HOUSTON -- An online tool from the Houston Independent School District is helping parents know exactly what their children are eating, which is important as a way to fight childhood obesity, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday.

Jalon Williams and his brothers used to spend their lunch money for everything but lunch.

"We would be so stuck on Honey Buns and cookies that we would forget about the snacks and forget about our lunch," he said.

But now, their mother, Kambrii Williams, knows exactly what they are purchasing.

"By looking at the account online, I was able to go in and you can view the history of what they're buying," she said. "I was really shocked. I was like, 'Wow, you're eating three ice creams and two Honey Buns?'"

From personal experience, Williams was not going to let her children make bad mealtime decisions.

"I've struggled with teenage obesity and so I've lived with being overweight and obese since I was a teenager, and it was because of poor eating habits and I teach them now at the age of 11, maybe they won't go through the same things I went through," she said.

This year, she is using the online menu program to make sure her children don't waste their appetites.

"If they try to buy it, they will let them know at the cash register they can't do this," Williams said.

A recent study found more than one in three HISD students is overweight, so the district is trying something new this year.

What looks like like an average school lunch is actually a whole-wheat bun, baked fries instead of fried, and the oranges are cut so they're more appealing to kids.

Fresh food prepared from scratch comes from a new multimillion-dollar production facility in north Houston.

"Everything is sent out fresh. Nothing is frozen," an HISD food services employee said.

Last year, only 10 percent of school meals came from fresh ingredients. This year, it is up to 60 percent.

Whole grains, fruits and vegetables help create more than 200,000 meals a day and each recipe is tested by a certified dietitian for its nutritional value.

"We look at cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, protein," an HISD spokeswoman said.

It's not just what goes inside the food that counts. Pretty packaging helps students pick healthy choices.

"Everybody eats with their eyes, so we try to make the produce so they can see what's in it," the spokeswoman said.

The students said they can feel the difference.

"I feel way better because when we go outside, I have way more energy. I could do more things instead of being stuck and hurting," Jalon said.