Back to school
What type of school lunch is nutritionally better? Canteen lunch, packed lunch or lunch bought outside the school gate? School lunches contribute significantly to children’s food intake, so it’s key to ensure that the lunchtime meal is as healthy as possible. A large effort has been made to improve the diet of the nation’s school children with the introduction of The Scottish Nutrient Standards for School Lunches (SNSSL) which were adopted by secondary schools in 2006. I re
Time to up your oats: the fibre challenge
Oats are a source of folate, zinc, iron and potassium and are high in thiamin, phosphorus, copper and magnesium. They are also high in fibre, particularly soluble fibre in the form of beta-glucan (around 5g beta-glucan per 100g oats) which makes up around half the fibre content. There is strong evidence that increased intakes of total dietary fibre, particularly cereal fibre and wholegrains, are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer. I
Should we have food-based dietary guidelines?
At the end of June I attended a seminar hosted by the University of Edinburgh and Obesity Action Scotland ‘Towards a transformation in nutrition policy: Lessons from Brazil’. There were fantastic presentations from Inês Rugani, Associate Professor at the Nutrition Institute, State University of Rio de Janerio and Fabio Gomes, Advisor on Nutrition and Physical Activity, Pan-American Health Organisation/WHO. Inês explained that in 2014, the Brazilian government introduced new d
Pregnancy and breastfeeding vitamins
A healthy, varied diet is important for ensuring both the mother and her developing baby receive adequate nutrition. Although its best to get vitamins and minerals from the food you eat, when pregnant or breastfeeding, some specific vitamins are recommended to ensure you get adequate amounts. Below are 5 key messages from an article I wrote that discussed important vitamins required around the time of pregnancy and during breastfeeding. Did you know: Supplements of folic aci