Mrs. Obama hosted the first-ever "kids state dinner" at the White House in an effort to promote healthy eating. The kids won a contest by submitting tasty and nutritious recipes.
"Your recipes truly stood out," she said to an East Room filled with kids who won a nationwide recipe competition. "You came up with dishes that were packed with nutritious, delicious ingredients - dishes that are good for you but more importantly they taste good, too. See? It can happen."
Sean Reichbach, a 9-year-old from Sherman Oaks, was among the guests. His winning dish was Sean's Three Pepper Soup.
After the dinner, the kids were treated to a concert and a surprise appearance by President Barack Obama.
"Usually, I get invited to state dinners," he said. "This time I had to crash."
The event is part of the first lady's "Let's Move" initiative, aimed at stopping childhood obesity. The 54 winners, ages 8 through 12, were chosen from more than 1,200 entries.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
