During my educational path to becoming a registered dietitian, I completed an internship rotation working with a school foodservice registered dietitian, Jim. I remember thinking Jim was a. one of the most enthusiastic, energetic people I had ever met and b. he never slept. Why? Because school foodservice professionals, especially those making the big decisions, have to make sure our children are well-fed for learning— all while balancing budgets, managing staff, meeting regulations, etc. etc. One thing I admired the most about Jim was he didn’t shy away from getting the kids [especially the high school students] to try new foods. Farro was one food that was new to the students [and me] while working with Jim.
Ted and Joey don’t just have Jim to thank for Mom getting crafty and sentimental in the kitchen with this farro vegetable salad. Recently, I was invited by Produce for Kids to share with you their awesome campaign in partnership with Meijer to help raise funds for a program called Jump with Jill. Jump with Jill helps bring awareness of nutrition and health to school age children through music! So really, it’s because of Jim and Jill I made this recipe. And the Produce for Kids campaign that brought back sweet memories for me of someone that is STILL impacting the lives of students through healthy food [Jim].
Look for the @produceforkids signage in your local @Meijer & learn how you can help support @JumpwithJill Click To Tweet
- Dressing:
- Zest of one lemon
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of black peppe
- Salad:
- ¼ cup basil leaves, chopped
- 2 cups of farro, cooked
- 1 cup of NatureSweet Cherubs, sliced in half
- 1 cup of yellow squash, sliced into one-inch rounds
- 1 cup of zucchini, sliced into one-inch rounds
- 1 cup of baby carrots, roughly chopped
- Olive oil, as needed
- For the dressing, combine the lemon zest, juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Whisk until combined.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the same bowl. Stir to combine.
- Serve immediately. The salad can be stored in your refrigerator. Be sure to stir before serving [and add extra olive oil if needed].
The Produce for Kids campaign is supported by the participating fresh fruit and vegetable companies below.
If you purchase products from one of these sponsors you’ll be directly helping to support nutrition education in schools! Oh and feeding your family some healthy food. Sounds too good to be true, right?! Don’t worry— you don’t have to memorize the brands. Just be on the lookout for the Produce for Kids logo near the fresh produce section at all Meijer stores. The campaign is ON and will be running through June 27th.
I hope my boys have people like Jim and Jill in their school [gosh, I can’t believe I’m already thinking about school for them!!] teaching them that healthy eating is FUN and delicious.
For more information about Produce for Kids and their Jump with Jill campaign, visit their website or find them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Need some recipe inspiration to try use one of these products? Visit the recipe section of the Produce for Kids website. Or try my farro vegetable salad. You won’t be disappointed!
Thanks for sharing this and getting involved! School nutrition is SO important, but, sadly, often overlooked. I got involved w/ my kids elementary school to bring in a healthy school lunch vendor, and it’s been great, but now my daughter is going in to high school and my son will be starting middle school, and the school lunches they serve are of very poor quality 🙁 Your farro salad looks delicious-I’d love to make a gluten-free version w/ sorghum. Yum!
Gosh it’s an uphill battle am I right?! Kudos to you for making changes and being a positive role model. If only we had all the resources in the world to make food a priority along with education in schools!! It’s not an easy job!
Love this campaign! Anything to get nutrition focused in schools is awesome!
Agreed Kristy! PFK does a great job with that!
This salad looks so delicious! I love all of the fun colors
It was so easy to make!! And hand held for kids!
Loved reading about Jim because school lunch programs need so much help – he sounds like a gem!!! Thanks for sharing about this program, very inspirational. I just love Produce For Kids and all they do. This recipe is amazing, and something I would eat regularly. I may just have to make some for lunches this week 😉
(Ps…I love following you on Facebook and love your blog even more 🙂 )
Thank you so much Aggie!! You inspire me– all your work and family recipes. Your blog along with a few others really got me into blogging. So THANK YOU and I’m love that we have connected!