School Salad Bar Advocates Support First Lady's "Let's Move!" Initiative

By Growing Produce Staff|November 22, 2010

With the goal to provide at least 6,000 salad bars to schools in the next three years, a new public-private partnership has launched “Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools,” a grassroots public health initiative working in support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” initiative. The partners share a vision to significantly increase salad bars in schools across the country until every child has the choice of healthy fruits and vegetables every day at school.

The announcement was made Nov. 22 at Riverside Elementary School in Miami, FL, which received the first salad bar as part of the launch. The founding partners of the initiative include: National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance, United Fresh Produce Association Foundation, and Food, Family, Farming (F3) Foundation, which administers The Lunch Box, an online healthy foods tool for schools.

“We are thrilled to build upon the success and momentum of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative with Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools,” said Tom Stenzel, president and CEO of United Fresh Produce Association. “School salad bars are a proven strategy for increasing children’s fruit and vegetable consumption and launching them on a lifetime of healthy eating.”

The initiative’s founding partners invite corporations, foundations, and the public to join in reaching the goal of 6,000 salad bars in the next three years.

All schools and/or districts that meet the bronze level of the USDA Healthier U.S. School Challenge are eligible for a salad bar donation, with the stipulation that the school/district desires and can support a salad bar. All other schools and districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) may apply for a salad bar donation.