Students at Pierce Middle School now have healthier options at lunchtime! Thanks Whole Foods! (who provided a grant). And thanks also to the work of the food service staff of the Milton Public Schools.

From left: The MPS Food Service Intern from Framingham State University, Lauren Casale, MPS Food Service Director Jacqueline Morgan, cafeteria employees Lessie Spann, Judith Hunkler, Marika Varnerin, and Manager Connie Catinella.

The fruit and vegetable cart was unveiled last week, after Milton received a $3,000 grant from the supermarket chain. The grant was suggested to Milton Public Schools grant writer Chris Masalsky by Jen Erbe Leggett, a Milton parent who noticed the Salad Bars 2 Schools campaign in the Dedham location. Pierce was notified in mid-February that it had received the grant.

“Having this piece of equipment will encourage our students to take more fruits and vegetables with their lunch,” said Jacqueline Morgan, director of the Food Services for the Milton Public Schools. “The children were very excited to see this in the cafeteria and have already begun to take advantage of the healthy offerings.”

Ms. Morgan said the food service workers at Pierce Middle School have been extremely supportive of this new option and have worked to incorporate it into the lunch program for nearly 850 students every day.

The Whole Foods grant is part of an effort to support salad bars in schools in order to provide healthy fruits and vegetables every day. Milton Public Schools were among 300 school districts nationwide to have received a free salad bar. For more information about this program, visit http://saladbars2schools.org/