In the La Joya Independent School District, they're proving that kids may be more willing to eat healthy foods than you'd think. Elementary kids choose fresh chef salads off the serving line each day, eat hamburgers on whole wheat buns without complaint and happily munch on baked chips because they like these items.

The menu make-over began a few years ago when Child Nutrition Services Director Patsy Ramirez and her assistant Sonia Carnes decided to tap into the national trend toward healthier food. A registered dietitian, Ramirez began looking for ways to improve school nutrition.

When fast food restaurants began heavily promoting salads on their menus, Ramirez thought the time might be right for the district's cafeterias to do the same. "If they can do it, so can we," she said.

The salads were a hit.

"It's not something I would have tried years ago," said Ramirez, who has been with the district nine years. "I never would have thought something like that would work with the kids."

Part of Ramirez's success can be attributed to the fact that she and two other staff dietitians carefully evaluate foods before they are introduced.

"At the same time, we want to serve items that they're going to accept," said Ramirez. "That's the key. It's being able to provide kid-friendly foods that are also healthy for them."

Ramirez follows up on those choices with student surveys to make sure the kids like what she's serving. She even analyzes "plate waste" (what the kids toss away) to see if the menu item can be improved.

"It's constant evaluation of your program, of what you're offering your kids, the acceptability and the quality of the product," said Ramirez.

There are more improvements to come.

"We're not done yet. We introduce changes gradually, work with the personnel to make sure we get the products that we want and prepare them the way that we want in order to provide good quality food for the kids."