Dole Fights Obesity With 'School Salad Days'
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. -- Dole Nutrition Institute (DNI), the nutrition research and educational foundation based here that was established by Dole Food Co., Inc.'s chairman and c.e.o., David H. Murdock, has launched a "School Salad Days" pilot program, to encourage healthy eating habits and promote daily fruit and vegetable consumption in California public schools.
The pilot program will be launched with the donation of an initial 50 full-service portable salad bars to California-based K-12 schools in 2006.
In addition to providing onsite self-serve salad bars, DNI (http://www.dolenutrition.com) will offer recipient schools timely nutrition information. This latest effort continues Dole's longstanding commitment to the nutrition education through programs such as the Dole "5-A-Day" program (soon to be re-launched and updated as Dole SuperKids).
Other components of the "School Salad Days" program will include: partnering with school food service directors, nutritionists and healthcare providers to combat child obesity through better nutrition; working with schools to develop fruit baskets to be sold as fund-raising alternatives; and helping schools plant on-site "edible gardens."
"Dole Food Company, Inc. shares Gov. Schwarzenegger's commitment to preventing childhood obesity," said DNI director Jennifer Grossman. "By increasing access to fruits and vegetables and teaching the importance of nutrition, we hope to be part of the solution to the epidemic of childhood obesity in California."
The pilot program will be launched with the donation of an initial 50 full-service portable salad bars to California-based K-12 schools in 2006.
In addition to providing onsite self-serve salad bars, DNI (http://www.dolenutrition.com) will offer recipient schools timely nutrition information. This latest effort continues Dole's longstanding commitment to the nutrition education through programs such as the Dole "5-A-Day" program (soon to be re-launched and updated as Dole SuperKids).
Other components of the "School Salad Days" program will include: partnering with school food service directors, nutritionists and healthcare providers to combat child obesity through better nutrition; working with schools to develop fruit baskets to be sold as fund-raising alternatives; and helping schools plant on-site "edible gardens."
"Dole Food Company, Inc. shares Gov. Schwarzenegger's commitment to preventing childhood obesity," said DNI director Jennifer Grossman. "By increasing access to fruits and vegetables and teaching the importance of nutrition, we hope to be part of the solution to the epidemic of childhood obesity in California."