Dietitian For Kids

03/09/2025

Confused About Children’s Vitamins and Minerals?

Www.dietitianforkids.com.au/resources

Choosing the right vitamin or mineral supplement for your child can be overwhelming. There are so many options on the shelves, each claiming different benefits!

As an Accredited Practising Paediatric Dietitian, I’ve created an easy-to-use comparison table showing the vitamin and mineral levels in a wide range of popular children’s supplements available in Australia.

This resource will help you:

⭐️ Compare multiple products at a glance
⭐️ Understand the differences in nutrient levels between brands
⭐️ Feel confident you’re choosing a supplement that meets your child’s needs
⭐️ Avoid unnecessary or dangerous excessive doses

Whether your child is a fussy eater, follows a restricted diet, or you simply want reassurance, this guide will save you time, stress, and guesswork.

Brands compared include: Pentavite, Nature’s Way, Centrum, Swisse, Brauer, Blackmores, Smarty Pants, Herbs of Gold and prescription multivitamin and mineral supplements. Also included is a table of the Australian Nutrient Reference Values for children for comparison.

04/08/2025

From 1st of July 2025, a new Medicare rebate for clients seeing a dietitian is available. This rebate aims to assist families whose child may not be eligible for NDIS funding or is in the process of applying for NDIS funding. Chat to your child's paediatrician for a referral.

30/07/2025

If you have a fussy eater going through a beige phase then this ebook is for you!
Some reasons you need this book:
😫mealtimes are stressful for you and your child

🙄your child seems disinterested in food at mealtimes

🥦 you are worried that your child does not like vegetables

😱your child won’t try new foods

📈you are worried your child isn’t growing properly

🍞your child seems to like only a limited variety of food

🤔 you are concerned that it’s more than just typical fussy eating

27/07/2025

Understanding Emotion and Attention Styles at Mealtimes

Children can express strong emotions around food, especially when presented with something unfamiliar or undesired. How a parent responds can either escalate the situation or help the child regulate their emotions and develop positive eating habits.

This matrix can help guide effective responses based on two key factors:

Emotion: High (frustrated, angry, upset) vs Low (calm, neutral)

Attention: High (lots of words, eye contact, negotiation) vs Low (minimal words, reduced engagement)

This strategy is also useful in many other parenting situations aside from mealtimes, and works from toddlers to teens!

10/07/2025

Www.dietitianforkids.com.au/resources
This resource is designed for parents of children who are concerned about their child’s weight being too high. At Dietitian For Kids, we believe that children can be healthy at any body size and shape and we focus on health and wellness rather than weight. This approach offers a more compassionate and evidence-based approach to weight concerns. It does not advocate that children are automatically healthy at every size, but that children at every size can be supported to adopt practices that will enhance their health and wellbeing, irrespective of whether these practices result in changes in body weight. The approach aims to empower parents to do what they can to improve their health and the health of their child.

Health and wellbeing are multi-faceted and determined by so much more than your body weight. A person’s health, eating and exercise behaviours should not be assumed based on their size or appearance.

While having a higher body weight may place a person at risk of experiencing a range of metabolic health problems, it’s also important to note that if a person is engaged in healthy and balanced behaviours, they can be healthy in a larger body.

Therefore, the aim of this resource is to focus on optimising your child’s overall health and wellbeing rather than focusing on their weight.

Children should not be concerned about their weight or body shape or size. While you may be concerned as a parent it is your role to NOT comment on your child’s body shape or size. Your role as a parent is to provide the right food and mealtime routine, the opportunities to engage in regular physical activity, and to model a healthy lifestyle. #

09/07/2025

With the right support and realistic goals, kids can make powerful changes to their health, without focusing on weight. This inspiring client story shows how small, personalised nutrition changes helped an 11-year-old girl reverse insulin resistance, normalise her liver function, and boost her energy levels all without weighing or restricting. Real food, steady support, and body-positive care can make all the difference. 💪🍎💛

30/06/2025

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is essential for helping the body use energy from protein and carbs.

