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.

This is a common point of confusion because prebiotics and probiotics sound so similar, but they do different jobs.

Prebiotics are types of fibre that we can't digest ourselves. Instead, they act as food for the beneficial bacteria already living in our gut. When these bacteria ferment prebiotic fibres, they produce compounds called short-chain fatty acids, which help nourish the cells lining the bowel and play an important role in supporting gut health.

Many plant foods naturally contain prebiotics, so you don't need expensive supplements to benefit. Some of the richest sources include onions, garlic, leeks, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes and chicory root, as well as slightly greener bananas. Oats, barley, beans, lentils, chickpeas and other pulses also provide fibres that help support a healthy gut microbiome, even if they're not all technically classified as prebiotics. Eating a wide variety of plant foods is one of the best ways to nourish your gut bacteria.

For families, the easiest approach is to incorporate these foods into meals you already enjoy. You could add onions and garlic to pasta sauces, curries or casseroles, stir lentils or beans into soups and bolognese, make overnight oats or porridge for breakfast, include banana on cereal, or add chickpeas to salads and stews. Even small changes, such as swapping some white bread or pasta for wholegrain versions where your family enjoys them, can help increase the overall fibre intake.

If you're increasing fibre, do so gradually and encourage everyone to drink enough fluids, as a sudden increase can cause temporary bloating or wind, especially if you're not used to eating much fibre.

The most important message is that you don't need to chase individual "superfoods". A diet rich in a wide variety of plant foods - ideally aiming for around 30 different plant foods each week, including fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices- is one of the simplest and most evidence-based ways to support a healthy gut microbiome and, in turn, overall health.

Long-term use of omeprazole isn't known to damage the stomach lining. In fact, it's often prescribed to help the stomach and oesophagus heal by reducing acid. However, if taken for many months or years, it can reduce the absorption of nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron and magnesium, so it's worth having regular medication reviews with your GP to check it's still needed and whether the lowest effective dose is being used.

If you're having ongoing stomach symptoms despite taking omeprazole, it's important to see your GP. They may want to investigate other possible causes, such as Helicobacter pylori, coeliac disease or another digestive condition, rather than assuming the medication is responsible.

In terms of your wheat and dairy intolerance, it's helpful to establish exactly what's causing your symptoms. If wheat is a problem, ask your GP about testing for coeliac disease before removing gluten from your diet. If dairy triggers symptoms, it could be lactose intolerance rather than a true dairy allergy. A dietitian can help ensure you're avoiding only what's necessary while still meeting your nutritional needs.

Long-term use of omeprazole isn't known to damage the stomach lining. In fact, it's often prescribed to help the stomach and oesophagus heal by reducing acid. However, if taken for many months or years, it can reduce the absorption of nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron and magnesium, so it's worth having regular medication reviews with your GP to check it's still needed and whether the lowest effective dose is being used.

If you're having ongoing stomach symptoms despite taking omeprazole, it's important to see your GP. They may want to investigate other possible causes, such as Helicobacter pylori, coeliac disease or another digestive condition, rather than assuming the medication is responsible.

In terms of your wheat and dairy intolerance, it's helpful to establish exactly what's causing your symptoms. If wheat is a problem, ask your GP about testing for coeliac disease before removing gluten from your diet. If dairy triggers symptoms, it could be lactose intolerance rather than a true dairy allergy. A dietitian can help ensure you're avoiding only what's necessary while still meeting your nutritional needs.

It depends on the type of gut drink, but for most there's no strong evidence that the time of day makes a significant difference. Consistency is generally more important than whether you take it in the morning or evening.

For a fibre or prebiotic drink, it's usually best to have it with plenty of water and introduce it gradually. It can be taken at any time of day, but some people prefer earlier in the day if they find it causes a little wind or bloating while their gut adapts.

The bottom line is to choose a time that fits your routine so you're more likely to have it regularly. It's also worth remembering that no gut drink can make up for an overall poor diet – a varied, fibre-rich diet with plenty of plant foods will have a much bigger impact on your gut health in the long term.

The only way to know whether it's coeliac disease rather than another type of food intolerance is to be tested. Symptoms can overlap significantly and may include bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain and fatigue, so symptoms alone aren't enough to tell them apart.

If coeliac disease is suspected, your GP will usually arrange a blood test to look for specific antibodies. If this is positive, you'll normally be referred for further assessment, which may include an endoscopy with a small bowel biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. It's essential to keep eating gluten until all testing is complete, as cutting it out beforehand can lead to false-negative results.

In contrast, food intolerances, such as lactose intolerance, don't damage the gut and are usually diagnosed based on symptoms, dietary trials or, in some cases, breath tests. Unlike coeliac disease, they don't involve an autoimmune reaction.

If you think gluten is causing symptoms, it's best to speak to your GP before going gluten-free. That way, coeliac disease can be properly ruled in or out, ensuring you get the right diagnosis and treatment.

If your son continues to have tummy problems despite switching to lactose-free dairy, it's important not to assume lactose is the cause. Recurrent digestive symptoms in children should be discussed with a GP, who may want to rule out conditions such as coeliac disease, constipation, inflammatory bowel disease or, in some cases, irritable bowel syndrome.

In the meantime, encourage him to stay well hydrated, eat regular meals and include plenty of fibre from fruit, vegetables and wholegrains, unless he's been advised otherwise.

Avoid restricting more foods without medical advice, as this can make it harder to identify the cause and may affect nutritional intake while your son is still growing. If his symptoms are persistent, severe, associated with weight loss, blood in the stool, fever or are waking him at night, he should be assessed promptly by a healthcare professional.

The winner of the £200 voucher is @Kentishbirdlife! Congrats 😀