You've heard the typical parenting scold, "don't play with your food." One mom is ignoring the old adage, and we're inspired by the results!
Laleh Mohmedi is completely changing the way her son views food— literally! The 32-year-old mother of one from Melbourne, Australia is creating amazing artwork out of ordinary food items.
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Mohmedi stumbled upon her newfound passion when she was making her 3-year-old son, Jacob, pancakes last May. She decided to turn the spelt pancakes into a lion and Jacob loved it! The art only grew from there.
"Food art is a great way to bond with your child," Mohmedi told TODAY via email. "Jacob helps me with the creations." He even chooses what characters she creates.
Both she and her husband constantly encourage Jacob to try all different kinds of foods. Jacob's current obsession is super foods, thinking that's what superheroes eat.
While making the food, Mohmedi makes sure to talk to her son about what ingredients they're using.
Jacob was reluctant to eat kale at first. Mohmedi combined kale, spinach and macadamia to make a pesto which she used to make the character Mike from "Monsters Inc." This is now one of Jacob's favorite meals. (It's a lot easier to eat new foods when they look this beautiful!)
Though Mohmedi can create incredible pieces of art, she's never studied it.
"As a child I loved to draw and paint," she said, "but I am by no means an artist." Currently, she runs her own medical recruitment business, but is phasing it out to focus on her food art.
Currently, her favorite creations to date are Pinocchio and Carl from "UP," which are both created using chicken, mashed potatoes and vegetables. Her favorite food to create with is a potato. They're the easiest food to mold into any shape, she explained.
Mohmedi wants to encourage parents, whether artistic or not, to create food art.
"I opened this account to help inspire other mothers to make healthy food fun," she said. "I did not think in my wildest dreams that I would be presented with the opportunities that I have been given."
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To date, Mohmedi has worked with companies like Disney and Jamie Oliver. In September, she will even be traveling to Dubai to give workshops on her art.
To see more of her amazing artwork and get some handy tips on how to create your own, visit her website!