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“CONGRATULATING JOHN BREITFELDER” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Senate section on pages S5564 on July 9, 2013.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
CONGRATULATING JOHN BREITFELDER
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, today I wish to congratulate John Breitfelder of New Canaan, who was selected to represent Connecticut in this year's Healthy Lunchtime Challenge contest hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama.
Today, John joins 54 students, ages 8 to 12, at the White House for a Kids' State Dinner. These winners hailing from all 50 States, 3 U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia will share a healthy lunch featuring their winning recipes. John's creation, a quinoa ``risotto'' with shrimp and kale was selected from over 1,300 recipes evaluated by a panel of judges, which included representatives from the First Lady's Let's Move!, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Education, DC Central Kitchen, and two student graduates of the Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters Program. The contest ``invited a parent or guardian to work with their child ages 8-12 to create a lunchtime recipe that is healthy, affordable, original, and delicious.'' The winning recipes adhere to the USDA's MyPlate guidelines, featuring each of the food groups.
I applaud John for taking the initiative to enter this contest to explore how healthy foods can also be delicious, and the support of his family. This innovative competition not only combats childhood obesity, but also raises awareness of the importance of cooking for overall health as well as success in the classroom. Children are taught personal responsibility, encouraged to express their creativity, and are inspired to continue to make responsible choices and bring consciousness to each meal. I also thank the First Lady for hosting a Kids' State Dinner to celebrate the importance of parents and guardians spending time together in the kitchen and then sitting around a table and sharing food with each other. This month, Epicurious will offer a cookbook featuring these winning recipes free of charge. I invite my Senate colleagues to join me in recognizing John and his fellow junior chefs for inspiring countless students across the country to try their own recipes and share the gift of healthy eating with their families and communities.
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