Purpose/Objectives: Food discarded in school meal programs diminishes opportunities to nourish students and intensifies waste management burdens. Whole fruit waste poses problems in elementary school cafeterias in particular. Offering self-serve sliced fruits in bulk may increase the amount consumed and decrease food waste on a school level. This assessment quantified differences in the amounts of apple consumed and amounts of apple wasted when elementary students were offered whole apples vs. sliced apples in bulk on school salad bars. Methods: Two elementary schools (Grades Pre-K through Grade 5) in the same district, each with a student population >460, were selected. At two time points spanning two years, both schools offered whole apples with lunch on self-serve school salad bars for three consecutive days. At two other time points, similar lunch menu items were offered, but sliced apples in a pan replaced whole apples on the salad bar for three days. For each of the 12 lunch sessions, the weight of apple discarded was subtracted from the weight of apple taken from the salad bar to calculate overall weight of apple consumed. Analysis was conducted using t-tests with significance set at a p value of [less than or equal to] 0.05. Results: When offered sliced apples, students who took apples from the salad bar collectively consumed 2.48 times more apple by weight compared to when whole apples were offered (p [less than or equal to] 0.001). Those students discarded nearly three (2.92, p [less than or equal to] 0.05) times as much apple waste by weight when offered whole apples vs. sliced apples. Application to Child Nutrition Professionals: Offering self-serve sliced apples in bulk on salad bars increases apple consumption and reduces whole apple waste. Foodservices should consider operational efficiencies and productivity when offering sliced fruit as a waste reduction strategy.