Every Friday, I get to throw on an apron, play lunch lady, and feed 100 elementary school kids lunch.

Through my internship at the Vetri Foundation for Children, I am involved in a program that is flipping the scene depicted above on its head. Our 'Eatiquette' program focuses on healthy, from scratch, family style school lunch - it's truly a cafeteria makeover.

Once a week at Community Partnership School in Northwest Philadelphia, I work with chef Maria to give students a tastier, healthier, and happier lunchroom environment. She puts me to work, peeling, slicing, and chopping the fresh ingredients that will make up the days menu. Last Friday we served turkey burgers, roasted potatoes with thyme, tossed greens with carrots, and fresh oranges for dessert. I sliced close to 30 fresh tomatoes for the burgers, cut 50 oranges into wedges, and tossed the greens with the mustard-herb dressing. Maria had mixed and shaped the ground turkey and herbs and prepped the potatoes the day before.

When the pre-K and Kindergarten kids came down for the 1st lunch period, we loaded up rolling carts with platters of burgers, and bowls of salad and roasted potatoes. The 'table captains' came into the lunchroom first. They are responsible for setting the table, filling up the cups with water, and bringing the plates of food to their tables. And they get to wear chef's coats. A kindergartner in a mini white chef coat is arguably cuter than a puppy.

Once the tables are set the rest of the kids file in and sit down and chef Maria announces the menu.  There are 'oooos' as she mentions each item, and enthusiastic cheers and applause follow "fresh oranges for dessert." In unison the kids say, "Thaaaaank you chef Mariiiiiaaaaa," and start passing bowls and plates around the table. 

I know. It sounds too good to be true, cheesy even. When Eatiquette was first described to me, I didn't believe it either. But these kids are the proof.  They eat salad, they try new foods, they interact with one another. I once watched a pre-K girl plow through a fish taco topped with cabbage slaw.

"That was the best fish taco I've ever had!" the five-year-old exclaimed when she finished. These kids have learned through experience that this kind of food tastes better and makes them feel better, and they appreciate it.

Not to say that they don't struggle, like most kids, with the slimy pink cylinder atop their burger. I watch as the buns come off and the tomato gets pushed off onto the side of the plate, looks of disdain on the kids' faces. The rule is, they have to try at least one bite.   

I sit and eat with the kids, and convince them to try a bite of whatever vegetable they might be wary of. I know my persistence is worth it when just one kid says "Oh, that's actually kind of good!" after biting into a tomato for the first time. This spurs the kid next to them to try it, and before you know it, no one's afraid of tomatoes anymore. They might not like them, but at least they know what they taste like.

I think that the success of the program could be evaluated solely on the kids' feedback. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a staged, Vetri Foundation commercial when I hear their comments about lunch.

"These are like French fries except for better, and better for you!" a third-grader says, holding up a roasted potato.

"Does anyone want more salad? ...because I'm about to finish this."

At a table of 5th graders, I mention the after-school cooking class that's starting next week.

"I want to learn how to cook, because then when I have my wife... she'll like it if I can cook. Girls like guys who can cook," a boy says with confidence.

The girl sitting across from him asks, "How do you know all that stuff?"

"Because I know life."

He approved of the turkey burger, with the tomato, and he knows life so...case closed.