Brazilian author Camila Alves McConaughey exclusively told AmoMama everything you need to know about “Just Try One Bite,” her new book about three children trying to change their parents’ eating behavior.

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Although some people struggle to decide what to eat, things get significantly tougher with a picky eater in the family. As a mother of three, Camila Alves McConaughey knows it firsthand.

In an exclusive interview with AmoMama, Matthew McConaughey’s wife talked about “Just Try One Bite” and shared details about her own kids’ eating patterns.

Camila Alves McConaughey and Matthew McConaughey on November 12, 2016 in Los Angeles, California [left] | Alves and her three children from a May 2019 Instagram post [right] | Source: Getty Images - Instagram.com/camilamcconaughey

Camila Alves McConaughey and Matthew McConaughey on November 12, 2016 in Los Angeles, California [left] | Alves and her three children from a May 2019 Instagram post [right] | Source: Getty Images – Instagram.com/camilamcconaughey

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CHANGING ROLES

Alves might be best known for her impressive fashion model career, but she has been making a name for herself as a healthy eating advocate, entrepreneur, and TV personality.

In the past few years, Alves has appeared on different talk shows to talk about her life and share quick, healthy recipes. She also founded Women of Today, a website filled with recipes and lifestyle advice. 

Headshot of Camila Alves McConaughey | Source: Courtesy of Camila Alves McConaughey

Headshot of Camila Alves McConaughey | Source: Courtesy of Camila Alves McConaughey

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Now, Alves is trying to improve parents’ lives one book at a time. She joined forces with Adam Mansbach, the bestselling author of “Go the **** to Sleep,” to create a “fun and funny” story of three kids trying to convince their junk-food-eating parents to “Just Try One Bite” of healthy foods. 

Alves’ book approaches a vital topic that frequently affects a household’s dynamic by giving it this unique “role reversal” spin where the kids are the ones with knowledge and power, trying to enlighten their parents on conscious eating.

Camila Alves McConaughey holding her book "Just Try One Bite" | Source: Courtesy of Camila Alves McConaughey - Female Founders Collective

Camila Alves McConaughey holding her book “Just Try One Bite” | Source: Courtesy of Camila Alves McConaughey – Female Founders Collective

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ENCOURAGING HEALTHIER HABITS

Matthew McConaughey’s wife exclusively told us she didn’t intend to tell anyone what was good or bad. Instead, the book’s inspiration was her passion for starting the conversation about the relationship between the food you eat and what it does to your body. Alves explained:

“I am a strong believer that the more empowered kids feel about their choices, the more likely they are to create healthy, long-lasting habits.”

The model added that if parents talked to their children about healthy eating, they would develop and maintain healthier habits once they become adults. 

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Camila Alves McConaughey holding a fruit platter | Source: Courtesy of Camila Alves McConaughey - Photographer Ashley Burns

Camila Alves McConaughey holding a fruit platter | Source: Courtesy of Camila Alves McConaughey – Photographer Ashley Burns

One of the first things Alves’ fans noticed about “Just try One Bite” was the strong similarities between the main characters and her family.

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The book cover shows a multicultural family with two boys and one girl. Alves and McConaughey are raising boys Levi and Livingston and daughter Vida in real life.

Alves explained that she and the book’s illustrator Mike Bolt never really talked about who the characters should resemble, so it was probably a fun surprise for her. She praised Bolt’s work, too, as the images “really put you in the character’s world.”

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DEALING WITH PICKY EATERS

The book’s characters might look like Alves and her family, but their personalities are pretty different. She explained her three kids have gone through various “stages” at different times regarding food.

Livingston, her youngest, would only eat beans for a while. Now, Vida is the picky eater in the family, so Alves is learning to get creative and come up with tactics to help each kid move past those stages. Alves explained:

“Right when I feel like I am past one stage, another one of them starts to be picky again!”

Camila Alves McConaughey setting a table | Source: Courtesy of Camila Alves McConaughey - Photographer Ashley Burns

Camila Alves McConaughey setting a table | Source: Courtesy of Camila Alves McConaughey – Photographer Ashley Burns

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Although “Just Try One Bite” is Alves’ first time writing a book, literature has always been an essential aspect of her family’s dynamic.

She used to read stories for her children all the time when they were younger, but now they “are bringing books and stories to me!”

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Her family would regularly switch her book collection with friends to keep things fresh. Still, one of Alves’ favorite books as a child was “The Little Prince,” and she “just pulled it again” to read it with Livingston.

Just Try One Bite” hit the shelves on March 22. After that, Alves has a packed schedule: she will be at First Baptist Church of Austin, Texas, on March 26 to celebrate her debut as an author, and she will join Mansbach in Los Angeles for a book reading. Way to go! 

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