The Culinary Dietitian SA

26/07/2025

This morning I had the opportunity to chat to the parents of children at the Lyndoch Community School at the Sustainability Institute. We covered why nutrition is so important for growth and development, and how to ensure adequate nutrition throughout the critical stages of the lifecycle.

01/07/2025

Endometriosis is a condition whereby tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of this reproductive organ. Symptoms include chronic pelvic and lower back pain, painful menstrual cramps, bleeding or spotting between periods, intestinal pain, digestive issues during menstrual periods such as nausea, bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation, painful bowel movements, blood in stool and urine, painful in*******se, and infertility. There is also a strong psychological component, with wellbeing impacted.

Treatment involves laparoscopic surgery to remove the problematic tissue followed by hormone therapy. Hormonal interventions may however worsen gastrointestinal symptoms. Diet plays a large role in both the short-term management of symptoms and the long-term management of endometriosis (by aiming to reduce inflammation and lower estrogen levels naturally).

06/06/2025

It is Dietitians Week!

The theme this year is "the future of dietetics", with the specific topic of today being "what excites you about the future in dietetics".

With my practice only 2 years old, I am still nurturing a baby plant, but I am loving the journey of constant learning and helping others, and I'm excited to see where my career takes me while enjoying the fruits of my labour.

29/05/2025

I have officially increased my operating hours to include Saturday mornings from 8:00 to 11:00, in order to accommodate those with challenging weekday schedules 😊 Please note that these slots will need to be booked a little further in advance.

16/04/2025

It's almost the Easter weekend, and the shops have been brimming with all the traditional treats. While this can spark feelings of nostalgia for some, it can cause anxiety for others whose relationship with food is challenging. There are ways to navigate this season without an "all or nothing" approach:

1. Don't place Easter treats on a pedestal, or label them as anything negative connected to failure or guilt. While they may be a bit of a novelty at the moment, they're just food.

2. Enjoy them, in moderation, alongside other nutritious foods consisting of lean protein, healthy fats and fibre, and then move on.

10/03/2025

There are so many adults and children suffering from a tummy bug (gastroenteritis) at the moment. While diarrhoea can result from a vast number of causes, an infection is quite common. In acute cases it can lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalances and damage to the gut lining leading to temporary lactose intolerance. Chronically it can lead to malnutrition. It can also upset the gut microbiome.

The low residue diet is gentle on the gut during cases of diarrhoea, helping it to resolve, irrespective of the cause. It is usually a temporary diet, however in certain cases, specifically with high output stomas, it might be necessary long-term.

🍌🍚🍎🍞

20/02/2025

RECIPE: Baby's First Birthday Smash Cake

Wow, 2025 has been busy, and earlier this month we celebrated 1 whole year of our beautiful baby girl! Of course she had to have a smash cake, but being a Dietitian and wanting to stick to the guidelines of not introducing added sugar until closer to 2, I decided on a cake sweetened purely with bananas. It was actually pretty yummy! You can freeze these and use as lunchbox snacks for older kiddos as well. They are wheat free but do contain eggs and dairy.

Makes 6 cupcakes (if you would like to make a standard cake, just multiply the recipe by 4 and bake for longer, until a knife inserted comes out clean)

INGREDIENTS
✅️ 1 cup oats, ground to a flour OR 1 cup oat flour
✅️ 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
✅️ 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
✅️ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
✅️ 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas
✅️ 1/3 cup plain full cream yoghurt
✅️ 1 egg, beaten
✅️ 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
✅️ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a muffin tin with 6 paper cups (use the 6 middle ones so that when the tin is in the oven the cupcakes are in the centre and bake evenly). Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl and add to the dry ingredients, combining well but do not over mix. Spoon evenly into the paper cups and bake for about 15 minutes, until a knife inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and stand in the pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Optional icing: beat 125g plain full fat cream cheese until smooth and spread over the cupcakes once cool. Top with fresh berries of your choice.

Have fun!

sponsored

01/01/2025

25/12/2024

A very Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! I hope it's been a special time with family and friends who are family.

11/12/2024

After being on maternity leave for a few months earlier this year, I have decided to remain open for the festive season.

If you are on leave and finally have a gap or are looking to top up on your Discovery Vitality points before the end of the year, pop me a message and I will do my best to accommodate.

02/12/2024

RECIPE: Tuna Pasta

As I've said before, I absolutely love pasta, and it turns out that our 9 month old does too. This easy and yummy pasta is packed with nutrients and suitable for bubs too, making dinner that little bit easier. I cook our meals without salt, and just add a little to our adult portions.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:
✅️ 500g pasta of choice, cooked (I like penne at the moment as it's nice for babies to hold and self feed)
✅️ 1 onion, finely chopped
✅️ 2 cloves garlic, crushed
✅️ 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
✅️ 2 tins diced tomatoes
✅️ 3 tins shredded tuna, drained
✅️ 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
✅️ 1 tablespoon chutney
✅️ 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil until soft and starting to colour. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and heat through. Spoon onto cooked pasta. Sprinkle with cheese if you like, and serve with a green veg of your choice. Enjoy!

21/11/2024

Nutrition plays a significant role in building and supporting immunity. While supplements can be helpful during times of illness or to fill nutritional gaps, it is always best to try get your nutrients from a balanced diet.