Priya Patel Recipe Wins National Healthy Lunchtime Challenge

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First Lady Michelle Obama is flanked by Priya Patel, left, and her mother Stuti Patel, right, of Sugar Land at the White House. Priya Patel, a 5th grader at Commonwealth Elementary School in Fort Bend ISD is one of the 50 winners of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge and her award winning recipe is Tex-Mex Veg-Head Lasagna. She is the daughter of Fort Bend County Associate District Judge Stuti Patel and Hiren Patel. Winners representing all U.S. states, five territories, and the District of Columbia attended a Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama on July 14.

WASHINGTON, DC: Priya Patel, a 5th grader at Commonwealth Elementary School in Fort Bend ISD is one of the winners of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. Her award winning recipe is A Tex-Mex Veg-Head Lasagna. Priya is the daughter of Fort Bend County Associate District Judge Stuti Patel and Hiren Patel.

Winners representing all U.S. states, five territories, and the District of Columbia attended a Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama on July 14.

Obama, PBS flagship station WGBH Boston, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced the winners of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, a nationwide recipe challenge for kids that promotes cooking and healthy eating as part of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative.

The 56 aspiring young chefs and a parent or guardian joined the First Lady for a healthy lunch, featuring a selection of the winning recipes, followed by a visit to the White House Kitchen Garden.

“For the last five years, kids across the country have cooked up nutritious and delicious dishes as part of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, and each year, I continue to be impressed by their talent and creativity,” said the First Lady.

This is the fifth year of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” in which 8 to 12-year-olds across the nation were invited to create a healthy, affordable, original, 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. The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge received over 1,200 entries featuring wholesome, tasty ingredients.

While in Washington, DC,  US Congressman Pete Olson of Sugar Land hosted Priya and her family at his office, where he let her sit at his desk and pose with his gavel.