HAVING a toddler means meal times can be a battle – as one mum knows all too well.

Heidi Beesley used to struggle to get any goodness on to her son Harrison’s plate. The three-year-old simply refused to eat vegetables.

In despair, stressed-out Heidi turned to her sister Lisa Cawson, who told her about a healthy lifestyle course aimed at young families.

Now, after the ten-week course the family is enjoying peaceful dinners and Harrison is gobbling up his vegetables.

Heidi, 27, said: “I used to work really hard making good, healthy meals but Harrison wouldn’t go near vegetables.

“He was a fussy eater and wanted junk food like chicken nuggets. It was really demoralising and very stressful.”

She signed up to the free Mind, Exercise, Nutrition…Do It! programme, known as Mend, for two to 13-year-olds, which is funded by NHS South East Essex.

They went to a two-hour session once a week, which included advice and support for parents as well as group food tasting sessions, and the change was immediate.

Heidi said: “It was brilliant and really works. It taught me to be consistent with Harrison and he’s now 100 per cent better. He loved going and it’s now so calm at meal times.

“I used to have to puree vegetables, but now he loves them. He’ll even try cucumber, so we’re heading in the right direction.

“Fruit is a work in progress. Sometimes he’ll lick a grape, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

It was so successful her little boy is now a fan of broccoli and carrots and, with her husband Lloyd, 31, the family now sit down together for meals. Heidi has since been invited back to help deliver the courses to other mums.

Heidi, who lives off New Road, Great Wakering, said: “It was great to be asked. Now I’ve got a part-time job – though it’s not really work and I can take Harrison with me.”

Now other members of the family are getting in on the act, with Heidi’s other sister Clare now enrolled on a Mend course with her three-year-old son Oscar.

The workshops are held at children’s centres and schools and aim to prevent childhood obesity and encourage healthy eating habits for life, with information about good nutrition and exercise.

Lee Watson, obesity health improvement specialist for NHS South East Essex, said: “We are offering these fantastic courses to give families with children the tools to improve their lifestyles and all aspects of their health.

“We hope families will take up this chance to help their children begin healthy habits that could last a lifetime.”

For more information on courses for two to four-year-olds, call Deborah Hart on 01268 464550. For courses for seven to 13-year-olds, call Louise Langridge-Brown on 01268 464543.