Fifty-six young people ranging in age from 8 to 12 years bagged a trip to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. They won the fifth annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge with their unique recipes.  



Their recipes earned them a three-course "State Dinner" at the White House, hosted by Michelle Obama. They were flown to Washington, D.C., to have lunch featuring a selection of the winning recipes.



The 56 winners — from each state, the five territories, and the District of Columbia — celebrated their victories together. They also got to visit the White House kitchen garden.



The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge contest was sponsored by Let’s Move, a government initiative launched by the First Lady to encourage healthy heating in schools and combat childhood obesity. Other parts of the program include guides for getting active and taking action towards success. 



The contest has 8- to 12-year-old entrants create healthy lunchtime meals, keeping track of the nutrition as they add ingredients together in a recipe. Over 1,200 recipe entries were received across the nation and Canada.



Cooking gives kids a better understanding of where their food comes from, and it gives them a chance to try new foods, use their imagination and and even work on their math and communication skills.