Raising vegan children is a wonderful idea. It’s a healthy way to live, not just for us but also for the planet. In the UK nearly 5% of the adult population are now vegan and almost half of the population intend to reduce their meat intake in the future. But when it comes to nutrition for children, careful planning is important to ensure they get all they need. Note: this blog contains affiliate links. Why should we eat a more plant based diet? We are more aware now than ever of the environmental impact of the meat industry.  We’re told that one of the biggest ways to reduce our carbon ..read more

Weaning onto solid foods is exciting but can also be daunting especially if you’re worried about introducing allergens to baby. This is a real concern for many parents, after all how will you know if your baby is going to be allergic to a food till you try them? And could a reaction be life threatening? It’s understandably scary stuff! However, the vast majority of babies will be fine. Food allergy – although well known about – is actually extremely rare. Can I protect my baby from developing food allergy? There’s evidence suggesting that exclusively breastfeeding for the first 4-6 months ha ..read more

This blog contains affiliate links. There is a lot of weaning guidance available for babies born on or around their due date (from week 37 of pregnancy onwards is considered term). However, not a lot for the 10% of all babies who decided to make an early appearance!  One of the families in my NCT group had their baby early and really struggled when it came to weaning her onto solids. Fortunately I was able to offer her my expertise having worked for over a decade in infant nutrition at that time, and now with 25 years of experience as a Registered Dietitian I also want to help many more p ..read more

My first baby fed frequently. I mean every 40 minutes or so and every time he cried, I offered him the boob. It worked brilliantly, he settled quickly. In hindsight he was using my boob as a dummy! He was a big bouncing baby boy and I couldn’t help wonder whether I was overfeeding him. If you’re anything like me, you may worry that you are feeding your baby too much because they feed often, or are gaining weight fast, or are posseting milk (spitting up) frequently or are coming off the breast, mid-feed regularly. But its very hard to overfeed a breastfed baby, they’re great at self regulating ..read more

So you know you want to have a go with baby-led weaning first foods, but do you know how to start?  What foods should you try your baby with? Which ones are safe? Which ones are nutritious superfoods? Should some be avoided? What sort of shape should you make them, and how do you stop them becoming so slippery so your little one has a chance of picking them up? In this blog I’m going to answer all your questions and go through some key considerations you should know about BLW too. What is baby led weaning?Baby led weaning is offering your baby finger sized food and letting them feed th ..read more

We all know that milk is a staple for children but what do you do if your toddler won’t drink milk? One of my children refused milk, and still hates most dairy foods to this day, so I understand. Here’s what you need to know and what you can offer them instead to ensure they still meet their nutritional requirements. Why milk is important for children Its rich nutritional profile makes milk an excellent source of nutrients that are essential for children’s growth and development. Nutritional Value of Milk: Calcium: One of the main reasons parents are encouraged to give their children milk ..read more

As a parent of a picky eater, protein is one of those nutrients that you might worry that your child isn’t getting enough of.  In this blog I’ll go through the best high protein foods for picky eaters including proteins for children who don’t eat meat. Why Protein is Important Protein is one of the core nutrients that we all need daily and it plays a significant role in our body’s growth, repair, and overall health.  Every cell, from our skin and hair to our muscles and organs, relies on protein for proper functioning.  And this is especially for children because they are grow ..read more

Let’s start by addressing that it’s totally OK to start solids with baby led weaning vegan foods. In recent years, with the rise of veganism there has been a mix of opinions and concerns about vegan babies, but there is no reason why your child’s health will suffer as long as their diet is carefully planned.  Here are some of the common misconceptions and benefits of a vegan diet for babies. This blog contains affiliate links Common Concerns and Misconceptions: Nutritional Adequacy: One of the primary concerns is whether a vegan diet can provide all the essential nutrients for a gro ..read more

Have you ever considered the HOW part of feeding? What you do at mealtimes when your child is eating? How you talk about food? The mealtime dynamic? If parents controlling food really matters? HOW you feed your child is just as important as WHAT you feed them because they will learn from you, your manner and beliefs around food and what you say, do or don’t do. Should parents be in control of their child’s food? It’s a delicate balance when it comes to a parent’s role in their child’s eating habits.  Children, by nature, are still learning and are not good nutrition decision makers and ..read more

If you have a child who is a picky eater it’s likely that you’ve already tried every trick in the book and found that nothing works.  Family and friends will ask you if you have “tried cutting the sandwiches into fun shapes”, have you “tried making sure nothing is touching anything else on the plate”, have you tried “sneaking vegetables into the pasta sauce”, have you tried “telling them there’s nothing else and letting them go hungry?” (Eek!) How about if I tell you that picky eating often isn’t actually about the food?  Typical picky eating is a combination of our mistaken expec ..read more