Salad Bars! What a great way to get kids to eat more fruits and veggies! Shouldn’t every school have one?! In fact I have heard, with my own ears, Congressman Sam Farr say that he wants to initiate legislation that will require salad bars in all schools. Now Sam has been a great supporter of school meal programs so I am hesitant to stir the waters, but I really have to disagree with him on this one. From his point of view, he is representing California, where agriculture is major business. What better way to get more produce into the schools and promote healthy eating than by mandating salad bars. I do believe salad bars should be encouraged where they can be provided safely and cost effectively, but no way should they be mandated and here’s why.
- Safety should be foremost. Some schools do not have the facilities to provide adequate refrigeration or proper cleaning of fresh produce.
- Labor costs can be higher in providing maintaining salad bars. Less money spent on labor means more can be spent on higher qulaity food.
- Schools located in remote areas may receive limited fresh produce deliveries. Who wants to eat one or two week old lettuce?
- Short lunch periods do not give students adequate time to eat salad.
- In secondary schools which may lack seating and cafeteria space, students prefer items they can easily eat standing up.
- Availability of fresh produce goes down and prices go up in the winter, in some states more than others.
- I have had parents tell me that more students will buy lunch and income will go up if a salad bar is offered. That has not been my experience. Salad bars do not increase participation in the total meal program.
- If there is no nutrition education, students will not choose unfamiliar items from a salad bar.
- Schools can offer a variety of fruits and vegetables over the course of a week without a salad bar.
Salad bars are effective in many schools. Students who like salad enjoy them and some take very healthy portions. Likewise there are those students who avoid the salad bar or take minimal amounts. When a salad bar is first introduced, it is new and the all the kids participate. Over the next two months, the amount of fruits and vegetables taken and consumed will drop. Salad bars are designed to give students a choice and provide variety in an attempt to get them to eat more fruits and vegetables. Some salad bars offer pretty much the same items every day. I believe that schools should and can provide a variety of fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables, but they don’t have to have a salad bar to do it.
