Annemarie Aburrow's posts
14 Jul
Perfect portion sizes
If you’re trying to be healthy, lose weight or are wanting to maintain your weight, portion sizes are something you’ve no doubt considered. But what is a healthy portion size? And how many portions of each food group should I …
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10 Jul
How to boost good gut bacteria
Bacteria and other microbes (including fungi and viruses) are often thought of as sources of disease, but in fact many play an essential role in keeping you healthy. Your body contains trillions of microbes, most of which are beneficial. The densest …
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20 Jun
Are smoothies healthy?
Smoothies and fruit juices are often seen a healthy alternative to eating fruit, especially for children who won’t eat fruit, as a ‘healthy option’ when going out for a drink or as an addition to a lunchbox. But are they …
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20 Jun
8 month baby feeding schedule
My little one is 8 months and 6 days old – where has the time gone?! He is a happy and thriving baby. In the last month, his physical development has been going at the speed of knots. He’s gone …
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15 Jun
Sports nutrition: tips to get you started
If you’re a relative beginner in your chosen sport, you may not have really thought about the impact nutrition can have. From reducing muscle ache and general fatigue, to helping you to recover quicker after exercise, good nutrition has a …
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30 Jul
Top 7 best and worst foods for multiple sclerosis
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30 Jul
How to get more light exercise into your day
Regular physical activity (exercise) is just as important for our health as the foods we eat. However, we often push physical activity to one side and try to lose weight by dieting alone. Whilst in the short term, you may …
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30 Jul
The connection between health, longevity, and aging
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30 Jul
6 controversial weight-loss strategies and what to do instead
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25 Feb
Easy Stuffed Peppers
I love a good stuffed pepper! Peppers are a great source of nutrients such as vitamin C and fibre. This recipe uses couscous instead of rice (which you may have used in stuffed peppers previously). Couscous is so quick to prepare …
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19 Feb
How Easy is it to Achieve the New Sugar Recommendations?
In July 2015, a report (by ‘SACN’) was released, giving new recommendations about the maximum amount of sugar we should eat, and also increasing the amount of fibre we eat. It re-classified the sugar we want to avoid as ‘free …
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20 Dec
No added sugar mincemeat
As you know from my previous post, I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes recently. I really wondered initially how I would cope with drastically cutting down my sugar intake (here I’m referring to added sugar rather than sugar naturally found in …
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7 Dec
Product Review: Ahmad Tea
A couple of weeks ago, I was sent some boxes of tea to try by the lovely team at Ahmad Tea. As an avid tea drinker, I have to say that I was more than happy to try them and …
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3 Nov
My diabetes health scare
It’s not often I share my personal health secrets with the world (!) but a couple of weeks ago, I went to see my Doctor about the fact that I had been feeling tired and run down, and had some …
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20 Oct
Saturated Fats – Truth vs Myth
Last week’s blog was all about trans fats, and as promised, this post is about saturated fats. Now before I start, it’s important to point out that this post is not about demonising particular nutrients – there is a place …
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7 Oct
Trans fats
When you look at popular media, there always seems to be a new food or nutrient being demonised… fats, carbohydrate, sugar, fruit – the list goes on. However, when it comes to fats, the feedback I’ve had is that the …
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4 Sep
10 ‘healthy’ foods you didn’t realise contained added sugar
Sugar has been in the media a lot recently, and there are so many mixed messages. Just this week during the Great British Bake Off, we were informed that a cake containing honey or agave syrup as the sweetener was …
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16 Jul
Is juice an option for children?
Earlier this week on my Facebook page, I asked for suggestions of what topics people wanted covering in my blog. As this was a popular choice, I thought I’d start with this. As a mum of three children myself, I …
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30 Jun
Fluid: How much and what counts?
Fluid: How much and what counts? When it comes to fluid, there are many conflicting messages, as with other nutritional messages. How much should I drink? Do tea and coffee count? What about alcohol? How much? – If you look …
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19 Jun
Frozen Yoghurt Ice Lollies
My kids always want a quick snack when they get home from school, and as the weather is getting hotter, I thought what better treat than homemade ice lollies made from fresh fruit and yoghurt? These lollies have no added …
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19 May
Superfoods or Super-hoax?
