Young Montco chef whips up award winning-recipe for national challenge

One big question for parents with young kids is how to make simple, healthy, affordable meals.

As a part of first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge invites families each year to submit recipes that follow USDA nutrition guidelines of a balanced meal.

When Amy Terosky, a frequent White House tour guide and volunteer for the annual Easter Egg Hunt, told her daughter, Ava, about the challenge, Ava saw a solution to her sister’s picky eating problem.

“She loves animals more than anything, and I figured, what if we shaped the food like animals …  would she like it better?” said Ava, 9. “And she did.”

Ava, who lives in Merion Station, was the Pennsylvania winner of the challenge with a dog-shaped omelet. At a recent cooking demonstration at Vetri Restaurant in Philadelphia, the young chef demonstrated her cooking skills. Joining the presentation were U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and by Marc Vetri, chef/restaurateur and founder of Vetri Community Partnership, which empowers children and families through fresh food, hands-on experiences and education.

The dog-shaped mushroom and spinach omelet was also inspired by the Obamas’ Portuguese water dog, Sunny.

After this win, Ava said she intends to enter more food competitions. With her parent’s permission, she hopes to even sharpen her knife skills.

Ava visited the White House Wednesday to meet the other challenge winners and enjoy a kids “state dinner.”