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Souplantation / Sweet Tomatoes makes it to D.C

It has been my recent dream to go to the White House and meet Michelle Obama and gab with her. Ironically, we at Souplantation / Sweet Tomatoes were contacted by the International Corporate Chefs Association (ICAA) to give, not me, but someone I am close to, that dream. The ICAA have joined together for the first time with White House Chef Sam Kass to launch an initiative to help educate the next generation of kids about healthy eating.  Our culinary services manager, Michael Schwanemann (who also provides yummy recipes on this blog), has been asked to be part of this exciting program.

The White House announced the “Chefs Move to Schools” program, run through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program will pair chefs with interested schools in their communities so together they can create healthy meals that meet the schools’ dietary guidelines and budgets, while teaching young people about nutrition and making balanced and healthy choices.  With more than 31 million children participating in the National School Lunch Program and more than 11 million participating in the National School Breakfast Program, good nutrition at school is more important than ever.

The chefs that had the pleasure of attending had the fun of going on the White House grounds, visit the White House garden, hear the First Lady (and other celebrity speakers) speak in person, and have the experience of being part of the launch of an exciting new initiative.   Souplantation / Sweet Tomatoes  is excited to be a part of this program and for Mike to be representing the company this week.

I am so happy for Mike! I asked him to come back with many photos so I can live my dream through his visit. Hopefully we can report on his visit soon and our upcoming program with Chefs to Move School. Stay tuned!

Mike is there right now!!! here are some photos he just sent minutes ago!!

64 thoughts on “Souplantation / Sweet Tomatoes makes it to D.C”

  1. It would be great if your company would open restaurants in “food deserts”, places were there is little healthy food to eat. The PBS nightly news ran a segment on this issue and the White House is aware of it, especially with respect to childhood obesity. While it may be a challenge for a traditional franchise, the project might qualify for Federal support and certainly the publicity would not hurt. In the end though, it would be a good thing to do.

    Thanks and if you want to discuss, feel free to contact me.

    Dan Kagan PhD

    1. Strawberries, blueberries, and mulberries are my favorite berries. I have a mulberry tree that is producing.

  2. Sweet Tomatoes is my favorite place to take my twin grand daughters for lunch. They are learning to eat healthy. They love berries and can sample them in several of the different menu items offered this summer. Their favorite berries are raspberry, blueberry and strawberry.

  3. It would be beneficial for Sweet Tomatoes to offer your menus to some school districts in your areas.

  4. Berry month, YUM! Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are my favorites! With all the restaurants in Vegas we still love Sweet Tomatoes the best!

  5. We don’t need the Food Police to tell us what to eat. I love to eat healthy but freedom means people can eat what they want and we don’t need the government telling us what to do.

    1. The government may provide encouragement, suggestions and unbiased information, but the beauty of this nation is that we are blessed with freedoms, including the freedom of food choice. Thanks to Sweet Tomatoes for giving us so many delicious choices!

  6. Loving that black, raspberries, and blue berries are available here in Tucson as part of
    Berry Berry Month.

    Sandy Mason

  7. so excited for the strawberry salads,
    Faves are Strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry- Love it!

  8. Gooseberries are surprisingly good if you sugar them down enough to damp down the tartness. Raspberries are to die for. Love, love, love blackberries!

  9. Just love, love, love Sweet Tomatoes. It is my favorite place. Love strawberries, blueberries, raspberries etc. mostly all berries. Especially like your strawberry salad, and blueberry muffins.

  10. Strawberries, Cranberries, Black Berry,
    My favorite menu item is your wild blueberry muffins! I love them!!!

  11. rasberries, bananas, boisenberries, mangoes, blackberries,cranberries,apples
    we love berries, and mixtures of fruit, fruit,fuits and vegetables and grains
    we love to eat at the salad bar; i.e. soupplantation
    we love nutritious food
    moogli tai, rhett, antonio, cowboy, tigre, che-anna, violets in the bouquet, moonshadow, poppyauora, franklin-bernstein our babies AND OUR BEARS

  12. Lingonberries – for the Swedes out there…my personal favorite is the raspberry, and the humble blueberry in muffins is still my favorite thing at Sweet Tomatoes! I always have at least two when we go!

  13. love, Love, LOVE Berry Month at Souplantation!!! The Strawberry Fields salad is out of this world delicious, and the wild blueberry muffins are a perennial fave. Thank you for celebrating my family’s favorite type of summer fruit!

    Kudos to you all for being part of the Chefs Move to Schools program!! This is a great idea whose time has come. I feel that kids need to learn about nutritious food choices and be offered good, fresh fruits & veggies as part of their daily meals. I honor and salute you for your participation in this important program!

    Actually, I’ve been taking my children to Souplantation since they were in high chairs — they are now in college, and introducing a whole new group of friends to the wonderful foods you offer!!! So much better than the dining halls on campus! 😉

  14. Good sweet blackberries I think are my favorite, it’s hard to say I also like strawberries and blueberries. Can’t get enough of your strawberry muffins. Ever consider adding a milkshake mixer in the dessert area as well as whipped creme; would be great to have berries for shakes and sundaes.

  15. Cherries, blackberries, strawberries!

    And quit being the food police!!! GEEEZ!!! LOL if I want to eat chemicals all day long and feed tater tots to my children three meals a day, seven days a week and grow my ass to the size of the Goodyear Blimp then that’s my right as an American!!!! Quit policing my giant ass!!!

  16. I LOVE Wild Maine Blueberry Muffins, Strawberry Buttermilk Muffins, and
    Sugar Free Strawberry Mousse.

    Souplantation is wonderful!

