July 21, 2023

Life Time Foundation Unveils Groundbreaking Green Onion Resource for Healthier School Meals Nationwide

I In a major step towards improving the nutritional quality of school meals across the country, Life Time Foundation, the charitable arm of Life Time (NYSE: LTH), has launched a revolutionary digital resource called Green Onion. The complimentary tool aims to assist school districts, purchasing cooperatives, and food distributors in analyzing their K-12 food products, identifying, and replacing unhealthy ingredients, and promoting sustainable nutritional changes.

Endorsed by prominent figures in the education and nutrition community, Green Onion has been praised for its practicality and positive impact on school food. Katie Wilson, Executive Director for the Urban School Food Alliance (USFA), a coalition of the largest school districts in the United States, described Green Onion as one of the most valuable tools she has encountered in her extensive 36-year career in school nutrition.

The USFA, representing over 4.2 million students in 18 districts, including major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami, is committed to enhancing the quality of food served in schools and ensuring access to healthy and delicious meals for all students.

…by offering Green Onion free of charge to all school food professionals, the Foundation aims to support their endeavors in eliminating ultra-processed foods and refining menus for the betterment of the children they serve…

At the heart of Green Onion is an easy-to-use, comprehensive software solution that empowers school food professionals to make informed decisions. By utilizing the Ingredient Guide for Better School Food Purchasing, a science-based resource developed in collaboration with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Green Onion highlights ingredients of concern and suggests healthier alternatives for procurement. The resource aims to enhance the overall nutritional quality and safety of food provided to students while encouraging manufacturers to remove undesirable ingredients from their products. Life Time Foundation has been an active participant in this collaborative effort since 2020.

Megan Flynn, MPH, RD, Life Time Foundation Nutrition Program Manager, emphasized the Foundation's dedication to promoting healthier lifestyles for children. By offering Green Onion free of charge to all school food professionals, the Foundation aims to support their endeavors in eliminating ultra-processed foods and refining menus for the betterment of the children they serve.

To ensure accurate and efficient data collection, Life Time Foundation has partnered with 1WorldSync, the largest Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN). This collaboration enables Green Onion to receive real-time product data directly from K-12 suppliers, ensuring reliable information is available to school food professionals nationwide.

Dr. Wilson highlighted Green Onion's user-friendliness, accuracy, and accessibility, making it an indispensable tool for every school nutrition program in the country, regardless of district size.

School districts and food professionals interested in utilizing Green Onion can create a free account to take advantage of this unique resource, which promises to revolutionize the school food landscape and contribute to a healthier future for the nation's youth.

Posted in News and tagged News, Life Time Foundation, School Meals, Green Onion, Urban School Food Alliance, USA
Bookmark the Permalink