The Nutrition Consultant

Orzo salad with 🍅 As it’s British Tomato Fortnight, I thought I’d share one of my favourite recipes from my website that features this delicious seasonal ingredient!

This Orzo salad is packed with flavour, colour and nutrition - and it’s perfect for making in bulk for a week of lunches or for a side at a summer BBQ ☀️

I like to use fresh British tomatoes in this recipe, as I find them to be so much tastier than imported ones - and with fewer air miles!

This recipe also incorporates other seasonal delights - spinach, cucumber and spring onions 😍

What’s your favourite way to have tomatoes this time of year? 🍅

JUNE!! 😲 More seasonal goodness for you…and your monthly reminder that we have entered into a new month! ☺️

Seriously…so many options at this time of the year. Make the most of them whilst we have them!👍

Tomatoes and cherries are particular faves of mine…YUMMY!! 🍅🍒 How about you? Can you see any of your faves? Let me know in the comments ⬇️

Lunchtime inspo right here! 🙌 Half term not only means lots of snack requests… it also means making lots of lunches too! 🥴 Scroll for lunch ideas and read below for some top tips for serving up lunches that will keep kids happy👇

🌟 Tell them to think about how they would like it served (e.g. a help yourself buffet, a packed lunch box, fun plates?)

🌟 Let your kids help you plan the lunch menu (this can obviously change dependent on spontaneous activities, but trying to plan at least a few days can often help jazz things up)

🌟 Get them to cut their sandwiches using different shaped cookie cutters or a crinkle cutter for vegetables

PS. Although I’ve directed this post at helping parents and carers with kids lunches, all of these meal ideas are perfect for grown ups too! 😊

MY TOP 4 BUDGET-FRIENDLY MEALS 🙌

I’m sure you are just as shocked as me about the soaring costs of food right now, so I wanted to share a few of my favourite quick and easy low-cost meals.

What’s great about these meals is that they are packed full of nutrients and each one is at least 1 of your 5 a day.

✅Quick
✅Easy to prepare
✅Low cost
✅Packed with nutrients
✅Each one = at least 1 of your 5 a day

It’s often assumed that eating well involves spending lots of money on fancy products from health food shops. But sometimes it just means taking it back to basics - think beans and cheese on toast 😋

➡️ Scroll to find 4 delicious budget-friendly meals that are perfect for the whole family to enjoy.

Which meal do you like the look of most? Let me know below 👇

I’m absolutely thrilled to share that I’ve been shortlisted for the 2024 CN Award for Social Media Personality of the Year! 🎉🎉🎉

Now that I’ve been shortlisted, it’s all about the votes and I’d be ever grateful if you could vote for me 🙏🏻 https://nutrition2me.com/cn-awards/voting/

This is mega for me as I’m a big fan of this nutrition-focused magazine and I’ve been in absolute awe of all the immensely talented nominees and winners of these awards over the years. I never imagined that it might be my turn one day! ☺️

Beyond my role as a food industry nutritionist and running my business, social media has been a big part of my working life in recent years. As a registered nutritionist, I have always believed it to be a responsibility to disseminate evidence based nutrition information - ever more important in today’s society where there’s a surplus of ‘nutrition nonsense’ on social media. Sharing easy to understand information, based on facts not anecdotal opinions is really important to me… and who knew creating infographics could be so enjoyable! 😅

I’m so pleased that this work is helping the public and contributing positively for those working within the nutrition field too. Makes it so worthwhile.

To view the shortlist, go to www.nutrition2me.com/cn-awards

Good luck to all the nominees 🍀

MAY SEASONAL PRODUCE 🍓🍆🍅🥬 I launched these monthly calendar posts 4 years ago and I have managed to post these every month since 🤯 I hope you find them helpful 💚

The spring and summer produce options fill me with JOY - especially this month's one! 🥳

🍓STRAWBERRIES…...love them! And don't they just taste SO much better versus other times of the year!

Improvements in taste is one of the key benefits when it comes to eating seasonally, but one of the other key ones is the connection of where our food comes from 👩‍🌾

'Pick your own' facilities will start to open soon and they are a fab example of how to bring this to life. A really fun activity to do with kids especially and a really powerful tool to educate them (and sometimes the grown ups too!) about the origin of food and how it is grown 🥰 They do seem to be so much more expensive now though than in recent years unfortunately 😔

Aside from ‘pick your own’, every month I sit down with mv own kids to talk about what's coming into season and it's a great way for us to increase variety across our fruit & veg consumption (fyi it's very common for families to have the same fruit and veg all the time 🍅). We quite often tick off what they have tried or want to try ✅

Will you be visiting 'pick your owns’ this year? Have you noticed how expensive some of them now are? 🫠

🤔Do you know a business to nominate for the SME Awards?

