Rachel Ray Leads First-Ever Chefs Council Program for NYC Schools

Feeding a million students who are enrolled in New York City public schools is a tough job, especially when you consider that one-in-four children across the five boroughs is facing food insecurity. Enter Rachel Ray, TV chef and talk show personality, to bring awareness and promote plant-based meals to help alleviate the situation. It's the lates step by the city and Mayor Eric Adams, a self-defined vegan, to help make New York the healthiest city in the nation.

This week, New York City announced its first-ever Chefs Council –– an initiative devoted to providing freshly cooked, plant-based, and culturally relevant recipes for the city's school systems. The Chef Council is led by celebrity chef Rachel Ray, who will help the organization provide training for chefs of the New York City Department of Education’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS).

Celebrity chefs, food activists, and culinary industry professionals will join Ray in assisting the Chefs Council's mission. The nutrition-inspired program was created in partnership with Wellness in the Schools (WITS), an organization dedicated to improving nutrition standards and education in school districts. The Chefs Council aims to test 100 plant-based recipes across New York City during the 2022-2023 school year.

“Teaching students at a young age to eat healthy, nutritious meals is critical to setting them up for success,” Eric Adams, NYC Mayor said in a statement. “The new Chefs Council will develop delicious, nutritious, culturally relevant meals for schools with direct input from students and parents. Through this partnership with WITS and our tremendous staff of school food workers, we will take school meals to the next level.”

The initiative aims to perfect the recipes based on student and parent feedback over the next year. Subsequently, the chef-based program will begin implementing the recipes at all public school locations across the five boroughs.

Several major faces in the food world will assist Ray on the Chefs Council including celebrity chef Joseph “JJ” Johnson, chef Anita Lo, television personality Grace Ramirez, and Anthony T. Solano, founder of the Afro-Latino vegan restaurant ZoJu.

"Healthy and nourishing meals are essential in ensuring our students can succeed both inside and outside the classroom," Schools Chancellor David Banks said. "This initiative will help to expand our menus while making sure they follow our strict health standards and are reflective of the cultures and communities we serve."

This year, WITS meal programs have already assisted over 86,000 students in 200 schools nationwide. Currently, New York City schools have partnered with WITS at 38 schools in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx.

“As the parent of two elementary school children, I know firsthand that providing healthier food choices is only half the battle,” Kate MacKenzie, executive director, Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, said in a statement. “Convincing [children] to try something new is the real challenge, and I look forward to student feedback on the new recipes this incredible group of chefs will be cooking up,”

Mayor Adams consistently advocates for a healthy, mostly plant-based future for New York City, especially when discussing younger generations. In 2019, the plant-based politician worked with former NYC mayor Bill de Blasio to launch the Meatless Mondays program at 1,700 NYC public schools.

This February, Adams extended this policy once he was elected mayor, establishing the "Vegan Fridays" project. The plant-based meal program provides vegan meals to every NYC public school system student with healthy, plant-based meals every Friday.

This week, Eric Adams and New York City Health + Hospitals (H+H) CEO Dr. Mitchell H. Katz announced that plant-based meals are now the primary dinner options for inpatients at H+H/Lincoln, Metropolitan, and Woodhull Hospitals. The dinner program follows the successful launch of the plant-based lunch program, which holds a 95 percent satisfaction rate.

“When it comes to preventing diet-related chronic disease, there is a growing recognition that it’s not our DNA – it’s our dinner,” Adams said. “Since January, we have introduced Plant-Powered Fridays into schools, introduced fresh produce into the nation’s only municipal emergency food system, and expanded Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Clinics to public hospitals across all five boroughs. Now, we are proud to announce the successful rollout and expansion of default plant-based lunch and dinner options at all H+H sites.

"This transformative program is already changing lives, empowering patients to take control of their own health and further cementing New York City as a leader in preventive medicine.”

Adams teamed up with the JIVINTI coalition in 2021 to implore the Biden-Harris Administration present plant-based solutions to racial and financial disparities nationwide. He advocates that the federal government must take action to tackle food deserts and replace them with “food oases.” The mayor frequently voices how plant-based programs can help fight food insecurity nationwide. This week, President Joe Biden hosted the first-ever White House conference on nutrition and food security

Despite his consistent plant-based advocacy, Adams faced controversy when he admitted ate fish in February. He claims that "changing to a plant-based diet saved my life, and I aspire to be plant-based 100 percent of the time," but occasionally he is "imperfect."

For more plant-based happenings, visit The Beet's News articles. 

Here are the best foods to eat on repeat, to boost immunity and fight inflammation. And stay off the red meat.

Your body does not produce vitamin C, which means you need to get it daily to have enough to create healthy collagen (the building blocks for your skin and healing).The recommended daily amount to shoot for is 65 to 90 milligrams a day, which is the equivalent of one small glass of orange juice or eating a whole grapefruit. Almost all citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. With such a variety to choose from, it's easy to get your fill.

Want even more vitamin C, add red bell peppers to your salad or pasta sauce. One medium-sized red bell pepper contains 152 milligrams of vitamin C, or enough to fulfill your RDA. Peppers are also a great source of beta carotene, a precursor of vitamin A (retinol). How much beta carotene do you need a day: You should try to get 75 to 180 micrograms a day which is the equivalent of one medium bell pepper a day. But a red pepper has more than two and a half times your RDA for vitamin C so eat them all winter long.

Broccoli may be the most super of superfoods on the planet. It's rich in vitamins A and C as well as E. The phytochemicals in it are great for arming and strengthening your immune system.How much lutein should you eat in a day: There is no RDA for lutein, but experts say get at least 6 milligrams.

