FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA TEAMS UP WITH PBS AND WGBH BOSTON TO LAUNCH FOURTH ANNUAL NATIONWIDE HEALTHY RECIPE CHALLENGE
buzzz worthy. . .
The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge
Invites Kids to Submit Healthy Lunch Recipes for a Chance to Win a Trip
to Washington, D.C. and Attend the Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White
House
Washington, D.C.
–
First Lady Michelle Obama is teaming up with PBS flagship station WGBH Boston, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to host the fourth annual
Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids' “State Dinner” to
promote cooking and healthy eating among youth. Teaching kids to cook
is a great way to ensure they learn healthy habits early in
life. Research shows that
children who help with cooking and meal preparation are more likely to
consume fruits and vegetables, and they are more aware of the importance
of making healthier food choices.
The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids' “State Dinner” invites kids, ages 8-12, with the help of their parents or legal guardians to create and submit a recipe at
pbs.org/lunchtimechallenge for a lunch that is nutritious and delicious.
This year, WGBH Boston is joining the First Lady to present the
Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” in
an effort to raise national awareness about the importance of healthy
cooking and eating. To make the challenge possible for kids and their
families across America, support is being provided
to WGBH by Newman’s Own® and Newman’s Own Foundation.
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 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!”
“We
are honored to be partnering with the First Lady to help raise
awareness about the importance of healthy cooking and eating and hope
that we
can help make a positive change in the way that families eat by
empowering them with the information and tools they need to make healthy
choices,” said Brigid Sullivan, WGBH Vice President for Children’s
Media and Educational Programming. “We are delighted
to be at the table in support of kids and their families and look
forward to the opportunity to build this challenge and campaign in the
years to come.”
“We
know that improving childhood nutrition is key to ensuring a healthier
next generation. Through our efforts to improve the school nutrition
environment and getting kids involved in nutrition through activities
at school and this annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, we are helping to
make the healthy choice the easy choice, and setting kids up for a
lifetime of healthy eating,” said Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“It’s great to see
our students setting an example for their classmates – and for adults -
on the importance of nutrition and the critical role healthy eating
plays in academic success. I love to see the excitement
and enthusiasm that these young chefs bring to this competition as they
dream up fresh, new school lunch recipes that are both nutritious and
delicious,” said Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
The winning recipes will be chosen by a panel of judges that includes: Let’s Move!
Executive Director Debra Eschmeyer, representatives
of the U.S. Department of Education and 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:
pbs.org/lunchtimechallenge, as well as on letsmove.gov, USDA.gov, and Ed.gov.
Recipe submissions will be accepted from March 31 through April 30 online at
pbs.org/lunchtimechallenge
or by mail at: Healthy Lunchtime Challenge c/o WGBH, 1 Guest
Street, Boston MA 02135. 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. For more information and for contest rules, visit
pbs.org/lunchtimechallenge.