Let’s Move! Salad Bars

The produce industry, led by its member associations, has proactively worked to get fresh produce salad bars into American school lunchrooms. The initiative has received additional support from the current administration, with First Lady Michelle Obama calling for more fresh fruits and vegetables in schools and changes in school nutritional guidelines by USDA.

Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign, with the goal of increasing physical activity and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in children, celebrated its one year anniversary last month. The United Fresh Produce Association, which supports the goals of the program, congratulated the first lady on the successes so far.

“With Let’s Move! the First Lady has raised our nation’s awareness about the value of a healthy, nutritious lifestyle for America’s children. The Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative, announced by Mrs. Obama in November, brings additional focus to the importance of better nutrition in our nation’s schools,” said Tom Stenzel president of United Fresh. “Research has shown that kids, given a variety of choices of fruits and vegetables in a salad bar, respond by trying new items, incorporating greater variety in their diets, and increasing their daily consumption of fruits and vegetables. United Fresh congratulates the First Lady for her accomplishments with Let’s Move! and thanks her for her ongoing promotion of fresh fruits and vegetables in schools. We look forward to the progress ahead as we work toward creating a healthier future for our kids.”

The Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools program, with support from United Fresh, the National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, the Food, Family and Farming Foundation and the first lady worked together to launch the grassroots support for salad bars in schools. The goal of the initiative is to put 6,000 salad bars in schools across the country in the next three years. More information is available on the initiative’s website at www.saladbars2schools.com.

The push for salad bars in schools is a great opportunity for the fresh-cut industry, Stenzel told members of the worldwide fresh produce industry at last month’s FreshConex business forums. A similar project was launched in 2004 in the United Kingdom, and one in the European Union in 2009. Both resulted in increased consumption and fresh produce among students that had access to the programs. Personal choice results in greater consumption, by as much as one whole additional serving a day, Stenzel said. The key is offering a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, so children can try different items and figure what they prefer the most.

To celebrate the first anniversary of the Let’s Move campaign, United Fresh was in Chicago Feb. 9 to publicly donate 10 new salad bars to Chicago Public Schools. The salad bars were supported by a donation from Chiquita Brands International, and company chairman Fernando Aguirre, Lorelei DiSogra, United Fresh vice president of nutrition and health, and Miss Chiquita, the brand ambassador, were at a ceremony at Bernhard Moos Elementary School to announce the salad bars.

“On the first anniversary of First Lady Michelle Obama’s bipartisan initiative to fight childhood obesity, Chiquita is proud to be at the forefront of providing children increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Aguirre. “Chiquita’s donation of salad bars to Chicago Public Schools furthers our sustained commitment to helping children live healthier lives. At Chiquita, providing all consumers with convenient and fresh products is part of our vision of a healthier world; helping children reach that goal is one of our top priorities.”

Chicago Public Schools, the third largest in the country, services more than 400,000 students in 670 schools. With the addition of the 10 donated salad bars, the school system operates 72 salad bars, and by the end of 2011 is committed to 110 salad bars.

“The salad bars will expand the nutritious options available to our students. The increase in nutritious offerings is yet another tool to educate school children and impact their dietary habits, hopefully shaping their lifelong approach to healthy eating,” said Esaian, head of Nutrition Support Services.

Earlier in February, New Haven, Conn.’s Mauro-Sheridan Science, Technology and Communications School received a new fresh salad bar as part of the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign. Janey Thornton, USDA undersecretary, Chef Tommy Cipriano, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Ron Brace of the New England Patriots were on hand for the donation.

“Let’s Move! Salad Bars to Schools provides students an opportunity to prepare and consume their own fresh salad every day, which translates into a win-win for our children’s health and wellbeing,” Thornton said in a statement. “We thank all of our vital partners who contributed and look forward to the thousands of schools that will benefit from similar nutritious options in the coming years.”

Increasing access to fresh produce in schools requires great public funding, but the benefits could be worth the cost by improving the health of America’s schoolchildren. With the federal budget under scrutiny, the fresh-cut produce industry may have to step in even more than it already has to hit the 6,000 salad bar mark by 2014.