YOUNGSTERS are cooking up new recipes in a bid to improve their diet and to lead a healthier life through home cooking.

Caroline Monks, of Sowerby, near Thirsk, drew inspiration from celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and his Ministry of Food campaign.

She and her children Ethan, eight, and Anna, five, have already headed to the family kitchen to cook up fresh tomato soup.

The move has attracted interest from the youngsters’ friends at Sowerby Primary School who are keen to get involved too.

Caroline Monks said: "Jamie Oliver is so passionate about improving the health of our nation and I wanted to support his campaign, as well as learning new recipes and becoming a better cook myself.

"I want my children to grow up with cooking as a part of their lives, just like learning to read and write.

"I showed Ethan and Anna how to make tomato soup and when they showed their friends and it helped them to remember how to do it because they were concentrating on it more."

The campaign links in with the Food for Life Partnership’s Food for Life Cooking bus which visited the school last week.

Experts from the Cooking Bus gave lessons and passed on tips for healthier eating during the visit with fruit and vegetables donated by the nearby River Swale Farm.

Jean Yendall, the school’s headteacher, said: "What a great way for the children and parents to share new recipes, learn new cooking skills, make friends and have fun.

"We are very excited about this campaign cascading through the school with interested children and families and continuing to develop our healthy eating culture in school."