Washington: Four Indian-American kids have made it to the exclusive list of 54 winners of the White House-launched national ‘Healthy Lunchtime Challenge’ by coming out with a healthy menu.

These 54 kids would be honoured by none other than the First Lady, Michelle Obama, at the Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House on July 9.

The group will join the First Lady for a healthy lunch, featuring a selection of the winning recipes and a performance by singer Rachel Crow, followed by a visit to the White House kitchen garden.

While Shefali Singh, 12, from Massachusetts came out with her own ‘Shefali’s Scrumptious Spring Rolls’, Vijay Dey, 12, from North Carolina too made it to the rare list with his own healthy spring rolls.

Anisha Patel, 11, from Ohio has been selected for her ‘Kickin, Colourful, Bell Peppers stuffed with Quinoa’, while Ganesh Selvakumar, nine, from Pennsylvania got selected to the list for his ‘Lentil Spinach Soup and Mint Chutney,’ the White House said.

“Our Kids’ State Dinner is one of my favourite events of the year, and the kid chefs who come from around the country never cease to impress and inspire me with their creativity and ingenuity.

I’m counting down the days until the winners join me at the White House to celebrate these healthy and delicious meals that kids everywhere will love,” said First Lady Michelle Obama.

For the second consecutive year, The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” invited a parent or guardian to work with their child ages 8-12 to create a lunchtime recipe that is healthy, affordable, original and delicious.

In support of Let’s Move!, launched by the First Lady to help solve the problem of childhood obesity, each recipe adhered to the guidance that supports USDA’s MyPlate (at ChooseMyPlate.gov) to ensure that the criteria of a healthy meal were met.

Entries had to represent each of the food groups, either in one dish or as parts of a lunch meal, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy foods, with fruits and veggies making up roughly half the plate or recipe.

The White House received more than 1,300 entries featuring wholesome, tasty ingredients, including salmon, black beans and ground turkey.

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