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The IBD Dietitian Helping to move from flares to remission| Rebuild gut health.Thrive
IBD Dietitian | PhD Researcher 🎯Remission-focused🧠 Science.📍Online support +1:1

The scariest thing this Halloween? Advice that starts with “Have you tried just…?” 👻As an IBD dietitian, I hear how over...
30/10/2026

The scariest thing this Halloween? Advice that starts with “Have you tried just…?” 👻

As an IBD dietitian, I hear how overwhelming it can be to navigate everyone’s opinions about what you should eat.

If you’ve tried something because you were desperate to feel better, there’s no judgement here. You deserve to be heard and supported.

What’s the most memorable unsolicited advice you’ve received? 🎃👇
🎃

28/10/2026

Enough protein! but where is it coming from?

Ham, cheese, bread, bacon and salami can all contribute protein. But they don’t all count towards the same food group.

The ABS estimated that 13.2% of children aged 2–17 met the recommended serves from the lean meat and alternatives group. Yet estimated protein inadequacy was uncommon.

How can both be true?

🔹 Children may eat some foods from this group without reaching the recommended serves.
🔹 Dairy, grains and mixed meals also provide protein.
🔹 Discretionary foods can contribute protein without counting towards this food-group measure.

For meat in this analysis, the ABS counted unprocessed meat with less than 10% fat. Discretionary processed meats, such as ham, bacon and salami, were excluded.

I couldn’t locate a published child-specific breakdown showing its contribution.

But it invites a useful question:

💭 How often are processed meats appearing in your child’s diet and how much variety is there?

Cancer Council Australia recommends limiting processed meat, and WHO has highlighted long-term health concerns. It’s worth considering the whole food, beyond its protein content.

😌 This isn’t about guilt over one lunchbox. For children with IBD, symptoms, appetite, growth and treatment matter. Discuss your child’s individual needs with their IBD dietitian or bring this into our next consultation.

📌 Next: bite-sized carousels exploring the recommendations, survey findings and bigger food-group picture.

Sources: ABS NNPAS 2023; Australian Dietary Guidelines; Cancer Council Australia; WHO/IARC.

28/10/2026

Most Australian children are getting enough protein… so why did only 13% meet the protein food-group recommendation? 🤔

In Part 1, we looked at the Australian national nutrition survey, which found that estimated protein inadequacy was uncommon among children in the general population.

But the same survey estimated that only 13.2% of children aged 2–17 years met the recommended serves from the lean meat and alternatives food group.

So, how can both things be true?

Because total protein intake and serves from one food group are two different measures.

Protein is found in many everyday foods not only meat, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts and legumes, but also foods such as milk, yoghurt, cheese, bread, grains and mixed meals.

And food-group recommendations consider more than protein. Different foods offer a range of nutrients that support children’s growth and health.

What does this mean for children with IBD?

National data gives us useful context, but it can’t tell us what an individual child needs.

Some children with IBD may need extra protein or nutrition support, particularly when their food intake, growth or nutritional status is affected. Others may already be meeting their protein needs.

That’s why we look at the whole picture: what a child is eating, how they’re growing and feeling, their disease activity, and what support they need now.

But here’s something else to consider: what actually counted towards that 13% figure and what was left out? 👀

I’ll unpack that in Part 3, because understanding how the foods were counted helps explain why this number doesn’t tell us the whole protein story.

📌 Missed Part 1? Head back to my previous reel for the beginning of the story.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2023

27/10/2026

Protein is everywhere. But are Australian children actually falling short? 🤔

Protein is important for growth, development and repair. But with high-protein products filling supermarket shelves, it’s easy to wonder whether every child needs more.

So I looked at the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ latest national nutrition survey.

Here’s what stood out:

Among children in the general population, estimated protein inadequacy was uncommon.

📊 Teenagers aged 12–17 reported an average intake of 96 g of protein a day. This is a population average not a target for an individual child.

What about children with IBD?

Population data help us understand the starting point, but they can’t tell us what an individual child needs. Growth, disease activity, appetite, dietary intake, symptoms and nutritional status all matter.

