Mom-Of-3 Camila Alves McConaughey on Her New Children's Book: 'It Is a Unique Role Reversal'

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.

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

In the past few years, Matthew McConaughey's wife has appeared on different talk shows to share quick and healthy recipes that can also be found on her lifestyle website, Women of Today. Now, Alves is trying to improve parents' lives one book at a time.

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, Alves knows it firsthand. In this exclusive interview with AmoMama, Alves talked about "Just Try One Bite" and her own kids' eating patterns.

CHANGING ROLES

Alves 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 responsible figures with knowledge and power, trying to enlighten their parents on conscious eating.

ENCOURAGING HEALTHIER HABITS

Alves exclusively told us she didn't intend to tell anyone what was good or bad. Instead, the book intends to start the conversation about the relationship between the food you eat and what it does to your body. She 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 mom of three added that if parents taught their children about healthy eating, they would develop and maintain healthier habits once they become adults.

One of the first things Alves' fans notice about "Just Try One Bite" is the strong similarities between the main characters and her family.

The book cover shows a multicultural family with two boys and one girl. In real life, Alves and McConaughey share two sons, Levi and Livingston, and one daughter, Vida.

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."

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" regarding food.

Livingston, her youngest, would only eat beans for a while. At the time of writing, Vida is the picky eater in the family. This has forced Alves to be creative and develop 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!"

Although "Just Try One Bite" is Alves' first 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!"

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. Alves will be at the First Baptist Church of Austin, Texas, on March 26 to celebrate her debut as an author and then will join the book's co-author in Los Angeles for a reading.