A direct result of the booming food culture is that the average diner has become more discerning. We’re exposed to everything from the gastronomic gems in our own communities to global cuisines, via everything from food trucks to blogs and television.

So it was only a matter of time before the ground began shifting around kids’ menus, that ubiquitous lineup of chicken strips, corn dogs, hamburgers, mac and cheese, and pizza that has never been particularly exciting or nutritious.

"I don’t care for children’s menus because I don’t like oily food," said Tenn Kusaka, 11, a fifth-grader at Sacred Hearts Academy. "Sometimes I’ll get a pizza if it’s a supreme-type pizza with vegetables. For dessert, I like frozen yogurt with fruit, but those types of things are not on children’s menus.

"Some kids would like to eat from a healthier menu."

Tenn voices the concern of a growing number of people who think children’s menus should offer the healthful options available to adults.

With that health perspective in mind, Sven Ullrich, executive chef of Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa, challenged Sacred Hearts fifth-graders to come up with dishes that used items from their school garden. Ullrich and the hotel have partnered with the school to teach its students about healthful eating.

Not surprisingly, Tenn’s culinary sensibilities led her to victory in Ullrich’s recipe contest. Her Sleepy Cheese Salad, comprising mozzarella cheese, asparagus, olive oil, and basil and tomato grown in the school garden, was featured on the hotel’s SHOR restaurant menu last month.

Hyatt Waikiki’s focus on improving young people’s diets didn’t start with Sacred Hearts. Last summer, the entire Hyatt chain launched a kids’ menu featuring fresh, organic products. Famed slow-food chef Alice Waters was a consultant on the dishes.

So was Haile Thomas, a 12-year-old food activist from Arizona who’s on a mission to connect youths with fresh, nutritious food. Thomas, who hosts the webcast "Kids Can Cook," has spoken on the issue at health summits and TEDxevents (independently organized TED talks that center on "ideas worth spreading." See www.ted.com.) She also serves on various youth advisory boards and led tastings for Hyatt.

"Kids ultimately agreed that we deserve better food quality and better options," she said in a phone interview. "It’s supposed to be people food. There is no difference between adults and children — we all want to eat well."

Hyatt’s menu is interactive — found to be key in garnering kids’ interest. Diners can select the items they want to eat in, for instance, a salad they assemble and toss themselves. Breakfast tacos of eggs and cheese come with additional toppings for sprinkling, and pancakes are served with an array of fruit sauces in squeeze bottles.

During a recent visit by Sacred Hearts fifth-graders to the Hyatt Waikiki kitchen, Ullrich displayed and discussed the virtues of local produce. Frankie’s Nursery, a vendor used by the hotel, presented a variety of exotic fruits, including soursop, kumquat, jackfruit, rambutan, longan, dragon fruit and sapote.

"Most kids don’t know about local fruit. They only know apples and oranges," said Jenny Bickel, who represented the nursery.

"We want to show them there’s more fruits out there, and local means fresh," said Ramani Bickel, Jenny’s daughter.

The students assembled and tossed their own salads selected from the array of items.

"This is good because they don’t put the vegetables on your plate. You can pick them yourself," said Lexee Howes, 10. "My favorites are watermelon, banana and tomatoes. "

Faith Kongkee, 10, enjoys "lots of different fruit." Her salad reflected that, with dragon fruit, golden raisins, tangelo and apples — plus cucumber.

The room bustled as the buffet line drew lots of traffic.

"Look at you going up for seconds," Ullrich exclaimed. "I wish your parents could see this!"

Natalie Lineback couldn’t agree more. The Sacred Hearts wellness coordinator says that though parents may assume their children won’t enjoy certain foods, "at least let them try. It opens them up to being interested in new things."

The school garden helps that effort as well.

"When students understand where food comes from, it grows their interest in wanting to try it," Lineback said. "There’s no need to do fancy stuff, just educate and expose them."

The success of Hyatt’s kid’s menu is a case in point.

"Overall, the menu is fantastic," Ullrich said. "We always hear parents say they didn’t know their kids would eat such food."

Young and old seemed to enjoy Tenn’s appetizer, which generated a good response at SHOR. She and her classmates were invited to the restaurant to taste her dish, and she even held her birthday party there.

At home, Tenn loves to spend time in the kitchen experimenting with "whatever’s in the refrigerator."

She bases most of her dishes on her mom’s recipes and particularly likes soup.

"I use powdered dashi and a little shoyu with water," she said of her soup creations. "I take an egg, beat it and drop it into the liquid. Then I add whatever vegetables I can find.

"I enjoy trying different vegetables. When I find one I like, I experiment with different preparations."

Ullrich says it’s gratifying to work with the students.

"These are our future guests and future chefs. If we give them the time now, we will all benefit from it later."

SLEEPY CHEESE SALAD 3 slices tomato Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste 3 basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry 3 slices mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/8-inch thick 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 asparagus spears Lightly season tomato slices with salt and pepper. Set aside. On serving platter, place 1 slice tomato, followed by a basil leaf, then a mozzarella slice, arranged in shingled fashion. Repeat sequence until there are 3 sets of each on the plate, fanned out in an arc. In preheated pan, add olive oil and saute asparagus spears 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned. Plate diagonally across the fanned arrangement. Serve immediately. Serves 1. Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 430 calories, 33 g fat, 13 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, greater than 550 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 22 g protein