PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
Let's Celebrate!
Achieving Blue Zones Project® Approval takes everyone’s support. Congratulations to the following organizations for becoming Blue Zones Project recognized!
Schools
On Aug. 15, Poinciana Elementary School on becoming a Blue Zones ProjectApproved School! They are now the 10th school in Collier County to adopt healthy practices for their students and faculty. To become approved, Poinciana Elementary added an onsite garden where the students plant, grow and manage vegetables, fruits and herbs and they host regular events with their students and parents to get everyone moving naturally.
To become a Blue Zones Project Approved™ school, Immokalee Technical Collegeimplemented a punch card system in their cafeteria where students are rewarded with bonus items for choosing healthier food options. In addition, the cafeteria has offered healthy vending options and added fresh water refill stations to reduce plastic waste and encourage water consumption. Both students and staff members have also begun participating in exercise contests to encourage natural movement and healthy body mass index (BMI).
Restaurants
To become a Blue Zones Project Approved™ Restaurant, Sodexo began offeringoptions that adhere to the Blue Zones Project Healthy Dish Guidelines such as: whole grain and whole wheat grains, black bean burgers, veggie burgers, and spring and veggie rolls. In addition, Sodexo removed salt shakers from dining room tables, began offering light and full portion sizes, and added lemons and limes for flavoring water.
Sodexo took another innovative step by removing all sugar-sweetened beverages from the cafeterias. This led to an estimated 500 pounds of sugar not consumed each month. The cafeteria now highlights healthy options, the sales of which have offset the loss in sales of soda. In fact, after cafeteria redesign, Sodexo saw a 74 percent increase in vegetable sales and a 25 percent decrease in fried-food sales.
Organizations
To become Blue Zones Project recognized organizations Fairways Inn of Naplesand its sister hotel, Naples Park Central Hotel ensured that bike racks were available on property for their guests and staff, participated in Walking Moais, added healthy vending machines and planted a community garden onsite.
“Our hotels embarked on constructive steps to ensure that the well-being of our guests and staff is improved,” stated Maxine Mirowitz, co-owner of Naples Park Central Hotel and Fairways Inn of Naples. Implementing Blue Zones Project healthy practices aligns with our mission of supporting the health and vitality of our guests, staff, and the surrounding Naples community.”
