Utah Moms For Healthier School Lunches

My Entry For the Kia Sorento Ultimate Road Trip Sweepstakes

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:20:00 +0000

I would take my kids up to Glacier National Park in Montana. It has been a place I have wanted to go to for many years and I would love to go there before the glaciers melt.

To enter yourself for the Ultimate Road Trip giveaway go here:

Win an HP Envy 13 with Wndows 7

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:42:00 +0000

Want to own a laptop worth $1899? The fashionable housewife is giving one away.

Go here to enter to win.

sponsored by HP: http://www.hp.com/

Sweet giveaway

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:24:00 +0000

I just entered to win a Disneyland trip for 4 from: http://www.sweetlifeinthevalley.com/ and http://www.outandaboutwiththefamily.com/

Farm2School

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:44:00 +0000

Update, Update. We are going forward with the Farm2School program in Utah. Meeting to be held Oct. 8th for all who are interested.

Perhaps I can win the Love Your Veggies award too!

Kiss my Face - kids line

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:58:00 +0000

Our household loves the Kiss my face product line. I started using it when mom worked at a health food store over 15 years ago.

They have come out with a kids line that can not wait to try. You can read reviews here: http://berriesweetpicks.blogspot.com/2008/11/kiss-my-what-my-face-of-course.html

In my endless quest to remain healthy...

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:36:00 +0000

I have been looking for a whole food, vegetarian vitamin.

Today I stumbled upon New Chapter Whole Food Supplements.
The supplements are from whole food, are certified organic by International Certification Services, Inc . There are no chemical isolates and no solvents used to extract the herbs.

Now I just need to get over the flu and get down to the store to buy them.

Business Idea featured in Salt Lake Tribune

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:33:00 +0000

http://www.sltrib.com/Salt%20Lake%20Tribune%20Home%20Page/ci_10736236

Elizabeth Dehart wants her children to be able to buy vending machine snacks - just not the kind that are loaded up with fat and sugar. Put off by the poor nutritional value of school lunches being served in the Jordan School District, the West Jordan mother of two decided last summer to take action and make a healthier cache of snacks available to youngsters. Her idea: to replace schools' vending machines with some of her own, stocked with healthy, organic foods. Instead of spending their pocket change on greasy potato chips, high sodium pretzels and gooey candy bars, students would have the option of buying natural cookies, granola bars, cold teas and fruit juices. "If I can get the machines into places, my goal is to not allow anything that has artificial colors or preservatives, trans fats or high fructose corn syrup," she said. Dehart's school-teacher mother raised her on straight-from-the garden fresh produce and health food store groceries - "she was kind of before her time in terms of the organic food movement." Her own 5-year-old daughter was born with eczema, an allergic condition that affects the skin. Only after Dehart changed her daughter's diet, taking out anything other than whole, natural foods, did her health improve. For Dehart, it was sufficient evidence that junk food was having
an impact on her children's lives. "There has also been links to hyperactivity [in children] with certain food additives and dyes," she said.

So in July, Dehart got her small business plan rolling on Ideablob.com. A place where aspiring entrepreneurs can pitch their ideas in a contest format, the Web site encourages online visitors to vote for the best new concepts. Dehart's plan won, earning her $10,000 - enough to buy three vending machines. But getting the equipment and making arrangements with Colorado-based United Natural Foods for the snacks was just the first step. Dehart said she's having difficulty getting the vending machines into schools, even as part of a pilot program, since most already have multiyear contacts with large corporations. And some of those corporations donate a portion of their proceeds back to the schools. "It is proving to be difficult. What I need are moms and the PTA [Parent Teacher Association] that are interested in convincing the schools that this would be a good idea," she said.

WITH MY WRONG CONTACT INFO. UGH

I'm back.

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:48:00 +0000

I bought my vending machines, have some wholesale vendors, and am waiting on some locations.
Wish me luck!

So I have been super busy ....

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:45:00 +0000

I'm trying to get a few vending machines. I have spoken with several vending companies and weighing their pros and cons.

It looks like I will be purchasing 3 new machines.

