Missoula schools encourage healthier meals with kale chips

 When Rhiannon Cox bit into a crunchy green leaf in the Lowell Elementary cafeteria Wednesday, she smiled. The kale chip tasted like popcorn. “I can save this for on top of spaghetti,” the kindergartner said, dreaming of the kale and tomato sauce concoction she planned to eat for dinner. She pulled out the remaining chips from her cup, placed them in her palm and rubbed her hands together, letting the crushed pieces fall back inside. When she finished, she looked down at the tiny green flakes stuck to her skin. “I need to wash my hands,” she said, then ran off to the bathroom. Rhiannon is excited to eat kale chips in school lunches next year, and she’s not the only one. Lowell Elementary students sampled the healthy snack Wednesday, and many of them agreed they would like to see it in the lunch line.