Saffron Road Partners with Whole Kids Foundation to Help Support and Fund Organization’s Annual Garden Grant Program
Stamford, CT (July 19, 2022) – Leading clean-label world cuisine brand, Saffron Road, is proud to announce their partnership with Whole Kids Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Whole Foods Market dedicated to improving children’s nutrition and overall wellness by supporting schools, inspiring families and children to make healthier food choices, specifically in support of its annual Garden Grant Program.
This Program offers schools financial support of edible, food and nutrition focused education by turning outdoor spaces into powerful hands-on learning gardens that connect kids with the foods they eat, sparking their curiosity, and supporting classroom curriculum. It also increases access to and consumption of fresh foods at school and inspires families to prepare and share these foods at home. Research shows that outdoor and action-oriented learning engages children and that students who participate in gardening, nutrition, and cooking classes eat more fruits and vegetables than they did previously.
Saffron Road will donate a portion of its sales generated at Whole Foods Market from August 17th to September 20th in the amount of $21,000 to the Garden Grant Program, which will go toward up to 7 schools that are selected as grant recipients. As a brand committed to providing consumers with premium, healthy and wholesome meals and snacks that embody clean + whole nutrition, Saffron Road is proud to align themselves with Whole Kids Foundation’s mission to support families and schools in bettering nutrition and wellness for children.
Adnan Durrani, Founder and CEO of Saffron Road, says, “Educating the next generation about nutritious, whole ingredients is critically important to our country’s health and our future. It’s a core value of our Journey to Better® mission at Saffron Road, using only real, whole ingredients in our meals and snacks, to make nutritious food more accessible to all American households. Yet, the typical elementary student receives less than four hours of nutrition education each year. That’s why our team at Saffron Road is honored to work with Whole Kids Foundation and school communities dedicated to growing healthy kids. By contributing to their hands-on school garden initiative, we are providing our nation’s youth with impactful opportunities to learn about fresh foods, inspiring them to make healthier choices, and creating a valuable connection to the foods they eat.”
The Garden Grant Program is one of Whole Kids Foundation’s longest-running grant programs and has provided more than $15,500,000 in grants, with 7,018 school gardens granted, connecting kids to real food. In addition to the Garden Grant Program, Whole Kids Foundation works to provide schools with salad bars through their partnership with Salad Bars to Schools; educational beehives in partnership with The Bee Cause Project; and cooking/nutrition education for school teachers and staff.
“The more kids experience that real food grows from a seed, the more curious they become about how things taste, and the more willing they are to try other vegetables,” said Nona Evans, Executive Director of Whole Kids Foundation. “Through our strong partnership with Saffron Road who share our passion for improving children's nutrition and wellness, the Garden Grant program can continue to thrive. Together, we are able to help schools and nonprofits create powerful hands-on learning spaces that connect kids with food, encourage meaningful learning experiences, and inspire life-long healthy eating habits.”
Garden Grant recipients will be notified in August of this year, and packages will arrive in September.
ABOUT SAFFRON ROAD
Saffron Road is a leading brand in the natural and organic food industry, offering a wide range of products from frozen entrées and shelf-stable meals to simmer sauces and plant-based protein snacks. All Saffron Road Products are Halal-certified by IFANCA and are available in more than 25,000 retail locations in the U.S. Saffron Road is a socially responsible brand on a mission of collective progress for the betterment of humanity, by inspiring, connecting and respecting global citizens through a shared love of ethical World Cuisines. With Saffron Road, explore international cuisines that combine bold flavors from around the world with high quality, wholesome ingredients which are better for the environment, better for the farmers, better for the animals, better for your health, and most all better tasting. Saffron Road. Journey to Better® *According to SPINS/IRI data, in 2021 and the latest 2022 period, Saffron Road is the #1 single serve entrée brand in the Natural Animal Protein sector nationally.
ABOUT WHOLE KIDS FOUNDATION
Whole Kids Foundation supports schools and inspires families to improve children’s nutrition and wellness. Founded by Whole Foods Market in 2011, the independent, nonprofit organization is based in Austin, Texas, and serves schools and organizations in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. For more information on the Foundation’s school programs including school gardens, salad bars, beehives, and nutrition education for teachers, visit wholekidsfoundation.org. For ongoing news and updates, follow Whole Kids Foundation on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
