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As parents we always want our family to have the best and most nutritious food to help fuel our bodies. With so much information out there on nutrition it can be difficult to get through to the best advice for a balanced diet for you and your children. Dr Catherine Birch, who is working with Noluma on the issue of light-protection, is here to help and will be answering any questions you have around your family’s nutrition, vitamins, balanced diets and more!
Here’s a bit more information about Dr. Birch: "Here’s a bit more information about Dr. Birch: “An expert in food and nutrition, Dr. Catherine works at Newcastle University researching factors that impact food such as climate change, shopping behaviours and new technologies. She recently co-authored a report on the nutritional value of milk and the impact light can have on its essential nutrients. She is passionate about ensuring we all eat healthy food, food waste is minimised and your food stays fresher for longer.”
Do you know your Vitamin A from your Vitamin B2 and D? Do you know why it matters to you and your kids? Do you know which foods help fuel kids growth? Maybe you’d like more information on the best before date, what packaging keeps food fresher longer, and/or how to prevent your food from spoiling so quickly.
Whatever questions you have on these or other subjects, ask them on the thread below and we’ll choose 10-12 for Dr. Catherine to answer. Everyone who posts a question will be entered into a prize draw where 3 MNers will each win a £100 voucher of their choice (from a list).
What's the best alternative to eating meat? My toddler isn't vegetarian by force, but she utterly refuses all meat and fish. What foods are best as a replacement or what content should I be looking for to replace?
Similar to the previous poster, my children are severely allergic to dairy and egg. What are the best foods to replace the nutrients they might be missing out on?
Also, one of my children has a lot of phobias around food. He will only eat a very limited number of vegetables- sweetcorn, peas, carrots and parsnip. I worry about the lack of variety.
All of my friends give their 18 month olds snacks like wotsits etc but I am paranoid about salt and sugar and additives. When can I start relaxing about the sorts of food my toddler eats?
There are treats everywhere - cakes, ice creams, biscuits etc - and I feel like I’m always saying no. What’s the recommended weekly allowance for such sugary things for a toddler?
My 18 month old is really not very interested in food at all. How much should a child his age realistically be eating? He is still breastfed so I take comfort in the fact he's goodness from that at least!
We're a family of tea drinkers, but we all drink different sorts: - my husband drinks builders' tea with milk and sugar; - my eldest, who's an adult now, drinks green tea; - my teenager drinks earl grey; - my preteen drinks fruit teas; - and I drink turmeric teabags or weak earl grey with no milk.
I've read that some teas are really good for you because the antioxidants act to block carcinogens, but I've also read that teas can block the absorption of other nutrients - the one I think I'm thinking of is ordinary tea interfering with iron absorption.
Complicating matters, I don't eat dairy products and I'm prone to iron, vitamin D and vitamin B12 deficiencies, the green tea drinker is vegetarian, and the fruit tea drinker is just a fussy eater!
What can you tell us about how different types of tea interact with nutrients, and is there a better sort of tea to be drinking or a better time to be drinking it to maximise good health?
My seven year old usually manages only two portions of protein a week Quorn and pork sausages. But he also drinks average half a pint of cow's milk a day. Is this adequate?
Also any suggestions for reducing food waste with very fussy eater?
Food is becoming more expensive, and our childcare costs have been increasing slowly, so we are making more of an effort to buy thriftily. This includes buying wonky fruit and veg and freezing what we don’t use straight away. Are we better off buying frozen fruit and veg in the first place? It’s often cheaper and quite handy.
My 12 year old, dispite taking the sun well and having a balanced diet ,had a vitamin D deficiency. I think it could be an absorption problem. What is the most effective way of keeping her topped up in vitamins ?
As a family we're trying to cut down on red meat though I know this is a good source of iron. What other iron rich foods are there which will ensure we get enough? Thank you.
I struggle to combine everyone's different needs - I have a wheat intolerance, kids aren't bad eaters but usual wariness of unfamiliar things, and husband prefers shop bought food to home made, also won't eat fish. He is quite happy to feed himself but it would be a pretty poor diet so my main challenge is finding things that work for everyone and that I can cook with two small children around. I would like to know though whether just vitamin D supplements are enough for my 1 year old or whether a multivitamin would be better?
My DS is 2.5 and never seems full at meal times. Some days he eats as much as I do. He just polished off a whole cheese and tomato toastie for lunch for example. Is this okay? He is a healthy weight and very active.
Hello... after persistent headaches my 5 year old (after blood tests) has recently been diagnosed as having low iron. Aside from Shredies and baked beans please can you advise some iron rich suitable foods for a fussy eater?
