Salad Bars to Schools
Our vision is for every school in the United States to offer a salad bar as part of their meal program—ensuring every student, from elementary school through high school, has daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy proteins.
Salad Bars to Schools grants K–12 schools the equipment and technical assistance they need to successfully implement a salad bar.
The 2026 Salad Bars to Schools grant applications are open!
Salad Bars to Schools
Our vision is for every school in the United States to offer a salad bar as part of their meal program—ensuring every student, from elementary school through high school, has daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy proteins.
Salad Bars to Schools grants K–12 schools the equipment and technical assistance they need to successfully implement a salad bar.
The 2026 Salad Bars to Schools grant applications are open!
Salad bar equipment
Salad bar kits come with all the necessary parts to implement a salad bar during meal times. Kits include:
- Salad bar, including tray rails and sneeze guards
- Tongs
- Food pans
- Camchillers (to keep food cold)
These 6-foot-long, five-well salad bars are suitable for locations that serve at least 100 reimbursable meals per day.
Marketing Materials
Research shows that marketing your salad bar(s) is important for increasing students’ fruit and vegetable consumption.
All schools can download and print our eye-catching marketing materials to boost participation at your salad bar. Grantees receive professionally printed materials as part of their grant package.
- Salad Bar Sign
- How to Use Your Salad Bar Poster
- Salad Bar Sustainability Hints and Tips Poster (Elementary School Level)
- Salad Bar Sustainability Hints and Tips Poster (Middle and High School Level)
- Local Procurement Labeling Cards to identify food items as School Garden Grown, Locally Grown, or Harvest of the Month
- I Ate a Rainbow Sticker to encourage students to select diverse colors of fruits and vegetables
Staff Training
Grantees receive two free enrollments for our School Food Institute’s Salad Bars in Schools self-paced online course.
Plan for Success
- Determine where you will locate your salad bar. Designate a location before the point of sale (POS) in a central, visible location that fits in the natural flow of the lunch line. This ensures that all students are encouraged to make daily salad bar selections, and it is part of the reimbursable meal offering.
- Come up with a procurement plan. How will you need to adjust your purchasing practices to keep the salad bar well-stocked with fresh, appealing produce? See our procurement guide for support.
- Get inspired with composed salad recipes. Check out our composed salad bar recipes to plan for delicious salads students will love. Plus, this is a great way to begin scratch cooking!
- Train your staff. Assess your team’s skills and develop a training plan engage your team in this change and to build confidence. Check out our salad bar staff training resources.
Plan for Success
- Determine where you will locate your salad bar. Designate a location before the point of sale (POS) in a central, visible location that fits in the natural flow of the lunch line. This ensures that all students are encouraged to make daily salad bar selections, and it is part of the reimbursable meal offering.
- Come up with a procurement plan. How will you need to adjust your purchasing practices to keep the salad bar well-stocked with fresh, appealing produce? See our procurement guide for support.
- Get inspired with composed salad recipes. Check out our composed salad bar recipes to plan for delicious salads students will love. Plus, this is a great way to begin scratch cooking!
- Train your staff. Assess your team’s skills and develop a training plan engage your team in this change and to build confidence. Check out our salad bar staff training resources.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a Salad Bars to Schools grant, schools must:
- Participate in the National School Lunch Program
- Offer the salad bar as part of the reimbursable meal
- Run a self-operated food service department, not managed by a food service management company
- Serve K–12 students with an enrollment of at least 100
- Have the food services director be involved in applying, with verification form support from the superintendent
Eligibility
To be eligible for a Salad Bars to Schools grant, schools must:
- Participate in the National School Lunch Program
- Offer the salad bar as part of the reimbursable meal
- Run a self-operated food service department, not managed by a food service management company
- Serve K–12 students with an enrollment of at least 100
- Have the food services director be involved in applying, with verification form support from the superintendent
Application Cycle & Funding Process
Schools and districts can apply to Salad Bars to Schools grants on a rolling basis any time throughout the year. The number of salad bar grants available each year depends on funding availability.
- After schools or districts submit a complete application, the applicant will receive confirmation that their application is on the salad bar applicant list, ready to be considered during the funding round.
- We issue grants once per year between May and June.
- Schools or districts that were selected to receive a salad bar grant package(s) are notified by email.
- Schools or districts not selected will be notified by email and will invited to renew their application the following year.
- We consider the length of time a school or district has been on our salad bar applicant list when reviewing renewed applications.
Note: Starting in 2026, schools or districts must renew their application annually to remain on the Salad Bar Applicant List.
Application Cycle & Funding Process
Schools and districts can apply to Salad Bars to Schools grants on a rolling basis any time throughout the year. The number of salad bar grants available each year depends on funding availability.
- After schools or districts submit a complete application, the applicant will receive confirmation that their application is on the salad bar applicant list, ready to be considered during the funding round.
- We issue grants once per year between May and June.
- Schools or districts that were selected to receive a salad bar grant package(s) are notified by email.
- Schools or districts not selected will be notified by email and will invited to renew their application the following year.
- We consider the length of time a school or district has been on our salad bar applicant list when reviewing renewed applications.
Note: Starting in 2026, schools or districts must renew their application annually to remain on the Salad Bar Applicant List.
Apply Now
The 2026 Salad Bars to Schools grant applications are open! Submit an application today. Applications close on March 31, 2026.
If you have any questions, please contact saladbargrant@chefannfoundation.org.
Apply Now
The 2026 Salad Bars to Schools grant applications are open! Submit an application today. Applications close on March 31, 2026.
If you have any questions, please contact saladbargrant@chefannfoundation.org.
