POCATELLO - A new study finds kids who drink plain or even flavored milk have a lower body mass index than kids who don't drink milk. So we decided to find out how local schools are making sure kids are eating healthy.

During the summer, District 25 in Pocatello offers free lunches for kids. And when they plan out their lunch menu they not only make sure they're serving healthy food, but they try to offer food that kids will be willing to eat. Dawn Stone, district register dietician said, "If they don't eat it, it hasn't benefitted the garbage can at all."

Which means if kids are more willing to eat green beans than spinach, then the district will serve beans, even though spinach is more nutritious.

One nutrient the district wants to make sure every kid gets, though, is calcium. "We really try to make sure our menus are higher than the [federal] requirements of the calcium just so that we know the kids are getting what they need, or hopefully getting what they need," said Stone.

In fact, with every meal the district offers plain, chocolate, and skim milk.

Now even though flavored milk has some added sugar, the American Dietitic Association finds the milk still provides needed potassium, phosphorus, protein, and vitamins. Stone said, "I look at it on the other hand that the calcium is much stronger in that milk versus the sugar content, and if a child is going to consume the milk with a little bit of flavoring in it I'm all for giving them that flavoring."

That's the same philosophy the district follows during the summer months when they offer free sack lunches to kids at local parks. But the food isn't the only reason people show up. Laura Tompkins, a Pocatello resident said, "It really helps with the food budget, the kids get to come play with other kids their age, and it gives us a good chance to go for a walk."

And along with their milk, some kids even get to help with the meal. Laura's daughter, Katherine Tompkins said, "I help pass out the chips sometimes."

The only requirement the district has for their free summer lunches is that all the kids must be younger than 18-years-old