Yum spoke to Jen from Barefoot Kitchens. We asked her about what snacks she feeds her (six) kids and why, she has has recently released her Lovely Little Lunch Boxes cookbook.

The prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, behavioural problems and an array of other health problems associated with kids eating habits rings alarm bells for many mums.

Jen noticed it was becoming normal in the school yard to eat heavily refined packaged food filled with sugar and hidden chemicals and she didn’t want that for her children. “By making your own snacks and getting kids in the kitchen to help you can introduce a real and healthy relationship with food. Real food & real lunches starts I our home kitchens.”

When Jen prepares her kids lunch boxes she pays attention to the details “I keep in mind that kids are attracted to lunches they can eat quickly or on the move with things that crunch and are full of colour to combat their colourful and cleverly marketed counter parts”. She also has a hot tip on getting kids to eat what’s in their lunch box “It’s important to include the kids in the process they love to choose and help get their lunches ready. It’s empowering for a little person to be in control of what’s going in the lunch box!”.

Jen has shared two lovely recipes from her cookbook for Yum readers:

Dangerously delicious sesame snaps

Chocolate, linseed and coconut slice