<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"  The recent announcement of the new school nutrition guidelines was a monumental step forward in the fight against childhood obesity. Cat Cora has been a part of the fight for a while as the spokesperson for Lunch Break for Schools. Last week we shared the first half of our interview with her. See below for the rest of her views on healthy eating, plus some of her favorite foods: What have you found to be the most effective method to educate kids about healthy eating (games, hands-on, videos, etc.)?  Being patient and getting the kids involved with meal preparation, as well as making healthier versions of familiar dishes. A lot of kids don&amp;#039;t know what edamame is, but they do know what chips and salsa are. You can make a delicious edamame, pea, and tomato salsa and serve it over pita chips or wheat crackers with some low fat cheese, and they learn a new fun way to eat chips and salsa or nachos, but packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals.  With 4 children and your career you must be a very busy mom! How do you ensure your family eats healthy when not under your watchful eye?  We incorporated new tastes and flavors into our kids&amp;#039; diets from a very early age, which helped to develop their palates and prevented them from becoming picky eaters. We don&amp;#039;t buy junk food and give them options of fresh fruit, yogurt, raw almonds, or dried whole grain cereals for snack time, and always send them off to friends&amp;#039; houses or to school with these same healthy snacks to choose from. We recently conducted a reader survey and found that although people want to eat healthy, taste is the most influential factor in their purchasing decisions. What are your tips and tricks for creating healthy yet delicious meals? I use a lot of fresh citrus, garlic, and fresh herbs when cooking to cut down on fat and sodium but punch up flavor. Our cupboards and fridge are full of condiments - mustards, vinegars, etc. that also add tons of flavor but are low in fat, calories, or other processed additives that are equally as bad to eat.  The survey also revealed that the second most influential factor in their purchasing decisions is price. Do you have any suggestions for how to feed your family healthy food on a budget? I did a whole special on The Oprah Show about how to feed your family inexpensively, and it&amp;#039;s actually much easier than you&amp;#039;d think! Purchase items that can be made into several meals, like a whole roasted chicken, or bag of sweet potatoes, and shop the periphery of the grocery store, avoiding the middle aisles full of processed and higher-priced foods. Also, make enough to have extra for leftovers, reducing the cost of one meal&amp;#039;s worth of groceries into two days&amp;#039; worth. And not surprisingly, people find a lack of time as a big obstacle to preparing healthy meals for their family. Do you have any tips for choosing healthy food on-the-run? Don&amp;#039;t supersize or order a large order of anything if you have to do the drive through. Most places now a days offer great salads with lean proteins, which are always a better choice, but skip the dressing, or make your own with a bit of oil and vinegar or citrus juice squeezed over the top. If eating out, order your meal and ask the server to wrap up \u00BD of the portion to take home with your for the next day, keeping your portion size in check, and stretching your dollar into two meals. And now just a few questions that are always fun to ask a chef! What would your last meal be?  Lamb What is your favorite dish to make? Greek Cinnamon Stewed Chicken What is your least favorite ingredient to cook with and why? Organs, since I&amp;#039;m not particularly fond of eating them. What is your favorite ingredient to cook with and why?  Anything bright, vibrant, flavorful, and preferably influenced by the Mediterranean diet. What is your favorite spice?  Dried oregano What is your favorite dessert?  Anything peanut butter and chocolatey! Do you have any guilty pleasures?  Anything peanut butter and chocolatey! What do you think is most essential kitchen tool(s) for a home chef?  A great knives set, or even just one or two high quality knives. I have great walnut wood handled 7- and 8-inch Santoku and Chef&amp;#039;s Knives in my Cat Cora&amp;#039;s Kitchen by Starfrit Cookware Collection. What is your favorite type of food?  Fresh, healthy, natural, seasonal, locally grown and simply prepared. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/a24340/iron-chef-cat-cora-on-school-nutrition-guidelines/?src=rss>