Local Students Make Lunch at the White House

Local students who helped plant the garden in the spring were invited back to the White House to make lunch from this year's summer crop. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

Bowls of broccoli, cauliflower, peas, lettuce and carrots, among other vegetables, were brought into the State Dining Room. The event was originally planned for outside, but was moved inside due to weather. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

White House Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses chats with visiting students from local D.C. schools. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

Students visiting from Bancroft Elementary wait to start making lunch with the First Lady. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

Michelle Obama, along with school nutrition directors and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, speaks to local children about the importance of having a healthy lunch. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

The first lady and students from local schools shell peas from the White House garden to make lunch. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

White House Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses helps local students prepare the vegetables they planted in the White House garden. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

Joined by nutrition directors from across the country, students prepared lunch using vegetables from the White House garden. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

Students compare vegetables harvested from the White House garden. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

Students made salads with carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and peas, harvested from the White House garden, with the first lady and school nutrition directors from across the country. WTOP/Rachel Nania)

Students made salads with carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and peas, harvested from the White House garden, with the first lady and school nutrition directors from across the country. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

Michelle Obama, along with school nutrition directors and Let's Move! Executive Director Sam Kass sit with local students to eat lunch. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

The first lady held the event in the midst of a looming vote in the the House that could allow some schools to opt out of healthier lunch standards. The White House has threatened to veto the measure, the Associated Press reports. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

At the harvest lunch, Michelle Obama pledged to "fight until the bitter end" to keep healthier school lunch standards in place. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

The first lady invited local school children whose schools are successfully implementing national school lunch standards. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

An estimated 21 million kids in the U.S. receive free and reduced-price lunches at school; many of them count on these meals as their main source of nutrition. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

Students from local schools visited the White House Thursday for a garden harvest lunch. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

After lunch, students had their school T-shirt signed by the first lady. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

Many of the students had seconds on the salads they made. Lettuce, carrots, peas, cauliflower and broccoli were tossed in a homemade dressing of olive oil, vinegar and honey that the students made. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

Students get their shirts signed by the first lady. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

The first lady spoke with local students Thursday at the White House. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

One student asked to take a personal photo with the first lady after lunch. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania

The first lady high-fives local students after telling them she will "fight until the bitter end" to keep healthy school lunch standards in place Thursday at the White House. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)

WTOP/Rachel Nania