Saint Ambrose Catholic School became the first school in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland to offer a fresh salad bar for breakfast and lunch through the Salad Bars to Schools program.
The donation, made possible by Marc’s, the Dole Food Co. and the United Fresh Start Foundation, was unveiled at a ceremony on January 23 at the Brunswick, Ohio, school.
“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 at Saint Ambrose Catholic School, in a news release. “We are excited that this salad bar can reinforce childhood nutrition messages by providing fresh fruits and vegetables for our students during mealtimes.”
Kevin Yaugher, president of Marc’s, based in Cleveland, said the company hopes the salad bar will make a meaningful impact on the lives of local students.
“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,” he said, in a news release.
To date, the Salad Bars to Schools program has donated more than 5,000 salad bars, giving more than 3 million kids access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
“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, in a news release. “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.”