When you hear the word ‘superfood’, foods like blueberries, goji berries and pomegranate may spring to mind. Various health claims exist around these so-called superfoods in the media, for example that acai berries have anti-ageing properties, or garlic lowers blood …
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13 Mar
Musings of a Sports Nutritionist
Firstly, I need to apologise for not posting in a while… My reason for this is that I’ve been studying hard for a course. I am doing a Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Sports Nutrition at St Mary’s University, and I’m …
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3 Jan
New Year, New You?
Now that the Christmas indulgence is over, and you’ve seen in the New Year, you may be thinking of shaping up – losing weight and getting fitter. May I encourage you to think of the ‘New You’ as a longer term …
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9 Dec
Homemade crisps
It’s no mystery that Brits love their crisps… but have you own tried making your own crisps from fruits and vegetables? If you love the crunchiness of crisps, but not the unhealthy factor, these are certainly worth a try. They’re very easy to make – …
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2 Dec
How to make your mince pies healthier
The countdown to Christmas has begun… now don’t get me wrong, I love a good mince pie. However, if like me you are partial to more than one, or they play a regular part in your December diet, then why not have a go …
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18 Nov
5 tips to help you lose weight for Christmas (and after)
It’s the dreaded ‘C’ word – Christmas!! It’s just under six weeks until Christmas, and you may be wanting to have one last ‘push’ at losing weight in time for the day itself, or your work Christmas party. I am hoping this blog …
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10 Nov
Homemade Garlic Bread
Have you ever considered making your own garlic bread? Garlic bread is a tasty accompaniment to a meal, but due to the fact that it’s so easily available in shops, you have probably never considered making it yourself. Shop bought garlic bread …
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19 Oct
Carrot and Lentil Soup
I recently made this carrot and lentil soup as part of a cooking course I was running. The recipe has been adapted from a recipe I found on the First Steps Nutrition Trust website. Most of the participants had never cooked …
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18 Sep
Vegetarian Shepherds Pie
My almost-two-year-old daughter doesn’t seem to like meat. I’m not sure if it’s the taste or the texture – either way, I am determined to get good sources of iron and protein into her. Lentils are a great source of iron. …
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27 Aug
Spaghetti Carbonara
On today’s blog is a spaghetti carbonara recipe. I adapted this recipe from others I found online, to make it simpler – by using one cheese instead of two, and by using a lower fat spread (instead of butter). I …
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18 Aug
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
I love a good soup. I usually make mine the traditional way – sweat the veggies in a little butter, then add stock. However today I had a little more time so decided to roast my veggies instead. It was …
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11 Aug
Top 10 Blackberry Recipes
I love blackberries, and let the brambles grow wild at the end of my garden every year. Blackberries are now in season and are such a brilliant, versatile fruit. If you don’t want brambles in your garden, why not try ‘PYO’ (pick …
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31 Jul
Strawberry Whip and Blackberry Ice Lollies
I love blackberries and the fact they grow wild in the garden. I have been searching for the best healthy recipes using blackberries, and will write a blog on this soon. For today’s blog however, I decided to make some …
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8 Jul
Spirulina – Super or Spoof?
