SM: Why is it so hard to change people’s diets?
Lala: My mom used to show us how much she loved us by cooking a great meal. So the best moments of my life happened around the table. [Most people] associate eating with this wonderful love and passion for the family. We don’t want to be on a diet. We don’t want a bland, awful meal. [Healthy Latin food] does seem like it is a contradiction in terms. But even in my book, I didn’t change any recipes. All I did was take what my mom was already making, did a nutritional analysis and showed that it could be healthy.

SM: So how has this involvement impacted your personal life?
Lala: Oh, my God, when you see someone’s eyes change because they learn something new, that’s just so, so powerful! I just did a [program] for Step Up Women’s Network, where I was able to teach [girls from the YMCA of East Los Angeles] about nutritional self-respect for their bodies. At the very end, they were asked what they liked the best about the whole workshop and I think 90% said that they “loved meeting Lala.”

SM: What struck a chord with them?
Lala: Some of them liked the fact that I was one of them—that I grew up where they grew up, in East LA, and I’ve become what I wanted to become. I told them success isn’t measured by the money you make, but by doing what you love. I walked out of there like I was walking on clouds, knowing that these girls had a mentor and could be like, “If she can do it, I can do it, too!”

SM: You must be such an inspiration to them.
Lala: They’re an inspiration to me! Sometimes it’s very hard to be philanthropic, I’m not going to lie to you. You have to understand that I was up at 3:00 to catch an airplane. I’m lugging a child around. I have four or five different projects going on at a time. I just finished catering. I have my husband and my household to take care of. I need to wash my car. And I’m like, “Oh, my God, when am I going to get around to it?” So to [step away] from all that and say, “Okay, I’m going to go speak to this group of people I’ve never met, and I don’t even know who they are and who knows if I’ll ever even cross paths with them again,” is not always the easiest thing to do when you’re in the middle of a busy life.