To My Surprise As A Food Revolution Ambassador for Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution (Bowling Green, Kentucky)

CJ MillerFor three years now and going into my second year as the Food Day coordinator for all of Kentucky, I consider myself blessed in many ways. First and foremost I consider it an honor and a privilege to be welcomed into such amazing movements. The wonderful people I have met from around the globe and the food education I have received while on my real food culinary journey has been priceless.

This year as Ambassador I am harvesting many crops that have been planted throughout my journey. What’s so amazing about this crop is the willingness of this community to nurture the seeds I planted and give of themselves freely so everyone can benefit from its bounty. When I started the Food Revolution it was me on my computer with more ambition than any human should ever have and tons of ideas and no idea how to move forward with them.

The moment this all changed is when I adapted to Jamie Oliver’s advice — he said, “Don’t do this alone. It can be very lonely if you do.” He was right. I had a resource of over 300 ambassadors and a community that was in dire need of food education and resources galore that I needed to tap into. The first year on my journey was the year I planted seeds and planted ideas in the community’s minds about what we all could do to raise awareness.

To my surprise, the stories resonated with people.

My speeches did not go unheard; they are forever planted in the minds of the community that is so desperately seeking change, starving to be nourished by real food and thirsting to understand the confusing world of food. Things in my community and around the world are changing and I consider myself to be lucky to watch this miraculous growth.

While I have been watching, the community has banned together more and more of us want and demand real food. To my surprise the supermarkets are adapting to this overwhelming amount of need for real organic foods.

America is no longer the most overweight country (as of now).

My friends, family, and loved ones are healthy and happy and they are living better lives because of the switch to real foods. I have even put myself under the gun. I have stopped drinking soda. I just went 80 percent meat free, gluten free, and started to exercise. This year I will be hosting the first Food Revolution Day at the SoKY Market Place Farmers market.

We are going to welcome the community to join us as we educate everyone about real food and enjoy the day. I will continue the entire season advocating for Real Food every Saturday morning at this market also. I will also be holding basic cooking classes at Hotel, Inc, a place that helps the less fortunate get on their feet.

I am currently working on getting into the school system and looking for sponsors for year-round events. I will also speak my real food jive anywhere I am invited.

What is coming up in the near future?

The farmers market I am working with is going to open up a state of the art kitchen that will have the ability to host cooking classes. I am starting a campaign this year called STOP-EDUCATE-THINK. I am encouraging everyone to STOP before they eat, EDUCATE themselves about the food they eat, and THINK strongly if the consequence is really worth it. I truly hope this change progresses and we finally win this Real Food fight. I am positive anything can happen to my surprise.

Chef CJ Miller everyone!

Thank you for stopping by, CJ, and for doing so much in the way of improving food options throughout all communities.

You can reach him through Facebook now and I really hope you stop by his page to see what else he’s been up to.


Listen Up and Eat Delicious Plus Nutritious

We all know there has been a dramatic change over time in what we taste. Boneless chicken breasts have gone from good to poor, even bone in meats demand a game of trouble shooting to try to find one that tastes good.

And why buy unseasoned when some companies are doing it for us – saving time and hassle?

The reason was discussed recently on CBC’s The Current in connection with The Dorito Effect: The Surprising New Truth About Food and Flavor by Mark Schatzker. Take a listen and finally understand what’s happening in your mouth and in the money making world of today.

Buy Local, Taste Flavour

It’s time to tell the companies we prefer real farmers, free range animals and vegetables not coated in pesticides – if the sign says “dangerous – keep out” while the foods are in the fields we should be leaving them there.

Many say it’s cheaper to eat junk but that’s because we keep buying it. The more pop, fast food and prepared stuff we buy the lower the cost for the company producing it so they can have more sales, lower prices and higher quantity. But this makes me – and you – sick!

Keep an eye out for sales on kale, asparagus, strawberries in the store and you’ll notice, when you eat them, even within the few days before spoiling, you feel better and fuller. Buy your meat from a local butcher and understand that a turkey actually looks like a turkey without the feathers on it.

Visit a farm on Open Farm Day this year on September 21st and learn how real food is raised and grown – not made.

Grapes –  I bet you can’t resist a bowl of them.

Carrots – cooked or raw, they benefit all.

Marketing shouldn’t have to cost farmers millions of dollars, we should be smart enough to choose healthy every day and then when we do, the prices will be awesome compared to the manufactured stuff making us  sick.

Your health is priceless. You only have on life – make it delicious!

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland


Let’s Celebrate Food!

My Lil' Chef

My Lil’ Chef

May 15, 2015 will be Food Revolution Day but I want to celebrate all month. With posts and giveaways, photos and videos, and an invite to you to come on over and tell me what you’re eating this month.

Jamie Oliver has started a revolution, one that shouldn’t have been needed but we made it something that is desperately vital. He wants healthy foods in schools. Easy, right? Not so much but it can be.

Your kids go to school, let them eat actual food!

Schools should be teaching about fruits, vegetables, the process of planting and growing our own food. Cafeterias should be accessing a community or school garden to fill the plates of our children yet we’ve been letting other businesses profit from our kids!

Businesses of owners who would cringe at the idea of their own kids eating what is being served so let’s make a change.

Food Revolution Ambassador’s Are Here!

I’ve connected with other like-minded individuals this month who, though they may not have the official title, are working to improve what we all eat and are here to talk about it. Please make these awesome people feel welcome and eat up!

And please also sign Jamie Oliver’s petition on his site to be a part of the change!

Thank you for reading and following along. Let’s make a difference today.

Sarah Butland

New Glasgow, NS Food Revolution Ambassador


Win A Copy of Sending You Sammy!

There’s an educational and fun way to win a copy of Sending You Sammy to meet BananaBoy and it’s available until the end of this month!

By signing up to the free newsletter with The Eating Game you can receive tips and information in your email box and win prizes!

What’s the Eating Game?

The Eating Game is an effective tool designed first to help the parents of autistic, and other, children who struggle at each meal time. Dealing with autism makes it difficult to decide on what to have to eat and ensure it’s healthy. It’s common that sufferers of autism don’t do well with change – whether it’s simply the colour of their food or the taste.

Fellow Nova Scotian, Jean Nicol, worked to design a tool which can be used by every parent who struggles to introduce a new food to their menu. Being able to let your child decide what to have with each meal from a selection you present makes it easy to have them control what the family eats and you decide which foods to choose from.

How You Can Win!

Simply sign up for The Eating Game’s free newsletter this month and have your name put into a draw for a free signed copy of Sending You Sammy at the end of August. Stay enrolled for other amazing prizes to be won all year!

Thanks for reading and going to sign up!

Sarah Butland

See what you could win:


Food Revolution and Pictou County, Nova Scotia

My name is Sarah Butland from New Glasgow and I volunteer for the Food Revolution. I give my spare time for free to further the mission of the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation. The Food Revolution has selected a number of volunteers from around the world who showed a deep commitment to real food and I’m thrilled to be one of them.

In the past, before my official title, I hosted Food Revolution Day events at a local Sobeys in New Brunswick. Sobeys was started in Stellarton, Nova Scotia and has consistently shown it’s support for the local little guy but now it’s tackling Food Revolution in a big way by partnering with Jamie Oliver directly!! See their press release for further details.

I also recently connected with the local creator of The Eating Game which helps kids make the right decisions and keep track of what is eaten.

Things are going in the right direction with respect to promoting farms versus processed in Pictou County, Nova Scotia who does everything in a big way and they do it right.

I can’t wait to get started and represent Food Revolution to Sobeys in as many ways possible.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland