Our little Chloe is two! And whilst 24 organic cupcakes bake away in the oven (don't be too impressed, they came out of a box) I'm sitting here pondering the highs and lows of our parenting so far.

It's true that no-one can prepare you for the sheer exhaustion of looking after a baby, or for the kind of frustration you feel when having spent three hours installing a baby gate into a cement wall, you realise that your little ninja can crawl underneath it, but no-one can prepare you for the highs either.

There have been some heart-melting moments recently is there anything better than your child saying "I love you?"

And there are proud moments too.

Courtesy of Dora, her Spanish is better than mine admittedly not difficult, but still impressive. It's odd walking up your toddler to be greeted with "buenos dias mummy!"

Also, the first thing Chloe 'cooked' in her play kitchen was some broccoli soup.

How reassuring to see the genes kick in.

And good that she got her culinary instinct from me, rather than her dad… otherwise it would have been pizza.

However, despite her obsession with broccoli and other green vegetables, giving Chloe a healthy diet hasn't always been easy.

There have been weeks when all she has wanted to eat is Cheerios, peas and yoghurt. There have also been weeks when she just hasn't seemed interested in food at all.

Almost every parent understands the frustration of trying to give children a healthy diet.

Sometimes we're happy if they will simply eat anything, let alone a vegetable.

They all seem to have phases when playing takes higher priority over food and we're lucky if we can get three mouthfuls of mash into them before they start trying to escape.

So for parents whose battle has become long-term, or even for those who just need some inspiration, I suggest you check out www.mealmakeovermoms.com

This month we're exploring some of the best health and nutrition related sites on the web, and this is one of my family-friendly favourites.

This week: Meal Makeover Moms www.mealmakeovermoms.com

The Meal Makeover Moms began in 2004 when registered dietitians Janice Newell Bissex and Liz Weiss released their book 'The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers, Improving the Way Your Family Eats, One Meal at a Time'.

Unlike many websites that accompany books, this one actually makes a huge amount of information that's in the book if not all available online.

It's packed with recipes, mealtime tools, cooking videos, a blog… and you can even download podcasts.

What's reassuring about this site, is that behind the fun and practicality are two seriously well qualified ladies.

Both have undergraduate and masters degrees in nutrition and between them, have also been trained by the Culinary Institute of America and the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.

What's so good about the latter? It means that the recipes aren't just healthy, they taste really good too.

The whole premise is based on making-over typical family and kid-friendly meals, to make them healthier.

Sometimes they hide the veggies, sometimes they just weave them in… but all the recipes are flexible, so you can tailor them to your family's likes and dislikes.

One word of caution. Whilst I fully endorse their method of making things healthier they just use less sugar rather than using artificial sweeteners for example be careful about your interpretation of their guidelines.

In one particular video they say "don't be afraid of a little sugar, so long as it comes with good nutrition" … and by that they mean that a little sugar is OK if the recipe also includes wholegrains or hidden veggies for example.

But don't be tempted to take this too far.

They are not saying that it's OK to include sugar at breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Likewise, they makeover the classic BLT sandwich, and whilst it's certainly a healthier version, I wouldn't recommend bacon on a daily basis.

Moms and Dads can sign up to this free club for e-news and access to the newsletter archives.

There are also details on how to host a cooking party (should you be domestically gifted) and you have the opportunity to submit one of your favourite recipes for their makeover expertise.

They choose member submissions to feature in their bimonthly newsletter. I wonder what they could do with cassava pie?

Mealtime Tools

This section includes some great tools to help you shop and cook more healthily and also to include your family in the process.

They have shopping lists, a meal planner template and also a recipe reviewer chart. This chart allows your little ones to try new meals and snacks and tell you what they like and dislike.

It's true that when kids are more involved in the decision making, they are less likely to reject new things.

If you can persuade them to try new foods, without the pressure of having to like it, you are more likely to get a favourable reaction.

Recipes

Heaven for parents who are fresh out of ideas. Also great for those of us who have children that will only eat mac 'n' cheese they have plenty of ideas for boosting the nutritional value of this particular favourite. (I do however still think that blending puréed butternut squash or pumpkin into the cheese sauce is the best trick for the fussiest of eaters.)

Recipe categories include breakfast, comfort food, desserts, lunch boxes, Mexican, pasta and pizza, seafood, sides, slow cooker and soups, snacks and smoothies, vegetarian AND kid food makeovers.

This last category includes healthier takes on the classics: chicken nuggets, meatballs, cheeseburgers and mac 'n' cheese.

Cooking Videos

A really great section that shows you just how simple making healthy and tasty meals can be.

All very Martha Stewart (or Delia Smith, depending on if you grew up watching American or British TV…) Categories include: party food, holiday food, lunch boxes, main dishes and snacks and dessert.

The final two video sections are mealtime tips and pantry tips. Mealtime tips covers everything from suggestions for 'family food rules' to how to persuade your children to try new things.

In the mealtime tips video, Janice and Liz also have some very sensible advice regarding the clean-plate philosophy.

Whilst most of us have grown up being told that it is polite to leave a clean plate, they actually warn against this, suggesting that this interferes with your child's ability to recognise when they are full and then to stop eating.

Instead, they advise that you start with small portions and allow your children to then ask for more. Mealtime tips also includes small changes that you can make that make a huge difference to the nutrition that your family receives for example by switching regular salt for Kosher salt, which has half the sodium.

And finally, pantry tips provides basic nutritional information on everything from beans to wholegrains.

Please note though that whilst they recommend sesame oil amongst their favourites in the 'best cooking oil' section, I suggest you don't cook with this over high heat.

Sesame oil is fairly unstable and can burn easily. Instead, my advice is to cook with a light canola or olive oil and then stir sesame oil through for flavour once the dish is off the heat.

* The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the U.K. Please note that she is not a Registered Dietitian. She can be contacted at nourishbdagmail.com.