The Juneau Empire reports that 10-year-old Aaron Blust is heading to Washington D.C., after winning the national Healthy Lunchtime Challenge.
The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge is part of Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign, and was organized by the popular recipe website Epicurious.com. Children ages 8 to 12 were encouraged to send in original recipes which were both mouth-watering and nutritious. The winning combination for Blust? A teriyaki Alaska salmon wrap.
The judging panel included White House assistant chef Sam Kass and famous chef José André, among others. Over 1,200 recipes were submitted nationally. One dish from every state was selected, along with a dish from the District of Columbia and several U.S. territories.
Michelle Obama recently gave a nod to the Arctic village of Kiana, for their initiative in starting a school lunch salad bar in rural Alaska, a hefty feat for a village accustomed to eating mostly canned vegetables. Now Aaron Blust will receive similar accolades on his D.C. trip on Aug. 20 to attend the Kids State Dinner. Hotel and airfare are covered on the trip, and he'll get to meet first lady Michelle Obama herself.
"We're actually going to be at the White House ... during the first day of school," Blust's mother, Jeannie Monk, told the Juneau Empire.
Check out all the winners and their winning recipes in the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge.