A PIONEERING Worcester mum is trying to combat childhood obesity in the city single-handedly with a new business venture.

Joanne Allen, of Grosmont Avenue, Warndon Villages, is giving schools food for thought by offering healthy lunch boxes.

After nine months of research into what attracts children to food, and enlisting the advice of a state-registered dietician, Mrs Allen is preparing to go live with her firm Smart Heart Lunches.

The company will offer parents the chance to buy healthy lunch boxes containing a mixture of pasta, fruit, petit pans, yogurt and mineral water.

She has also already enlisted several schools to subsidise the lunch boxes for pupils who would normally receive free meals.

"I have always been careful what I give my six-year-old son Bradley in his lunchbox and when I was made redundant from my job as an operations manager, I decided there was a market in healthy goods," said the 41-year-old.

"I did my research into what attracted children to food, such as colour and textures and so on, and sought professional advice from a dietician.

"I then went to a Worcester school with the finished articles to see if the children liked them and I'm pleased to say they did."

The lunches are presented in an attractive box and each part of the lunch is packed separately.

And while Mrs Allen has already attracted the attention of several schools in the county, she would like more to take up her offer.

"I am amazed at how some schools do not seem bothered about what their children eat at lunchtimes," she added.

"They see it as just another problem to add to their list.

"But obesity, particularly in children, is becoming a major problem in Britain and we need to educate children from a young age.

"The emphasis on my lunchboxes is low fat, low salt and low sugar, all of which can make people big or unhealthy.

"We seriously need to educate people on the dangers of eating too much junk food and I can't think of a better place to start than with young children.

"If they learn from an early age, then in ten or 20 years time we will be a very healthy nation."

As an acknowledgement of her efforts, Mrs Allen is being awarded the Heartbeat Award by Worcester City Council on Monday.

For more information on Smart Heart Lunches call 01905 759005.