Midway Intl. First to Champion Children's Health

July 11, 2013
Midway International Airport is first airport to launch national initiative with nutritious partnership between Healthy Fare for Kids and Premier Restaurant Group


CHICAGO – The term airport food will have a new meaning starting today when Healthy Fare for Kids lands at Midway International Airport, bringing healthier meal options for children to more than 9 million passengers that pass through their concourses each year.


“An airport is a great place to reach children where there are few options for healthy food,” said Diane Schmidt, President and Founder of Healthy Fare for Kids, a local parent and health educator, who started the initiative with two-time James Beard award winner, Chef Sarah Stegner, co-owner and co-chef of the Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook, Illinois, and Carol Wagoner, holistic nutritional consultant.

“We ask chefs to use antibiotic-free meat and poultry, whole grains, local produce and to prepare foods that are lower in fat and sugar,” said Stegner. “And above all, we ask for a smaller portion size for the kids.”

Healthy Fare for Kids (www.healthyfareforkids.com) is partnering with Premier Restaurant Group,
(www.maconemidway.com), a concession management company operating 16 foodservice units at Midway International Airport, to bring certified Healthy Fare for Kids meals to its venues. “All of us in the Premier family are honored to join Healthy Fare for Kids in their quest to ensure that our youngest guests enjoy nutritious and tasty meals,” said Timothy J. Rand, CEO of the Premier Restaurant Group.
The Healthy Fare for Kids logo will identify the nutritious meals at Midway Airport and initially will be a halfsandwich of antibiotic-free turkey on whole wheat bread, grapes and an organic milk box. These meals will be available at coolers located in Barista Express, Get Snacked, Landings, Let Them Eat Cake, Millers Pub,
Manny’s Deli, Manny’s Express, Dot Com, Oak Street Beach, Miller’s Pub and Tuscany Café. Plans are
underway for additional menu items.
Healthy Fare for Kids began as a community initiative in December 2011, asking chefs and restaurateurs to
offer at least one healthy and delicious meal for children on their menus, according to their nutritional
guidelines. Many notable chefs and restaurateurs are participating in Healthy Fare for Kids including Paul
Virant, Rick Bayless, Bruce Sherman, Helen Cameron and Sean Sanders, as well as a wide variety of
restaurants throughout Chicago. In March, the Shedd Aquarium and its food service provider, Sodexo, began
their partnership with Healthy Fare for Kids. The belief is that the Healthy Fare for Kids logo will be
memorable and start discussions with families on nutritious eating, and that as families continue to see the
logo, it’s message will begin to change eating behaviors.
“Our goal is to help children, from all over America, make the connection between what they eat, how they
feel and the healthy benefits of nutritionally rich foods.” said Schmidt. “By serving Healthy Fare for Kids
meals, Premier Restaurant Group is helping us reach that goal.”