Hannah Foley

WASHINGTON — A Grove City girl with a recipe for seafood tacos was among 54 children who won a spot at the White House dinner table with the first lady.

“It’s been the best day of my life,” said Hannah Foley. “We got pictures with Michelle Obama, which was totally awesome.”

Hannah, 10, and the other 53 children — one from each state, territory and district — attended a “state dinner” July 18 hosted by the first lady to promote healthy eating. They were winners of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, a national recipe contest that is part of the “Let’s Move!” campaign to battle childhood obesity.

Each child submitted a healthy recipe for the challenge and was selected by a committee to eat with the first lady. Hannah made seafood tacos with lime coleslaw and peachy salsa.

Each youngster’s name was announced as he or she arrived, and butlers served samples of nine winning recipes — including Grillin’ Out Veggie Style Black Bean Burgers, Mike’s Chicken and Vegetable Dumpling Cups, and Tropical Strawberry Banana Secret Smoothies — on White House china.

More than 1,500 recipes were submitted. A panel of judges that included chef Sam Kass, executive director of the first lady’s campaign against childhood obesity, and Tanya Steel, a contributor to Epicurious food magazine who created the contest, chose the winners.

Epicurious and the Agriculture and Education departments sponsor the competition.

Before the first lady ended her openings remarks to the seated audience, the children met an unexpected visitor.

“We have a lot of state dinners around here,” President Barack Obama said to the delight and surprise of many children. “They’re not always this cheerful and fun.”

Among the winning recipes prepared by White House chefs were a black bean burger and tomato cucumber salad. The children, accompanied by their parents or guardians, were excited to meet Kass, the president’s personal chef.

“I want to be a chef here at the White House,” said 8-year-old Ariel Derby of Fort Worth, Texas, when asked what she wants to be when she grows up.

The “dinner” actually began about noon. The president admitted that the timing was unusual but that the traditional term of “state dinner” would continue.

Michelle Obama, an ardent advocate of healthy eating, discussed its importance and how the children’s recipes impressed her. She also used her podium time to criticize congressional Republicans.

In May, the House Appropriations Committee approved a plan to let school districts disregard White House mandates established in 2012 to make schools provide healthier meals. The districts have to show that providing meals that meet the White House guidelines, which required reduced salt and sugar, would cause the schools to lose money over a six-month period.

“In recent months, I know we’ve even seen grown ups, including folks in Congress, try to undo some of the progress that we’ve made to get healthy food into our schools,” said Obama. “Those few complaining voices happen to be the loudest voices.”

But the political commentary ended quickly, and the young guests did not seem to notice it, anyway. They were more interested in downing their Tropical Strawberry Banana Secret Smoothies.

President Obama admitted that his family falls victim to sweets, too. His own culinary Achilles heel is chips and guacamole.

“It’s not like our family, including me, doesn’t have some snacks once in a while that may not be on the perfect nutrition triangle,” the president said. “If there’s a bowl of good chips and guacamole, I lose my mind.”

Nicolas Come of Sacramento, Calif., attended the state dinner as one of a handful of child reporters on the scene. Dressed in a jacket, shirt and fedora, Nicholas, 9, had designed an app, Nicolas’ Garden, where the children’s recipes are to be published.

What was it like to see the president up close?

“Amazing,” Nicolas said. “There’s nothing else that can describe it.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.