WORK, WORK, WORK. Who knew it wcould be so hard?

MY PRESS RELEASE - how cool is this

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:20:00 +0000

http://www.ideablob.com/posts/285

Utah Resident Wins National ideablob.com® Contest for July's Best Small Business Idea
Elizabeth Dehart is striving to eliminate obesity in the classroom; ideablob's $10,000 prize will help her start a vending company that provides organic snacks to school kids
http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/2776-Organic-Food-Vending-machines-f
SPRING HOUSE, Penn., August 11 , 2008 — Advanta Corp. (NASDAQ: ADVNB; ADVNA) announced today that Elizabeth Dehart of West Jordan, Utah is the July winner of ideablob.com’s monthly contest for the best small business idea, as voted on by the ideablob community.Dehart’s venture, Healthy Vending Solutions, seeks to offer children healthy, organic food options by making them available in school vending machines. Her initial goal is for kids to have access to healthy food alternatives in Salt Lake City area schools, and she hopes to expand the healthy vending machine concept to airports and hospitals throughout Utah and beyond.
“Have you ever been somewhere where your food choices were confined to starchy, fatty or sugary foods, when what you really want is a piece of fruit or something healthy?” asked Dehart. “That’s the problem I’m trying to solve. I would love for people – especially kids – to have healthy choices.”
Dehart, the mother of two young children, plans to use the $10,000 prize money to purchase vending machines and locate them in middle and high schools in the Salt Lake City area. She will begin by contacting several organic wholesalers.
“We’re pleased that our latest winner is someone who’s fighting a growing problem affecting so many children in the United States,” said Ami Kassar, Advanta’s Chief Innovation Officer. “The ideablob prize money will help launch her project and make a difference in her community and beyond.”

WOOHOO!!!

Check this out - blogging for blood cancer

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:19:00 +0000

http://www.friendsofheroes.org/blog
http://goodiesformom.blogspot.com/2008/08/we-are-blogging-for-blood-cancer.html

Pledge to vote and help me win a cruise

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:34:00 +0000

http://www.headcount.org/buttonpush.asp?pid=3864

DK mommy spot at it again

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:04:00 +0000

http://dkmommyspot.com/whole-foods-25-gift-card-giveaway/

Completely off topic ....

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:03:00 +0000

... but, check out the bloggy giveaways - win some cool stuff:
http://weirdstuffinmydesk.com/?p=133
http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=733
http://momgiveaways.com/50-amazon-gift-certificate-giveaway/
http://dkmommyspot.com/garden-of-eve-organic-skin-care-set-giveaway/
http://dkmommyspot.com/simply-neutral-house-cleaning-trio-giveaway/

It's official!!!!

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:47:00 +0000

I am a finalist fora 1 in 8 chance to win $10,000 to start my vending business.

Now comes the hard part, getting votes. I've been in touch with tons of local companies, media, my friends and family, etc.Now I jsut have to keep my fingers crossed and pray.

See idea here: http://ideablob.com/ideas/2776-Organic-Food-Vending-machines-f

I've also started a gather groups for organic food options in schools: http://organicschools.gather.com/

Jordan Valley School District is now hormone free

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:28:00 +0000

....... In the milk, that is. That is a start.

Today my outreach has included [url=http://www.farmtoschool.org/]FARM TO SCHOOL[/url] which provides healthy local produce to schools and some ot the [url=http://utahsown.utah.gov/]Utah's Own[/url] companies to see about sourcing local food for my vending machine business and to serve in to the students in general.

Hoping to start and organic vending program but I need startup money

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:59:00 +0000

See my idea here:

Utah kids don't have a choice

lizdehart75@gmail.com (Liz D) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:03:00 +0000

As a mom of 2 with the oldest about to begin kindergarten I have been researching Utah's public school lunch program.
The school district which my daughter will be attending has an "F" rating from Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine.

In my research of the the school lunch program I would have to agree with the rating.
There are no organic menu options and there are no milk substitutes available.

I understand it is primarily first and foremost the parents' responsibilty to provide healthy food choices.