Today, the First Lady welcomed fifty-four young chefs from all over the country to the East Room for the 2014 Kids’ State Dinner. These 54 kids were selected from more than 1,500 recipes that were submitted for the Epicurious Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. From the décor to the talent, food, and big smiles, the White House was bustling with our next generation of kids encouraging healthy habits.

Ed. note: This is cross-posted from the United States Department of Agriculture. See the original post here. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 enabled the U.S Department of Agriculture to make historic changes to the meals served in our nation’s schools. Breakfasts, lunches, and snacks sold during the school day are now more nutritious than ever, with less fat and sodium and more whole-grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and low-fat dairy. For many kids, the meals they get at school may be the only nutritious meals they receive that day — and when children receive proper nourishment, they are not only healthier, but they also have better school attendance and perform better academically. It’s not enough, though, to make the meals healthier — we must ensure that children have access to those healthier foods.

"Tegan loves grilled food and she’s a vegetarian, so grilling gets creative at our house,” says Tegan’s mom, Kathryn. “She also loves breakfast, so she decided that she would like to share our grilled veggies egg-white omelet recipe. With the omelet, she likes something sweet so we added a side of fruit and Greek yogurt with our toasted honey/cinnamon tortilla chips." - Tegan Lancaster, age 11, North Dakota

"I live in a three-generation home, and I love watching my grandma and mom cook,” says Lily. “I've learned so much from them about using fresh ingredients. We grow our own herbs and some fruits and veggies too. I call this dish Tennessee Tabbouleh because it’s a Mediterranean recipe.