Buying Lunch at Chef Rocco's Food Truck Buys Lunch for a NYC Kid

By Margaret Badore for DietsInReview.com

When we learned last week that Chef Rocco DiSpirito had a Now Eat This food truck making its way around New York City, we knew that we had to try it for ourselves. When I arrived, I was surprised to see Chef Rocco himself taking orders and dishing out healthy meals. Despite the lunch crowd, Chef Rocco answered my questions between orders with good cheer. "I want to change how people eat, by showing them how good healthy food can taste," said Rocco.

The truck offers a selection of dishes featured in Rocco's Now Eat This! cookbooks, all of which are less than 350 calories. I was told to come hungry, and I wasn't disappointed. I devoured the Mama's meatballs over kamut pasta. For dessert, Rocco offered up a gluten-free chocolate brownie cupcake, which is made with black beans. The kamut pasta didn't have the too-chewy texture that most whole wheat pastas are guilty of, while the cupcake was amazingly moist and fluffy for a gluten-free product. The whole meal contained just 454 calories. The day's menu also included chicken soup with Shirataki noodles and cheesy turkey or vegetarian enchiladas.

The Now Eat This truck is doing more than serving tasty lunches to hungry Manhattanites, it's also feeding them to underprivileged kids in the city. The truck is headed to a new school each week, and all of the truck's proceeds will make it possible to serve the lunches while educating kids about healthy food. That's a lunch you can really feel good about.



Most of the customers I spoke with found out about the truck simply by walking by. But like any good food truck, they tweet their location (@noweatthistruck) each day.

For readers outside of NYC, all of Rocco's recipes can be found in his Now Eat This! series of cookbooks, and the truck may be bound for other U.S. destinations in the future. Rocco said they haven't made plans yet, but that he feels the truck is a means to promote his message. "I would love there to be trucks like this all over the country."

Get in to the kitchen with Chef Rocco's help!

Chef Rocco's Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes


Chef Rocco's Recipes for Fast-Food Alternatives


Rocco's Flash-Fried Finger-Lickin' Chicken Recipe



Photos by Margaret Badore