When it comes to getting kids to eat healthier, the
solution might be as simple as making fresh, healthy food options more readily available.
As part of an initiative committed to increasing healthier food options for students,
Dole Food Company and local grocery retailer Marc’s have partnered to donate a new daily salad
bar to Saint Ambrose Catholic School in Brunswick, Ohio. The salad bar made its big debut in January, when students returned from break. Students enjoy the opportunity to choose their own combination of fruits and vegetables and are utilizing as both a meal, and also side dish option for lunch.
The salad bar, unveiled at a
dedication ceremony today in the school’s cafeteria, is the first to be implemented by the
Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, and will feature a wide array of fresh fruits and vegetables to
boost nutritious choices for students at breakfast and lunch.
“At Saint Ambrose School, we are dedicated to caring for the whole child. Providing and reinforcing healthy lunch options is a part of that education. It does not stop at the classroom door. We are so grateful to Dole, Marc’s and United Fresh for this donation.”-Principal Lisa Cinadr
“One in three children between ages 9 to 11, is at risk or already overweight. That’s
unacceptable and we need to look at new ways to encourage healthier eating,” said Bil
Goldfield, Dole’s director of corporate communications. “Dole prides itself on the fresh flavor
of its produce and using that to start the nutrition conversation early in childhood by
introducing fruit and vegetables as healthy food options. By providing salad bars that will
enable schools to offer a variety of produce choices each day, we are hopefully establishing
healthier eating habits that will last a lifetime.”
“Making nutritious food choices is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle, and it’s
important to form these habits early in childhood,” said Lisa Cinadr, principal of Saint
Ambrose Catholic School. “We are excited that this salad bar can reinforce childhood
nutrition messages by providing fresh fruits and vegetables for our students during
mealtimes.”
“Marc’s is known throughout Northeast Ohio for offering high quality, fresh groceries
so we’re pleased to partner with Dole to make fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible
to students in our community,” said Kevin Yaugher, president of the Cleveland-based
retailer. “Our goal is to truly impact the lives of local students through this salad bar.”
The salad bars were arranged through a partnership with the United Fresh Start
Foundation to support Salad Bars to Schools, a program which has donated salad bars to
more than 5,000 schools over the last seven years and is benefitting 3 million children with
increased access to fresh produce. The United Fresh Start Foundation works with the
produce industry, foundations and allied businesses to support salad bars for schools
nationwide, promoting salad bars as the most effective strategy for increasing children’s
produce consumption at school.
“We are pleased to assist Saint Ambrose Catholic School to begin implementing
salad bars in this region of Ohio. Kids like fresh fruits and vegetables and when given the
opportunity to make their own choices from a school salad bar, they will select and eat more
fresh produce,” said Tom Stenzel, President and CEO, United Fresh Produce Association.
“Salad bars are a visual representation of healthy school meals, and this much-needed
equipment is often a ‘conversation starter’ amongst students, school administrators and
parents about the importance of eating more fresh fruits and vegetables for better health.
About Dole Food Company, Inc.
Dole Food Company, Inc., is one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh
vegetables. Dole is an industry leader in many of the products it sells, as well as in nutrition education and research.
For more information, please visit www.dole.com.
About Marc’s
Corporately headquartered in Parma Ohio Marc’s opened its first store in 1978 and has continued to grow ever since.
With 58 stores throughout Ohio, Marc’s carries name brand merchandise in the food, health & beauty, produce,
meats and cheeses, dairy, frozen and general categories. Many stores also have bakery departments, cold cut
counters and pharmacies. Marc’s continues to grow and expand and be the leading deep discounter in Ohio. For
more information, visit www.marcs.com.
About the United Fresh Start Foundation
The United Fresh Start Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization focused exclusively on increasing
children’s access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Affiliated with the United Fresh Produce Association, the Foundation
is committed to helping today’s kids achieve the public health goal to make half their plate fruits and vegetables in
order to live longer and healthier lives. The Foundation works to create an environment in which kids have easy
access to high-quality, great-tasting and affordable fresh fruits and vegetables, whenever and wherever they are
choosing snacks or a meal. More information at: www.unitedfreshstart.org.
