During October I love seeing the variety of squashes in the shops, all different shapes and sizes. We often buy a pumpkin to carve for Halloween, often forgetting we can cook and eat them too. They are so nutritious, the orange flesh is a powerhouse of vitamin C, carotenoids and vitamin A. Supporting eye health and enhancing the immune system.

It’s World Mental Health day today I have created this Pumpkin and Vegetable Biryani Stuffed Peppers packed full of mood foods. This recipe includes brown rice, walnuts, almonds, lentils, sweet potato and broccoli, these are GABA foods high in glutamic acid. GABA is the zen of neurotransmitters, which our body makes naturally and impacts our emotions, it calms us down, helps with restful sleep and feel positive.

This delicious Banana and Seed Porridge Bread is a perfect snack for kids after school and should keep them full until dinner. Children whatever age love a snack, at times it seems like they are constantly hungry and asking for snacks. This recipe could help and it’s packed with nutritional goodness!

A quick and tasty dinner for super tired children and parents at the start of the summer holidays. Packed with different coloured vegetables, to help your children eat the rainbow.

For my family, I am always looking for ways to increase their plant foods and eat the rainbow. This Rainbow Vegetable and Beef lasagne contains 14 different plant foods, including celeriac, aubergine, courgette and sweet potato.

People think Nutritional Therapists eat a perfect diet, but like everyone, we enjoy a treat and for me, I love my chocolate, for years it was cheap milk chocolate high in sugar and low in cocoa. But more recently I have taught myself to like dark chocolate, with less sugar and packed with goodness.

So what are the health benefits of dark chocolate?

Incorporating a wide variety of plant foods into your children's diet can provide numerous health benefits, including reducing the risk of nutritional deficiencies and supporting overall gut health. We often forget herbs and spices are included. You don’t have to grow your own herbs, dried herbs are just as beneficial.

Please enjoy my Chicken Tika Kebabs served with Mushroom and Spinach Pilaf and Mint Raita recipe at the end, which is packed with nutritious herbs and spices.

Part 2

The importance of maternal nutrition in the first thousand days of a child's life can influence your child’s development. This starts during pregnancy to their second birthday. It is an essential period when their brain, body, metabolism and immune system grow and develops. Good nutrition is essential for your child’s physical development, social development, emotional, and behavioural development, cognitive development and a healthy immune system.

Part 1

Maternal and child nutrition is important for the first 1000 day’s of a child’s life (pregnancy to their second birthday), influencing the ability of a child to develop, learn and thrive. Deficiencies of key nutrients during pregnancy and infancy could have lifelong effects on brain development, possibly increasing the risks for a wide range of neurodevelopmental and mental health problems.

Seasonal Pollen Allergies - Hay Fever

Can nutrition relieve symptoms? Allergies can be distressing for children and parents, with symptoms affecting all aspects of a child’s life. There is no cure for hay fever but Nutritional Therapists try to identify the root cause and triggers. Focus on supporting your overall immune system, manage symptoms and improve how you live with the allergy.

Nuts and Seeds are packed with essential vitamins and minerals important for our child's physical and mental health. There are lots of ways we can incorporate them into our child’s diet. It’s good to add a selection of nuts and seeds to your cooking because they have a different balance of nutrients and antioxidants. Because eating a diverse range of plant foods is beneficial to our child's health.

These flapjacks are gluten-free, packed with protein, healthy fats and fibre, and contain no refined sugar, the perfect snack for children of all ages and parents.

Quinoa  is a wholmeal grain, gluten free and a good source of folate, magnesium, zinc and iron. It is also rich in protein and fibre. It contains more fibre than brown rice. And is nearly a complete protein, containing most essential amino acids. A good recipe for vegetarians.

It is very hard to get children to eat legumes, which include lentils, beans and chickpeas, packed with plant protein, fiber, B-vitamins, iron, folate, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc. Hiding them in foods children love is a great way to make sure kids are getting these nutrients. Try this recipe it was a big hit with my children.

This pancake is made of coconut flour, which is Gluten-free, high in fibre and low in carbohydrates. Suitable if you have gluten intolerance or Gestational Diabetes.

This cheesy fish gratin contains Cod, like many fish, it is a good source of omega-3 fatty acid, an essential fat that the body can't produce on its own.

This is the fat that is most important for your child’s developing brain, it is also vital for their immunity, eye health and mental wellness.

There is plenty of evidence linking unhealthy dietary patterns and poorer mental health in children and adolescents, leading them to show signs of depressive symptoms, low mood, anxiety and poor attention.

Scientific evidence has found that a nutritious diet results in better mental health.