Rachael Ray's Sizzling Plan to Fight Childhood Obesity

This week, more than 400,000 students in 1,200 New York City public schools will eat healthy tacos courtesy of celebrity chef Rachael Ray, the New York Daily News reports. The bubbly Food Network star created the “sizzling soft taco” recipe, which meets Department of Education budget and nutrition requirements, as part of a larger push to encourage kids to eat healthier. “It is the most exciting thing ever…Tacos are cool,” said Ray, whose recipe includes chicken, roasted corn, and ranch sauce coupled with steamed broccoli and vegetarian beans. "Working with Rachael Ray, it's exciting. It gives it that little extra. Call it a sizzle," said an Education Department spokesman. The tacos follow a series of efforts from Ray’s nonprofit, Yum-o!, to incorporate healthy foods like whole-wheat rolls and skim milk into students’ meals. Ray, who notes that not all students’ families can afford to eat healthy, will kick off the week of tacos with an in-school appearance as a lunch lady, and hopes to eventually provide one recipe a week for the city’s schools. Next on the menu? Whole-wheat mac and cheese.