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Cara Cunningham, Community Dietitian, HSE

Cara Cunningham, Community Dietitian, HSE

We all strive to have kids who like a wide variety of healthy foods but the annoying reality is that most children love ‘junk’ type food and it can be a struggle to get them to try something new or ‘healthy’. Mealtimes see parents turning into nags with children enduring rather than enjoying, and so the daily battle continues. How can we break this cycle?

This week’s Oscars may have sparked your interest in a trip to the movies, but beware - you may not be going to see a horror flick but watch out for the cinema snacks which certainly can make a horror out of your trip.

Santa has his work cut out for him on Christmas Eve with literally billions of presents to deliver to all the good boys and girls around the world. Most houses will leave out a snack to help Santa on his way; but what is the best snack to aid all this hard work?

Hallowe’en is a time when Dracula and vampires ‘vant’ your blood - so when we are caught we want to make sure that our blood is top quality! Your diet can affect many aspects of good blood health - here are a few tips to ensure you have healthy blood this Hallowe’en.

You know that feeling when you’re hungry: you get narky and irritable, your mood is low, and it’s hard to concentrate - that’s because your brain is particularly sensitive to food and nutrients. This is no way to be if you are trying to study. As the Leaving Certificate looms, it is important to treat your brain with care - a well-hydrated, well-fed brain will deliver when you try to retrieve some of the knowledge you’ve crammed in there.

It’s all a bit chilly at the moment, and with the cold weather we tend to choose stodgy comfort foods, making it difficult to meet the recommended five-a-day of fruits and vegetables. Homemade soups are an ideal opportunity to add extra helpings of vegetables to your daily intake, and also to pack extra nutrients into your meals. They are a great way of filling you up without filling you out, and will help you keep your new year resolution to watch your waistline.

It’s official - families that regularly eat together tend to eat more healthily than families who rarely eat together. Research in the UK found that children who always ate family meals were more likely to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Seeing a parent eat fruit and vegetables also improves intake.

Orla Brady, Community Dietitian, HSE