🥳 The SME Hertfordshire Business Awards provide an excellent opportunity for inventive, committed, and entrepreneurial SMEs in Hertfordshire to enhance their visibility, receive acknowledgment, and applaud excellence in our county.

✅ Are you looking to thrive in your industry?
✅ Want to stand out from the crowd?
✅ Is there someone who you feel deserves some recognition for their achievements?

🌟 Maximise your chances of winning by entering in up to 3 categories that represent the specialised areas of your business such as ‘High growth Business of the Year’ and ‘Hospitality Business of the Year'. DON’T miss out on entering our SME Hertfordshire Business Awards 2024.

🔊 Charlotte Radcliffe from The Nutrition Consultant who was The Overall Winner and who won a Gold Award for The Grove Hospitality Business of the Year at these awards last year said;

“Entering the SME Hertfordshire awards last year was one of the most rewarding business decisions I’ve ever made. To have won the Hospitality Business of the Year award, being selected as the Overall Winner, and then going on to win a national award was beyond anything I had ever imagined.
No matter how confident you may feel about your business, having external recognition can super charge it. Having that pat on the back that you’re doing a good job, that your efforts are noticed and valued really mean so much. This has inspired me to carry on and continue to grow my business and take on new challenges with renewed confidence.”

Begin your entry TODAY 👉 https://tinyurl.com/3zcnvxyz

SME Business Awards

April fruit and veg goodies! 💚 The list of what’s available in season is starting to get longer! 🥬 Just look at all the options we’ve got to look forward to in the UK this month! So much choice! 🎉

When I write these posts I always try and pick out my favourites, but this month I’m struggling. I like too many! ☺️ Now that the seasons have changed it has brought along with it so much more choice.

I have to admit radishes always make me laugh though 🫣🤣 Back in the day, one of my many nicknames was Turnip and then after I got married my lovely friends decided to turn Turnip into Radish - always veg themed even all those years ago! 🤣🤣

Hopefully these posts make seasonal eating easier for you so save it so it helps you throughout the month 🙌

What produce is going to be on your menu this month? 🤔 Can you pick a fave…unlike me?? x

P.S. While eating more seasonal and local fruit and veg will lead to some environmental benefits, it is just one part of a sustainable diet. Other strategies such as reducing consumption of animal-based products and reducing food waste are also essential parts of a healthy sustainable diet 💚

TOP FIVE TIPS for a healthy immune system. We might now be into April but coughs and colds are STILL circulating and it’s no wonder quick fixes which claim to ‘boost’ our immune system seem so attractive.

Unfortunately, there are no miracle nutrients or specific foods which can achieve this (nor would you want your immune system to be boosted - this can actually be quite dangerous – a normal functioning system is what you should be striving for), but the GOOD NEWS is there are ways we can support our immune system through what we eat overall. Scroll through and check out my blog where I give lots more info.

In summary:

1️⃣ Eat the rainbow! Mix up your meals to include as much variety and colour as possible. At least 5 fruit and veg a-day, plenty of wholegrains, lean protein such as chicken, fish & pulses and healthy unsaturated fats founds in nuts, oily fish & olive oil.

2️⃣ Think about vitamin D - General advice is to take a 10µg supplement every day during autumn and winter 💊. However, spring sun is often still not strong enough, so it’s advisable to keep supplementing for now (some people may need to supplement all year round).

3️⃣ Spot the gaps - If you’re at risk of a micronutrient deficiency because you exclude whole food groups or have a medical condition which affects your absorption of nutrients or reduces your appetite, you may want to consult a Registered Dietitian or Nutritionist.

4️⃣ Look after your gut - Try to include probiotic and prebiotic containing foods in your diet to improve the balance of your gut microbiota.

5️⃣ Work/life balance - High-stress levels and poor sleep amongst other lifestyle factors can negatively impact our immune function, so look after your mental as well as your physical well-being.

🌟Nutrition is only one piece of the jigsaw for good health, so it’s important to focus on other healthy lifestyle habits too, such as sleep quality, lowered stress and alcohol consumption, not smoking, regular exercise, and washing your hands regularly.

🌟 Other factors, such as our age, gender, muscle mass, vaccination status & socioeconomic status will also have an impact on the efficiency of our immune response.

