May 1, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information:
Melissa Reeves, mdreeves@jeffco.k12.co.us , Jeffco Public Schools, 303-982-6567
Lynn Setzer, lsetzer@jeffco.k12.co.us , Jeffco Public Schools, 303-982-6810

WHAT:       Salad bars serve up healthy, fresh food
WHEN:       Tuesday, May 1 at 10:30 a.m.
WHERE:    Lasley Elementary School, 1401 South Kendall St., Lakewood, 80232

SALAD BARS SERVE HEALTHY CHOICES TO STUDENTS  
​Lasley Elementary School in Lakewood is one of dozens of schools welcoming salad bars into their cafeterias. 

Many of the participating schools in the district pilot program are Title 1 schools, with higher populations of families who may not have easy access to fresh produce.  Now students can find fresh fruit and veggies in their school lunch line.  

Jeffco Schools is working to create a healthy culture in cafeterias across the district with the help of partners like HBO, Whole Kids Foundation and GlobalTap to fund 12 pilot salad bar installations. 

Staff training is taking place in pilot kitchens.  “We’re teaching them proper use and storage of the bars and the food that goes inside them,” said Linda Stoll, executive director of Food and Nutrition Services.  “Just keeping the bars clean means double duty for our staff to meet our strict guidelines in food preparation.”

Staff at the salad bar teach students ‘salad bar etiquette.’  “We talk with them about portion control and not wasting food,” said Jeffco’s Executive Chef Jessica Wright. “We can offer them the healthy choices, but we need to go steps further to help them develop good habits.”

The pilot is a way to test the concept and how it will work in a large district.  Other healthy school initiatives include exercise groups, sugar swaps, school gardens, classroom brain breaks, replacing sugary celebration foods with healthy fruits and veggies.  Jeffco’s Healthy Schools grant is funding another dozen school salad bars.

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