U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has unveiled a plan to improve the health and well-being of America's children starting in the school cafeteria. In a speech before the National Press Club Tuesday in Washington, Secretary Vilsack outlined his plan, which relies heavily on strategies for increasing the consumption of healthy fruits and vegetables at school.

In the speech, the secretary highlighted tactics in an overall strategy to revamp USDA's child nutrition efforts. Included in these tactics was a call for Congress to increase the reimbursement rate for the National School Lunch Program, contingent upon the use of the increase to pay for an improvement in quality and in nutritional value in school meals. This tactic comes with the simultaneous expectation that school meals will improve with new USDA requirements emphasizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.

Secretary Vilsack also called for additional investments in cafeteria equipment, stating that many schools simply do not have the equipment in place to improve food selections.

"The reauthorization," the secretary said, "should...include funding to improve school kitchens so they can provide meals that meet the Dietary Guidelines and offer fresh fruits and vegetables."

Finally, the secretary spoke to the importance of putting healthy fruits and vegetables in front of kids in the cafeteria.

"We also need to be smarter about how we serve food," Vilsack said. "Steps as simple as putting the fresh fruit in a more prominent place in the cafeteria can help kids improve their eating habits."

On hand for the speech was a contingent from United Fresh that included Dr. Lorelei DiSogra, vice president of nutrition and health, Ray Gilmer, vice president of communications and Communications Manager Patrick Delaney.

"The secretary is saying all the right things," said Gilmer. "He clearly has a good understanding of the challenges associated with changing the nutrition patterns of young people in our schools. More fruits and vegetables in school meals will have lasting impact on childhood obesity and overall health.  It will require funding and proven strategies, such as our salad bar initiative, to change behaviors in any meaningful way."

Click here for a transcript or video of the secretary's address and for more on United’s child nutrition efforts, including the Salad Bar in Every School initiative, please click here.