Abby the Dietitian (2025)

21/06/2023

I added grated zucchini/ baby marrow to my scrambled eggs (with a smidge of garlic, topped with avocado and chilli flakes) and it was FREAKING DELICIOUS!

This is a great way to add veggies to your breakfast meal.

In so many cases, sorting out the quality of your food is the best thing you can do for your health- Think about what you can ADD, not always what you have to take away. Thinking like this makes healthy eating more sustainable and let’s face it, more fun!

01/06/2023

Low fat = Packed with sugar! Right?

Not quite… When low-fat diets became very popular in the late 80's and 90's, food manufacturers couldn't wait to make a range of products to suit the low-fat lifestyle. The problem? Fat gives food flavour and a good ‘mouth feel’ so when it’s taken out to create a ‘low-fat’ food, the end product isn’t very appealing. Not so great for sales! So what did they do? They replaced the fat with sugar (aka they ADDED sugar).

Many high sugar (but low fat) products were deemed to be ‘healthier’ because at that point in time, fat was the ‘enemy’. I was a young girl in the 90’s and I can tell you first hand how strongly I believed this narrative. So much so that I thought jelly beans were healthy because they were advertised as being 99.9% fat free.

Low fat and fat-free labelling created a ‘health-halo’ for these foods, which meant that we automatically believed that it was healthier when in reality it wasn't. But this doesn't mean that ALL low fat products contain added sugar. No sir, it does not..

Plain dairy products like low fat milk or low fat natural yoghurt don't contain any added sugar and the ‘low fat’ foods that consumers were actually supposed to focus on when doctor's told them to 'eat low fat' like fruits, vegetables and legumes don't contain any added sugar at all.

If you're trying to keep your added sugar intake low, choose to mainly eat a variety of whole foods and when you do eat convenience foods, check the label on the nutrition facts label. There should be a section showing you how much 'added' sugar is in that product and if not, have a look at the ingredients.

The ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. That means the ingredient that weighs the most is listed first, and the ingredient that weighs the least is listed last. If a concentrated source of sugar appears in the first few on the list, that’s a clue that it contains a significant amount of added sugar.

The bottom line is that low fat doesn’t automatically mean high sugar, it depends on the food!

What food product did you think was healthy because it was advertised as ‘low fat’?

20/05/2023

Cottage cheese pancakes 🤤

1 cup flour (wholewheat if you have)
1 Tbsp. Baking powder
1 cup cottage cheese
2 Tbsp. Sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil

1. Blend together.
2. Spoon the mixture into a non-stick pan (my fav is perfect pan 😍) About 3 Tbsp./ pancake is enough.
3. Flip over when bubble’s form.
4. Allow the other side to cook.
5. Voila! Serve with whatever you like! I had my ‘main’ pancakes with banana, blueberry and honey and then took one to the couch as a snack (because they’re so delicious, dressed or plain!)

These pancakes are packed with protein, perfect for mamma’s trying to increase their intake either to meet their increased recommendations or to keep nausea and hunger at bay or for the mamma that just gave birth and is upping her protein for recovery.

Either way, these are freaking delicious and you have to give them a try!

Lotsa love, Abby 🐘

07/03/2023

Comparing 🍎 apples to crackers?

This really interesting paper assessed how ‘agreeable’ some foods were for morning sickness. They tested apples, watermelon, crackers and white bread.

They found that intolerance symptoms (like gagging, heaving or vomiting 🤢) response rates were 4% in apples, 10% in watermelon, 11% in crackers and a shocking 17% for white bread!

So next time that morning sickness creeps up on you, perhaps having some sweet apples nearby is a better option than the traditional call for crackers or toast!

As a big bonus, apples are also a more nutrient dense option. Could this be mother nature's way of enforcing an apple a day🧐?

What’s your favourite morning sickness cure 🤷🏼‍♀️? Let me know in the comment below.

06/03/2023

This FREAKING yummy bowl is going to be my go-to lunch (or dinner) for the next few days.

Here’s how I made it…

1. Sliced up some red onions and popped them in a container with 1 part rice vinegar, 1 part water, salt and pepper (this is a quick way to pickle onions within an hour or so).
2. Add a tin of chickpeas to some olive oil, rice vinegar, crushed garlic, Italian herbs and red chilli flakes and allow to marinade, the longer the better!
3. Chopped up some sweet potato, Brussel sprouts and broccoli and roasted in the over with olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Chopped up some kale (top tip- massage it! It brings out the moisture and makes it 100% yummier) and red cabbage.
5. Once the roast veggies are done, throw everything together and top with a little bit of vinaigrette (if you want), I make mine with 1 part olive oil, 1 part rice vinegar, garlic, dijon mustard and lemon juice). I also added a handful of toasted sunflower seeds for a little crunch!

I’m a bit of a ‘throw it together’ kind of cook, but because this was so delicious, I am going to measure all the ingredients next time and will give you an update!

Healthy eating doesn’t need to be complicated! Having a variety of veggies and legumes mixed with some healthy fats and flavour make a delicious and incredibly healthy meal!

06/03/2023

This is indeed WILD! In fact, pregnancy in general is wild... Since my early 20's I've been fascinated by the physiology of pregnancy and every time I meet a pregnant person I am literally in awe of how clever the human body is!

How many weeks are you at the moment?

Props to for a very entertaining Twitter feed!

