Nutrition4kids Children's Dietitian

Nutrition4kids Children's Dietitian Dr Kirsty Porter Children's Dietitian
Equip & empower parents with confidence to feed children well
https://linktr.ee/nutrition4kidsni

19/06/2026

If your child says "yucky" to new foods… try this 👇

One of the biggest mistakes I see is focusing on eating too soon.

For many children, especially those who are cautious around food, confidence comes before tasting 💛

This is a simple activity I often recommend as a paediatric dietitian:

🎲 Sensory Dice Game

Take turns rolling the dice and exploring a food using your senses.

Ask questions like:
👀 What colour is it?
✋ What does it feel like?
👃 What does it smell like?
👂 Does it make a sound when you break it?
💋 Can you give it a kiss?
👅 Ready for a lick?

Remember:
✔ No pressure to eat
✔ Exploration is enough
✔ Every interaction counts

Because touching, smelling, kissing and licking are all steps towards feeling more comfortable around food.

And confidence often comes before variety 💛

👉 Save this to try at your next snack time.

If your child would happily eat toast, crackers, plain pasta and chicken nuggets every day, you're not alone.One of the ...
18/06/2026

If your child would happily eat toast, crackers, plain pasta and chicken nuggets every day, you're not alone.

One of the biggest worries parents share with me is:

"Why won't my child eat like everyone else's child?"

By the time families come to me for support, they've often already tried everything they can think of.

They've encouraged.

They've hidden vegetables.

They've offered rewards.

They've made separate meals.

And when nothing changes, many parents start blaming themselves.

But after years supporting families as a paediatric dietitian, one thing I've learnt is this:

Parents are rarely lacking effort.

They're often lacking understanding.

For many children, selective eating is about much more than stubbornness or bad habits. Eating can be influenced by sensory preferences, previous experiences, familiarity and confidence around food.

Understanding why your child struggles with food can completely change the way you approach mealtimes.

Because confidence often comes before variety.

If this sounds like your family, please know you're not alone.

Through my one-to-one support, practical resources and upcoming programmes, my goal is to help families feel calmer and more confident around food.

💗 Save this post to come back to later.

As a paediatric dietitian, here's why I love major sporting events for children who struggle with food ⚽👇It might sound ...
17/06/2026

As a paediatric dietitian, here's why I love major sporting events for children who struggle with food ⚽👇

It might sound strange, but events like the World Cup can create some lovely opportunities for children who find food difficult.

Not because of football.

But because food isn't the main focus.

Instead, children are often:
✔ spending time with family
✔ joining in shared experiences
✔ seeing foods in a relaxed environment
✔ watching others enjoy food
✔ helping prepare snacks

For many children, this can feel much less pressured than a typical mealtime.

That's why I often encourage families to think beyond whether their child actually eats a new food.

Success might look like:
💛 helping make a snack board
💛 choosing foods in the supermarket
💛 sitting with the family
💛 talking about a food
💛 touching or exploring a food

These experiences help build familiarity and confidence over time.

Because food confidence isn't built through pressure.

It's built through positive experiences around food.

Save this for the World Cup ⚽💛

⚽ Click https://nutrition4kidsni.com/mealtime-mini-guide/ if you'd like my Food Explorer Challenge

IN THE NEWSFree School Meals and Uniform Grant applications are now open in Northern Ireland for the 2026/27 school year...
16/06/2026

IN THE NEWS

Free School Meals and Uniform Grant applications are now open in Northern Ireland for the 2026/27 school year.

As a paediatric dietitian, I know many families are feeling the pressure of rising food costs and the additional expenses that come with a new school year.

If you receive Universal Credit or certain benefits, you may be entitled to support and not even realise it.

Parents of some children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs who require a medically prescribed special diet may also qualify.

The Education Authority recommends applying before 31st July 2026.

You can check the full eligibility criteria and apply via the Education Authority website.

💗 Information like this can make a real difference to families.

Please consider sharing this post with your local school, nursery, parent groups or anyone who may benefit from knowing support is available.

15/06/2026

💛 Small Changes, Big Wins: Family Holidays & Eating Out

"Previously I would have avoided eating out with her."
That's what this parent told me before we started working together.

Their daughter had a limited range of accepted foods, strong food preferences and mealtimes had become stressful for everyone.

One of their goals wasn't actually about trying lots of new foods.

It was being able to enjoy meals out and family holidays without worrying about food.

So we didn't focus on forcing new foods.

Instead we focused on:
✔ reducing pressure
✔ building food confidence
✔ creating positive experiences around food
✔ involving her in shopping and food preparation
✔ helping the whole family feel calmer around food

Over time things started to change.

She began asking to try foods herself.

She tried foods such as watermelon, melon, banana, blueberries, cauliflower and mango.

Family mealtimes became calmer.

The stress around food disappeared.

Then came one of my favourite updates 💛

The family went on holiday and ate out every day.

No mealtime meltdowns.

No avoiding restaurants.

Just a family enjoying time together.

That's why I always say:

Confidence comes before variety.

