Last week, a special delivery arrived at Kipp South Fulton Academy. The six-foot salad bar, complete with freezer inserts, buckets and tongs, will soon host an assortment of fresh fruits, vegetables and more for the school's 320 fifth- to eighth-grade students.
"We are going to offer greens, tomato wedges, cucumbers, carrots, shredded cheese and garbanzo beans," said Stan Ingber, manager of school nutrition for KIPP Metro Atlanta. "It is hopefully going to allow our students to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables."
The salad bar, funded by the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation (AFYF) as part of the national Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools program, is one of 15 salad bars going to schools in the metro area and beyond before the end of the school year. AFYF pledged more than $40,000 to fund the salad bars after receiving requests from more than 40 schools.
Other donors providing salad bars in schools across the state include the United Fresh Foundation in conjunction with Publix Super Markets, which will bring eight salad bars to schools in Troup and Lanier counties. Dole Food Company partnered with Healthy Kids Georgia and Georgia 4-H to bring three salad bars to schools where students won an essay contest. And Whole Foods Market quickly surpassed its initial goal of putting 300 salad bars in schools nationwide. With $1.4 million in donations from shoppers, they were able to fund 564 salad bars, including three at Decatur City Schools.
School nutrition has become a hot topic in recent years, due in part to first lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move initiative to raise a healthier generation of kids. Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools, which is fully funded by private donations, has the goal of placing 6,000 salad bars in schools around the country by 2013.
In Georgia, where the childhood obesity rates hover at 40 percent, the second highest in the nation after Mississippi, the salad bars are being welcomed by students, parents and nutritionists as a way to promote healthier eating habits in children of all ages.
"We are all for having healthier foods in the schools. Access is an important component to helping kids eat healthy, as is presenting it in a way that is desirable for children," said Dr. Stephanie Walsh, medical director of child wellness for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. "Providing pretty looking vegetables and fruits can allow kids to experiment."
More than 1,200 salad bars have been delivered to schools nationwide through the campaign, with commitments for another 400, said Diane Harris, a visiting scientist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Nutrition Branch. But there are 1,200 more schools on the waiting list that need funding, she said.
In addition to covering the cost of the salad bars, funding pays for cafeteria staff training on how to present the food to children and get them excited about eating fresh fruits and vegetable.
At Kipp, Ingber has already started prepping students for the salad bar opening. An introduction to salad bar etiquette describes how the service will work and provides a list of do's and don'ts, he said.
"We are excited to participate," said Ingber, who noted the school would not have been able to afford the salad bar on its own. "It is a great opportunity for students to be introduced to foods they may not normally get without a salad bar."
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