FAMILY OF THE MONTH: Mother of four Jade Hammond has recently given up her 20-a-day smoking habit after her children told her: "We don’t want you to die."

Jade says: "The children learned of the dangers of smoking at school and when they said that it really made me think, plus it was costing so much money as well."

Samrah Anwar from Salford Stop Smoking Service says: "It is fantastic that Jade has made the decision to stop smoking and if she needs any support she can contact us for advice.

"Quitting smoking brings endless health benefits. Jade will now have a reduced risk of developing smoking related illnesses such as heart disease and cancer."

Jade, 31, has also saved almost £50 a week by kicking the habit.

"It's money I am sure she would far rather put to use on activities with her children, improvements around the home or even saving for a holiday," says Samrah.

Having already started her New Year’s resolution, Jade wants to go the whole hog and increase her family’s health and wellbeing too.

Jade, from Eccles, had her first child as a teenager. She is now a devoted mum to her brood of lively and very giggly children: Ben, 15, Natasha, eight, Georgina, six and Sophie, two, but since February she has been left to cope on her own after splitting up with her partner. The break-up knocked her self esteem.

"I'm just lacking a bit of confidence at the moment and I think doing more exercise would make me feel much better about myself."

She enjoys swimming and would be keen to join a gym, but for the expense.

"I've got Sophie with me all the time, too, so it’s finding the opportunity," she says.

As for the other kids, Ben is football-mad, Natasha is a keen gymnast, while Georgina loves swimming, dance and karate.

"It would be really good to find out what kind of classes the kids could do in the area, too," says Jade.

"But the main issue is the expense, because I've had to give up full time work."

Help is at hand in the form of Jennie Turner, from Salford's Health Improvement Team.

"We have lots of free and fun activities in and around the Eccles area that Jade and her family can take part in," Jennie says. "For example, she and Sophie may be interested in buggy walks or the family might like to learn how to cook healthy low-cost meals with our Community Food Worker.

"There is also the possibility of taking part in a healthy lifestyle group in one of the children’s centres in the New Year."

Under-17s can also apply for free swimming sessions at Salford swimming pools by filling in a form online.

As well as exercise, Jade is keen that the family reform their eating habits.

The kids are good eaters, but they are fans of sugary cereals and the occasional burger.

Christian Coates, a nutritional consultant for Manchester-based Soulmates Food, says the key to eating healthily is buying fresh ingredients and preparing meals as a family.

"It can be really fun to make things from scratch together," he says. "And fruit and vegetables can be really cheap if you buy them from a market, rather than a supermarket.

"If your kids aren’t big on vegetables, chop up the veg and put them in sauces so they don’t notice they are getting their five-a-day!"

Christian says kids lose energy in the afternoon if they eat too much sugar.

"In the long run the kids will feel better for eating well," he says. "Their immune systems will improve, their energy levels will increase and they won't become overweight."

Jade was given £100 in Co-op vouchers as part of our Family of the Month initiative.

"I’ve discovered it’s a myth that buying healthy food is more expensive," she says. "Before I was buying pizza, spaghetti and ready meals. Now I’ll do casseroles and curries from scratch and it’s actually much cheaper. And the kids love it because they get to join in with making it.

"The kids used to have sugary cereals but they’ve started having muesli and porridge and they are asking for it now because they like it."

Jade says she’s looking forward to putting the experts’ advice into action.

"This is going to give us motivation to keep it up," she said. "The kids are really up for it and they love the idea of the free swims.

"It’s amazing how much help and advice is out there for families if you look for it."

Christian’s tips for healthier mealtimes

Breakfast

Sugary cereals are expensive and unhealthy. Porridge with fruit or a poached egg on wholemeal toast is going to be cheaper and provide kids with a steady release of energy throughout the day. Eggs are great for growing kids because they contain important Omega oils.

Lunch

Fruit and sandwiches on wholemeal bread are great for packed lunches. When it's cold, think about taking a flask of hot soup or even chilli from the night before.

Dinner

Buy fresh fruit and vegetables cheaply from markets. Cheap cuts of meat are often just as healthy – try lean mince, brisket and cheaper cuts of lamb for stews.

They have the same flavour but sometimes just need to be cooked for a bit longer. Prepare meals together if you can, as kids love to eat things they have helped to make.

When you’re lacking time, something like a shepherd’s pie or lovely pasta bake can be prepared in advance and then in the evening you can just take it out of the fridge and stick it on the oven.