Billed as being a super protein, what is ‘Spirulina’, and is it all it’s cracked up to be? Spirulina is a cyanobacterium (form of algae), which lives naturally in tropical and subtropical alkaline lakes with high concentrations of carbonate and …
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24 Jun
Sausage Pasta Recipe
On today’s blog is my famous Sausage Pasta recipe. This is one of our family favourites – what tastier combo than some nice sausages, fresh tomato-based sauce and pasta? It’s another very versatile dish – you can add / swap …
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13 Jun
Fats Debate – Sorting the Truth from the Myths
In celebration of Dietitians Week, I am writing my second blog of the week. Dietitians Week is all about raising awareness of the work Dietitians do and their unique skills. Dietitians are truly the gold standard when it comes to …
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10 Jun
Why I Trust a Dietitian
In celebration of the first ever Dietitians Week, I have written this poem entitled “Why I trust a Dietitian”. It’s a bit of fun, but highights the importance of always checking your nutrition ‘experts” qualifications, as there are lots of …
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27 May
Courgette and Caramelized Onion Bread
Here is my courgette bread recipe – easy and simple – perfect for a first time bread baker – and doesn’t even require a bread maker machine. I must admit it was a touch time consuming, what with all the …
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10 May
Perfect Caramelized Onions
You asked for it… So here we have my caramelized onions recipe. I made this for the first time last week to go into my courgette & caramelized onion bread – recipe to come next week. It didn’t disappoint. I …
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8 May
Sweet potato and chickpea risotto
Today’s blog is a delicious vegetarian twist on a risotto. It uses chickpeas as the main protein source. As well as protein, chickpeas (along with other beans and pulses) are a good source of iron and calcium. I like to …
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29 Apr
Apricot Coconut & linseed flapjacks
Today, I wanted to make a healthier version of traditional flapjacks, and I had some milled linseeds in the cupboard that I’ve been wanting to try for a while. I found my milled linseeds in Lidl. They also contain 7% sesame, and …
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11 Apr
Lamb and butternut squash lasagne
I made this lamb and butternut squash lasagne for dinner tonight. My husband and kids loved it, and I was asked for the recipe by one of my Twitter followers. I don’t tend to use recipes, particularly for main meals …
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1 Apr
How many portions of fruit and veg should I really be eating? 5-a-day or 7-a-day?
In the wake of today’s headlines saying we should all be eating a 7 a day to ‘keep death at bay’, how many portions should you really be having? We all know that eating fruit and vegetables is good for …
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25 Mar
Easy tuna risotto – simple, cheap & nutritious!
This is my quick and easy risotto recipe and tonight’s dinner – all made in 1 large saucepan. The kids loved it and my 18 month old got stuck in eating with her hands. This easy, cheap (only 75p per …
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18 Mar
Strawberry and Amaretto Trifle
This is my homemade modern twist on a trifle recipe. It was quick (especially if you already have sponge to hand) and easy to make. I made my sponge fresh (as I didn’t have any in the cupboard) but you …
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3 Mar
Pancake Day Ideas
Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Day is here! This is one of our favourite food celebrations as a family. Pancakes are great – a perfect savoury snack, a healthy dessert (depending on your choice of filling or course!) or an alternative …
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25 Feb
The Truth about Detox Diets
Thinking about trying the latest ‘juice diet’ or ‘colon cleanse’? Those trying to sell you their products will claim that you will lose weight, feel great and be ‘cleansed inside’. Feeling tempted to try one? Well this article will explain …
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18 Feb
The truth about sugar – a summary of the evidence
Sugar is in the news, and on a lot of peoples’ minds at the moment. I wanted to write a blog to give some guidance and provide a correct interpretation of the best evidence available to us. I have decided …
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8 Feb
Aphrodisiac Foods – The lowdown on the evidence
As Valentines Day is fast approaching, I thought a post exploring aphrodisiac foods was in order! Cliche foods like oysters, chocolate, wine and chillies are often cited as having special ‘aphrodisiac powers’. However is there really such a thing as an …
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20 Jan
Foods to keep colds & flu at bay
If you search the internet for foods / nutrition to improve the immune system, you will be inundated with websites and supplement companies providing information and sales campaigns about foods / supplements, claiming they do wonders for the immune system. …
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13 Jan
Product Review: Meridian Nut Butters
Last week I was sent a jar each of smooth peanut butter, smooth almond butter and smooth cashew butter from a company called Meridian to review. Let’s just say that I found all 3 of these nut butters absolutely delicious! …
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7 Jan
Product Review: CalBisc 100
The views and opinions in this product review are all my own and this is not a product /company endorsement or recommendation. This products was sent to me for free, and I have chosen to write this review independently. No …
