Feature

Eating at the Olympics: Lon-dos and Lon-don’ts

London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympics brought many promises about sustainable, British food and, following the release of the Food Vision document in 2009, organisers committed to ‘delivering a tastier, healthier, greener Games’. Now the Games are upon us, which of these promises have been kept and which have remained aspirations? Gaby De Sena provides some ‘dos and don’ts’ for visitors and spectators.

DO

Keep calm and have a nice cup of tea
All coffee and tea served at Olympic venues will be Fairtrade, along with the bananas, sugar, oranges, white wine and some of the chocolate.

Get battered
100% of wild-caught fish at the Games will be sustainable, according to Marine Conservation Society and Marine Stewardship Council standards. This even includes the Filet-o-Fish served at McDonald’s Olympic sites! Visit Potters Fields Park The Potters Fields Olympic Live Site will run from 28 July to 12 August, with big screens to watch the Games on, an iconic view of Tower Bridge and lots of outdoor entertainment for all the family. Out of the five Olympic Live Sites in London, Potters Field will exclusively offer sustainable food using the best of British produce, as well as beers from London’s micro-breweries and spirits and soft drinks from independent producers.

Get egg-cited
Free-range eggs will be served to everyone from janitors to javelin throwers within the Olympic Village, as well as in all Olympic venues.

Read the Eel
On your way to the Olympic Stadium, stop off at one of our nearby stockists, such as The Pavilion Café, and pick up your free copy of The Jellied Eel.

Research your restaurants
Visit sustainweb.org/foodlegacy to find out which caterers and restaurants have publicly committed to the London 2012 Food Vision.

Count your McCalories
With McDonald’s as the official sponsor for retail food services, fast food will be readily available at the Games. But be warned, a McDonald’s Chicken Legend with medium fries and a milkshake provides a man with more than half his recommended daily calories and nearly two thirds of the daily calories for women. This isn’t great, but at least the calories are displayed on the in-store board so you can see for yourself.

Save your pennies
According to a BBC report, food and drink at the Games will carry premium prices, so you will need to bring plenty of cash with you.

DON'T

Be a litter-bug
Organisers have committed to divert all waste from landfill, aiming to hold the first ever zero waste Games. Help them achieve this admirable aim by separating your waste and using on-site recycling centres. Lose your bottle
Be sure to bring an empty bottle with you and fill up for free at one of the drinking water facilities. Don’t bring your own bottled water – it’s banned from all Olympic venues.

Feed the 5,000
As a safety issue, the security guards will have to confiscate any ‘excessive’ food brought on-site, so don't turn up with picnic baskets or cool boxes full of food for you and your family. You can bring your own food but rules are strict: it must be in a soft-sided bag with a 25 litre capacity (or less), and you must be able to fit your bag under your seat.

Expect a Cola-boration of brands
Coca-Cola has rights to provide all soft drinks and juices sold at the Games, so you won’t be able to buy drinks which don’t carry its brand.

Forget that some drinks are all sweetness and (not) light
Coca-Cola’s sports drinks like Powerade and other ‘juice drinks’ may seem healthier than fizzy soft drinks but they still have a high sugar content. And many contain very little fruit, for example, Oasis only contains 5% fruit juice.

Be fooled by paltry poultry
Only the athletes, media and dignitaries will be served higher-welfare chicken at the Games, so don’t forget your VIP pass if you have one! The public will be served British chicken raised to minimum Red Tractor standards, but this can still be intensively farmed.

Go digging for organic produce
Whilst the milk in your tea or coffee is likely to be organic, organisers insist that serving organic food at the Games was only ‘aspirational’.

Get ad-dicted
With Cadbury, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola as main sponsors, the Games will be dominated by advertising for foods with high sugar and fat content. Expert evidence continues to show what parents already know: that junk food advertising encourages children to eat too much junk food.

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) has suggested that more than 14 million meals will be served across 40 locations during the Games, with 150 different types of dish showcasing the diversity and quality of British food. Whether you’re taking part, spectating, or just soaking up the atmosphere at the Games, we want to know what you’re eating. Tweet us @jelliedeelmag and let us know what you think of the food on offer.

Endnote – If you liked this you might want to check out our ‘Eel on…Fizzy Drinks’ in-depth product focus, on the Jellied Eel website. And keep your eye on www.childrensfood.org.uk for more activity around the Olympic food sponsors over the summer, including their report 'The Obesity Games'.

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