Whether or not you have kids, will you ultimately pay the price for poor choices inside a school cafeteria?

The answer is “yes,” according to food service coordinators in Tri-Cities schools.

Research shows students who have well-balanced diets perform better in the classroom.

The hungrier they are, the less they focus an anything other than food. That often translates to poor scores.

Overall, children who are malnourished due to eating the wrong foods are more likely to be unhealthy, leading to more doctor’s visits and more money being paid out to an already over-booked health care system.

And, for those children without insurance, your tax dollars could be paying for those visits.

Seems that every time you turn around, someone else is getting the blame for the ever-rising childhood obesity rate – parents, advertisers, junk food companies – but what responsibility do Tri-Cities schools have in heading off obesity early?

As education reporter Selena Wiles discovered, attempts are made within the cafeteria, but schools may ultimately be at the mercy of childhood preferences.

When the food is free, students have a taste for just about everything -- from the sweet, to the hot and spicy.

The food show at Freedom Hall is a place for local school food service coordinators to see for themselves what kids will eat. It gave us the chance as well to find out just what tickles the taste buds.

Students here cast votes for what's hot, and what's not. Winners could end up in the school cafeteria, but there are many things to consider before any of these items turn up on a tray.

It's a juggling act. School cafeterias have to juggle food availability, delivery, cost, what students like and nutrition.

All schools in the Tri-Cities must meet USDA requirements on nutrition and portion sizes which vary with age. But students must be offered 1/3 of their recommended daily allowance of meats or meat alternate, grains and breads, vegetables and fruits and milk.

Officials say they can't force children to do what adults want them to do. They can encourage, but can't require.

Students are paying customers and have the right to choose what they want, and cafeteria workers can only suggest good choices.

As we watched tray after tray come out of the chute, it looked impressive. Fruits, salad, healthy choices.

But, by the end of the lunch period at this Johnson City school, we're not surprised to see what ends up in the trash.

By the time these youngsters reach high-school age, they'll have more choices in the lunch line, but more won't necessarily mean better.

Schools will now serve low fat milk and 100% juice. They still will serve corn dogs, but made with a low fat turkey.

When peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are served, they're going to put it on whole wheat bread. School cafeterias are looking for ways to keep the nutrition quality high but keep it kid friendly.

That may work in the lunch line, but back at the food show, where kids have free reign, and vendors are making a sales pitch, anything goes -- as long as it's not from the vegetable booth.