AMARILLO, TEXAS -- Asthe rate of childhood obesity and diabetes climbs, we here at Pronews 7 are taking a closer look at what your kids are eating in school. Amarillo Independent School District says with a lot of research and guidelines they're fighting those climbing obesity rates, with a breakfast and lunch program designed to serve a balanced, nutritious meal, but also teach the kids good eating habits. AISD has an offer vs. service program offering kids a balanced, healthy, nutritious breakfast and lunch, but also giving them choices, which is key.

"We encourage kids to try to select a different variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and try different things every day so they can kind of broaden their horizons, so they'll eat more healthy balanced meals," said Brent Hoover AISD Child Nutrition Services.

"It's important for kids to have a nutritious meal because we know they're growing we want them to be active and healthy. So part of the way we keep our bodies health is through good nutrition, that's through a balanced meal with daily intake of all of our food groups," said Whitney Warminski, Northwest Texas Healthcare System  Registered Dietitian.

Here's just a short list of the choices given to kids eating at AISD schools.

- Celery Sticks

- Carrots

- Apples

- Oranges

- Bananas

- Mixed Vegetables

- Salads

- Chicken Nuggets

- Pizza on Whole Grain or Whole Wheat

- Chocolate Chip cookies: Reduced Fat

- 100% Juices

- Lowfat and Skim Milks

Back in November, we asked AISD to give us research on what the tops choices are that kids are eating and is it healthy. Here's what Pronews 7 found.

Mixed fruits are a popular choices, as well as pizza with over 20% of kids choosing it on a daily basis. Mashed potatoes are also popular. Lowfat chocolate milk ranks the highest with drinks with more than 50% of kids choosing it on a daily basis.

"We start with the U.S.D.A Food Guidelinesand then we also look at the student surveys and so we use that as a basis and then we start putting the menus together and each grade level has certain requirements so we look at that . We also have been looking at the healthier U.S. Gold Standards," said Hoover.

Hoover also said parents need to go to their website and print off their school menus for the week. Then, he encourages parents to sit down with their child and pick out what they're eating for that day. For links, click on the highlighted words.