Coles & Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation team up

More than 2,000 schools and early childhood settings around Australia will benefit from a new three-year partnership between Coles and the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, with children gaining access to a food education program that helps them develop a healthy relationship with food, self-confidence and life skills.

 

Approximately 250,000 children and their families are reached through the program each year, with the education-based food program aiming to make healthy eating second nature for children by making it fun for them to grow, harvest, prepare and share fresh, seasonal and delicious food. 

 

As well as the ongoing financial support Coles is donating 10 cents from the sale of a selection of Coles salads to the Foundation. Coles Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Ronson said the partnership was founded on “a mutual desire to help Australian families lead healthier and happier lives.”

 

“The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program teaches children to prepare, enjoy and love fresh healthy food, which is something we too are passionate about at Coles. We want to inspire our customers and bring them on the fabulous food journey by helping expand the program and ensure it reaches more families across Australia,” she said.

 

Commenting on the partnership, Ms Alexander said she is delighted about an opportunity to “bring our fresh food philosophy beyond the school gate and further reach and engage families and communities; together with Coles we want to encourage Australians to enjoy food in the most healthy and sustainable way.” 

 

To compliment the partnership, Coles has launched the Coles Fresh 5 Challenge, a brand-new national healthy eating program aimed at Australian children. Endorsed by the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, the challenge helps parents motivate children to eat a nutritious balanced diet by helping them track the amount of vegetables, grains, calcium, fruit and protein they consume each day on a specially-designed placemat chart that makes a mealtime game of healthy eating.

 

The placemats can be collected at all Coles supermarkets, or may be printed here.