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17 Dec
How to dodge the Christmas weight gain
Christmas is traditionally a time of indulgence. The average person puts on 2lb (just over 1 kg) over the Christmas period that they never lose afterwards. Some people will put on a whopping 5lb! It’s well known that people often …
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11 Dec
Good Nutrition for Breastfeeding mums
You’ve done an amazing thing – you’ve had a baby and now you’ve decided to give your baby the best start in life by breastfeeding. I get lots of requests for information from mums who are breastfeeding and are not …
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2 Dec
Homemade spiced apple and cranberry chutney
When I was last in Asda, I picked up the Asda Magazine – Christmas 2013 edition. I found a recipe for spiced apple and cranberry chutney which looked very nice. As I still had a stash of cooking apples to …
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19 Nov
What does a Dietitian eat? A snapshot into my weight loss diet
For this blog, I decided to feature a snapshot of my own diet. I will share today’s dietary intake with you, along with an analysis of my calorie, protein, fat and key micronutrient intakes. I am trying to lose the …
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19 Nov
What does a Dietitian eat? A snapshot into my weight loss diet
For this blog, I decided to feature a snapshot of my own diet. I will share today’s dietary intake with you, along with an analysis of my calorie, protein, fat and key micronutrient intakes. I am trying to lose the …
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7 Nov
Ideas for Reducing your Food Wastage
Today’s headlines have again brought the issue of food wastage to the nation’s attention. Today’s news stories claim that despite a 21% reduction in food wastage over the past 5 years, we are still throwing away far too much food. …
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7 Nov
Ideas for Reducing your Food Wastage
Today’s headlines have again brought the issue of food wastage to the nation’s attention. Today’s news stories claim that despite a 21% reduction in food wastage over the past 5 years, we are still throwing away far too much food. …
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30 Oct
Chicken in Peanut Butter Sauce
This is my homemade chicken in peanut butter sauce recipe. This easy, cheap (less than £1 per serving) and delicious meal only takes 20 minutes to make. As usual with my blog recipes, I’ve analysed the recipe – see the …
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30 Oct
Chicken in Peanut Butter Sauce
This is my homemade chicken in peanut butter sauce recipe. This easy, cheap (less than £1 per serving) and delicious meal only takes 20 minutes to make. As usual with my blog recipes, I’ve analysed the recipe – see the …
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25 Oct
Quick Raspberry and Almond Oaties
It’s Friday, and tonight I’m meeting up with some friends for dinner. I’ve been asked to bring a healthy pudding, so since crumble was already taken and I didn’t have any cream/mascapone to go with my freshly bought raspberries, I …
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24 Oct
Tuna fish lasagne recipe
This is my homemade tuna lasagne recipe – a healthier spin on the classic favourite dish. I used low fat cream cheese to flavour the white sauce, and I used cornflour and milk instead of making a classic roux for the …
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14 Oct
Weaning Diary – 1 year old
Today marks the end of a blogging journey – the last post in my weaning blog! My little one turned 1 at the end of September, and is now 12 1/2 months old. She is now eating normal family meals …
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4 Oct
5 Minute Hummus
It’s Friday, and tonight I’m meeting up with the girls for nibbles and chat. When I say ‘nibbles’, what most probably comes into your mind is unhealthy snacks like crisps, sweets, chocolates…. But did you think about hummus? Hummus is …
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29 Sep
The end of my breastfeeding journey – and how to ensure your 12+ month old meets their calcium requirements
My little girl turned 1 yesterday, and two days before her birthday marked the end of her (and my) breastfeeding journey. At 10 1/2 months, she had already naturally cut down to a morning and bedtime feed, and by 11 …
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26 Sep
Homemade Vegetarian / Vegan Chilli
This is my homemade veggie/vegan chilli recipe – it’s a really easy, cheap and filling dinner that only takes about 30 minutes to make. It includes sweet potato and butternut squash in addition to other veggies, kidney beans and lentils. It’s also gluten-free, …
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22 Sep
How to pack a healthy lunchbox for kids
Does your child take a packed lunch to school? Do you know what makes a healthy lunchbox? Do you include lots of variety? I am often asked questions by parents who want some ideas and inspiration on what to include …
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7 Sep
The truth about Fruit Juices and Smoothies
Smoothies and fruit juices are often seen an alternative to eating fruit, especially for children who won’t eat fruit, as a ‘healthy option’ when going out for a drink or as an addition to a lunchbox. But are they really …
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1 Sep
Weaning Diary – 11 months old
My baby is now 11 months old and we are looking forward to planning her little birthday tea party. At the time of my last blog, she was sitting and rolling confidently, but could not master the art of getting …
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