The Meat Free Monday founder is one of many stars contributing to Revolution, a track written by Jamie Oliver and Ed Sheeran for Food Revolution Day – Oliver’s latest campaign to educate children about what they eat.
With childhood obesity on the rise, the campaign’s goal is to get schools and education authorities teaching pupils about where food comes from, and the effect that their food choices can have on their health. According to the Food Revolution Day website, more than 42 million children around the world are overweight or obese.
Hugh Jackman, Jamie Cullum, Alesha Dixon, Jazzie B and Professor Green also lend their musical talents to the song, which you can watch on YouTube HERE.
Cutting down on the amount of meat we eat should be a vital part of the healthy-eating lessons, since even Oliver now avoids meat for up to three days a week. The chef’s next cookbook will feature exclusively vegetarian recipes.
On a recent discussion on parenting site Mumsnet, Oliver wrote: “Vegetarian and well-managed vegan diets are looking very good at the moment in general health terms. We should all be learning from them and focusing on enjoying more plant-based delights. I personally try to eat vegetarian 2-3 times a week.”
He added that previous generations would have consumed nowhere near the volume of meat people do today: “Winding back is definitely a good idea. It is also definitely beneficial for the environment and your wallet.”
Oliver has become one of Britain’s foremost agitators for change in children’s diets in recent years, and has said that cafeteria cooks are on the frontline in the fight against diet-related disease. Meat Free Monday already works with several schools across the UK, teaching pupils that meat free food is delicious, nutritious and good for the planet.
Explaining the thinking behind Food Revolution Day, Oliver said: “We desperately need a revolution when it comes to giving our kids the knowledge they need to make better choices about food … It’s essential that we arm future generations with the life skills they urgently need in order to lead healthier, happier, more productive lives.”
A Change.org petition set up to promote his culinary-educational revolution has gathered over a million signatures.
Visit the Food Revolution Day website
Paul’s UK dates start at The O2 on Saturday 23rd May.