  17. My husband and I go to Sweet Tomatoes quite regular.We love the salads and deserts.We go to the one in Altamonte Springs Fl. It’s so close we never have to enter the main highway.It’s so convenient.
    So glad you are here and close by.
    I love the berries and walnuts the best.My favorite of all is the greek salad. I could eat a whole plate full.Your cream cheese and orange cake was scrumptious. I ate 2 soup bowls full with ice cream.Yum Yum Yum!
    We are retired and enjoy your restaurant.It is so clean and friendly too. We go so often most of the waitresses know us by our 1st names. It’s a nice warm friendly family restaurant.
    We had company a few weeks ago and took them to Sweet Tomatoes.The man said he never tasted such great minestroni soup. They are from Austin Tx.
    Yours Truly Mabel Adams

  18. I love strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Also my favorite menu of this berry month is the strawberry fields tossed salad!

  19. Sugar-Free Strawberry Mousse, Strawberry Fields w/Carmelized Walnuts, & Sweet Strawberry Butter 🙂 MMMMMMMMmmmmmm……soooooooo Good!!!!!

  20. Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette is a good choice for salads. Favorite berrys include strawberrys, blackberrys, and blueberrys. Dinner time 🙂

  21. The strawberry muffins are great, I like stawberries, blackberries and raspberries 🙂 I love sweet tomatoes its my favorite place to eat out!!!!

  22. My favorite berries are raspberries because they are just the right mix of sweet and tart. Too bad they are so expensive in the grocery store — now if I could just grow them in my yard. And you can never go wrong with blueberries and strawberries. Those are three fruits my kids never refuse. Thanks for the fun promotion. Our two kids (and one on the way) love Sweet Tomatoes and so do we!

  23. My favorite item that includes berries would be the blueberry muffins – you can’t go wrong with a classic. My mom, grandmother and myself have had so many wonderful memories and moments shared while eating and enjoying one anothers company. Thanks Sweet Tomatoes!

  24. My favorite berries are raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, and i love them in a trifle. My favorite berry recipe is the strawberry apple cobbler, Yummy! My family and I LOVE Sweet Tomatoes!
    Thanks
    Shannon

  25. WE LOVE your fresh, clean and refreshing salads, my husband goes for the SOUP and
    I always have the CHILI regardless of what else you offer. At our old age we need the
    salads and less meat—however I always go for the tuna pasta dish that i enjoy. Bring
    on more of those delicious LEMON muffins–they were the best.

  26. We LOVE your fresh, clean and refreshing salads. My husband always goes for the SOUP and I
    always have the CHILI regardless of what soup you offer. At our old age we need the salads and less meat–however, I enjoy the tuna pasta. Bring on more of those LEMON muffins–delicious!!
    They are # 1 in my book!!

  27. PLEEEAAASE come to DC, we desperately need you here. I’ll even drive over to VA if I have to 🙂 Or, let me franchise.

    1. I second that emotion. We seldom get to use our coupons on the East Coast U.S. Sweet Tomatoes is only in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. I hunt them down and have eaten there in Florida and Kansas City, MO. Please bring some to the DC Metro area. They are truly “one of a kind” restaurants. Information on Franchising would be helpful too. Thanks.

  28. Mr S. i’ve been mostly vegan for since everyone in my family has had or died of heart disease. Everyone said it was heredity? I said it was lifestyle and i’ve lowed my cholesterol to 145 through diet and exercise and never a supplement. I recently sold my chain of health clubs and would love to help fight the fight. As very few people have the passion, knowledge,and motivation to get anyone moving more and eating more whole foods with a sparkle in my eye. I would love to speak with you about adding more value to your mission. Most people spend all there health trying to get there wealth and then they try spend all there wealth to get there health back? Sometimes it works and sometime it doesn’t. I would also like to talk with you about using Soup Plantation as a learning ground! Thanks

  29. Mrs. P-
    My family and I were invited to dinner to Sweet Tomatoes in Orlando for the first time. My husband and I were surprisingly amazed at the menu and the fresh produce that was offered. We were extremely delighted and full when we left. Thanks for a wonderful dinning experience. Please come to Northern Virginia….we need you here!!!!! The cliental is abundant in Northern Virginia.

  30. I am originally from CA and LOVE Souplantation. I’ve been in VA for 10 years and hope and wish that Souplantation or Sweet Tomatoes can make it East to either Richmond or DC. Eating healthier is hitting huge right now in Richmond and there is nothing like Souplantation in VA. PLEASE consider coming out here:):).

  31. Take a look at Metuchen/Edison or Scotch Plains/Westfield NJ as a location for a Sweet Tomatoes. We REALLY need one here!!

  32. Please open a Sweet Tomatos in the DC area. I’d prefer Maryland; but, we’d love
    to be able to drive to one of you restaurants.

  33. Even though I haven’t lived in VA for years my family is still there. VA really needs Sweet Tomato restaurants as well as D.C.

  34. We are looking forward to seeing Sweetomatoes flourishing here in DC areas so that we enjoyed healthy buffets like we have in California.

  35. I’m originally from California but now live just outside of the D.C. Metro area in Waldorf, Maryland. What would it take to bring your restaurant to our area? I can’t imagine that it would generate anything less than stellar revenues not to mention provide the need for healthier options for American families living in this area. Would love to be involved in this expansion. Thanks for your consideration and keep up the fab work!

    1. Thank you for liking us so much, Michelle! We don’t currently have any expansion plans, but we will let you know when we do!

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