Some children may need additional protein or nutrition support. Others may already be getting enough.

I’ll unpack the recommendations, the survey results and the bigger food picture in my next few posts.

📚 Sources: ABS National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2023 and Australian Nutrient Reference Values for protein.

You don’t need to “eat better” before seeing an IBD dietitian. You can arrive feeling confused, eating a small range of ...
27/10/2026

You don’t need to “eat better” before seeing an IBD dietitian.

You can arrive feeling confused, eating a small range of foods, relying on easy meals or wondering whether anything you’ve tried has helped.

There’s no judgement here.

We start with your IBD, your treatment, your nutritional needs and what life actually looks like for you.

💬 Which slide resonated most?

📌 Save this for a day when food guilt creeps in.

WE EAT FOOD, NOT JUST NUTRIENTS.In my last post, I shared just how much HIGH PROTEIN marketing I noticed during a superm...
25/10/2026

WE EAT FOOD, NOT JUST NUTRIENTS.

In my last post, I shared just how much HIGH PROTEIN marketing I noticed during a supermarket visit.

But here’s the next question…

How do we know whether a high-protein product is actually a good choice for us?

When we focus on protein grams alone, we can overlook the bigger nutritional picture.

🔎 My supermarket tip: Become a FOOD-LABEL DETECTIVE!

Next time a product catches your eye with a big HIGH PROTEIN claim, turn it around and ask:

1️⃣ What’s actually in it?
Read the ingredients list.

For example, I spotted soy crisps made with soy protein isolate. This is a concentrated source of soy protein, but it isn’t nutritionally identical to eating whole soybeans.

That doesn’t automatically make it a poor choice. It simply means we need to look beyond the protein claim.

2️⃣ How much protein am I actually getting?
Check the nutrition information panel.

Look at protein per serving, the serving size and protein per 100 g when comparing similar products.

3️⃣ What ELSE comes with the protein?
Think beyond a single nutrient.

🫘 Lentils and beans provide protein, fibre, folate and iron.
🥜 Nuts and seeds provide protein alongside healthy unsaturated fats, fibre and micronutrients.
🐟 Salmon provides protein and omega-3 fats.

🥛 Yoghurt provides protein, probiotics and calcium.

🌱 Tofu provides plant protein and, depending on how it’s made, may also provide calcium.

Different foods bring different nutritional benefits to the table.

4️⃣ Does this product meet MY needs?
A protein bar or protein-enriched snack may be useful in some situations.

But we don’t necessarily need a specially marketed protein product every time we want to include protein in our diet.

The message isn’t to fear processed foods or avoid protein supplements.

It’s to look beyond the marketing and make informed choices that support your individual nutritional needs.

For those of you living with IBD, those choices should also consider disease activity, symptoms, food tolerance and any medically necessary dietary modifications.
✨ Protein matters. But so does everything that comes WITH it.

What if your protein came with fibre too? 🌱We often think about protein in terms of grams.But foods like lentils remind ...
24/10/2026

What if your protein came with fibre too? 🌱

We often think about protein in terms of grams.

But foods like lentils remind us that protein can come packaged with so much more.

🫘 Lentils provide plant protein that comes with dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial plant compounds.

And when paired with yoghurt-based tzatziki, fresh herbs and vegetables, they can become part of a simple, nourishing meal.

These Lentil & Tzatziki Lettuce Wraps take around 20 minutes to prepare and are a lovely example of building meals from everyday ingredients.

🔬 Why does this matter for gut health?

Dietary fibre provides substrates for gut microbes, which can ferment certain fibres and produce metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids.

Research is increasingly exploring how the overall dietary pattern including protein sources and fibre influences the intestinal environment.

But here’s an important IBD-specific consideration:

Not everyone with IBD will tolerate lentils equally especially if you are having for the first time or rarely having it.

If you’re experiencing significant symptoms, or have stricturing Crohn’s disease, the type, amount and preparation of higher-fibre foods may need to be individually adjusted.

💜 The goal isn’t to force yourself to eat foods you don’t tolerate. It’s to support as much nutritional adequacy and variety as is appropriate for you.

