based foods has never been more apparent. The time is now, and we must ask for what is our children’s birthright: GOOD CLEAN FOOD.

I have been a nutritional consultant for 20 years (which is hard to believe since I still feel I am in my twenties). I have studied food and its impact on mood, health and self-esteem, and I am convinced that by feeding our children well we can heal so many health concerns—childhood obesity, asthma, diabetes, and heart disease, among others—while fostering a happier, healthier, and more productive society. It is awesome that we now have the support of our First Lady, Michelle Obama. Her support could be the seed for a team of powerful change agents and activists who are unstoppable in their commitment to the health of our children and the future of our food supply. I could not be happier that Michelle Obama’s focus is on this issue. What a blessing!

Over the past four years, Candle Cafe and Candle 79 have been partners with the NY Coalition for Healthy School Food, cooking plant-based meals for the children at the FLI School and three other schools in the same building. We have been on the front line, in this case the lunch line, talking with the kids and guiding them as they learn that there are delicious, healthy alternatives to the fat-, salt-, and sugar-laden status quo. Our progress, although at times discouraging, has been a transformational experience for all of us. As I would walk up and down the lunch line to inform the kids what would be on the tray when they got to the front of the line, I was so ecstatic to be sharing my excitement about the food that was being served as the healthy choice that I would literally be singing and dancing! I empowered them all to be food critics and try new foods. Although they love the word YUCKY, I would ask for a more detailed description of their food preferences. The children’s most common critique was that the food was not sweet or salty enough—proof we have work to do to retrain their taste buds from the adulteration of sweets, fat, and excessive salt bombarding their palates! I have seen kids in baby carriages being fed Coke for breakfast. Trying a new food is commendable, but I always reminded the kids of the statistic that it can take ten times to try a new food before you know whether you actually like it. Education is a powerful tool that has allowed for change.I get very emotional when I see what our kids eat and drink, because I know the negative impact on the body, mind and spirit.

We have developed recipes for the NY Department of School Food with the support of Chef Jorge Collazo and Stephen O’Brien that meet standards and taste delicious. We also have empowered the kids to write and submit their own recipes so that they could actively contribute to the recipes used in New York schools. The recipe contest was held at the James Beard House, where we tasted and chose a winning recipe to be served in school. The excitement and maturity of the students who participated was heart-warming and life-changing, and the recipes they created captivated our taste buds.

What an honor to be able to sit with the kids and their parents to talk food and its many powers. One moment I will never forget was when a young mother jumped up on the table and did a spin around and said, “Look at my body, 15 pounds lighter and no more asthma or blood sugar problems!” She was so proud of her accomplishments. She took control of her eating with new recipes from our food demo portion of family dinner night. It was brave of her to open up to the new information she was learning, to move beyond the fear of change and the worry that it would be too expensive for her to choose healthy foods for her family. The truth is, it is too costly not to make healthy choices! This is an obstacle we can help people overcome, but only if we demand change from our government and institutions, commit to healthy foods in our nation’s schools, and demand support and funding for school lunch programs and local farms instead of industrialized food production and factory farms.

The issue does not end in the lunch room; it is in our homes as well. Teaching our children and their families where their food comes from and how to create delicious and nutritious meals is an ongoing education. At Candle Cafe, we are feeding a fourth generation of clients who have embraced our food and our mission. Kids are choosing us for their birthday parties and other celebrations, and bringing their parents to dine with us. What a thrill to see children seek out our food and the compassionate, green, and sustainable mission behind the food. Food Fresh from Farm to Table is our mantra, and it’s what motivates us. As my partner Bart Potenza would say, “It is easier to change people’s religion or politics than it is their food habits.” So, we have our work cut out for us! As a result of passing the junk food habit through generations, we have compromised our immune systems, but healing happens on a profound and far-reaching level when we “begin at the beginning” and start with our children. We must change the story—we must change the world of food. We must demand change from our leaders and vote with our consumer dollars and forks, supporting local farms and farmers’ markets, choosing organic, fresh, healthy plant-based foods. Change starts with you! Join me in a food revolution!

Much love, health, peace and veggies,
Joy

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