Mom fights childhood obesity by promoting healthy choices

As a mother of three, Lori Liakonis knows how difficult it can be to get youngsters to eat, particularly to eat healthy. For her, it all started when her oldest turned three.

"He was big on sweets," says Liakonis. "He wanted to eat as many sweets as he could get his hands on."

Using a chart, magnets, and a grocery list, Lori gave her son ownership when it came to making healthy choices.

"It seemed to work. He would come down the stairs and ask 'What food can I eat to move my magnets?'"

She thought this could work for other parents.

"When we empower kids to eat healthy, that's when it really sticks. It's not about the parents forcing the kids to eat."

Her business SuperNoots, short for super nutritious, was born! Now, a year later, the playroom doubles as an office and distribution center.

"I never thought I could manage a business and try to raise 3 young children from my house. It's just been amazing!

Lori does most of her business online with mommy blogs, but SuperNoots is much more than battling picky eaters. She is trying to tackle the bigger problem.

"One of 3 children are overweight or obese, which is staggering. That's really difficult to grasp."

In addition to selling her product, she fields a lot of questions from parents, and even offers menu suggestions, especially for breakfasts on the go.

These days, she's hearing a lot from parents with limited budgets.

"That's a huge issue. The grocery bill in the last year has gone through the roof for most families."

Her suggestions: skipping on organic for now, and going back to the basics--rice, beans and cheerios.

Through SuperNoots, Lori is hoping to reach children and their parents one meal at a time.

"It is making a dent. I hope so!"