Bistro Kids Partners with Treat America
MERRIAM, KS — Treat America Food Services announced today its alliance
with Bistro Kids™, the small but mighty company that has been steadily
transforming Kansas City school communities by “empowering, teaching,
and feeding as many students as possible, kid-friendly meals that are
healthy, seasonal, delicious and whenever possible, locally grown.”
William Pellien, Vice President of Treat America Dining Services,
described the partnership as “bringing Bistro Kids under our umbrella
of companies and furthering our mission to create healthy lifestyles
through nutrition.”
“Kiersten Firquain launched ‘Bistro Kids Farm 2 School Lunch Program’
in 2006, and has successfully maintained the three integral philosophies
she established at the onset,” said Pellien.“The first, to locally source
organic and all-natural foods; two, to provide nutrient rich, delicious
food choices to kids; and three, to deliver nutrition education
to school communities. The Bistro Kids program is exactly where
Treat America is focusing its school food programs, now teaching
kids more about the foods they eat, where they come from and why
healthy, fresh foods are so important.”
Bistro Kids has succeeded in making itself an integral partner with
schools, emphasizing a closer connection for students and their food.
“Students deserve the very best food we can afford to give them,
especially as their minds and bodies are still developing,”
said Firquain. “Bistro Kids works in the schools to provide hands-on
cooking classes and also takes kids out of the classroom to experience
local, organic farm operations,” she continued. “We’re helping to raise
a new generation of healthier and better-educated students.”
Through its partnership with Treat America, Firquain hopes to “seize
the opportunity to grow,” and serve healthy meals to as many children
as possible. Lining up solidly with Treat America’s operations and
corporate culture, “Bistro Kids is at the forefront of our wellness
initiatives,” said Pellien. “We see healthy, fresh foods as the primary
component to workplace and school food service.”
It’s no wonder that Treat America Food Services, a privately-held,
locally-owned Kansas City company, is taking some critical steps
in ensuring its products and services are aligned to shift populations
away from the alarming trend towards growing obesity levels.
According to the eighth annual F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens
America’s Future 2011, a report from the Trust for America’s
Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Missouri
was named the 11th most obese state in the country and Kansas was
named 16thon the list. Currently, Missouri’s adult obesity
rate is at 30.3 percent. And, just fifteen years ago, Kansas had an
obesity rate of 13.5 percent and was ranked the 36th most obese state
in the nation.
“We have a unique opportunity with our business to affect multiple
demographic segments with healthier, more nutritious food choices,”
said John Mitchell, Jr., CEO for Treat America Food Services.
“Within the businesses, schools and senior communities we serve,
Treat America is serving more than 100,000 people each day.
And, while our heritage is about culinary excellence, our
conversations with clients today are more about nutrition
and wellness – we’re influencing healthier lifestyles.”
Treat America recently launched Company Kitchen
(www.companykitchen.com), a turnkey solution to healthy work place
refreshment. Already operating in nearly 50 businesses,
Company Kitchen uses cashless kiosk technology, an open-market
structure, and is supported by a robust nutritional platform called
Daily Nutritional Analysis (DNA). Employees use DNA to set
personal nutritional goals and link data to their snack and
meal purchases in Company Kitchen.
