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Media contact: Amy Brown
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Salad Bars Increase Students’ Access to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
3,400 Salad Bars Donated to Schools Nationwide Via Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools
Campaign
BOULDER, CO – May 27, 2014 – Access to fresh fruits and vegetables is growing nationwide among
school-age children, thanks in part to the rising number of salad bars in school cafeterias. A recent study
of the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools (LMSB2S) campaign found that salad bars increased students’
access to fresh fruits and vegetables, increased student participation in the school lunch program,
reduced plate waste and are complemented by other health promotion activities in school.
The aim of LMSB2S is to increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption by donating salad bars to
schools across the country in support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Initiative. More than
3,400 salad bars have been donated to 1,097 school districts across the country since the initiative
launched in 2010.
“School salad bars are gaining momentum from coast-to-coast,” said Ann Cooper, founder of the Food
Family Farming Foundation. “It’s gratifying to see kids, teachers and parents getting excited about fresh
fruits and vegetables.” Salad bars are also one of the easiest ways for schools to comply with new
federal nutrition standards for school lunch, which require that students be offered fruits and
vegetables daily and that students select at least a one half cup serving of vegetable or fruit with their
meal.
In the spring of 2013, LMSB2S partnered with the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition, an
independent research institution, to complete a post-implementation survey of school districts that
received salad bars from LMSB2S. Three hundred, fifty-seven school districts in 46 states responded to
the survey.
“Salad bars empower kids to try new fruits and vegetables and make their own healthy choices,” said
Diane Harris, PhD, MPH, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. “Giving kids a variety of options and the opportunity to choose means that they will eat
what they take. And, that means less waste, more efficiency in food service operations and kids getting
the nutrition they need. Salad bars make the healthy choice the easy choice for kids.” Currently most
children do not meet minimum intake requirements for fruits and vegetables as specified by Dietary
Guidelines for Americans.
Key Study Findings and Outcomes
 Salad bars are benefitting low income students, 51% of the students eligible for federal free
and reduced-price school meals.

Most schools (57%) saw increased student participation in school lunch programs with the
addition of salad bars, a value to the National School Lunch Program.

A majority of schools (78%) reported purchasing more fruits and vegetables as a result of salad
bar implementation.

School administrators, teachers, staff and parents are supportive of school salad bars

Schools complemented salad bars with other health promotion activities, including classroom
education (87%), taste testing (75%), special days or events (70%) focused on healthy food
choices, food service promotion (68%), and cooking classes (53%).

School salad bars are an effective way for schools to implement new federal school lunch
nutrition standards.
“The Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools program is transforming school cafeterias,” said Chef Ann.
“Schools are eager to offer salad bars brimming with fresh fruits and vegetables in their lunch programs,
and with the tireless support and generosity of our donors, we’re working hard to meet demand.”
“We received our first salad bar in January and participation and engagement is so high, five more
schools will have salad bars by the end of the year,” says Sunny Young, project coordinator of Good
Food for Oxford Schools in Mississippi. “Our program includes nutrition education inside the classroom
and outside in school gardens.”
Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools’ founding partners, Food Family Farming Foundation, National Fruit
and Vegetable Alliance, United Fresh Foundation and Whole Foods Market, have raised more than $8.4
million for LMSB2S to cover the cost of salad bar equipment and delivery. In addition, a new website,
saladbars2schools.org, was launched to provide school foodservice directors and parents resources for
integrating a salad bar into their overall lunch menu. The site tracks grant applications--fulfilled and inprogress--by state, while a blog and bi-monthly e-newsletter showcase real success stories from
cafeterias across the country. The public can also visit the website to make an online donation. All
contributions support fulfilling requests for salad bars. At this time, there are 555 schools on the waiting
list for a salad bar.
About Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools
Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools is a public health campaign to increase salad bars in schools across the
country so that every child has the choice of healthy fruits and vegetables every day at school. Let’s
Move Salad Bars to Schools supports First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative to end childhood
obesity in a generation. Founding partners are: United Fresh Foundation, National Fruit and Vegetable
Alliance, Food Family Farming Foundation, and Whole Foods Market. More information can be found
online at www.saladbars2schools.org
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