Whole Foods helps gets salad bars into some NYC schools

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Since 2004, New York City has championed healthy eating in schools by making healthy changes to school lunches like more fresh fruit and whole wheat pizza.

Now, the city is making school lunches even healthier.

Mayor Bloomberg announced salad bars will be on the menu at 57 additional schools in New York City, courtesy of supermarket giant Whole Foods.

"This is a gift that's going to keep on giving for years to come as thousands of our students learn to make healthier nutrition choices in their lives," Bloomberg said.

There are more than 1,000 salad bars already in city schools.

The mayor says over the past five years the obesity rate among elementary and middle school children is down 5.5 percent.

"This gift is going to keep us continue that vital trend and help us reach our goal of installing salad bars in all schools by 2015," Bloomberg adds.

And schools all across the nation are now making healthy changes required by law. It's all part of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act championed by the First Lady and signed into law by President Obama back in 2010.

The new nutrition guidelines are now officially in effect, which means new changes for the upcoming school year.

Schools nationwide will offer fruits and vegetables every day.

More whole grains, less saturated fat, trans fat and sodium.

And limit calories based on age .

The next challenge is getting kids to eat the healthy foods.

Also in New York City, for the first time, schools will now offer organic yogurt to the students.

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