'How to feed your pre-school child a healthy diet'

If you watched Panorama investigate toddler's food on Monday 25th January and you are worried about how to make sure your pre-school child is being fed the right diet and nutrients you may find my 'baby & toddler healthy eating planner' useful. It contains over 350 easy recipes, meal planners, charts and nutrition guides explaining how to include all the key nutrients in your family's diet using everyday produce. Click here for more information.

We all know how important it is to feed our children good food. However recent research shows that lots of parents are still putting rubbish into their children's packed lunchboxes. I have written a basic guide for good packed lunchboxes so that you can see quickly and clearly just what your children need to eat at lunchtime. Click here to take a look Easy Lunchbox Ideas.

Also, don't forget that if you are looking for present ideas for children, take a look at 'The Silver Spoon for Children'.

I was delighted when the publisher Phaidon asked me to adapt and write a selection of the recipes taken from the renowned Silver Spoon, a best-selling Italian cookbook that has been cherished for generations.

The Silver Spoon For Children

'The Silver Spoon for Children' is a great book to help teach children how to cook some of their favourite Italian recipes and learn essential life skills along the way. For example, how to hold a knife properly and how to crack eggs. I have written the recipes so that they are easy for children to follow and I involved children in the recipe testing. My eldest daughter and her friends helped edit the book before I sent it back to Phaidon, making sure that 10 years olds can follow the instructions clearly.

I love Italy, my father lived in Italy for some time and I was fortunate enough to visit frequently. I also have great friends with a home in Umbria and I love to visit whenever I can. Each time I am there I am always struck by Italian children's passion for good food. I do hope that The Silver Spoon for Children will excite children in many countries and encourage them to cook some of their favourite recipes. The book is also beautifully illustrated with pictures that will capture children's imagination. "Children's cookbooks need to be fun and practical and this book works on both levels. It would make a good Christmas or birthday present for a budding -or reluctant - young cook." Financial Times October 09

I love to encourage children into the kitchen and June 27th and 28th was a particularly exciting weekend for me. I am on the committee for the first ever festival for children and I was running the Kids' Kitchen marquee at the Children's Food Festival in Oxford. It was a huge success - please look at my news page to see what went on.