Vitamin B6 is widely available in many foods such as:
🍗 Chicken
🐟 Salmon and tuna
🥚 Eggs
🥜 Chickpeas, nuts, and seeds
🥦 Spinach and other leafy greens
🍌 Bananas
🥔 Potatoes

⚠️ Be cautious with supplements!
While vitamin B6 is important, too much from supplements (not food) can cause nerve problems, especially in large doses over time. Always speak with your healthcare provider or dietitian before giving your child supplements. In most cases, supplements are unnecessary.

24/06/2025

It’s always a pleasure to hand out a graduation certificate when a client has successfully achieved their nutrition goals ⭐️

16/06/2025

Please join me in welcoming Julia Haydon, an experienced paediatric dietitian, to the Dietitian For Kids family.

With 17 years of experience as a dietitian, including over 11 years at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Julia brings a wealth of knowledge in managing a wide range of paediatric nutrition concerns—from fussy eating to complex medical needs requiring tube feeding.

Julia is also a proud mum of four young children, giving her firsthand insight into the practicalities of feeding busy families.

She is now available for Telehealth consultations and will be seeing clients in-clinic on Fridays once per month at the NAPA Centre in Lane Cove.

To book an appointment with Julia, visit our website: www.dietitianforkids.com.au

Welcome to the team, Julia!

10/06/2025

High-calorie nutritionally complete supplement drinks do have a purpose when used in the right situation, but on the flip-side they can do more harm than good when used inappropriately.

These drinks are designed to fill calorie and vitamin and mineral gaps and support growth in children who:
✅Are unable to meet their energy or nutrient needs through food.
✅Have medical conditions that impact their ability to swallow adequate amounts of food.
✅Have extremely restricted diets due to a sensory aversion or other cause such as ARFID.
✅Have increased energy and nutrient needs for a variety of reasons.

While these drinks can be helpful in specific medical situations, there are many times when they’re not appropriate and may even do more harm than good. I often see these drinks being used when they’re not needed, such as:
❌in children who are going through a typical developmental fussy eating stage, or children who are small for their age and these drinks are being used to boost their weight unnecessarily. The problem with this is, it can:
🥛Quickly fill up a child and displace real food and appetite development
😭 Reinforce and prolong fussy eating patterns
⚡️Contribute to excessive energy intake if not medically indicated

As a paediatric dietitian, I always start with food-first strategies, and only recommend these drinks when truly needed, with a clear plan and regular review.

If you’re unsure whether your child needs a supplement drink, reach out to a paediatric dietitian for personalised advice.

28/05/2025

Join me for this FREE presentation on Tuesday 17th of June at 7:00pm (AEST):

Join Dietitian Dr. Fiona Arrowsmith for an insight into the world of nutrition and dietetics, with a focus on kids with complex needs.

17/05/2025

Teaching kids about balanced nutrition is important because it lays the foundation for lifelong health and well-being. Here’s why it’s so crucial:

🌱 Builds Healthy Habits Early

Children who learn what foods help their bodies grow, move, and feel good are more likely to make healthy choices later in life.

🧠 Supports Learning and Development

Good nutrition fuels the brain. Balanced meals help kids focus, learn, and concentrate better at school.

💪 Promotes Growth and Strong Bodies

Kids are constantly growing. Balanced nutrition gives them the protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals they need for bones, muscles, and overall development.

🥦 Prevents Illness

A diet rich in fruits, veggies, and other nutrient-dense foods strengthens the immune system and reduces the risk of chronic diseases later in life.

🎯 Encourages Positive Relationships with Food

When kids understand that no food is “bad” but that some help us “go, grow and glow” more than others, they learn to eat with curiosity—not fear or pressure.

👪 Empowers Independence and Confidence

Teaching kids about nutrition gives them the tools to make good choices—whether they’re packing their lunchbox or choosing from a menu.