SAN FRANCISCO, March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Revolution Foods (http://www.revolutionfoods.com/), a company less than two years old with a mission to provide fresh, healthy meals to K-12 schoolchildren each day, announces it is bringing its revolution to Los Angeles County.
Starting with a pilot program serving over 500 students in three schools, Revolution Foods is setting itself apart from other school meal providers as the first to offer fresh and healthy meals on a daily basis. Revolution Foods' meals are made with local, organic ingredients whenever possible, something other suppliers do not do. Within the next year, Revolution Foods hopes to serve healthy, fresh meals to over 10,000 students in public and private schools throughout Los Angeles County. With over 400 schools supporting three-quarters of a million students, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is the second largest district in the U.S.(i)
"We believe that all children deserve healthy, fresh food every day. Our goal is to serve as many students as we possibly can. Because Los Angeles is such a densely populated area with many public school students needing healthy food options, we believe we can make a positive difference here for kids, both academically and nutritionally," says Kirsten Tobey, founder and chief operating officer of Revolution Foods.
Since it started serving healthy lunch, breakfast, and snacks everyday as well as incorporating practical nutrition tips into daily school life, Revolution Foods' school partners have shared anecdotes of improvements in discipline both in class and on the playground, as well as increased levels of alertness in class, and weight loss among their student body. These trends are promising given rising rates of obesity in US K-12 youth. The prevalence of vending machines and other unregulated snacks in schools makes it challenging for kids to be healthy and perform well academically. Studies show that children under 18 are eating less than half the recommended amount of fruit and vegetable servings they should eat every day.(ii) Revolution Foods addresses this issue directly by incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables into every meal served.
"A well-balanced diet can be challenging for kids. We believe that healthy food choices are key drivers of wellness, education, and future productivity of our youth," says Kristin Richmond, co-founder and chief executive officer.
Nutrition has been shown to link directly to academic achievement. Whether a child is undernourished or eats foods high in sugar, sodium and fat, the low energy and lack of focus that come as a result have an impact on a child's ability to perform well in school.(iii)
With two gourmet chefs and a registered dietitian on staff, Revolution Foods offers a whole new approach to school meal service. The company provides educational tools to schools and parents, teaching them about healthy food options, nutritional information and at-home cooking tips to help maintain child health. In less than two years, Revolution Foods grew from serving three schools to over 40 across the state, about half of which are low-income.
The company also offers a line of organic branded products through its partnership with Whole Foods, including peanut butter, cereal and applesauce. The products are currently available in Whole Foods stores.
ABOUT REVOLUTION FOODS
Founded in 2006, Revolution Foods is starting a revolution to provide K-12 schoolchildren with fresh and healthy meals every single day. All meals incorporate organic and local ingredients wherever possible. The company also provides educational tools informing children and their families about nutrition and fresh food products to improve child health and well-being. Through a unique partnership with Whole Foods, the company offers a line of organic branded products available in Whole Foods stores. Learn more at: http://www.revolutionfoods.com/
(i) http://ca.localschooldirectory.com/schools.php/cPath/1652
(ii) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2007/04/06/AR2007040601874_pf.html
(iii) Sigrid Quendler, Vienna University, August 2002
Revolution Foods
