As far as she is concerned the country is heading for an epidemic of obesity because of the high numbers of overweight children.

She firmly believes the way forward is to teach children that cooking healthy, nutritious food is something that can fit into everyday life.

So hot on the heels of Jamie Oliver's latest Pass It On campaign, Jeannine and her business partner, Charlotte Walker, have set down a challenge for local youngsters.

They want children between the ages of nine and 15 to create a healthy dish at home for a minimum cost and enter it in their Junior Masterchef-style competition.

The winner will receive £50 and their dish will feature on the menu at Five, the healthy-eating cafe the pair opened at Holmfield Mills, Halifax, earlier this year.

Five only serves fresh food with no additives and preservatives, and has been a huge success. The two plan to open a cooking academy next door early next year and franchise the idea nationwide.

"We want everyone to adopt a healthier diet, but are focusing on children with our competition because the earlier individuals learn about improving their eating habits the better. There is a real need to do more to empower youngsters to help themselves and learn to cook rather than simply eating junk food. Being overweight is not just a danger to their health, it can lead to bullying and other social issues," says Jeannine.

The competition has already caught the eye of youngsters, parents, teachers and the media. "Yorkshire TV are showing a lot of interest and we have been inundated with people wanting application forms," says Jeannine.

Anyone who want to take part must fill in a form and turn up at the cafe with their dish between 6pm and 7pm on November 3 to 7.

The hot or cold dishes will be tasted by a panel of food experts and 10 individuals will be shortlisted for the grand final, which will take between 10am and 3pm on November 8. Finalists will have to make the same dish again at the cafe and say what it includes and why they chose it.

The two runners-up will receive £25 and £10. If it is successful, Five will run competitions four times a year and hopefully involve local schools.

Application forms are available at the cafe or can be downloaded at www.fivefood.co.uk. The closing date is October 31.

"We hope the competition will encourage parents to cook at home with their children more. Cooking together not only enables people to eat better but it is a great way of bringing families together," says Jeannine.