Bakersfield, Calif. – August 23, 2010: Panama-Buena Vista Unified School District (PBVUSD) today announced that it is partnering with local growers Sun World and Pandol Bros. to pilot a salad bar program at its Stonecreek Junior High. A special ribbon cutting ceremony was held on the first day of school at Stonecreek to commence the program which aims to improve nutrition and increase consumption of fruits and vegetables of students through creative salad bar offerings at lunchtime.
With overweight and obesity rates amongst children on the rise since the 1980s, improved school nutrition has been a major focus of educators and industry alike – especially in Kern County where California Physical Fitness Testing has demonstrated that a higher percentage of the county’s kids have an unhealthy body composition. A 2009 public health report from the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine concludes that schools need to add as many as two servings of fruits and vegetables daily to meals in order to meet children's basic health requirements and research has shown that students will significantly increase their intake of fruits and vegetables when offered a variety of choices through a salad bar.
The salad bar program at Stonecreek will feature two salad bar units donated in partnership by local produce growers Sun World and Pandol Bros. P-BUVSD Nutrition Services Manager Marilou Onaindia has created a series of themed salad bar menus – all offering salad and at least two choices of fresh fruit.
“The salad bar program is a creative way to give our students choices at lunchtime that will increase their consumption of fruits & vegetables and will provide a platform for education about healthy eating,” Onaindia said. “We are aiming to help our students develop healthy eating habits that they will take beyond the lunchroom and into their daily lives both now and as adults.”
Sun World and Pandol Bros. partnered to donate the salad bar to Stonecreek Junior High as a result of the produce industry campaign “A Salad Bar in Every School,” led by United Fresh Produce Association of which both agricultural companies are members.
The campaign, administered by the United Fresh Foundation Center for Health & Nutrition, relies on the personal involvement and charitable commitment of produce growers, distributors and marketers to raise private funds for donation of salad bars to schools in across the country. “Healthy habits start young which is why Sun World and Pandol Bros. together are locally championing the Salad Bar in Every School campaign. Assisting with the
Stonecreek pilot program is our small part in helping make fresh fruits and vegetables more readily available for local kids,” Sun World Chief Executive Officer Al Vangelos and Pandol Bros. Chief Executive Officer Dave Devers said in a joint statement.
Source: Sun World International