Hawaiʻi public school cafeterias statewide offered students a fresh, locally grown rainbow salad with lunch this January, highlighting the Department’s continued commitment to farm-to-school efforts and student wellness. The colorful salad featured locally sourced lettuce, cucumbers, watercress and tomatoes, as available, along with carrots and purple cabbage.

Approximately 5,400 pounds of local produce — including 3,300 pounds of lettuce, 2,000 pounds of tomatoes and 100 pounds of cucumbers — were distributed to 100 participating schools across the state.

At Kohala High School and Kohala Elementary School on the northern tip of Hawaiʻi Island, students enjoyed the vibrant salad alongside a familiar lunch favorite: pepperoni pizza. While the classic entrée was a crowd-pleaser, the fresh vegetables also earned positive reviews from students.

“I thought that the salad was really good and I think everyone should like it,” said Kohala Elementary School third grader Macklin Loo. “It’s good for you because it gives you a lot of nutrients.”

“I liked how it had purple cabbage and carrots inside,” added fellow third grader Aliana Perez.

Kohala High School students echoed similar sentiments.

“I thought it was really good, especially since it’s fresh and it’s from local vendors, and that’s really important for us to have in school,” said ninth grader Haley Pimentel. “You can really taste the freshness.”

Another ninth grader, Kazlyn Matsu, agreed. “It’s really good. It tastes fresh — not like the type of salads that are pre-made in bags in stores.”

The initiative is part of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education’s farm-to-school program, which supports food sustainability in Hawaiʻi and aligns with Act 175’s goals to improve student health while strengthening the local agricultural economy.

“I think we should be sourcing locally as much as possible because it supports our local farmers and the local economy,” said Kohala High School Food Services Manager Indigo Mathewson. “The food is fresher and more nutritious, and not everyone has access to meals like this every day. Exposing students to healthy foods early on is important, and I think we’re on the right track.”

In addition to the monthly special salad, beginning this school year Hawaiʻi public schools also have the option to offer fresh salad entrées throughout the year as an alternative to the standard lunch entrée. Options include Chinese chicken salad, protein snack box, chicken Caesar salad, chef salad and taco salad. These salads are made fresh at each school and feature local produce when available, such as lettuce, won bok, cucumbers, green cabbage, tomatoes and beef.

Hawaiʻi public schools are among the state’s largest institutional food consumers, serving more than 100,000 student meals each day. The Department continues to collaborate with local vendors statewide to expand the regular use of fresh, locally grown produce in school cafeterias.