Vital Nutrition

03/09/2026

🍎 Kale, Apple & Carrot Salad 🌿

Crisp, crunchy and packed with goodness - this simple salad is a great way to enjoy seasonal apples in September. 🍏

With fibre from the kale, carrot and apple, healthy fats from walnuts and olive oil, plus plenty of colourful plant foods, it’s a delicious addition to a balanced diet.

✨ YOU’LL NEED

🌿 A couple of big handfuls of kale
🥬 2 sticks celery, chopped
🥕 1 carrot, grated
🍎 1 apple, cored and diced
🌰 2 handfuls walnuts
🫒 2 tbsp olive oil
🍎 1 tbsp cider vinegar
🌱 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
🧂 Salt & freshly ground black pepper

👩‍🍳 METHOD

1️⃣ Wash the kale, remove the stalks and finely shred the leaves.

2️⃣ Add the kale, chopped celery, grated carrot and diced apple to a large bowl.

3️⃣ Crush the walnuts using the flat side of a large knife and add to the bowl.

4️⃣ Mix the olive oil, cider vinegar and Dijon mustard together to make the dressing, then pour over the salad.

5️⃣ Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, toss everything together and serve. 🥗

Perfect as a light lunch, side dish or accompaniment to your favourite protein.

Would you try this combination? 🍎🌿

02/09/2026

❤️FOOD HERO : APPLES ❤️

Crisp, juicy, naturally sweet and in season throughout September! 🍎

Apples are a simple, delicious way to add more fruit, fibre and plant-based goodness to your diet. 🌿

They’re a good source of fibre, including pectin, which supports healthy digestion and helps keep your gut microbiome nourished. They also contain vitamin C and a range of antioxidant plant compounds, particularly in the skin.

And because apples contain fibre and have a naturally satisfying crunch, they can make a great snack to help keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Enjoy them:

✨Sliced into porridge or overnight oats
✨ Paired with nut butter or yoghurt for a balanced snack
✨Chopped into salads for extra crunch and sweetness
✨Baked with cinnamon for a naturally sweet dessert
✨Simply eaten whole — skin on, for even more fibre and plant compounds

Eating a variety of fruit and vegetables is an important part of a healthy, balanced diet, and choosing seasonal produce is a delicious way to enjoy food when it’s at its best.

What’s your favourite variety of apple? 🍏🍎

27/08/2026

September is the perfect time to reset your relationship with food — without starting another diet.

Our September Revitalise focus is: Emotional Eating & Body Confidence. ❤️

We’ll be exploring emotional eating, cravings, body confidence and the science behind why we reach for food when we’re stressed, tired or emotional - with practical, realistic strategies to help you feel more in control, without guilt or restriction.

For just £25 a month, you’ll get:

✨ A nutrition masterclass
🍴 A cookery demo + new recipes
💬 A Q&A drop-in clinic
🎯 Weekly challenges to help you build healthy habits
📱 Access to our private WhatsApp group for accountability, encouragement and support

No crazy diets. No guilt. No quick fixes. Just sensible, evidence-based nutrition and a supportive community of women who want to feel good in their bodies.

Come and join us in Revitalise. 💚

https://www.vital-nutrition.co.uk/revitalise-club

26/08/2026

Delighted to be joining Linen Hall Library for this lunchtime series exploring how we can work with the seasons to support our wellbeing. 🍂

Our first session is on 25th September, where we’ll look at seasonal nutrition and some simple, practical ways to nourish ourselves as we move into autumn.

If you fancy an hour out of your day to focus on your wellbeing, I’d love to see you there.

📅 25th September
⏰ 1pm–2pm
📍 Linen Hall Library, Belfast

Find out more and book your place below 👇

https://linenhall.com/event/nourish-working-with-the-seasons-for-your-wellbeing-autumn/

Nourish: Working with the Seasons for Your Wellbeing (Autumn)
25th September, 1pm - 2pm, £6 – £7.50

Join nutritionist Jane McClenaghan for a series of lunchtime sessions exploring the natural cycle of the year to help optimise your nutrition for each season.

To learn more please visit: https://linenhall.com/.../nourish-working-with-the.../


Vital Nutrition

25/08/2026

What’s in your shopping trolley? 🛒🥦

Your weekly shop has more power than you might think.

What we buy most often becomes what we eat most often – and those everyday choices can have a big impact on our health, from energy and digestion to immunity, brain health and healthy ageing.

So, next time you're in the supermarket, think beyond the basics and make sure your trolley is packed with plenty of nutritional goodness:

🥬 Dark green leafy veg for folate, magnesium, iron and vitamin K
🍓 Colourful fruit and vegetables for vitamin C and antioxidants
🐟 Oily fish for vitamin D and omega-3 fats
🥚 Eggs for protein, B vitamins and vitamin D
🥜 Nuts and seeds for healthy fats, magnesium, zinc and vitamin E
🥛 Dairy for calcium, iodine and B12
🌾 Wholegrains for B vitamins, minerals and fibre
🫘 Beans and pulses for protein, fibre and minerals

You don't need to count every vitamin and mineral or make your shopping complicated. Variety is the key.

Fill your trolley with food that is as close to nature as possible, eat plenty of different foods and let your weekly shop do some of the hard work for you.

You have the power on your plate! 💚

Read my latest blog for more ideas on what to put on your shopping list.✍

https://www.vital-nutrition.co.uk/blog/healthy-shopping-list-vitamins-minerals

20/08/2026

Could when you eat be as important as what you eat when it comes to brain health? 🧠

A recent pilot study caught my attention.

Researchers followed 47 women aged 50–79 for six months. Both groups reduced their calorie intake and lost a similar amount of weight.

