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Expert Accredited Practising Dietitian: Supporting your child with ADHD to eat well
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition that presents very differently in different people. Whilst inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are characteristics that are commonly associated with ADHD in children and...
What is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD)?
Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) is the credential awarded by Dietitians Australia to ensure best practice and a commitment to professional development amongst Dietitians. To maintain this credential, a Dietitian must show evidence of professional development...
Kids Lunch Ideas – Practical and Easy Lunch Box Ideas for Kids
My least favourite task of parenting has to be packing school lunch boxes. As we start the school year, I invite you to approach packing your child’s lunch box a little differently. These practical lunch ideas for kids are designed to help make this job simpler and...
Meal Time Fail
I was chatting to a friend who mentioned in passing what she was making for dinner tonight. It sounded delicious, I had all the ingredients, and I had meal envy (and nothing else planned). I decided to do the same meal, it was something different – but not completely...
Everything is fine! Or is it? – Why growth charts don’t tell the whole story
"He is growing just fine. You have nothing to worry about...." You hear this but you KNOW everything is not fine! Let me start by saying that the information that growth charts provide is important. Insights from the Growth Chart Growth charts give us a really good...
Being considerate without catering
Tonight, we had chicken stir-fry and rice. It is not Mr 4's favourite dish. I know that if I serve him this meal the same as everyone else there is a high chance he will not eat anything. I'm no short-order cook and there's no way I've got the time to cook two...
Why people are like flowers…body shapes and sizes
Mr 4 on a quiet train ride: "Mum look! That man has no hair!" Mr 4 at a cafe about the lady serving us: "Mum! Why does that lady have a big face?" Mr 4 to a family friend in a larger body: "Why do you have such big muscles?" As innocent as our children's questions...
Do bananas have sugar? Talking about food and nutrition with kids
My 6yo: Mum, do bananas have sugar? My brain: What?????!!!!! Where is this question coming from????? Me: Hmmmm, you’re wondering if bananas have sugar in them... I wonder, what have you heard? My 6yo: My friend at school said that bananas have sugar in them and that...
“How do you know you don’t like it?! You haven’t tried it!”
Believe me, I've had to bite my tongue more than once to stop myself saying these words. Even though I may find a particular food delicious, my children often don't share my enthusiasm. This dish was delicious, despite the fact it lacked restaurant-quality...
Toddler food learning story
Mr 2 years 5 months old... He is learning about cucumber and has been for a while now. When he first started learning about cucumber, he was very unfamiliar with it and found it difficult to tolerate touching it. That’s ok, I gave him the option to use tongs to...
The pros and cons of baby food pouches
Baby pouch foods are basically a parent's dream - no prep, low/no mess, and often in flavours that you may not have the ability to make at home. However, what I'm noticing is that when my 9-month-old has access to these, she prefers them to whole food options like for...
Be patient, be consistent and be kind.
Mr 2 has had a serious case of the dinnertime wiggles for some time now. He is one of those kids that would be perfectly happy running backwards and forwards to the dinner table, grabbing mouthfuls of food as he continues his play. Sound familiar? Mr 2 is firmly in...
The more we pressure kids to eat, the harder it is for them to eat…
Do you ever wonder: how do I GET my child to eat (x food)? This seems to be that million-dollar question that many parents ask me. If you have wondered the same thing, you might have also tried lots of different ways to try to get your child to eat, but they resist...
When food is just food: pleasure foods
Master 3 was offered a Spreckle. Like almost every third child, he was exposed to ‘pleasure’ foods like this earlier. When he received the Spreckle, it was whole. He picked it up. Inspected it. Turned it over and over. Next, he broke it in half. Then, he left it on...
How long should kids stay at the dinner table?
I have encountered a huge range of situations with families doing all sorts of things to keep their children at the table - some working well and some not so much. Every child and family is different, so I ask you two questions to help you decide: What is your child’s...
It’s Not Always About the Food
Master 7 got a glimpse of what was on offer for dinner before it was even served and declared he wasn’t eating it. It was my version of homemade butter chicken served over rice and a side of fresh strawberries... This meal isn’t his favourite, but it is usually...
My pre-teen daughter’s body is changing before my eyes!
This transformation has been going on since she was about 8-9 years old. As a parent, it's truly incredible and to be honest - sometimes frightening to watch. "Where did my little girl go?" I support many parents of pre-teen and teen girls and boys in my clinic who...
Kids and nutrition education
Parents often ask me if it’s okay to talk to children about nutrition and health benefits? This one tends to feel really important because parents want to support growth, development and learning; and importantly avoid lifestyle diseases! As a society we figure that...
Supporting a child to find their ‘stopping place’
We were at Brisbane airport and walked past a popular doughnut place we don’t often come by. It was morning snack time and so I decided to offer us all a doughnut each. My three boys approached their doughnuts with keenness, but also a sense of ‘no big deal’. I...
Mastering the school lunch box – making it work for you
It’s that time of year again... Are you starting to think about (maybe even dread) making school lunches??? I’m not crazy about making school lunches E V E R Y single day! It can get a bit you know...🙄. But I have found that putting a little thought into it has helped...
Children’s body signals help them know how much to eat
"Mum, I’m finished," said each of my boys as they handed over these partially eaten bananas. There are a number of ways one might respond to this... what would you say? Some common responses might be: "Didn’t you like the banana?" "You opened the banana, please finish...
How Much Should my Child Eat?
Do you feel anxious or worried about the amount of food your child is eating? Does it feel like it’s not enough or too much? I have 3 very different boys... They each have their own food story so far - coloured by their unique way of being and experiencing their...
Nutritional adequacy of the “white diet”
Only bread for dinner (again)! We parents can get pretty worried that our children aren’t getting enough nutrition when they consistently eat just bread, rice or pasta for dinner, however, rest assured that even the popular ‘white diet’ is actually packed full of good...
Christmas Leftovers Cooking Fun!
Eating at Christmas can be an overwhelming day for children. Their usual safe foods may not be accepted due to the pressure of the Christmas meal setting. Ham, bread and potatoes may usually be safe foods, but at Christmas they may be a little different. The ham cut...
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