The Tasty Dietitian

29/04/2026

My daughter LOVES pink. Like when she was asked what she loves most at daycare most kids said mummy and daddy.
My daughter…. Pink. 😂
So I put the theory to the test and got her to try beetroot for the first time by selling her on the colour 🩷

15/04/2026

I’ve heard it a thousand times in clinic.
“I just don’t have time to eat well.”

So I put a timer on. Chicken wrap, cooked from scratch, salad prepped, wrap toasted.

12 minutes 45 seconds!

Now to be fair chicken was pre-portioned, salad was pre-cut. That’s not cheating. That’s just how real life works when you’re time poor. The 10 minutes you spend on a Sunday cutting chicken or washing lettuce is the reason Wednesday lunch can takes 12 minutes instead of 45!

The wrap itself: fajita-spiced chicken cooked in olive oil, good fat, good protein. Souvlaki wrap for the carbs. Salad for fibre to bulk it out. Cheese for “calcium”!! 😈

Not Instagram worthy. Genuinely delicious.

The “I don’t have time” problem is usually a setup problem, not a cooking problem. When the ingredients are ready, the meal almost makes itself.

What’s your actual barrier to eating well on busy days? Drop it below and I’ll tell you if it’s a real problem or a setup problem👇

08/04/2026

Most people come out of a blood test focused on one number. Total cholesterol.
As a dietitian who did her thesis on nutrition and heart health, it’s genuinely the last thing I look at.
Here’s what actually matters in a lipid panel and why salmon is relevant to all of it.
LDL (low density lipoprotein) is your bad cholesterol. High levels increase your risk of heart attack and stroke down the track. This is the number worth paying attention to.
HDL (high density lipoprotein) is the one most people ignore. It shouldn’t be. HDL essentially cruises your bloodstream picking up LDL and taking it to the liver to be cleared. The higher your HDL, the more efficiently your body manages the bad stuff.
Two things raise HDL meaningfully.
1️⃣exercise
And
2️⃣eating good fat. Oily fish like salmon is one of the best dietary sources.

The recommendation is three serves of oily fish per week, one serve being 150-200g. A tin of salmon gets you halfway there.

And before anyone says it, no, fat is not the enemy. Eliminating fat from your diet removes the very thing your hormones, brain, and heart depend on. The goal is more good fat, not less fat overall.

08/04/2026

A $1.50 tin that most people walk past without thinking twice.
Red kidney beans. Not glamorous. Genuinely underrated.

Here’s why I think they deserve a spot in your regular rotation:
They count as a protein, a vegetable, AND a carbohydrate in one tin. That’s rare.

The fibre alone is doing four separate jobs:
1️⃣keeping you full without adding calories
2️⃣binding to saturated fat so your body absorbs less of it
3️⃣feeding your good gut bacteria as a prebiotic
4️⃣supporting heart and brain health - produces SCFA for systematic anti-inflammatory effects which is cardio protective and good for your brain.

One serve has 5.5g of fibre. Your daily target is 25-30g. Spread across your meals that’s a meaningful contribution from something that cost you fifty cents a serve.

You don’t need to go plant-based to make this work. Just ease it in. Chilli con carne is the perfect vehicle because the beans disappear into the dish and do their job quietly.

One caveat. If you haven’t eaten many beans before, start slow. Your gut needs time to adjust or it will let you know about it loudly.

02/04/2026

02/04/2026

WFH lunch, no fuss version.

Tuna. Rice. Veg. sesame dressing. Hot sauce. Five minutes from fridge to bowl.

Just under 40g of protein in this one, good fats from the olive oil in the tuna, fibre from the veg and rice to keep energy steady through the afternoon. Working towards my fish serves for the week while I’m at it.

No meal prep. No complicated recipe. Just a few things that work together and actually fill you up.

This is genuinely what lunch looks like on a busy work from home day. Not perfect. Not Instagram worthy. Just practical, nutritious, and done.

Save this one for the weeks when you have nothing left in the tank but still want to eat well.

31/03/2026

There’s a reason protein is the first thing I look at when someone tells me they’re barely eating.

Your body is remarkably adaptive. It can convert protein and carbs to fat, and fat (to a small extent) and protein can be converted into glucose for energy. But the reverse? Fat and carbs cannot be converted into protein. Ever.

Which means if you’re not eating enough, your body has one option. Pull amino acids from your muscle tissue to keep everything else running. Your immune system. Your hormones. Your enzymes. Your red blood cells. Every critical reaction happening right now depends on a steady supply of amino acids.

I had a client lose weight fast. About 4kg of that was lean mass.

Strength went. She regained the weight and it continued to creep further even though she wasn’t eating any differently. Felt exhausted. Couldn’t figure out why.

She wasn’t broken. She just needed consistent, optimised protein and progressive resistance training to rebuild. That takes time. Real time.

A few months to lose the lean mass. Close to a year to build it back.

This is exactly why, whether you’re considering a crash diet, Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or weight loss surgery, my first thought is always: how much protein are you getting?
These tools can be genuinely useful for some people. But if you’re excited to lose weight as fast as possible, please slow down long enough to protect your muscle. The goal isn’t just a smaller number on the scale. It’s a body that’s actually stronger and functioning better on the other side.

Supporting weight loss is definitely something I do. I believe in a person’s right to choose what they do with their body. Just do it properly and safely. Your future self will thank you.

Save this or send it to someone who needs to hear it. 💛

31/03/2026

Dietitians (myself included) throw around the word "nutritious" like it actually means something. It doesn't. Not without context.

So I'm starting a series where I stop being vague.

This chicken fajita salad? Let me break down the actual reasons it works:

Lean protein (chicken breast) = lower saturated fat = better for your heart, brain, and keeping your overall calories in check without eating less food

Olive oil = healthy fat for hormone production heart and brain health (yes, you need fat, just the right kind)

Brown rice + quinoa = high-fibre carbs that slow energy release = no 3pm crash

Salad = vitamins & minerals, bulk, fibre, fullness. And it quietly binds saturated fat on the way through your GI (love a sneaky multitasker)

Seasoning = makes it taste good, which matters, because you're not a robot

This is Part 1 of 5. Each one breaks down a real meal. Because "eat healthy" isn't a strategy.

Save this if you want to start thinking about your meals differently. No rules, no perfection. Just understanding why.

26/03/2026

It took a lot of trial and error to land on these steps but once I did, building or modifying any meal became genuinely simple.
Four non-negotiables, every time:
1. Protein to hold you together between meetings or clients.
2. Carbs because your brain needs fuel, not a lecture about it.
3. Veg or salad - don't overthink it just make it a staple
4. A sauce that makes the dish tasty, because bland food is boring.

Seven years to refine it. Two minutes to use it.

Save this as your busy days cheat sheet 💗

24/03/2026

Also consumed: 2 coffees ☕☕ at breakfast and chocolate after dinner 🍫 - because balance.

Nothjng fancy. Just quick, easy, and nutritious food that keeps me going through back-to-back appointments.

Save this if you need permission to stop making lunch complicated.

08/08/2023

Whipping up post-workout fuel in your kitchen is just like whipping up magic! The right mix of lean protein and complex carbs can turn your 'golden hour' into a golden opportunity for a speedy recovery. Think chicken breast, tofu, eggs, sweet potatoes, brown rice, or quinoa. It's not just refuelling, it's all about healing and rebuilding. Add regular hydration and quality sleep to the mix; you've got the ultimate recovery formula. And remember, pace your protein intake throughout the day for optimal muscle repair. Ready to take your recovery game to the next level, boss babes? 🏋️‍♀️🍳💦😴