Urban School Food Alliance Celebrates Fifth Annual “Fresh Attitude Week”

NEW YORK, May 6, 2019 – Urban School Food Alliance (the Alliance), a coalition of the largest school districts in the United States celebrates Fresh Attitude Week from May 6-10, 2019.  In collaboration with the French Department of Agriculture and in partnership with Interfel (French Inter-Branch Association of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables which created Fresh Attitude Week), Fresh Attitude Week has become an annual event in Alliance districts in America, along with schools in France and Hungary to raise awareness about the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables in schools.

“Encouraging young people to eat fresh fruits and vegetables early in life enables them to develop healthy habits that can continue on to adulthood,” said Dr. Katie Wilson, executive director of the Urban School Food Alliance. “Alliance districts have worked hard to prepare innovative produce-based dishes for students to enjoy.  Studies show that when students eat nutritious and delicious foods in school, the more likely they are to be successful in the classroom.”

Fresh Attitude Week celebrations have helped raise the popularity of produce in school meals.  The Alliance districts (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Miami-Dade, Orange County [Orlando], Broward County [Fort Lauderdale], Philadelphia, Baltimore and Boston) have been successful in increasing fresh produce consumption among its nearly 3.3 million students during Fresh Attitude Week.  Last year, for example, Alliance districts served 12.3 million servings of fresh fruits and vegetables during Fresh Attitude Week alone.

“Congratulations on Fresh Attitude Week 2019,” said President Laurent Grandin of Interfel. “We are really happy to share this experience with the Alliance as the event celebrates its fifth anniversary.  We wish the  Alliance the best in this work especially with the children and we look forward to hearing more about the highlights of the week.”

For Fresh Attitude Week, Alliance districts will conduct the following activities to highlight fresh produce in school meals:

• Highlight seasonal produce during breakfast and lunch
• Feature salads with new vegetable offerings
• Perform chef cooking demonstrations at school sites
• Host local farmers visits to educate students about “farm-to-school” efforts
• Showcase food art in dining rooms
• Offer fresh and healthy recipes ideas
• Conduct open houses for local media outlets to capture Fresh Attitude Week activities

About the Urban School Food Alliance

The Urban School Food Alliance was created by school food professionals in 2012 to address the unique needs of the nation’s largest school districts. The nonprofit group allows the districts to share best practices and leverage their purchasing power to continue to drive quality up and costs down while incorporating sound environmental practices.  New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Miami-Dade, Orange County (Orlando), Broward County (Fort Lauderdale), Philadelphia, Baltimore and Boston together offer service to nearly 3.3 million children daily. This translates to more than 584 million meals a year.  The coalition aims to ensure that all public school students across the nation receive healthy, nutritious meals through socially responsible practices. To learn more about the Urban School Food Alliance or to support its work, please visit www.urbanschoolfoodalliance.org.

 About Interfel

Interfel (French Inter-Branch Association of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables) is the lead promotional organization for fresh fruits and vegetables in France, representing all aspects of the sector from production to distribution, including school canteens and education in schools. www.lesfruitsetlegumesfrais.com / www.interfel.com