192 - "What's on the Menu?" with Catherine McCord

Run This World with Nicole DeBoom Podcast

Catherine McCord is the co-founder of One Potato and the founder of the popular Weelicious brand, a trusted content resource synonymous with family and food. A graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education, she has created online how-to videos that have amassed more than fifty million views and celebrities like Jennifer Garner, Sarah Michelle Gellar & Keri Glassman, RD, swear by her food as a medicine approach to healthy tonics. She has written three cookbooks including her latest Smoothie Project. Catherine has appeared on TODAY, Good Morning America, California Live, The Doctors, and is a regular on the Emmy-winning NBC show Naturally, Danny Seo as well as Food Network’s #1-rated Guy’s Grocery Games. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children.

I came to know about Catherine and her lifesaving work for parents with picky kids when my best friend gave me two of her Weelicious cookbooks. I was complaining about how all Wilder will eat is "Cheese on White" (we talk about this in the interview!) and the minute I opened one of her cookbooks, I knew there was another way!

I started by making Chewy Granola Balls. They have peanut butter! Something Wilder would never eat on her own. But lo and behold, she ate these! Then I tried Spinach Ricotta Bites and Spaghetti Pie and Spanakopita Bites. And they all won! As I cooked, I realized that the true point of Catherine's work was to make meals that the entire family can enjoy.

Tim and I had gotten into the habit of making our food and Wilder's food separately. Everything we liked was too zesty or "spicy" or looked weird or had texture that would make her gag! Every time I got brain blocked, I started pulling out Weelicious cookbooks until one day I finally realized that it didn't end there.

Catherine started One Potato food delivery service after realizing there was a whole in that budding industry. No one had created a meal delivery company that considered the entire family. One Potato has a family-friendly menu with recipes that the kids can actually help make.

There's no doubt that Catherine is a thought leader in the world of family culinary arts, but what's an extra bonus is just how much fun she is on top of it all. Catherine has an incredible personality that was obviously shaped by a grounded family life and the fact that she is doing something every day that she loves.

Notables from our conversation:

Catherine faced adversity at a young age (health problems) and learned to find a different positive path (modeling)

How Catherine managed to develop a healthy body image and healthy relationship with food despite being very successful in a career that puts a priority on being extremely thin

Transitions: Didn't quit her day job while going to culinary school

On the path to Weelicious, Catherine tried many different things that didn't work. Weelicious was successful because Catherine was solving a problem.

How to "break" picky kids!

Cheese on white syndrome

Food is curative. If something is not right, try first to cure yourself or your kids with food.

"Around the back sneak attack" getting her kids to try recipes - ask for their help so they feel empowered not defensive

Creative cooking prompt: Make a list of 10 foods you all love. Build a menu from there.

How to break the groundhog day cooking cycle - esp during pandemic.

"What gets you up in the morning?" - ND

"I just jump out of bed everyday!" - CM

Nugget: "If you don't know how to do something that you want to learn how to do , don't be afraid to ask for help. Ask your mother's cousin's brother. Ask your neighbor. Ask anyone. Don't be shy because everyone wants to help someone else to feel good and be successful."

GIVEAWAY: To win a Weelicious cookbook, go to @nicoledeboom on Facebook or Instagram and answer this question, "What food can you not live without?" Winner will be chosen Sunday, March 14, 2021.

For more Catherine McCord:

@weelicious and @onepotato

Weelicious & One Potato