Aoileann Garavaglia - is best known for her Children's Cookery Books Yumee and Its a Yummee World. She has been delighting children of all ages for years now through her Yummy Parties and has presented the children's cookery programme on RTE's Den TV. She always encourages children to learn about food in a fun and exciting way, with a huge emphasis on kitchen safety.

• Snacks are an important part of a healthy diet for active children.
• Make snacks nutritious, not just high in energy.
• Plan to share meals as a family.
• Enjoy talking and sharing the day's happenings at mealtimes.
• Let children tell you when they're full - don't decide for them
• Take lunch from home..that way you and your child can choose what goes into their lunchbox.
• Let children help with food prep and meal planning - make it fun and interesting
• Encourage physical activities for the whole family.

...nutrition and a balanced diet are essential in order to help them grow up strong and healthy.

Whether you have a toddler or a teen, here are five of the best ways of making sure they eat smart, improve nutrition and enjoy their food.

1. Have regular meals - as a family
2. Keep it interesting - serve a variety of foods
3. Practice what you preach! Make sure you are eating healthily too
4. Food shouldn't be a chore and the dinner table isn't a battle ground - so avoid arguments over food.
5. Involve you children in food; shopping; preparing; tasting

Ok; we know it's always easier said then done but, making the effort is really important and here's some ways that will help you to achieve your goals and incorporate these five tips into your routine.

Children like routine and eating together as a family can be great fun.

Children enjoy the predictability of family meals and eating together gives us parents a chance to catch up and share stories. Eating with the kids also allows us to introduce new foods and indeed, to act as a role model for healthy eating.

Research has shown that children who take part in regular family meals are also:

• more likely to eat fruits, vegetables, and grains
• less likely to snack on unhealthy foods

Children may at times reject the idea of a family meal but this is quite normal as they are trying to establish their independence. But it's important to remember that even if children rebel, they do want their parent's counsel and advice...even if it doesn't always seem so.

Allowing your child to invite a friend to dinner might just be the solution to any prospective problems and can be great fun for all the family too.

Children, especially the younger ones, will eat mostly what's available at home. That's why it's important to have a supply of healthy foods in the house - main meals and snacks.

I have found the following tips to be really helpful.

• Work fruit and vegetables into your child's daily routine. An apple for a snack; grapes in their lunchbox; salad in the sandwich; veg with the evening meal. Aim for at least 5 servings of fruit and\or veg every day.
• Make the healthier choice the easier choice for your child. Keep fruit and vegetables on hand and ready to eat. Other great snacks include low-fat yogurt, popcorn, dried fruit, whole meal crackers or brown bread with cottage cheese.
• Serve lean meats and other good sources of protein, such as fish, eggs, beans, and nuts.
• Choose whole-grain breads and cereals so kids get more fibre.
• Limit fat intake by avoiding deep-fried foods and choosing healthier cooking methods, such as grilling, roasting, and steaming.
• Limit fast food and other low-nutrient snacks, such as chips and sweets. But don't completely ban favorite snacks from your home. Treats in moderation are fine and you don't want to have your child feeling deprived - remember, childhood should be fun!
• Little bodies need plenty of hydration; milk, water or a water-based juice such as MiWadi are great options.

With a busy life and two children I know how difficult it can be to set a good example but, the best way to encourage healthy eating is to eat well yourself. Kids tend to follow the lead of adults that they see every day so, by eating well and not overindulging in the less nutritious stuff, you'll be sending the right message.

Portion size is also important as is a healthy attitude to food. Parents who constantly talk about dieting or feeling fat won't do their children any favours and could foster negative feelings to food.

Be positive food after all - it's one of life's great pleasures.

It's easy for food to become a source of conflict. Well-intentioned parents often find themselves bribing their children with treats but a better strategy is to give kids some control, but to also limit the kind of foods (and treats) available to them at home.

Here's some tips:

• Don't force kids to clean their plates. Doing so teaches kids to override feelings of fullness.
• Don't bribe or reward kids with food. Avoid using dessert as the prize for eating the meal.
• Don't use food as a way of showing love. A hug is infinitely better!

• Most kids will enjoy deciding what to make for dinner.
• Talk to them about making choices and planning a balanced meal.
• Some might even want to help shop for ingredients and prepare the meal.
• When shopping, help your children to understand food labels so they will begin to learn what to look for.
• In the kitchen, select tasks for your child appropriate to his or her age and at the end of the meal - don't forget to praise the young chef!

There's another important reason why kids should be involved: It can help prepare them to make good decisions on their own about the foods they want to eat. That's not to say that your child will suddenly want a salad instead of chips, but the mealtime habits you help create now can lead to a lifetime of healthier choices.

Physical activity is really important for kids (and adults!) of all ages. Try to encourage your child to do something active each day and it really can be anything. Hula hoping, running, helping around the house, walking and active play - all activity counts.

To increase activity try the following...

• Limit the amount of time spent watching television - for the whole family.
• Do something physical and active together like a family walk or swim.
• Go and watch your child play sports - support and encourage.
• Encourage daily activity, not just exercise.
• Use the car less - that means everyone!

Fruit and veg are the bees knees...but do you know why?

• They contain high levels of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, fibre and antioxidants, all essentials in the efficient functioning of the body.
• They have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer by up to 20%.
• They combat incidence of asthma, diabetes, colds and flus.
• Fruit & Veg improve the overall quality of the diet through eating healthily, which helps to reduce the risk of obesity.
• Interestingly, they improve sleeping patterns leading to better concentration and behaviour.