But Jamie Oliver has recently announced that he thinks not eating together as a family is 'unforgiveable'. And Author of 'Mealtimes Without Mayhem' Joanne Turner agrees with Jamie on the importance of family mealtimes as 'an opportunity for parents to establish family traditions, encourage healthy eating habits, and be positive role models for their children'. www.mealtimeswithoutmayhem.com/

Even the Aussie parents who try to do the right thing and understand the importance of eating meals as a family, are often still overwhelmed by the task of creating a new meal every night and entertaining children at the dinner table, but Joanne says inspiration is all around them.

A prominent example is the MasterChef craze that has swept the nation. The television show, featuring regular Aussies who cook new and enticing meals each week while they compete against each other, is not only entertainment but education. The show's experts are often spotted explaining new cooking techniques, why cooking disasters happen, what ingredients can be used for and more tips for parents to become household MasterChefs.

And make no mistake, children are also being swept up in the cooking craze. 'After Junior MasterChef, children are eager to help out in the kitchen and right now parents have the chance to utilise this passion for cooking and food as a way to encourage time together as a family and eating as a family. It's also an important way to teach children about healthy eating, with Australian childhood obesity levels at an all-time high,' says mumpreneur Jo Turner. www.mealtimeswithoutmayhem.com/

The book 'Mealtimes Without Mayhem', written by Jo Turner and featuring Masterchef's Julie Goodwin and George Calombaris, is a practical guidebook that makes managing family mealtimes easier by exploring how to create a child-friendly eating environment that amplifies the benefits of family togetherness and makes eating meals as a family a more pleasant undertaking.

According to Wendy Baudin, author of Beam Me Up Hottie, 'This book has captured the essence of the difficulties in getting the family to eat together. The book gives you the guidance you need as a parent to create an environment where the family can enjoy mealtimes. This is what being a family is all about – coming together and sharing the stories around a nutritious meal – and the book tells you how to accomplish this, particularly when you have small children as this is not an easy feat.'

For help cooking for fussy eaters and establishing family mealtime routines, visit www.mealtimeswithoutmayhem.com/ to get a copy of 'Mealtimes Without Mayhem' today.