Thanks to a partnership between Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the United Fresh Start Foundation, when students at six Michigan school districts return from winter break, they will see new salad bars in their school cafeterias. The salad bars will be installed in 20 schools and are part of the national Salad Bars to Schools initiative, which provides equipment and resources to empower children to make healthier food choices. The food service staff will also receive a commercial grade sectionizer-slicer to quickly prepare fresh-cut fruits and vegetables.
“Blue Cross is proud to support salad bars in Michigan schools to increase access to a variety of healthy options during school meals,” said Ken Hayward, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan vice-president and special assistant to the president for community relations.
“This partnership is so valuable, not just to the schools who are benefitting, but also for what this collaboration represents,” said Andrew Marshall, director of foodservice and foundation partnerships, United Fresh Produce Association. “Both of our organizations understand how critically important it is that children have access to meals at school that include a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables.”
The United Fresh Start Foundation is committed to helping schools establish environments that encourage healthy eating. Through Salad Bars to Schools, as well as other initiatives that support K-12 schools with their ability to source, serve and promote fresh fruits and vegetables, the United Fresh Start Foundation is addressing the crisis of childhood obesity and creating opportunities for children to select healthier meals and snacks at school. Over the past 10 years, Salad Bars to Schools has delivered nearly 6,000 salad bars to schools across the country, including more than 400 salad bars to schools in Michigan.
Additionally, the recently released United Fresh publication, Fresh Insights for Foodservice – Fall 2021, spotlights how K-12 school foodservice operators continue to make fruit and veggies available to children each day, despite supply chain and other challenges. The report includes perspectives from 10 school menu planners from different parts of the country.
Over the past 10 years, Salad Bars to Schools has delivered nearly 6,000 salad bars to schools.
Michigan schools receiving salad bars and equipment from the 2021-2022 collaboration include:
Comstock Park Public Schools, Comstock Park
- Pine Island Elementary School
- Comstock Park High School
Ionia Public Schools, Ionia
- Douglas Welch High School
- Ionia Middle School
- Ionia High School (2)
- Twin Rivers Elementary School
- AA Rather Elementary School
- RB Boyce Elementary School
- Jefferson Elementary School
- Emerson Elementary School
Beecher Community Schools, Mount Morris
- Beecher High School
- Dailey Elementary School
Roscommon Area Public Schools, Roscommon
- Roscommon High School
South Lake Schools, St. Clair Shores
- Avalon Elementary
- Elmwood Elementary
- Koepsell Elementary
- South Lake Middle School
Fitzgerald Schools, Warren
- Schofield Elementary School
- Westview Elementary School (2)
- Fitzgerald High School (2)
For more information:
Ben Massoud
United Fresh
Tel: +1 (202) 303-3404
bmassoud@unitedfresh.org
www.unitedfresh.org