ARAMARK Celebrates National School Lunch Week With a Focus on Fruits and Vegetables

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ARAMARK, a leading provider of school food and nutrition services, has partnered with school districts throughout the country to provide students with healthy, nutritious meals, as well as an understanding of how their meals are prepared and sourced.  Supporting the School Nutrition Association's theme of "School Lunch – Let's Grow Healthy," a number of ARAMARK partner school districts will celebrate National School Lunch Week, October 10-14, by promoting locally sourced fruits and vegetables and hosting events that engage students in making healthy food choices.  

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"ARAMARK is committed to providing fresh fruits and vegetables on our school menus and to encouraging children to try new, healthier foods," said Linda Sceurman, R.D. and Director of Nutrition and Menu Development for ARAMARK Education. "Through farm-to-school programs, many of our school district partners are helping children learn good eating habits, while also supporting their local communities."

ARAMARK's Locally Grown program is a farm-to-school initiative that raises awareness about sustainable agriculture and local sourcing. Many school districts are utilizing the program to encourage students to eat their fruits and vegetables and to learn more about where the items on their tray originate. Program elements include:

• Inviting local farmers into schools to display their produce while providing children with a view of life on a farm
• Offering fun side dishes that feature fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables served in kid-friendly ways including: zucchini and summer squash veggie sticks, cucumber coins, and grape tomatoes from local farms and orchards
• Utilizing school gardens and green houses to promote sustainability, while involving students in the process of planting and harvesting fruits and vegetables
• Offering fruit and veggie bars in school cafes to increase children's interest in healthy foods
• Featuring a "Fruit of the Day" and "Veggie of the Day" as tasty, healthy meal choices
• Offering samples of fruits and veggies with dips and sauces to encourage students to try fruits and vegetables
• Using colorful menu icons to alert students to the locally grown fruits and vegetables being served.

About ARAMARK Education

ARAMARK Education has provided quality food and nutrition, facility, uniform and other support services to the K-12 community for over 55 years.  Serving more than 500 K-12 school districts in the U.S., the company offers public and private education institutions a family of dining and facility services including:  on-site and off-site breakfast and lunch meal programs, after-school snacks, catering, nutrition education, retail design and operations, maintenance, custodial, grounds, energy management, construction management, and building commissioning.  For more information on ARAMARK's K-12 food service programs, please visit www.aramarkschools.com.

About ARAMARK

ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. The company is recognized as the industry leader in FORTUNE magazine's "World's Most Admired Companies," and as one of America's Largest Private Companies by both FORTUNE and Forbes magazines. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 255,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries. Learn more at the company's Web site, www.aramark.com, or www.twitter.com/aramarknews.

SOURCE ARAMARK