Because progress isn't always measured by what's eaten.

Sometimes it's measured by family holidays, restaurant meals and memories that once felt impossible.

If summer holidays are already causing stress because of your child's eating, support is available 💛

Comment SUPPORT and I'll send details of my 1:1 support package.

13/06/2026

A paediatric dietitian's favourite Family Food Night for children who struggle to try new foods 👇

⚽🌍 World Cup Family Food Night: Spain

When children struggle to try new foods, it can be tempting to focus on getting them to eat.

But often, confidence comes first.

That's why I love Family Food Nights 🌍

They create opportunities for children to:
✔ learn about different cultures
✔ explore new foods
✔ build familiarity
✔ have positive experiences around food

With Spain playing in this year's World Cup, we're heading there with this easy Spanish Omelette Bake⚽

Remember, the goal isn't eating everything.

It's helping children feel comfortable around food and building confidence one small step at a time 💛

🎁 I've created a FREE Spain Family Food Night pack with:
✨ recipe
✨ shopping list
✨ fun facts
✨ activities

Comment 🌍 and I'll send it to you.

The first Infant Feeding Survey in over 10 years has just been published, and as a paediatric dietitian, these were the ...
11/06/2026

The first Infant Feeding Survey in over 10 years has just been published, and as a paediatric dietitian, these were the three findings that stood out to me most.

New national data gives us a valuable insight into how families are feeding babies in England today.

In this post, I've highlighted three findings that I think are particularly important for parents and health professionals:

🥚 Introduction of allergenic foods
🍓 Use of commercial baby foods and snacks
📱 Where parents are getting feeding advice

What I find most interesting about reports like this is that they show the reality of family life.

Parents are navigating huge amounts of information, balancing busy lives and trying to make the best decisions they can for their children.

As health professionals, our role is not to strive for perfection, but to support families with clear, practical and evidence-based advice.

I'd be interested to know which finding stood out to you most.

11/06/2026

The World Cup starts today ⚽️🌍

While everyone else is choosing their favourite team, why not choose a country to explore through food?

As a paediatric dietitian, one of my favourite ways to support fussy and sensory eaters is through themed family food nights.

Not because children suddenly start eating everything.

But because they get opportunities to:
✔ explore new foods without pressure
✔ learn about different countries
✔ help prepare meals
✔ build confidence around food
✔ enjoy positive family mealtimes

This year, I'll be sharing a series of World Cup Family Food Nights inspired by different countries, starting with Spain, Japan and South Korea.

I've also written a new blog sharing how family food nights can help children build confidence around food and make mealtimes more enjoyable.

If you'd like free Family Food Night PDFs delivered straight to your inbox throughout the tournament, comment 🌍 below and I'll send you the link to join my mailing list

Small steps count. Sometimes exploring a food is just as important as eating it.

Have you ever found yourself wondering..."Is this normal?"Many parents tell us they aren't sure whether their child is j...
10/06/2026

Have you ever found yourself wondering...

"Is this normal?"

Many parents tell us they aren't sure whether their child is just going through a phase, being picky, or if something else might be going on.

Sensory eating can show up in lots of different ways.

For some children it might look like:
✔ only eating certain brands
✔ refusing foods that touch
✔ struggling with wet or slimy textures
✔ suddenly refusing a previously accepted food
✔ smelling or inspecting foods before tasting
✔ gagging around certain foods

And while these behaviours can be frustrating and worrying, they often tell us something important about how a child is experiencing food.

When we understand more about what sits underneath the eating challenges, it can help us move away from pressure and towards support 💛

That's exactly why we created our free Sensory Mealtime Map guide.

Inside you'll learn:
✔ common sensory feeding differences
✔ why some foods feel safer than others
✔ what might be driving the eating challenges
✔ practical low-pressure ways to support your child

Comment MAP and we'll send it straight to your DMs 💛

Hi, I'm Dr Kirsty Porter 👋Happy Dietitians Week 💚For those who are new here, I'm a paediatric dietitian based in Norther...
05/06/2026

Hi, I'm Dr Kirsty Porter 👋

Happy Dietitians Week 💚

For those who are new here, I'm a paediatric dietitian based in Northern Ireland, founder of Nutrition4Kids and one half of Sensory Eaters alongside Grace, a paediatric occupational therapist.

I've spent more than 16 years supporting children and families with feeding and eating challenges through the NHS, private practice, teaching and research.

A few things you might not know about me:

💚 I grew up on a farm in Northern Ireland.

💚 I was a fussy eater myself as a child.

💚 I love travelling and trying new foods (my recent favourites were tapas, calamari and paella in Madrid!).

💚 My go-to coffee order is an iced latte.

💚 My love of Asian TV dramas has inspired me to try lots of Asian foods that I might never have tried otherwise.

💚 Helping families feel less stressed about food is still my favourite part of being a dietitian.

Whether you've attended a workshop, worked with me 1:1, downloaded a resource or simply follow along for tips and advice, thank you for being here.

Your support means more than you know 💚

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