Mount Macedon resident Kirsty Manning-Wilcox and Peta Heine of Macedon have released We Love Food, a guide for parents who want to nurture a love of food in their children.

It uses a 'garden to table' format to show parents how to tend to a garden, prepare and cook healthy food with their children.

The busy working mums have included recipes that use simple food for modern families.

Hoping to instil in their children their love and respect for food, We Love Food is based around the authors' belief that children are losing touch with where food originates.

Ms Manning-Wilcox said We Love Food would give parents ideas for finding the time for healthy meals and special treats.

"The goal is to get parents and children gardening, cooking and eating together, to see the sharing of mealtimes as a ritual.

"What we're trying to do is very much a hands-on book that will be a repertoire for families.

"It will give families, not just children, some healthy recipes they can draw on each week and change the ingredients to suit what's in their garden or at the bottom of their fridge."

Ms Heine said: "We believe in the principles of the slow food movement and eating seasonal and local produce, but we are not opposed to cheating every now and again. After all healthy, yummy meals and happy families is what we are after."

The authors will be at Chapters Bookshop, Gisborne Village Shopping Centre, 10am-2pm, Saturday.