Garlic isn't just a great flavor-enhancer, it's essential for your health. Garlic’s immune-boosting properties are tied to its sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin. Allicin is thought to improve your immune cells' ability to fight off colds and flu, and viruses of all kinds. (Smelling more garlic on the subway? It could be smart coronavirus management.) Garlic also has anti-microbial and anti-viral properties thought to fight off infections. How much should you eat in a day: The optimal amount of garlic to eat is more than most of us can fathom: Two to three cloves a day. While that may not be doable, realistically, some people take garlic supplements to get 300-mg dried garlic in a powdered tablet.

Ginger is another ingredient that has super properties when it comes to fighting off illness. It has been shown to decrease inflammation, which can help if you get swollen glands or a sore throat or any inflammatory ailment. Gingerol, the main bioactive compound in ginger, is a relative of capsaicin, and is responsible for much of its medicinal properties. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.How much should you eat a day: Most recommendations land on 3–4 grams of ginger extract a day, or up to four cups of ginger tea, but no more than 1 gram a day if you are pregnant. Some studies have linked high dosages to an increased risk of miscarriage.

Spinach is not only packed with vitamin C but also antioxidants and beta carotene, both of which give your immune system the healthy boost it needs to fight off invaders. Don't overcook your spinach, since the more it's cooked the less active the antioxidants will be. If you eat it raw or lightly steamed you'll keep more of the nutrients intact.How much should you eat a day: Aim for 1 cup fresh spinach or 1/2 cup cooked per day, but this is the right moment to try the raw or slightly wilted approach. Order warm or wilted spinach salad when you go out, or make it yourself with olive oil, pine nuts, and vegan parm.

Vitamin E in almonds will help ward off colds and flu and is key to your immune system humming along. It’s a fat-soluble molecule, meaning it requires the presence of fat to be absorbed, so nuts are the perfect package for E to make it into your system.How much should you eat in a day: A half-cup serving, or 46 whole, shelled almonds, provides almost 100 percent of your RDA of vitamin E. Almonds are great for you but they don't come with a "free" pass, since 1/4 cup is a serving and has 162 calories, so double that for your RDA and you're eating about 325 calories. Throw them into smoothies instead.

This highly pigmented spice is known for its anti-inflammatory qualities. How it helps immunity? It decreases exercise-induced muscle damage. Tumeric bolsters the immune system by stimulating antibody formation and people with auto-immune diseases are told by their doctors to take 500 mg of curcumin daily to reduce inflammation and stave off soreness.How much should you eat in a day: Try adding extra Tumeric to your diet during periods of stress or during flu season. Or take 500-2,000 mg of curcumin to help fight inflammation and power up your immune system.

Green tea has high levels of EGCG, (epigallocatechin gallate) a hard-working antioxidant that is known to boost immune function. Green tea is steamed so the EGCG is still active when you drink it.Green tea also contains L-theanine, an anti-oxidant which appears to help in the production of T-cells in your body, the killer  L-theanine may aid in the production of germ-fighting compounds in your T-cells.How much green tea should you drink in a day: The optimal amount is three to five cups in a day, but most people won't get to that level. Any amount is better than nothing. Swap out a usual beverage daily for green tea could improve your health.

Papaya delivers over twice your recommended daily amount of vitamin C in one fruit. It also contains an enzyme called papain that has anti-inflammatory effects -- and inflammation is one factor in most illnesses, so avoiding it can help your body fight off bacterial infections like sinusitis.Papayas contain potassium, vitamin B, and folate, which is a powerful cell rebuilder. Exactly how folic acid works to build immunity is linked to its role in protein synthesis, and researchers think that any mechanism in which cells proliferate can be affected (which is why it's critical for pregnant women). People who are folate-deficient have compromised immune systems.How much folate should you eat a day: Whether you are pregnant or not, folate (vitamin B9) is a great vitamin to keep your cells healthy and strong. The recommendation is 400 micrograms a day, or get it from legumes, spinach, papayas, and avocados.

Kiwis are full of folate, vitamin K, vitamin C, and potassium. These vitamins in combination work in the body to build healthy cells, fight infection and keep your immune system humming along. Vitamin K deficiency is rare but when people don't have enough they suffer from weak bones and compromised immune systems. The inflammation system in the body is also dependent on vitamin K, especially your killer T cells that mobilize and fight cancer and other diseases.How much should you eat in a day: Vitamin K is one of the unsung heroes of the body. Women should get 90 micrograms a day, and men should have 120 micrograms.

Sunflower seeds are especially healthy since they provide phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin B-6 as well as vitamin E. Your immune system needs vitamin E to function at full throttle. You can also get vitamin E from avocados and spinach and broccoli.How much should you eat in a day: Anywhere from 1 ounce (30 grams) per day to a healthy handful is considered healthy, but because they are high in sodium you might want to refrain from eating the entire bag. The raw seeds have 204 calories per quarter cup.

The nutrients in miso -- which is a soybean paste that has been fermented with salt and a koji starter -- boosts immune system function by delivering healthy probiotics to the gut, making your microbiome healthier. How does Miso benefit your immune system?  It is a "sirt" food, which are foods that contain high levels of ‘sirtuins’ or proteins that regulate cells and activate metabolism. A diet high in sirts is believed to lead to weight loss, increased wellness and longevity.How much should you eat in a day? Researchers believe that consuming one bowl of miso soup per day, as is the tradition in Japan, lowers the risks of breast cancer. Other than its high sodium content there is no reason to stay away from miso with all its varied health benefits. We say cheers to that.