If school cafeterias had salad bars, would children be more likely to eat their greens?

According to Whole Foods Market, implementing a salad bar in school is one of the fastest ways to create fresh food access to students. That’s why they’re sponsoring The Great American Salad Bar Project – a nationwide initiative that will provide healthy salad bars to at least one school in the communities surrounding each of their stores in the U.S.

Makes sense, but will kids want to eat salad when things like pizza, French fries, and ice cream are so easily within reach? With American youngsters at greater obesity-related risks than ever before, it may very well be worth finding out. And, since Baltimore’s urban agriculture movement is ostensibly booming, we’ve already got the greens in stock – we just need to get them into our schools.

You can help Whole Foods reach its goal by donating to Baltimore’s Harbor East store or by helping a school of your choice to apply for a grant, which will provide a portable 5-well salad bar, the necessary pan inserts, chilling pads and utensils, and training tools for school personnel. Grant applications will be accepted between September 1, 2010 and November 1, 2010. For more information, visit The Salad Bar Project website.

Image courtesy of Great Kids Farm.