Remarks at the Kids' State Dinner

The President. Good to see you! Hello, everybody! How are you? So, all right, everybody can have a seat. Have a seat.

I'm sorry to crash your little party here. [Laughter] But I just wanted to say hi to everybody. And I wanted to let you know that, first of all, I'm very proud of everything that my outstanding wife has done when it comes to healthy eating and "Let's Move!" And we're celebrating the fifth anniversary of "Let's Move!" So do you guys move?

Audience members. Yes!

The President. You guys are movers? Okay. You guys look pretty healthy, I've got to admit. This is a good-looking group. [Laughter]

The First Lady. A good-looking group.

The President. And so I also just wanted to let you know that although I can't stay and eat right now, that I've looked over the menu, and the food looks outstanding. I particularly am impressed with the Barackamole. [Laughter] So I'm expecting people to save me a little sampling of the Barackamole.

I also noticed that there are a lot of good vegetables on the menu, including my favorite vegetable, broccoli. [Laughter] Do I—who—did somebody raise their hand there?

The First Lady. Well, I told these two that was your favorite vegetable.

The President. You didn't believe me? [Laughter] It's true, I love broccoli. I eat it all the time. Anybody else love broccoli?

Audience members. Yes.

The President. That's what I'm talking about. [Laughter]

So I know that all your parents are so proud of you for having come up with these outstanding recipes. And the reason it's so important for you guys to be here and to be doing what you're doing is because the truth is, is that parents, it turns out, don't always have the most influence—[laughter].

The First Lady. Yes, I know. It's sad.

The President. ——in terms of encouraging young people to eat healthy.

What really helps is when their friends at school are all, like, oh, you're having chips? I'm sorry, I'm having the Barackamole. [Laughter] And then, because you're a cool kid, suddenly, the other kids are all, like, well, if that cool kid's eating broccoli, maybe I should try that broccoli out. So you guys are setting a great example for all your friends in school and in the neighborhoods, and I—we're really proud of you for that.

All right? So I'm proud of you. And I hope you guys have a wonderful dinner. And I'm going to come around and shake hands with people, but I can't take selfies with everybody because I've actually got just a few other things to do. [Laughter]

The First Lady. Yes. The President. So that would end up taking too long. All right? But you can take pictures while I'm shaking hands. I just can't, like, pose and—[laughter]—all that stuff.

Oops, that's okay, I get nervous, too. [Laughter]

The First Lady. We do that all the time.

The President. Whenever I'm at state dinners, I'm always spilling stuff. [Laughter] Usually on my tie.

Thank you, everybody.

The First Lady. All right! Let's eat!

The President. Let's eat!