White House meal rewards kids for eating their veggies
By April Fulton, NPR
No one said it would be easy to sell kids on quinoa and kale, but an invitation to the White House’s first Kids State Dinner today, complete with fresh fruit topiaries and balloon animals, turned out to be just the ticket for some.
The dinner – really, a luncheon — was the brainchild of first lady Michelle Obama and her partners in the “Let’s Move” initiative to get kids to fight the fat by cooking and eating foods that meet U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines.
“We’re so proud of you,” Obama told the 54 kids and parents whose recipes were chosen in a healthy recipe contest — one from each state and territory.
Not to be outshined, POTUS himself made an appearance, praising the first lady and waxing a bit nostalgic about his pre-White House efforts to cook toast, omelets and chili. Then he warned guests not to feed Bo – the family dog is apparently on a diet.
North Carolina’s Marshall Reid, 12, who got to introduce the first lady, proudly announced that he loves quinoa. He also admitted he couldn’t spell it, further endearing himself to the families eager to dig in to goodies created by some of the guests.
