Michelle Obama Fights to Save School Lunch Program at Kids Dinner

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — First Lady Michelle Obama defended her embattled school lunch program at the annual Kids State Dinner while President Barack Obama revealed a closely guarded secret — his favorable vegetable, the White House said in a press release.

“[T]oday, 95 percent of schools in this country are now meeting those new standards. And that’s a wonderful achievement,” Mrs. Obama told the annual dinner to honor schoolchildren who had invented healthy new lunch recipes.

In 2010, the Democrat-controlled Congress passed the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), advocated by Mrs. Obama, to combat growing obesity and other health problems among US children. The Act ensures that schoolchildren eat more nutritious and healthy foods, including vegetables and fruits.

However, the current Republican-controlled Congress has threatened to shut the program down, arguing it dictates what children should eat, and has generated massive waste in unpopular and uneaten food.

However, Mrs. Obama was outspoken in defending the program.

“[T]ens of millions of kids are now getting better nutrition every single day,” she said. “[S]chools all over this country are providing that kind of nutrition so kids who might not get that nutrition at home are getting it at school. This is an important step forward.”

Friday’s Kids State Dinner at the White House honored children between the ages of eight and 12 who had invented healthy new recipes.

Speaking to the children, President Obama said his favorite vegetable was broccoli, which, he joked, was similar to his name, calling it “Barack-oli.”