Let's Move 4,000 Salad Bars

Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools (LMSB2S) has granted its 4,000th school salad bar. This represents an investment of over $10 million by the LMSB2S partners, foundations and corporate and non-profit donors. A sub-initiative of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! program, Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools provides salad bar equipment and training to schools and districts across the country who are enrolled in the National School Lunch Program. The organization was founded in 2010 by Whole Foods Market, the United Fresh Start Foundation, the Chef Ann Foundation, and the National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance. The Whole Kids Foundation made the 4,000th salad bar milestone possible with a $750,000 donation in January. "Today's announcement is an exciting milestone," says Obama. "I'm thrilled that the Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative has helped bring 4,000 school salad bars to more than two million children nationwide. As we celebrate the fifth anniversary of Let's Move!, we are well on our way to a future when all students have access to a variety of vegetables and fruits from their school salad bars each day." According to LMSB2S, the availability of salad bars is an effective strategy to increase students' produce intake and furthermore help schools comply with new and improved federal lunch nutrition standards. The application to request salad bars from LMSB2S is available at www.saladbars2schools.org. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. In addition to the freestanding mobile salad bar, each school recipient receive access to www.thelunchbox.org, a free comprehensive online portal that helps lunchrooms transition from frozen and boxed foods to fresh, whole, scratch-cooked foods.