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School Salad Days

The fight against childhood obesity is a constant battle for children, parents, and believe it or not, schools. `School Salad Days` have been devised by the Dole Nutrition Institute, by donating salad bars and providing educational information to public schools throughout the state of California about obesity and how to lead a healthy way-of-life.The Dole Nutrition Institute is a nutritional and research division of the famous Dole Food Company, Inc. It decided to take action in California public schools by promoting daily fruit and vegetable intake by installing 50 full-service portable salad bars to K-12 schools.

`Dole Food Company, Inc. shares Governor 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.`

In addition to providing onsite self-serve salad bars, DNI will also offer recipient schools timely nutrition information. This 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 - helping schools plant on-site `edible gardens`.