Want to improve your family’s gut health or get more fibre into your diet? 🌱 Ask the UNROOTED nutrition expert. £200 voucher to be won!

[MaddyMumsnet]

From fussy eaters and snack battles to quick breakfast ideas and digestive health, knowing what’s actually good for your gut can feel confusing.

Have questions about gut health, fibre or family nutrition? Ask away! Whether you’re looking for easy ways to get more fibre into you or your child’s diet, healthier snack ideas, family-friendly recipes or tips for supporting your own gut health, baobab and high fibre brand UNROOTED’s nutrition expert is here to help.

Drop your questions in the comments by 7/7/26 and Nichola will be back over the next few weeks to answer as many as possible 💬

About Nichola Ludlam-Raine:
Nichola Ludlam-Raine is a specialist registered dietitian and media nutritionist with over seventeen years of clinical experience working for the NHS as well as privately. She has a first-class degree in Sports and Exercise Science from Loughborough University, as well as a post-graduate diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics and an MSc in Health Science from Leeds.
Nichola lives in Yorkshire with her husband and two small children aged 4 and 7, and online is a much-loved nutrition, health and fitness expert. She regularly shares delicious recipes, health tips and invaluable nutritional information with her loyal community on @nicsnutrition as well as @mummynutrition - platforms dedicated to inspirational wellbeing, family and lifestyle content, and helping followers take a balanced approach to nutrition.
Nichola is also the author of the best-selling book How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed and regularly comments in publications including The Telegraph and The Times, as well as appearing regularly on BBC One and ITV.

To find out more about UNROOTED and baobab, check them out HERE.
You can pick up UNROOTED's new GOOD FIBRE baobab fruit sachets on Ocado, Holland & Barrett, Amazon and from UNROOTED's website.

A quick note: While fibre is important for children’s health, more isn’t always better. Too much fibre, particularly if introduced suddenly, can fill children up quickly, reduce appetite and sometimes make it harder for them to meet their energy and nutrient needs. Increase fibre gradually, make sure they’re drinking plenty of fluids, and continue to include age-appropriate amounts of dairy (or suitable fortified dairy alternatives) to help meet their calcium and iodine requirements.
Fermented foods can be a healthy addition to family meals, but some, such as kimchi, are relatively high in salt, so they’re generally better suited to adults or offered only in small portions to older children. Likewise, fibre-rich products such as baobab powder should be used sparingly in children because of their high fibre content and should complement, not replace, a varied, balanced diet.
If you’re considering making significant changes to your child’s diet, or your child has ongoing digestive symptoms, food allergies or a medical condition, it’s always best to speak to your GP, health visitor or a registered dietitian for personalised advice.

Hi @Heleh. It's easy to feel like you need lots of powders, sachets and "health shots" to have a healthy diet, especially with everything we see on social media. But the truth is, most people don't need a cupboard full of supplements to support their nutrition or gut health.

My advice is always to focus on whole foods first. Fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds provide not only fibre, but also a whole range of vitamins, minerals and plant compounds that work together in ways supplements can't fully replicate.

I do regularly include foods like ground linseeds (1-2 tablespoons a day) and chia seeds (around 1-2 tablespoons a day), as they're an easy way to boost fibre and healthy fats. Beyond that, whether products such as gut health shots, baobab powders (I have baobab several times a week) or fibre sachets are useful really depends on your individual diet and needs.

Rather than aiming for lots of different products, I'd focus on simple habits such as eating around 30 different plant foods each week, including fermented foods like live yoghurt or kefir if you enjoy them, and aiming for 30g of fibre a day. One of my favourite gut-friendly breakfasts is live yoghurt with kiwi, mixed berries and 1-2 tablespoons of ground linseeds (plus baobab if I fancy it!) - it's quick, nourishing and provides fibre, beneficial bacteria and a wide range of nutrients without needing lots of extras.

If you do increase your fibre intake, remember to increase your fluid intake too, as fibre works best when you're well hydrated. The best diet is one that's sustainable, enjoyable and based mainly on everyday foods, with supplements used to fill genuine gaps rather than replacing a balanced diet.

My son also has a dairy allergy @sharond101 - Tummy aches are common in children, and while they can sometimes be linked to a food allergy, they can also have many other causes, including constipation, tummy bugs, anxiety or eating patterns. If your daughter has a diagnosed dairy allergy, the most important treatment is to continue avoiding dairy products as advised by her allergy team.

Rather than giving a supplement or remedy, I'd first think about whether there's a pattern. Keeping a simple food and symptom diary for a couple of weeks can sometimes help identify whether tummy aches occur after certain foods, at particular times of day or in specific situations.

It's also worth making sure she's getting enough fibre and fluids for her age, as constipation is a very common cause of recurrent tummy pain. If she has a milk-free diet, check that she's having suitable calcium-fortified dairy alternatives and sources of vitamin D, as these nutrients are important for growing children.

If her tummy aches are frequent, severe, affecting her growth, waking her at night or accompanied by symptoms such as weight loss, blood in the stool or persistent diarrhoea, I'd recommend discussing this with your GP or allergy specialist. They can assess whether there's another underlying cause and, if needed, refer her to a paediatric dietitian or gastroenterologist for further support.