This page contains answers to many frequently asked questions. If you have a query please feel free to contact us, as the answer to your question is sure to help others too.

How can I get my child to eat more vegetables?
My four-month old baby wakes at night. Should I introduce solids now?
My two year old chews meat and then spits it out the meat fibre. Is he getting enough iron?
How can I improve my teenage daughter’s calcium intake – she doesn’t  drink milk?
My 15-year old daughter is overweight. Will talking to her about weight reduction lead to anorexia?
I’ve told my teenage son he needs to lose weight but he won’t listen. What can I do?
What is a dietician?
What is the difference between a dietician and a nutrionist?

How can I get my child to eat more vegetables?
Look first at how often you serve them and how often you eat them yourself. Children learn by copying you so you must eat fruit and vegetables yourself and make positive comments about them e.g' these carrots are delicous'. Serve fruit at breakfast and at least one vegetable and one fruit at each of the main meals. Eventually your child will learn that a meal always includes fruit and vegetables. As he/she becomes familiar with vegetables and sees you and others eating them all the time he will eventually begin to eat them himself. It may take some time so don't give up.

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My four-month old baby wakes at night. Should I introduce solids now?
Babies' sleeping changes when they are around 4- 6months old and babies may begin waking at night because they will have periods of sleep now when they have previoulsy slept through. They are not necessarily waking because of hunger and may just need a quick cuddle for comfort before being snuggled back down. If you begin offering extra milk feeds in the middle of the night you may be developing a habit that later becomes hard to break. Begining solids will not make your baby sleep through the night.

Begin weaning your baby is showing developmental signs that he/she is ready for solid food i.e. they can sit and have good head control, they putting toys and objects in their mouth and chew on them and they watch others with interest when they are eating. This will ususally be between 4 and 6 months for babies born at term. Pre-term babies need individualised advice and you should discusswhen tto begin weaning them with their doctor and health visitor. It will normally be between 5 and 7 months after their birth.

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My two year old chews meat and then spits it out the meat fibre. Is he getting enough iron?
Possibly not although some iron will be absorbed. Most todders do not like hard fibrous meat. Try offering softer versions of meat such as paté, good quality minced or diced casseroled meat which has been cooked slowly and is soft.

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How can I improve my teenage daughter’s calcium intake – she doesn’t  drink milk?
Teenagers, like all children, need to have about 3 servings of milk, cheese or yogurt each day to ensure they get enough calcium. If your daughter doesn't drink milk then encourage her to have yogurt and cheese instead. However she may be happy to drink flavoured milk or fruit and yogurt smoothies that can be drunk in place of plain milk.

My 15-year old daughter is overweight. Will talking to her about weight reduction lead to anorexia?
The short answer is that it is unlikely to. If you do nothing and she continues to put on weight you face other health issues and possibly a lifetime of yo-yo dieting. By teaching her about healthy eating and nutrition you are encouraging her to nurture and respect her body at an early age which will increase self esteem as she grows.

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I’ve told my teenage son he needs to lose weight but he won’t listen. What can I do?
You can’t change other people’s behaviour on your own. The word ‘diet’ often makes people think they have to eat less, when in fact they just need to learn to eat more healthy foods in the appropriate quantities. Rather than nagging him, buy lower fat foods, encourage exercise, offer plenty of non-alcoholic drinks and lead by example. Concentrate on the things he does well and as his self-esteem rises you will notice positive changes in everything he does.

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What is a dietician?
Registered dieticians (RD’s) hold the only legally-recognisable graduate qualification in nutrition and dietetics. They are experts in interpreting and translating the science of nutrition into practical ways of promoting nutritional well-being, disease treatment and the prevention of nutrition-related problems. Their advice is sound and based on current scientific evidence. Registration, awarded by the Health Professionals Council, is an indication that a dietician is fit to practice and is working within an agreed statement of conduct. The title dietician can only be used by those appropriately trained professionals who have registered with the Health Professions Council. Those who are not registered are breaking the law if they use the title 'dietician'. Judy More is registered with the Health Professions Council.

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What is the difference between a dietician and a nutritionist?
The titles ‘Dietician’ and 'Dietitian' are legally protected by the Health Professions Council (HPC). All registered dieticians (RDs) have a university degree or post-graduate qualification, based on nutrition science, with clinical dietetic knowledge and the ability to translate this practically gained during supervised training in both clinical and community settings.

Many dieticians work in hospitals and GP clinics, advising individuals in need of therapeutic dietary intervention. Dieticians also work in many other areas, supporting community, education and public health bodies through the application of evidence-based nutritional knowledge to improve food choices. Dieticians are expert in both the science and the communication of nutrition, and HPC registration ensures that  dieticians are safe and competent to practice, adhere to a strict code of ethics, and must maintain their professional status through continued professional development. Most dieticians are also members of their professional body, The British Dietetic Association.

In contrast, the title ‘nutritionist’ is less defined, and is not legally protected, encompassing graduate nutritionists, as well as those who have undertaken part-time or distance learning courses. There are several degree level courses in nutrition, and upon qualification, many register as nutritionists (RNutr) or as public health nutritionists (RPHNutr) with The Nutrition Society. However there are many who have undertaken training that is not recognised by the Nutrition Society - they call themselves nutritionists or , nutritional therapists but their level of study and understanding of nutrition principles may be very poor. Always ask a nutritionist if they are registerd with the Nutrition Society before giving them any credance.

Judy More is both a Registered Dietician (RD) and a Registered Nutritionist (RNutr).

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More nutritional advice.

Contact Judy to discuss your individual concerns.