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THERMOPOLIS — Hannah Andreen of Thermopolis was one of 56 young chefs to join First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House for the fifth annual Kids’ “State Dinner” on July 14. 1,200 entries were submitted to this year’s Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. Each U.S. state, five territories, and the District of Columbia attended the dinner.

First Lady Michelle Obama once again teamed up with PBS flagship station WGBH Boston, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to host the fifth annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge to promote cooking and healthy eating among young people across the nation. The challenge invited kids ages 8-12, in collaboration with a parent or guardian, to create an original, healthy, affordable, and delicious lunch recipe.

Entrants were encouraged to reference ChooseMyPlate.gov to ensure recipes met the USDA’s recommended nutrition guidance by representing 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. In addition, in celebration of the MyPlate, MyState initiative, this year’s challenge put a spotlight on homegrown pride across the country and encouraged entries to include local ingredients grown in the entrant’s state, territory, or community.

The winning recipes were selected based on their healthfulness, taste, originality, affordability, and following USDA’s My Plate nutrition guidance. In addition, in celebration of the MyPlate, MyState initiative, this year’s challenge put a spotlight on homegrown pride across the country and encouraged entries to include local ingredients grown in the entrant’s state, territory, or community.

At the dinner, Andreen and her mother Ciley enjoyed a healthy lunch featuring a selection of winning recipes with Mrs. Obama. Following lunch, they visited the South Lawn to see the White House Kitchen Garden.

Andreen said she entered the competition because it was an assignment from her reading teacher.

Andreen’s winning recipe was chicken and veggie salad. “My mom makes it all the time for dinner. One of her mother’s friends told her the recipe and I added chicken to it,” Andreen said.

“The reason that I like this salad is because it is a little bit tart. Also, this is healthy because it has sunflower oil and that is healthier than corn oil. It also has a ton of vegetables,” she said.

Andreen said, “It was a fun and exciting experience, I wasn’t expecting to win.”

Chicken and Veggie Salad recipe

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-size pieces

1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup black olives, pitted and halved

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/3 cup sunflower oil

Dash of vinegar (optional)

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

In a large nonstick skillet, warm the oil over moderate heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6 minutes per side, or until cooked through and golden brown. Remove from heat, let cool, then dice or shred the chicken.

In a large salad bowl, combine the lettuce, chicken, onion, olives, and tomatoes. Add the oil, vinegar if using, and toss. Add the garlic salt and Parmesan cheese, toss well, and serve.  

443 calories 28g fat 12g carbohydrates 37g protein

A free downloadable and printable e-cookbook of the winning recipes is available at http://www.letsmove.gov/.