Being awarded the overall winner at the Hertfordshire SME Business Awards last year was such a special moment and I am delighted to now be working with them helping the 2024 entrants on their journey. If you’re interested in applying come and join the virtual workshop next Wednesday 1-2pm.

🤔 Are you thinking about entering awards in 2024?

🤝 Then why not enter the SME Hertfordshire Business Awards 2024? Make sure you attend our upcoming workshop. This is your opportunity to also get some top tips from the SME National Awards 2023 Overall Winner Charlotte Radcliffe from The Nutrition Consultant , and Jeremy Leboff from Sobell Rhodes .

✨ Entering an award is a brilliant opportunity for you to look at your business from the outside in, and who knows? You could even become a FINALIST or a WINNER!

🤩You can enter up to 3 award categories that are most suitable for you, your team, your customers, or represent the specialised areas of your business.

🙌Let us help you make 2024 an award-winning year for you and your business!

Register Now 👉 https://tinyurl.com/yc6r6y79

SME Business Awards

Seasonal Stars for MARCH ✨✨ The monthly addition to the seasonal calendar I share - all providing simple inspo on what you can actually DO with what’s in season! 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳

This month focuses on 3 lovely seasonal ingredients:

Cauliflower 💚
Forced Rhubarb 💚
Spring Greens 💚

SCROLL across for 3 simple ways you can make the most of these whilst we have them and come back to it throughout the month for continued inspo 🤩

C. x

It’s March!!! Thank you world!! 🥳 Aside from the rain that I have been listening to all morning, March often brings with it a sense of positivity, lighter and longer days, slightly warmer weather, and of course delicious seasonal produce 😋

This month there are so many lovely varieties of seasonal produce available and I encourage you all to try at least one new one 🌟 What is featured that you don’t often have, or have never had before? 🧐 Variety is so important!! 💫

Keep an eye out on Monday 👀 where I’ll be sharing 3 seasonal stars - I don’t just help you with WHAT is in season I also give you ideas on what you can DO with what is in season! 🙌

C. x

It’s February and therefore about time for another monthly seasonal post! 🥬 This new month has totally crept up on me (hence why I’m posting this a bit late in the day! 🤯).

Before you even look at what February has to offer - PLEASE note, health benefits don’t just come from ‘seasonal’ produce. Even if your produce has travelled around the world to get to you, be assured that this is still such positive benefit to you (for many varieties this is the only option anyway as a lot of our produce isn’t grown here 🍌🥑🥭). Frozen options are super too.

Ultimately if you’re able to include or increase consumption of any type of fruit and veg into your diets it will help towards benefiting your mental and physical health 🌟

BUT seasonal eating IS an amazing way to support local farmers, local farm shops and encourages us all to include a wider variety of vitamins and minerals into our diets through introducing different fruit and veg that we might not have ordinarily included 🥬🥕🥦🌽🍆🍅 And that’s got to be a good thing - variety is the spice of life!

Enjoy! 💚

PS. Apologies for my total lack of being on here lately. Has been tough times in my world these past couple of months and I’ve been struggling to find my social mojo. Being another step closer to spring (my fave season) will definitely help 🌺 🙌 Hope you’re all keeping well. x

It’s officially 2024 💥 and a time for many of us to reflect on how we want this year to pan out. Of course, some of it is out of our control but thinking more positively there might be personal and work things you want to focus on, dreams you want to fulfil, changes you want to make, or it could be as simple as striving to add more fruits and veg to your diet 💚

I can definitely help with the latter and here’s my latest monthly seasonal produce calendar to give you some inspo! 🤗 Check it out❣️

My own personal faves include kale, beetroot, mushrooms and apples 💚 but how about you? Are there any seasonal fruits/veg you want to try this month? Or have any particular faves? 💚

P.S. Happy new year!
#2024

Goodbye 2023, Hello 2024 🥳

As the year comes to an end, most of us will be reflecting on the last year and thinking ahead to the new one.

For the past few years I’ve made a conscious effort to reflect on the year just gone - what went well, what didn’t, what can I learn from this? Gratitude is key and I, like so many of us, have so much to be thankful for ❤️

But I also like to focus on the positive behaviours I want to bring into the new year.

