First Lady Gets Sarcastic 'Thanks' For Lunches

A sarcastic thank you aimed at US First Lady Michelle Obama over unappealing school lunches has been attracting attention on Twitter.

Students have been posting pictures of their unsavoury-looking meals for months with the hashtag "ThanksMichelleObama".

The First Lady has spent a considerable amount of her time in the White House promoting healthier school lunches.

She led the charge for standards implemented by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2012 that required more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

But students appear to be less than enthused about what is being put on their lunch trays.

Hunter Whitney, a high school student in Wisconsin, posted a photo of a soupy Spanish rice and an apple.

"Had a very #healthylunch today. The apple definitely made up for the 'mystery mush'," he wrote.

The picture has been shared more than 500 times.

Another student in Kansas questioned the validity of the macaroni and cheese on his tray.

Many of the photos have a Thanksgiving theme while others are everyday meals.

In a statement to Sky News, a USDA spokesperson said "many of the photos posted do not accurately reflect a typical school lunch".

"Independent research shows that a growing majority of American kids like healthier school lunches and that updated meal standards are working to help improve kids" health," the agency said.

"We shouldn't lose sight of the bigger picture here - one-third of American kids are obese or overweight, and that's why Congress passed updated healthy meal standards, based on recommendations from pediatricians, with overwhelming bipartisan support."