But there was an interesting difference…

The group following a time-restricted eating pattern — eating within an 8–9 hour window and finishing their evening meal around four hours before bed — performed better in some tests of problem solving, learning and memory.

So, could intermittent fasting have benefits beyond weight management?

Possibly. But this was a small study, and it certainly doesn't prove that intermittent fasting prevents dementia.

There are lots of possible explanations, including effects on blood sugar balance, metabolic health, inflammation, sleep and our body clock.

And importantly, intermittent fasting isn't suitable for everyone.

I've taken a closer look at the research in my latest blog, including what the study actually involved, why meal timing might matter and some practical ways to approach time-restricted eating.

👉 Read the full blog via the link https://www.vital-nutrition.co.uk/blog/intermittent-fasting-brain-health

18/08/2026

Collagen is a huge trend, but before you spend a fortune on supplements, it's worth remembering that your body is already making collagen every single day.

From our mid-20s, collagen production declines and we can notice changes in our skin, but collagen isn't just about wrinkles. It's vital for bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints.

Getting the basics right is the first step. Start with your diet and lifestyle, without this, collagen supplements are an expensive waste of money.

Here’s how:
🥚 Eat enough protein. Collagen is made from amino acids, so getting enough protein in your diet to provide these building blocks is essential.

🍲 Include collagen-rich foods. Bone broth, gelatine, chicken skin, tinned fish with the bones and liver all provide collagen.

🫐 Fill your plate with antioxidants. Seasonal fruit and vegetables, herbs, spices, cacao and green tea all help protect tissues from damage.

💧 Stay hydrated. Water and herbal teas help keep tissues supple.

🐟 Eat more omega-3s. Oily fish help protect the collagen matrix and keep tissues flexible.

🍰 Keep sugar to a minimum.

🚭 Don't smoke. Smoking accelerates collagen breakdown and affects skin and connective tissue health.

🍷 Go easy on the alcohol, it can interfere with your body's ability to repair and maintain healthy tissues.

😴 Prioritise sleep. This is when much of your body's repair and renewal takes place.

🧘 Manage your stress. Long-term stress can have a negative impact on your body's repair processes.

☀️ Protect your skin from UV damage. Too much sun speeds up collagen breakdown, so wear sunscreen and seek shade when needed.

🚶 Keep moving. Regular movement helps keep your muscles, joints and connective tissues strong, flexible and healthy.

I'm not against collagen supplements. There is some promising research, particularly for skin and joint health. But they're not a substitute for a healthy diet and lifestyle. In fact, without those foundations in place, they can become a very expensive habit.

The basics always come first. Getting these foundations right will help your body long before any supplement.

12/08/2026

How are you feeling today? Not just "fine"… but really?

Did you wake up feeling refreshed, or did you hit snooze a few times? Has your energy stayed steady today, or have you found yourself reaching for another coffee or something sweet to get you through the afternoon?

Maybe you've been feeling a bit more irritable than usual, struggling to concentrate, or constantly thinking about your next snack.

If you're nodding along, it might be worth taking a closer look at your blood sugar.

Balanced blood sugar is about much more than preventing diabetes. It influences your energy, mood, concentration, sleep, appetite and cravings, and it plays an important role in reducing your long-term risk of chronic disease. From type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease to some forms of cancer, the relationship between blood glucose and insulin matters.

The good news? You don't need a complete diet overhaul.

Often it's the small, everyday changes - building balanced meals, eating enough protein, choosing sensible portions and keeping yourself fuller for longer - that make the biggest difference.

Swipe through for five simple tips that can help support steadier blood sugar, fewer cravings and more consistent energy throughout the day.

I'd love to know... which of these symptoms do you notice most often? Let me know in the comments 👇

10/08/2026

This time of year, eating outside isn't just a lovely way to enjoy the sunshine (when we get it!)... it can actually be good for your health too. ☀️🥗

Whether it's your lunch in the garden, a picnic in the park or simply taking your sandwich outside during your work break, a few minutes in the fresh air can offer some surprising benefits.

🌿 Top up your vitamin D naturally (while taking care not to burn!)
🌿 Help your body switch into "rest and digest" mode, supporting better digestion.
🌿 Slow down, eat more mindfully and enjoy your food.
🌿 Make the most of delicious seasonal fruit and vegetables while they're at their best.

Healthy habits don't always have to be complicated. Sometimes something as simple as taking your lunch outdoors can support both your physical and mental wellbeing.

So if the sun is shining today, why not swap your desk for a park bench or your kitchen table for the garden?

Where's your favourite place to eat outside? ☀️👇

06/08/2026

Beetroot, Carrot & Seed Salad 🥕❤️

Fresh, colourful and packed with crunch, this vibrant salad is bursting with fibre, antioxidants and healthy fats. Perfect as a side dish for summer lunches, BBQs or meal prep.

🛒 Ingredients

Serves 4 as a side

1–2 large handfuls sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds
1–2 raw beetroot, peeled & grated
1 carrot, peeled & grated
1 small red onion, finely sliced
Generous handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1–2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1–2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
Sea salt & black pepper

👩‍🍳 Method
Toast the sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over a low heat for a few minutes until lightly golden.
Add the grated beetroot, grated carrot, sliced red onion and parsley to a large bowl.
Stir through the toasted seeds, drizzle over the apple cider vinegar and oil, then toss everything together well.
Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

🍽️ Enjoy it as ...

✨ As a colourful side for a BBQ
✨ Alongside grilled chicken, salmon or halloumi
✨ With baked potatoes or grain salads
✨ Tucked into wraps or sandwiches for extra crunch
✨ Meal prepped for lunches (it keeps well in the fridge for 2–3 days)

Would you give this a go?