Pass The Pen: Catherine McCord


One of my favorite features on The Happy Place is Boss Babes. It gives me a chance to celebrate some incredible women and get the opportunity to share how special they are with all of you!

If you haven’t happened upon the Weelicious Instagram account, stop everything you’re doing and check it out. You will be hypnotized by the epic kids lunch videos, inspired by healthy (and easy) recipes, and you will absolutely fall in love with Catherine McCord. Her effortless approach to bringing beautiful, healthy, and family friendly food to your Instagram feed will inspire you to buy that chic bento box and take your kid’s lunch to the next level.

I’m always on the hunt for ideas that bring simple and whole nutrition to our lives, but it isn’t easy with the picky 6 year old palate. Catherine has a way of making ‘the good stuff’ exciting for kids and adults. Author of two cookbooks and founder of the incredible One Potato, an organic, pre-prepped ingredient meal delivery service, Catherine is one busy lady! And we are counting down the minutes until the release of her third book, the Smoothie Project!

Clearly, I think Catherine is so very special and I took advantage of the opportunity to ask her all of my burning questions about Weelicious and her approach to keeping your family happy, healthy, well fed!

Enjoy!

Xx,
Jo

Your creations are so magical because they are packed with nutrition but also so appealing to children. Of all of your ingredient ‘go to’s’, what is you biggest secret weapon?

I’m all about leaving the “secret weapon” foods up to the person I’m feeding. I have a white board in my pantry with my kids top 10 foods listed on it. We come up with a big list and then I make sure I have them on hand at all times to take the guess work out of making lunch!

Your farmers market hauls are always so impressive. I sometimes find farmers markets overwhelming because I don’t know where to begin. Any tips or tricks for making the most out of my trip?

The best part about the farmers market is that you can buy exactly what you need which cuts down on waste. I focus on buying foods that are at the peak of perfection and in season as they will taste the most heavenly. Try to go to the market with a list of must haves or a few recipes you want to make for the week to come. You can also ask for samples which are plentiful at the market to make sure you enjoy a given food. Most of all bring your kids so they can try a myriad of produce. The vendors at the farmers market are always excited to watch kids try new foods.

You have a new book coming out in December. Can you give us an idea of what we can expect?

Yes! It’s called the Smoothie Project. I started writing it 4 years ago after my son started getting headaches and nausea. I realized that as a vegetarian I was giving him more and more bread, cheese and other foods that were hard to digest and not helping him to function as well as he should. Within weeks of him having a smoothie for breakfast everyday his symptoms all but disappeared. I realized through this experience how vital the food we put in our bodies supports how we think and move all day long. The book has over 100 recipes, ingredient information and all my tips and tricks for preparing the best tasting smoothies you’ve ever had.

One Potato is truly life changing. Providing all the ingredients needed for meals that are appealing to the whole family and you do all the prep work for us. It’s charitable, social, and environmental commitment is also SO impressive. I know you have plans to expand nationwide, but until then what is your best advice to a parent looking to provide healthy, home cooked meals for their family in 30 minutes or less?

Just as you said I would always pick One Potato as it makes life so much easier when feeding your family healthy meals all ages love! Involving your kids in meal planning and prep is helpful too. When kids have a hand in choosing the meals they’re going to eat they get more excited about the food. I let my kids pick 1-2 meals each that they want to order from One Potato or make from a cookbook or something simple like tacos, burgers, DIY salads and more. They can help you prep ingredients, chop, and even sprinkle on a bit of salt. As your kids to taste as you go so they can offer an option. All of it leads to kids who will expand on the type of foods they will eat.

I love seeing your kids helping you in the kitchen! How on earth do you tackle pleasing all of their taste buds? Any advice for moms (ME!) with picky toddler eaters?

Every time you go to the grocery tell your child they can pick any fruit or vegetable they want to try. This becomes a fun game that can turn into a win for everyone. Educate your child on the food they pick, it’s nutritional value and any other fun facts. These valuable lessons and discovery can become empowering and a moment when your child can become proud of themselves too!