Resolutions aren't for everyone, but if they are for you, here are some ideas to get started with 💁‍♀️

Wishing you all health and happiness for the coming year 💕

Eating nutritious meals and snacks over Christmas can often feel like a hard task (for adults as well as kids...my own kids have already been given so many choc selection boxes - and I've naturally been helping them out of course 😜...and it's not actually even Christmas yet!), but here are some quick notes which I like to remember that I thought I would share with you 🎄🎅

👉Christmas is a time to enjoy food as a family
👉Festive indulgence can go on for weeks, so getting in nutrients when you can is important
👉Including fruit and veg in meals and snacks where you can is a good thing (presenting it in a fun way can help!)
👉Being mindful that sugary snacks and fizzy drinks can make tummies feel full - leave room for more wholesome meals!
👉Get your kids involved in some of the Christmas food planning and prep
👉At the end of the day, food is more than nutrition. So don't get too stressed if you're struggling to balance it out!

➡️ SWIPE to find my top tips and festive food ideas! ✨

Christmas Recipe!!👩‍🍳🎄Today I’m sharing my recipe for seriously yummy mince pies with a modern parcel twist ❤️

Scroll for ingredients/method 🎅

Have you ever wondered why mince pies are called ‘mince pies’ when they don’t usually contain meat? 🤔 and were mince pies really illegal in England? 🤔 Read on for a quick summary (you never know when this might crop up in Xmas quizzes!)

🤓The combination of zesty and spicy ingredients were inspired by Middle Eastern recipes which were brought back to Britain by crusaders. The pie itself is credited as a British invention though and along with the dried fruits, spices, cloves and nutmeg, also contained mince meat and suet.

🎁The original recipe contained 13 ingredients which were used to represent Christ and his 12 Apostles, with mutton sometimes being added to represent the shepherds. As time went on the pies became oval shapes to represent the crib and the fillings represented the gifts that the wise men brought Jesus.

Over time the size reduced, the meat was removed, and lots of sugar was added making them a sweet dessert option (for info this recipe contains minimal sugar💚)

Many history books claim Oliver Cromwell banned mince pies in 1657, alongside other sweet dishes, in an attempt to “tackle gluttony”🤦🏻‍♀️ and banning Christmas celebrations in general. By the time Christmas came around though Charles II had become King and the apparent laws were abolished. Christmas could continue!🎉🎉🎉

(Thanks to Lifestyle Nutritionist for helping with this recipe - it’s an old one, but a brilliant one!)

The countdown for Christmas is well and truly on and of course this means there are lots of yummy festive drinks to choose from when we’re out and about🎄☕️

I’m not a coffee drinker (even though I really wish I was!) but I’m always surprised how much sugar some of these drinks contain. I don’t mean a bit of sugar - hopefully you know by now that I’m not anti-sugar in the slightest - but some of these drinks have HUGE amounts!! 😲

For some of you, the sugar content will be irrelevant. You simply want to enjoy your drink! And that is absolutely fine. Go for it and relish the moment! ❤️

But I know many of you following me like these comparison summaries to help you with your choices - so here's a breakdown of the main ones from popular UK coffee shops ➡️

We found that 10 of these festive options across 4 coffee shops contained more than the recommended amount of sugar for an entire day 🤯 (recommendation = 30g/day free sugar for adults).

With 4 of these containing well over 40g!

[bear in mind 4g = 1 teaspoon]

BUT, even though all the festive drinks that feature as part of this comparison are HIGH in sugar, some are much lower in sugar than others, such as the Gingerbread and Cream Latte from Costa (13.9g).

There is no need to avoid high sugar options - but I hope this post gives some insight into how easy it can be to consume high amounts of sugar through drinks alone – especially festive options ☕️🎄

Thankfully there are also plenty of ways to customise your drinks at coffee shops, such as switching your syrups to low sugar options or removing the sugary toppings, so if you want to reduce the sugar content - you can!

Are you a festive drink fan? Have you tried any of these? What did you think? 🤔

Seasonal eating for the last month of the year and so here is your December seasonal calendar ☺️

The Christmas countdown is really starting now and within all the planning taking place I’m sure there will be lots of focus on food 😊

With so many different varieties of seasonal produce available right now, how about taking some time to also plan in some of these seasonal beauties 😋

Delighted to have been nominated in the 2023 Nutrition Graduates awards in the 'Food Industry Nutritionist' category. To have been nominated by my peers in these awards is so lovely ☺️

Voting is open to all and it would mean so much to me if you could spare 1 min and vote ⬇️ (closes this Friday 5pm!)

Charlotte Radcliffe - Food Industry Nutritionist
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf511NpVrT-fRgstaK35R6cfO8jo7570kcyLQQDgTJ_3elewA/viewform

Thank you!! 💚

Nutrition Graduates Awards Voting 2023 Vote for your favourite nutritionists below so they can get the recognition they deserve in our annual awards. The voting is open until Friday 24th November at 5pm with the winners announced during our ceremony on Thursday 30th November. You will only be able to vote once so make it count!

