Jill Ireland

Mum-of-two Jill Ireland has cooked up easy ideas to keep her family healthy.

Although her daughters Sophie, 8, and Kayleigh, 21, are picky eaters, she has found a way of including fruit and vegetables in their diets without making mealtimes a battleground.

She said: "My two daughters are really fussy about what they eat but it's not as difficult as you might think to include fruit and vegetables in their diet.

"Rather than having a battle with them over meal times, I find different ways to cook meals with the foods they do like such as chicken and fish.

"Every kid likes pasta and a good way of making it healthier is to make the tomato sauce with lots of vegetables and puree it all together with fresh herbs. Soup is also a great way of using lots of veg which can be pureed too.

"I try not to waste food and if I have got lots of fruit left over, I make smoothies which are tasty and quick to prepare."

She added: "Sophie loves to have treats after her meals and I tell her she can once she has a piece of fruit. Very often once she has her fruit, she doesn't want anything else."

Jill, 47, who runs the Fresh Coffee Shop in Dunfermline which received a Healthyliving Award last year, added:

"For their lunch boxes, again rather than putting in things that I know they won't eat, I just find ways of making by including simple foods like sandwiches with ham and lots of salad leaves, carrot sticks and bananas or apples."

Jill also recognises the benefits of being more active.

"As a family, we enjoy going swimming together and try to walk as much as we can, whether it's to work or to school.