How Matthew McConaughey's Mom Got Him To Eat More Vegetables
No parent wants to turn the dinner table into an ultimate food battle where the undeterred stubborn child stares at a plate of vegetables as if it was the ultimate food punishment. Over the years, parents tried the best recipes to trick kids into eating veggies or maybe even bribed the young diners to eat just one more bite. Eat This Not That compiled 15 ways to get kids to eat those nutrient-packed dishes, but the struggle is real and parents are not alone. Sometimes listening to what worked for mom and dad might be the olive branch in the food war.
In a recent interview with "Today," Camila Alves McConaughey discussed her new book, "Just Try One Bite." This new children's picture book flips the story on healthy eating. Instead of the kids being picky, it is the parents who cannot stomach those cruciferous vegetables. Putting aside the leafy green gagging, the hope is that a little humor could have everyone adding a few more healthy eating options to the plate. But the idea of compromise isn't totally dismissed from the conversation — as Alves McConaughey revealed, there is some family history about avoiding those gagging greens on the table.
The McConaughey household's simple trick to eat more vegetables
When kids are little, it can be cute to see them spit out that first taste of carrot or watch as their eyes widen with that swallow of sweet potato. As the kids get older, the pushing of food around the plate hoping that no one will notice can draw battle lines across the table. Although HealthyChildren.org has a variety of straightforward ideas on getting kids to eat those healthy foods, sometimes parents need a little extra seasoning to get the fork into the mouth. In the McConaughey household, it was all about being in control.
As Camila Alves McConaughey told "Today", her mother-in-law allowed Matthew McConaughey to have one "throw-up vegetable." The child can pick one vegetable that is always a hard no, pass, do not pass go option. Whenever it is served, the kid doesn't have to eat it. While this food hall pass might sound silly, it does give a child control over the food on the plate. Even though all the other vegetables have to be at least one bite tasted, it offers the balance to avoid the line food stalemate. If parents are tired of the food fights over vegetables, maybe the "throw-up vegetable" idea could work and it might make taking just one bite of everything else a little more palatable.