Rachael Ray Cooks Up Support for Childhood Nutrition Act

The Food Network star has joined a bi-partisan group to unveil the Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act.

A new bill announced Thursday with the help of the 30 Minute Meals guru, Rachael Ray, was established to prevent hunger in America's children and provide better nutrition in school and out.

For some children, their school meal is all they eat for the day, so that meal needs to be nutritious, yet more must be done to keep children in our bountiful country from going hungry.

"Just being able to eat a good nutritious meal really improves the quality of your life, as well as the longevity of it," said Ray in a video for CNN.

The House's Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act calls for numerous changes in the way childhood nutrition is approached and strives to reach the goals of Michelle Obama's Let's Move program.

"I really think teaching a child good nutrition and the basics of cooking gives them the skills they need for self esteem and for security for the rest of their lives," said Ray. "The difference an apple or a good school lunch makes to these kids is more than just keeping them focused in class, you know, it literally is everything." The food media star strongly believes in instilling a healthy relationship with food and helps to empower children and their families in doing so through her nonprofit organization, Yum-O!

The bill intends to improve access to school meals, including breakfast, and to make it easier for communities and students to partake in school meal programs without having to file extensive paperwork. Access to the programs will also be extended to child care facilities and summer camps in low income, rural areas.

“This legislation creates a nutritional safety net for millions of children who rely on the child nutrition programs by meeting children’s nutritional needs at every step along the way –– in school, on the weekends and during the summer. Child hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation,” said Chairman George Miller in the announcement.

Improving the quality of school meals is also an initiative, as is funding for nutritional education and streamlining, simplifying and modernizing the WIC food program and school meal program.

"Today is the first day of the end of hunger for our kids and the first day of better nutrition in this country," Ray proclaimed. "I thank the First Lady for involving our whole country. I really believe that Let's Move is everybody's common mantra now."

Photo by House Committee on Education and Labor via Flickr.