More often than not I forget to mention when I’ve been featured or quoted in media publications, but I thought today it might actually be useful sometimes for me to summarise what the articles are about as they are often packed with top tips!

First up is a recent feature in ‘Delicious’ food magazine talking all about nutritional powerhouses - vegetables 🥦🌱🥬

🌟Veg are packed with a variety of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, and fibre that keep us healthy.

🌟Research shows that eating a diet rich in vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer.

🌟As a nation we don’t consume as much fibre as we should, and plant-based foods such as vegetables can really help here.

Top Tips:
1️⃣Serve a side salad with dinner - I like to make up a batch of mixed salad at the beginning of the week to make it easy to grab from the fridge for dinner.

2️⃣Snack on veg-based dips - Served alongside chopped vegetables, dips like guacamole and salsa make delicious snacks.

3️⃣Whizz cooked veg into a purée and stir into ragù, chilli or curry. Add lentils, beans and chickpeas too!

4️⃣Ramp up the flavour - Some people find veg bland, so pile on herbs, spices and lemon zest. Try out different cooking techniques such as roasting or stir-frying, too, and focus on variety.

5️⃣Buying frozen vegetables can be cheaper and sometimes more nutritious than fresh.

6️⃣Leaving the skin on vegetables can help you consume more fibre and can give a different texture to foods.

7️⃣Cook ahead - I roast a batch of veg at the weekend so they’re ready throughout the week ahead.

🌟It’s easy to eat the same things every week, but by focusing on variety and regularly trying new options can really help.

Simple changes can be very effective in the long run!

We’re all aware of sugar, so do we really need a Sugar Awareness Week like there is this week? 🤔 In short - Yes, absolutely!! 👍

Before I explain more, let me start by saying I LOVE sugar!!! 😍 I am not anti-sugar and definitely do not promote low / no sugar diets. I couldn’t really imagine sugar avoidance 🤭

What I really care about though is that we are not misled by sugar. It’s a complex subject - not just because of the science and technical elements, but the marketing of it. It’s everywhere!🥴

What we sometimes are led to believe is healthy, is sometimes anything but! 🙇🏻‍♀️

I thought it would be useful for me to provide you with a framework of overall info on the subject - nothing too heavy - just some important facts for you to be aware of, plus lots of examples of other names for sugar (very useful when reading ingredient labels) 😊

Ultimately, sugar shouldn’t be vilified as much as it is and no one should be made to feel guilty for consuming it, however as a nation we do eat and drink FAR TOO MUCH added sugar, especially kids 👧👦

With many sugary products being marketed to children (which often increases kids ‘pester power’) and sweet puddings regularly included with nursery and school meals, its not hard to see how children are consuming much more than they should be 🧁

So awareness is definitely important! 👍

Sometimes we all need a few tweaks to what we, and our children, eat (and do) ❤️

Check out my latest blog for more:
https://thenutritionconsultant.org.uk/guide-to-sugar/

Vitamin D! 💊 Has your shadow been getting longer lately? This is a sign that there is not enough UV radiation to produce vitamin D - our beautiful sunshine vitamin ☀️ (unless you jet off to warmer climates for the winter…now wouldn’t that be nice!!)

If you’re sticking in the UK 🇬🇧 then did you know you should be considering taking a daily 10µg vitamin D supplement over the autumn and winter months? 💊 This helps keep our bones and muscles healthy, plus it’s been linked to lots more non-specific symptoms such as poor immune function, fatigue, hair loss and depression (termed non-specific as they can also be attributed to other conditions/nutrient deficiencies so much harder to pinpoint direct causation👩‍🔬).

I’m a huge advocate of utilising diet to ensure adequate levels of vitamins and minerals, (unless there is a specific need for them). VITAMIN D IS THE EXCEPTION!! ✋

And did you know that this applies to kids too?* 👶👧🧒

…BUT supplement manufacturers can make this a tricky job for parents.

Not only are there SO MANY options to choose from, some contain added sugar, and lots don’t even include the recommended dosage! 🤷🏻‍♀️

✨Don’t worry though, here is your super handy comparison! Check it out!✨

So much info in this post - let me know if you have any questions (incl. if your chosen brand is not shown) 👶💊

* All children aged 1 to 4, and all babies (unless they’re having more than 500ml of infant formula a day 🍼) should take a daily supplement throughout the year. For babies from birth to 1yr, the daily supplement should contain 8.5-10µg of vitamin D, over 1yr it is 10µg.