06/03/2023

Are you pregnant and breastfeeding?

recently asked me this, so here is the answer:

In addition to your increased energy and nutrient needs, here are a few more things you may want to consider:

How do you feel about it?
It’s common for your milk supply to decrease a bit in mid-pregnancy and your milk may also taste different which may cause your breastfeeding infant to wean themselves.
You may have sore ni***es which can exasperate morning sickness symptoms.
You may feel really tired (which is common in pregnancy), but it may make breastfeeding feel a bit overwhelming.

Breastfeeding while pregnant is your choice but remember to chat to your doctor to check your individual risk.

06/03/2023

Ooooooh, Omega 3!

asked about omega 3 supplementation...

Here's the low down:

Normal foetal growth and development, especially relating to the eyes and brain, depend on the intake of essential fatty acids. Consuming sufficient amounts, especially of the omega-3 fat docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), may improve gestational duration and infant birth weight (two of the vital factors for a healthy birth outcome), length and head circumference.

While the majority of studies conducted on omega 3 and pregnancy outcomes was done using omega 3 supplementation, various health authorities still encourage the intake of a variety of omega 3 rich food sources like low mercury fatty fish like sardines, mackerel and salmon. The current recommended intake is to have 2-3 servings of fish per week (where one serving is ~120 g). Other omega 3 containing foods that can also be included regularly include nuts like walnuts and seeds like chia seeds.

Ideal omega 3 type, timing and dosage are still under review but consensus-based recommendations generally support an intake of 100-200 mg/ day of DHA during pregnancy.

Take note: Omega 3 fish oil supplements should NOT be confused with fish liver oil supplements (like cod liver oil). Fish liver oil supplements can be high in vitamin A.

06/03/2023

recently asked me if glutamine supplementation is safe during breastfeeding.

So I dug into the research to find the answer!

Comment here if you have a burning pregnancy or breastfeeding question you’d like answered.

06/03/2023

My TOP TIP for better gut health is...

Eat a variety of plant based food everyday.

I know that it's easier to just stick to what you know, but different foods contain different nutrients in various forms, all of which contribute to your health and your baby's health!

's tip to eat 30 different types of plant foods per week is a great challenge, but (if like me) you’re not quite there, don’t worry! Just keep experimenting and challenging yourself to try a variety of foods as frequently as you can.

Also remember that the types of food that you choose don’t need to be fancy ‘superfoods’, just try your best to choose whole or minimally processed foods most of the time.

22/02/2023

Ontario mommies, STOP what you're doing! There has been a product recall of PC brand Canadian Cheddar cheese due to a possible Listeria contamination.

Don't take a chance, DO NOT eat this cheese. Throw it away or return it to the store you purchased it from.

Listeria infection is very dangerous to your unborn baby. Please let everyone in your circles know.

https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/pc-brand-canadian-cheddar-cheese-recalled-due-listeria-monocytogenes

13/12/2022

Soooo… I stumbled upon these reviews today… They all made my heart SO happy! 🥹

If you ever did a course with me at Shaw Academy, go ahead and TAG yourself so I can say thank you ❤️

I know there were a whole lot of issues with the platform and diploma’s, but I’m so pleased that the actual content was something that people found really helpful! 🤓

I’ve been feeling a little low since my egg retrieval because it failed (I’ll tell you all more about that soon), so seeing this has given me the boost I needed to keep on keeping on! 🥰

You guys are the reason I do what I do 😘

12/10/2022

Your o***y is as big as an ALMOND!

Please tell me I’m not the only one who didn’t realize they are so tiny!

27/09/2022

Things I’ve been doing to prepare my body for egg retrieval and freezing…

26/09/2022

Next week I start my egg freezing journey! 🥚

I can’t believe the time has come, I’m feeling a little nervous because I’ve followed a few other egg-freezers who have had unsuccessful follicle stimulations, BUT I am choosing to be optimistic because mine will be successful!! 🥳

For those of you interested in the process this is what I am expecting:

Day 1 of next cycle (next Monday): Alert the clinic that my cycle has started
Day 2: Baseline bloods 🩸- AMH (anti-mullerian hormone), prolactin, TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and an infectious disease panel (HIV, rubella, syphilis, hep b & c)
Day 3: Scan
Day 7: Scan
Day 10: Scan
Day 12: Scan
Day 14: Egg extraction day! 🍳

Based on the results of my baseline blood and first scan, the doctors will prescribe different doses of the follicle stimulating drugs.

15/09/2022

Have you heard about hCG?

08/09/2022

Did you know that avocado’s are high in fiber?

As I was adding an avo to my lunch today, it occurred to me that many people don’t know this. Low fiber intake is associated with an increased risk for several maternal diseases (like chronic constipation, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension/preeclampsia) that also have knock-on consequences for your growing baby!

Avocados contain about 9g/ avocado (where you should be aiming for 25-30g fiber/ day).

In addition to this, avo is also a good source of:
Potassium
Folate
Provitamin A carotenoids
Fiber
Magnesium
Vitamin C
AND contains thousands of beneficial bioactive compounds

Not sure about you, but that sounds like some mega bang for your buck to me!

Abby the Dietitian

21/06/2023

01/06/2023

20/05/2023

07/03/2023

06/03/2023

06/03/2023

06/03/2023

06/03/2023

06/03/2023

06/03/2023

22/02/2023

13/12/2022

12/10/2022

27/09/2022

26/09/2022

15/09/2022

08/09/2022

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