When Jill Bloomfield was diagnosed with high cholesterol in her mid-20s, she was frightened but not surprised. That's because her diet as an adolescent going into her 20s consisted mostly of high-fat, high-carb foods such as grilled cheese sandwiches and pizzas.
"I didn't know how to balance my diet. So I didn't try. Now I'm dealing with the consequences," she said.
As a child, Bloomfield loved to read and would occasionally drift into libraries' cookbook section. She regrets not acting on her early interest in food. "If I had read those books, maybe I wouldn't have become this grilled-cheese obsessed girl," said Bloomfield.
The health scare propelled Bloomfield to change her dietary course -- starting with cooking classes for herself -- and also inspired her to find a way to educate kids about healthy eating.
In 2001, when she was teaching English to middle school students, Bloomfield parlayed her new culinary skills into a side business that organized cooking classes and parties for kids. A few years later, she co-wrote a healthy eating cookbook geared toward kids.
In late 2010, Bloomfield self-funded her latest venture -- Ingredient Magazine -- a bi-monthly food and cooking magazine for children ages six to 12. So far, she's gathered 5,000 subscribers, who pay $35 to get six issues. She's also created a website for the magazine.
"The idea behind it is to create curiosity about food," she said. "It has healthy, fun recipes. We also explore concepts like family farms, vegan diets and interesting facts about fruits and vegetables."
She thinks her magazine is having an impact. "One parent wrote and sent pictures of her 10-year-old girl cooking one of my recipes," said Bloomfield. "It was incredible. The mom has cancer and she said it was important that her daughter eat healthy and become an independent cook."
These seven entrepreneurs are successfully juggling their duties as moms, while making millions in their businesses.
