Kid Cooks Invited to Submit Healthy Lunch Recipes

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 31, 2015) –The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids' “State Dinner” invites kids, in collaboration with a parent or guardian, to create an original lunch recipe that is healthy, affordable, and tasty. In support of Let’s Move!, launched in 2010 by the First Lady Michelle Obama to help kids and families lead healthier lives, entrants are encouraged to reference ChooseMyPlate.gov to ensure recipes meet the USDA’s recommended nutrition guidelines. Entries should represent each of the food groups, either in one dish or as parts of a lunch meal, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy. Kids from all U.S. states and territories are invited to participate, including Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. One winner from each and a parent or guardian will win the opportunity to be flown to Washington D.C. and the opportunity to attend the Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House, hosted by the First Lady, where a selection of the winning healthy recipes will be served.

“It is such a pleasure to host the Kids’ ‘State Dinner’ at the White House each year, and I am thrilled to announce the fourth year of our Healthy Lunchtime Challenge,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “Every year I am blown away by the talent and creativity of the young chefs, and I cannot wait to welcome this year’s group at the White House this summer. So I hope young people across the country will get into the kitchen and get cooking!”

The winning recipes will be chosen by a panel of judges that includes: Let’s Move! Executive Director Debra Eschmeyer, the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, previous Healthy Lunchtime Challenge winners, and Tanya Steel, children's healthy eating expert and founder of Cooking Up Big Dreams. The winning recipes will be featured in a downloadable, printable free e-cookbook that includes a nutritional analysis and photos of the winning chefs, and their recipes and will be available on the contest website, as well as on letsmove.gov, USDA.gov, and Ed.gov.

Recipe submissions will be accepted from through April 30 online HERE

Winners will be notified in June, and the White House Kids’ “State Dinner” will take place in the summer of 2015. Travel to Washington, D.C. and accommodations for the winning families will be provided by Delta Air Lines and The Westin Georgetown. Click HERE for more information and for contest rules.

“I do a lot of cooking with my family, and we do homemade pizza a lot. It’s fun, since everyone can choose what they would like on their own pizza,” says Kayla. “I always like to use things from my own garden, such as the spinach, basil, and cherry tomatoes.” She enjoys this with milk and an apple with cinnamon. –Kayla Wayman, age 9, Montana

Click HERE for Kayla's "Garden Chicken Pizza" recipe.

"One night at dinner we had leftover quinoa and a garden full of vegetables and came up with this dinner. I liked it so much that I wanted the leftovers in my lunch the next day and even requested it for my birthday dinner," says Joshua. "I would serve orange slices with mango Greek yogurt to have all the food groups represented from ChooseMyPlate." - Joshua Garrigues, age 8, Montana

Click HERE for Joshua's recipe for Vegetable Fried Quinoa.

"Mealtimes in my house are always a debate. My dad eats meat, and my mom is a vegetarian,” says Chloe. “One day, my mom bought tofu and my dad said, ‘But, I do not like tofu.’ So my mom and I created a tofu meal that he liked. Tofu is very bland when eaten alone, but it absorbs all the flavors that you add to it. We serve it over brown rice to add a whole grain." - Chloe Long, age 10, Montana

Click HERE to try Chloe's "What! You Don't Like Tofu? Stir Fry" recipe.