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Have you ever spent time preparing your child’s meal, only to have them turn it away and ask for a snack instead? If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.  You carefully plan and cook nutritious meals, but when the plate comes back untouched, it can feel disheartening - and leave you wondering how to get your toddler to actually eat their food.  As a Paediatric Dietitian and a parent, I completely understand how frustrating this can be.  There are many reasons why toddlers gravitate towards...

What Is The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) The National Diet and Nutrition Survey is an ongoing study that looks at what people in the UK eat and drink, as well as their overall nutritional health. By gathering information from households across the country, it helps us understand how diets are changing and what that means for our wellbeing.  For parents, the NDNS is a valuable resource: it highlights how children of different ages are eating, what nutrients they might be missing,...

Mealtime struggles with picky eaters can often feel like an endless battle, leaving many of us feeling frustrated, defeated, and exhausted. As a paediatric dietitian and feeding therapist, I've encountered countless families grappling with the challenges of raising fussy eaters, including my own. Having just qualified as an SOS feeding therapist, there was so much talk about the importance of playing with purpose that I wanted to write this blog. My daughter who suffered from multiple...

This blog explores essential vitamins and minerals for fussy eaters, their food sources and whether supplements are needed to support your child’s health. Ensuring a balanced diet for children can be challenging, especially when dealing with fussy eaters. Many children may not get enough essential nutrients, which can affect their growth, development and overall health. A study found that fussy eaters have low intakes of many key vitamins and minerals— particularly zinc, iron, vitamin A,...

It’s mid-afternoon, your toddler is hungry and you need something healthy and quick. Sound familiar? Toddlers have higher nutritional needs per kilogram of body weight than adults due to their rapid growth and development. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), proper nutrition in the first five years of life is crucial for cognitive development, immune function and overall well-being. Providing balanced snacks is essential to ensure adequate intake of macronutrients (carbohydrates,...

Advertisement Feature: This blog post has been sponsored by SuperNutrio Navigating the challenges of feeding children can feel overwhelming, especially when faced with fussy eating that restricts their nutritional intake. As a parent, ensuring your child gets enough protein and calcium— which are essential for healthy growth and development—can be particularly challenging. These essential nutrients support muscle growth, strong bones, and overall well-being, yet fussy eaters often resist foods...

In this blog, iron rich foods for fussy eaters we’ll explore kid-friendly, iron-rich foods and some creative strategies to boost iron intake—helping even the pickiest eaters get the nutrients they need to thrive. Research shows that iron deficiency in children is linked to long-term cognitive and developmental delays, particularly affecting memory and learning (1). Ensuring adequate iron intake is crucial for healthy growth and brain development, especially for fussy eaters. What is Iron, and...

This blog is about lunch box ideas for picky eaters to make lunch a fun experience and reduce stress during mealtimes. As a mum and dietitian of a fussy eater, I know how stressful it is coming up with lunch box ideas. I find it harder than coming up with dinner ideas. Most kids experience periods of fussy eating and it is considered a common behavior in early years. However, picky eating is associated with having less food diversity and nutrient imbalances (particularly low intake of iron,...

If your child insists on eating the same food meal after meal, they might be experiencing a “food jag.” Food jagging occurs when a child repeatedly desires only a specific type or brand of food, prepared in a particular way, day after day. This behaviour is common and can happen at any age, including adolescence and adulthood (1) Then suddenly they can cut that food out of their diet as they become so fed up of eating it over and over again. What is Food Jagging? Food jagging is typically a...