Just as I thought sleep deprivation was a thing of the past, I've had a week of sleepless nights. Little Chloe seems to be going through a growth spurt and is waking up hungry, Jasper the dog has ants in his pants and is barking for walks at 5 a.m., and last night my lovely husband kept me up with his own antics.

Before you jump to the wrong conclusion let me clarify that this wasn't exactly the result of last week's Valentine's Day column, rather it came courtesy of a nasty bout of food poisoning. And much as I felt desperately sorry for him, you know what men are like when they are sick....

So dinner at home this evening will be an event of two extremes feeding my poor, death's-door husband as little as possible and my starving toddler as much as possible. Whilst clear fluids are the order of the day for the invalid, I'm aiming for calorie-dense, nutrient-rich food for Chloe. She always follows dinner with fruit, but tonight I'll be adding pumpkin bars from the recipe below too.

This may look familiar to a few of you. If you explored the Meal Makeover Moms website after my recommendations last month, you'll have come across something very similar. Their chocolaty pumpkin bar recipe is excellent and a great way of providing kids with a treat at the same time as sneaking in an extra serving of vegetables [although pumpkin is technically a fruit]. At least it is if you can make them eat the whole thing and not just watch them pick out the chocolate chips.

I played with the original recipe a little, replacing the pecans with coconut as I'm keeping Chloe away from nuts for a while. I also switched to dairy-free milk to accommodate some lactose-intolerant friends. Whichever way you do it, bear in mind that it makes a lot! You could easily half the recipe, reduce the baking tin size and still have enough for the whole family.

So give this recipe a try and see what you think. It's great for kids and a fun treat to add to a healthy lunch box.

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the U.K.

Please note that she is not a Registered Dietitian. She can be contacted at nourishbda@gmail.com

Pumpkin, Coconut and Chocolate Chip Bars

Ingredients

(Recipe makes 30 bars)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup desiccated coconut (preferably organic but regular is fine too)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 generous teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs, beaten

1 15-ounce can 100 percent pure pumpkin. (Alternatively steam and puree your own or use baby food!)

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup soy milk

1/2 cup chocolate chips (dairy-free if necessary e.g. Sunshine dark chocolate chips)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or coat a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking tin with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, whole wheat flour, coconut, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin, canola oil and milk. Add to the dry ingredients along with the chocolate chips and stir to combine.

4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.