📩 Want the full recipe and more practical whole-food inspiration?

Explore FREE IBD nutrition resources via my website and join my newsletter for recipes, helpful tools and the latest research translated into everyday advice.

Link in bio!

Saturday mornings are for slow breakfasts and catching up with my family. Today, I had energy for the chatting… less for...
24/10/2026

Saturday mornings are for slow breakfasts and catching up with my family. Today, I had energy for the chatting… less for the cooking! 🧑‍🍳🙊

I sliced a freshly baked and generously seeded a petite baguette🥖 from Bakers Delight bakery, drizzled with olive oil and warmed it briefly in the air fryer. The girls took over with a generous spread of hummus and cucumber. This is their handiwork! 🥒

Five seeds + wheat + chickpeas + cucumber = eight different plants in one simple breakfast 🌱

For adults and kids with IBD in remission who tolerate these ingredients and haven’t been advised to restrict any of these by their IBD team, it’s an easy way to add whole food plant variety.

Nothing fancy. Just tasty food and time together.

Protein doesn’t have to come from a protein bar! 🐟🌿Here’s a simple Mediterranean-inspired meal that shows what I mean wh...
23/10/2026

Protein doesn’t have to come from a protein bar! 🐟🌿

Here’s a simple Mediterranean-inspired meal that shows what I mean when I say:

“Don’t just look at the protein. Look at the WHOLE meal.”

This Mediterranean Salmon Wrap brings together:

🐟 Salmon for quality protein and omega-3 fats
🥛 Greek yoghurt for protein, probiotics and calcium
🌾 Wholewheat wrap for carbohydrate and fibre
🥒🍅 Vegetables for plant variety
🫒 Olive oil, lemon and herbs for flavour and healthy fats

And it takes around 25 minutes to prepare!

As an IBD dietitian, I encourage people to think beyond individual nutrients and consider the overall quality and adequacy of their diet.

Of course, living with IBD means individual tolerance matters. During certain phases of disease, or with complications such as strictures, ingredients and textures may need to be adapted.

But nourishing yourself doesn’t always mean preparing complicated or completely separate meals.

💜 Sometimes simple, adaptable meals are exactly what we need.

📩 Want the full recipe?

Explore my FREE IBD nutrition resources via the link in my bio and sign up for my newsletter for more whole-food meal inspiration, practical tools and research-based nutrition advice.

HIGH PROTEIN. PROTEIN PLUS. PROTEIN EVERYTHING! 🛒🤯I went supermarket shopping recently, and I couldn’t help noticing jus...
22/10/2026

HIGH PROTEIN. PROTEIN PLUS. PROTEIN EVERYTHING! 🛒🤯

I went supermarket shopping recently, and I couldn’t help noticing just how many products were shouting PROTEIN at me!

Protein bars. Protein wafers. Protein bowls. Beef protein snacks. Protein + creatine bars. Even soy protein crisps!

It got me thinking…

Are we choosing these foods because we need them, or because the packaging has convinced us we need MORE protein?

Is the food industry responding to our growing interest in protein, or is all this marketing helping fuel it? Perhaps a bit of both!

Now, don’t get me wrong.🤓

🥚 Protein is essential, particularly for people living with IBD, whose protein requirements may increase during active inflammation, recovery or periods of poor nutritional intake.

And protein-enriched convenience foods absolutely have a place, especially when meeting nutritional needs is challenging.

But here’s something I often remind people in my clinic:

💜 WE EAT FOOD, NOT JUST NUTRIENTS.

When we focus only on protein grams, we risk overlooking the bigger nutritional picture.

Because protein doesn’t exist in isolation in our diets.

Protein matters. But so does everything that comes WITH it.

And sometimes, the humble everyday foods sitting quietly on supermarket shelves have plenty to offer without shouting about it!

🔎 COMING NEXT: I’ll share four simple questions to ask before choosing a HIGH PROTEIN product.

Have you noticed protein marketing everywhere too? What’s the most unexpected protein product you’ve spotted?

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