Life

Genius Mom Turns Healthy Food Into Cartoons

by Kaitlyn Wylde

When I was a kid, I thought my mom was a freakin' creative genius for making a smiley face out of ketchup next to my defrosted chicken fingers at dinner time. But now that I've seen Jacob's Food Diaries, I'm going to have demote my mother a notch or two — sorry mom, once you see these pictures, you'll understand.

When Lelah Mohmedi, an Australian mother, made her son some healthy spelt pancakes in the shape of lions and posted it to her social media, her followers quickly extended beyond family and friends and into the thousands — like, to infinity and beyond. With the newfound encouragement that went beyond her son's cravings, she continued to post pictures of her creative, edible innovations. The original concept behind Jacob's adorable plating was for the sake of health. Just like any kid, Jacob was not all the into eating healthy food. That is, until his healthy food looked more exciting than anything on TV or in the freezer aisle. Soon, Jacob's food became an international sensation and massive point of interest for social media and the press.

Jacob's meals went from his kitchen table in Melbourne, Australia to TV screens across the world. His most precious meals made their way to morning talk shows, newspapers, magazines and international sponsorships. Besides the obvious fact that the struggle to convince your youngins (or even teens — hell, adults, I still don't like to eat my veggies) is incredibly relatable, Lelah's creations are downright artistic. What this woman creates is so much more than creative tributes, they're art pieces all in their own. The attention to detail is on par with a serious animation.

And maybe the best part of Jacob's Food Diaries is that it's now a fully stocked blog listing ingredients and plating instructions so that parents around the world can trick their kids into loving health food — because damn, it's such a good cause.

So good, that even Jamie Oliver, one of the biggest health food advocates and celebrity chefs in the world, is on board.

Oliver partnered with Lelah to promote healthy, balanced meals. And, it might not be a surprise that Lelah's incredible Disney recreations caught the eye of the folks over at Disney and they've partnered with her for promotions, too. All of this making Jacob one of the luckiest little boys in the world — he gets to have his cartoon veggies and eat them too, and he has one rad mom.

One of the best parts about Lelah's whole practice is that she incorporates such a variety of healthy foods, like leeks, beet root and purple carrots — just the kinds of nutrient-rich foods that kids would do their best to steer clear of. So not only is Jacob getting a treat, but he's getting an education, too.

Images: Used with permission Jacob's Food Diaries/Instagram