2 New Richmond Middle Schoolers Start Healthy Lunch Revolution

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Two western Wisconsin middle schoolers are doing something no adults have been able to tackle.

Makayla Langeness and Gaby Aune are getting their fellow students to eat their veggies.

The school year is winding down at New Richmond Middle School. A lot has changed -- especially in the cafeteria.

"Lunch was boring ... and now it's like a lot better," Aune said.

As part of a club that promotes wellness, they came up with the idea to reinvent the lunchroom experience, starting with a video they made for the entire school to promote the plan

"After the video we got a lot of feedback, and a lot of people were interested in it because they didn't like the packaged salads, so then we kind of just like took it step by step," Aune said.

They reconfigured the lunch lines, adding a colorful display, and lots and lots of choices.

"They can just pick what they want. They don't have to have the broccoli if they don't want it, they can choose what they want," Langeness said.

And students are choosing to eat salads. They sold 100 right off the bat. The staff here says before the health bar started, they would go through about 10 pounds of lettuce a week. Now they go through 10 pounds of lettuce a day.

"I admit I did not think it would be as popular as it has been," said Bobbie Guyette, supervisor of nutrition for the school district.

Guyette says she's proud students were the ones to figure out how to make health and happiness go hand in hand.

"Any way that we can menu something a little bit more creative to catch a students' eye, to bring them in, have them take that first bite and keep them coming back, we're definitely making an impact on student health," Guyette said.

The program has been so successful, the district hopes to start it in their middle school and use locally-grown veggies.