ohhhhh Raven,
I have resorted to doing this as well but not with such awful repurcussions. Poor you. Lets cross our fingers that they learnt their lesson last night and that there will never be a need for that to happen again. I don't have any real strategies other than send them to bed,or time out for a period then later they get one piece of fruit(pick a fruit they don't like too much),its not negotiable they must eat it then brush thier teeth and go to bed. maybe this will tide them over so they don't get the throw ups but not reward them enough to encourage them to do it again.
One of my girlfriends is really strict with her kids , if they don't eat whats set before them at tea time they go to bed with nothing and their dinner gets wrapped in glad wrap to be reheated in the morning for breakfast. as you can imagine it dosent happen very often. I couldnt do it though it makes me feel mean.
Me personally i listen to my kids if something i've made dosent taste good and i wouldnt eat it then i don't expect them to. if they are too busy chatting and their dinner goes cold , i will reheat it once. If they muck up at the table by being very very silly,or messy or wasting food then definetley no desert or lollies. If its a food new to them and they don't like it ,ie lentils- i expect them to try it because often they will even surprise themselves by not liking the way something looks but loving the taste,but if they don't like it i will have a quick and healthy alternative on offer. I'm probably way too flexible but i do what works for me. HTH

Pauline