Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes Joins "Kids LiveWell" to Highlight Commitment to Children's Healthy Eating

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Citing its commitment to offering healthful menu options to its youngest customers, Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp, parent company to more than 122 Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes restaurants nationwide, announced today it has signed on to "Kids LiveWell," a first-of-its-kind nationwide initiative that highlights restaurants' innovative solutions to providing better-for-you menu items, led by the National Restaurant Association in collaboration with Healthy Dining.

"We are excited to join Kids LiveWell and showcase our nutritious kid-friendly offerings," said Joan Scharff, VP of Brand and Menu Strategy. "The healthy all-you-care-to-enjoy atmosphere at Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes is a great opportunity for parents to encourage their children to try new foods, and because our menu changes bi-weekly we have a variety of ever-changing Kids LiveWell menu options for parents and kids to choose from."

Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes Kids LiveWell menu options include the following items:

• Build Your Own Salad with five vegetables from the 55-foot-salad bar, one cup of soup and 100% Apple Juice
• Deep Kettle House Chili (Low-fat), Wild Blue Blueberry Muffin, and 100% Apple Juice
• Big Chunk Chicken Noodle Soup (Low-fat), Buttermilk Cornbread (Low-fat) and 100% Apple Juice

Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes' Kids LiveWell menu options meet nutrition criteria based on leading health organizations' scientific recommendations, including the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines. Parents can read more about these options by visiting www.souplantation.com, www.sweettomatoes.com and www.HealthyDiningFinder.com/kidslivewell/souplantation.  

"Parents are looking for healthful menu options for their children, and Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes have stepped up to the plate with a strong commitment to children's nutrition," said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. "We are pleased to have Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes restaurants participating in Kids LiveWell and providing more options for their young guests."

The National Restaurant Association launched the Kids LiveWell program in collaboration with Healthy Dining to help parents and children select healthful menu options when dining out. The National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 960,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of nearly 13 million employees. To learn more, visit www.restaurant.org.

About Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes

Celebrating over 30 years, Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes was founded in 1978 in San Diego and currently operates more than 122 salad buffet-style restaurants across the western, southern and eastern portions of the United States. Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes creates an all-you-care-to-eat dining experience with a daily selection of made-from-scratch soups and salads and hand-crafted muffins, focaccia, breads and tasty desserts. By combining high-quality, farm-fresh and scratch-made foods for a fixed price, the restaurants provide guests with the freedom to create their own wholesome meals. The restaurant concept is built around fresh prepared, great-tasting recipes with a salad bar full of seasonal vegetables and tossed salads prepared exhibition-style every 20 minutes. Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes restaurants are open daily for lunch and dinner and also for a special Sunday Breakfast that features a variety of delicious morning favorites in addition to regular selections. For more information, please visit www.souplantation.com or www.sweettomatoes.com.

SOURCE Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes