Page 14 - aruba-today-20220406

a14 people & arts
Wednesday 6 april 2022
Camila Alves McConaughey takes on picky eaters, with love

By MARK KENNEDY times. Her youngest recent- “My daughter would say,
AP Entertainment Writer ly would only eat beans, ‘I really don’t like onions.’
NEW YORK (AP) — Camila prompting her to call the And then once I’ll get her to
Alves McConaughey has doctor. cook this meat sauce with
co-written a new children’s Boldt filled the book with me, she’ll say, ‘Oh, I can’t
book about a bunch of big movements and ex- eat this. You put onions on
picky eaters. Only in this pressive faces, saying he it.’ I’ll say, ‘I put onions on
case, the picky eaters was paying homage to Dr. this every time I cook it.’”
aren’t the children. Seuss’ “The Cat in the Hat,” The Brazilian-born Alves
“Just Try One Bite” (Penguin which also has kids tak- grew up on a farm and
Random House) follows ing charge and creating moved to Los Angeles as a
three kids as they try to get a bit of chaos. “It’s much teenager.
their parents to put down easier to draw something “The relationship with food
the ice cream, cake and when the words are incred- and what it came from —
chicken fried steak and ibly descriptive and visual, from seed to table — was
embrace healthy, whole because that feeds your very vivid for me growing
foods. Actually, all the kids imagination,” he says. up,” she says.
want is for the adults to He also has three children She tries to replicate what
take a single bite of any- but, thankfully, they aren’t she grew up with by add-
thing healthy. that picky. “They actually ing lots of colors to her
“It’s not about preaching like a lot of vegetables and plates — beets, beans,
being perfect. I know I’m foods that I wasn’t sure they hearts of palm, tomatoes,
not. I know my household were going to,” he says roots and legumes. She
is not. We’ve got a ways with a laugh. “Stuff I didn’t prepares them simply, puts
to go,” says the model and like when I was a kid.” them in the middle of the
entrepreneur. “It’s about Alves has tips for parents table, and lets her kids and
making small changes.” of picky eaters beyond mother-in-law graze.
The rhyming book — co- the classic one of making While she was growing up,
written with Adam Man- plates more fun by arrang- her family never talked
sbach and illustrated by ing the food into faces. One about moderating sugar,
Mike Boldt — features well- This book cover image released by Dial Books for Young way she keeps the house- something she still struggles
meaning kids confronting Readers shows “Just Try One Bite,” a children’s book by Adam hold happy is by sticking to with. Her husband’s family
their junk-food-loving par- Mansbach and Camila Alves McConaughey, illustrated by good dietary rules all week did talk about it, and she
ents (who somewhat re- Mike Boldt. and then having free-for- says he has a healthier re-
semble Alves and her hus- Associated Press all-Friday, when everyone lationship with sweets and
band, actor Matthew Mc- A breakthrough occurs you start giving kids the un- can eat what they want. dessert.
Conaughey) about giving when the parents finally derstanding and the knowl- She also endorses let- Alves advocates making
kale a chance, a role re- eat some cauliflower — edge, all of a sudden you ting each child choose a small changes and em-
versal with plenty of humor. and like it. That opens the start seeing them feel em- “throw-up vegetable” — bracing the notion that
“Oh Papa, oh Mama, door for yams, linguini with powered and make better one item they can skip as no one’s perfect. She ad-
please be open-minded. clams and, as a reward, decisions on their own.” long as they try all the oth- mits her kids have busted
You can’t say kale’s gross donut holes. Yes, treats are Alves — mother to Levi, 13, ers. (Her throw-up veggie her on her chocolate ad-
if you won’t even try it,” allowed, in moderation. Vida, 12, and Livingston, would be okra, a lifelong diction, and she’s moving
they plead in the book. “A “One of the most impor- 9 — is candid about the slimy enemy, she says.) An- toward less sweet, darker
well-balanced dinner re- tant conversation to have challenges parents face other tip: Encourage chil- versions. “No matter what
ally ought to be more than about doing better for your- with picky eaters, noting dren to help cook in the stage you’re in, there’s al-
some French fries you found self is early on,” says Alves that siblings go through dif- kitchen to learn about in- ways room to do a little bit
in your car on the floor.” from her home in Texas. “If ferent stages at different gredients. better.”q

Doris Day’s animal charity honors late

star with fundraiser

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The by the war in Ukraine. Day, to post photos and videos
100th anniversary of Do- who was born in Cincinnati, with the hashtag #Doris-
ris Day’s birthday is being Ohio, on April 3, 1922, cre- Day100 that show how the
recognized with a social- ated the nonprofit group, “legacy of Doris and her
media fundraiser honoring originally known as the enduring passion for animal
her passion for animals. The Doris Day Pet Foundation, welfare” is being carried
Doris Day Animal Founda- in 1978. She died in May on. A video compilation of
tion, a charity that supports 2019 at age 97. A singer celebrity tributes to Day’s
animal welfare programs and actor best known for animal advocacy includes
nationwide, is asking “ani- 1950s romantic comedies a newly recorded message
mal lovers” everywhere to including “Pillow Talk” and from Kaley Cuoco, who’s
donate and celebrate her “Lover Come Back,” Day set to star as Day in a lim-
Actor and animal rights activist Doris Day poses for photos after legacy. The foundation an- also starred in dramas, in- ited series. Those featured
receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Award she was presented with at nounced a goal of $100,00 cluding Alfred Hitchcock’s in the video include Betty
the annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on in donations, which it said “The Man Who Knew Too White, another prominent
Jan. 28, 1989. it would match with funds Much.” In a statement, the animal welfare booster,
Associated Press to benefit animals affected foundation asked people who died last December.q