Solid Start

Solid Start Professional no-nonsense advice for parents on feed, feeding and nutrition. I am an experienced registered dietitian and board-certified lactation consultant.

Check out my Online Feeding Courses (Ready, Steady, Wean and Feeding Your Toddler) or book a one-to-one consultation.

I shared this with my email subscribers last week, and I knew I needed to say it here as well.I’m closing down Solid Sta...
02/05/2026

I shared this with my email subscribers last week, and I knew I needed to say it here as well.

I’m closing down Solid Start.

That feels a bit strange to write.

If you’ve noticed things have been quiet here since Christmas, there’s been a lot going on behind the scenes. Sadly, my dad passed away in early March.

A few weeks later, I was offered a job in UCC.

I’ll be starting there over the next few weeks as a Practice Education Tutor— helping to train the next generation of dietitians. It feels like the right next step, especially as my own kids are that bit older now (one even in college).

But still… this is a big one.

I first had the idea for Solid Start when my youngest was just 3 months old. She turned 10 in January. In between all of that has been thousands of messages from parents — questions, worries, updates, and the day-to-day reality of feeding little ones.

That’s the part I’ll miss the most.

I’ve genuinely loved being part of that with you. The messages, the honesty, the “is this normal?” questions… and hearing how things worked out further down the line. It’s been a privilege.

If you’ve found this space helpful, I’d really encourage you to keep following other registered dietitians (and nutritionists registered in the UK) for evidence-based advice on feeding your families — there’s some brilliant work being shared out there.

But I also know I can’t do everything well at the same time. Between work and family life (which is still very busy), it feels like the right time to focus on my new role properly.

I won’t be sharing anything on here anymore, and I’ll be stepping away from Instagram as Solid Start. If I do miss it, I might pop back in at some point under my own name (or a new one!). I'll leave the account up and running for a weeks and then close it down.

Thank you for being here, for trusting me, and for letting me be part of feeding your babies and children.

You’re doing great 💛

Just some of the things I refuse to do as a registered dietitian! When I started in Dietetics (26 years ago!!!), I never...
24/02/2026

Just some of the things I refuse to do as a registered dietitian! When I started in Dietetics (26 years ago!!!), I never thought that today most of my job is trying to help people feel more relaxed about food. Its a crazy old world!

Tell me in the comments what you refuse to do when it comes to food and feeding your family.

Mini reduced-sugar gingerbread men for little tummies (not “sugar-free”… and there’s a reason 👇)You’ll see loads of “sug...
15/12/2025

Mini reduced-sugar gingerbread men for little tummies (not “sugar-free”… and there’s a reason 👇)

You’ll see loads of “sugar-free” gingerbread recipes online, but most still use honey, syrup, juice or fruit purée – and all of those count as free sugars too. So I’m calling these what they are: reduced-sugar gingerbread men.

A few things to know:

🌲I use honey here, not because it’s healthier than sugar (it isn’t), but because it gives a smoother dough and most of us actually have it in the press. Golden syrup or brown sugar work just as well if that’s what you’ve got.

🤶These are mini gingerbread men on purpose – not café-sized giants 🙈 Smaller biscuits = less sugar per biscuit. Each little man has about 1g added sugar.

🍯Not for babies under 1 – because of honey (botulism risk) and because it’s best to avoid added sugar for babies where you can, even the “fancy” ones like maple syrup or coconut sugar.

🥶You can freeze the dough and bake from fresh, which is ideal if you don’t want 60 little faces staring at you from the tin all week.

👩‍🍳Getting kids involved with rolling and cutting is a lovely low-pressure way to get them touching, smelling and exploring food… long before they actually eat it.

Recipe is in the post 👆
Save this for December baking and tag me if you give them a go.

How do I fit my weaning baby into Christmas dinner without cooking a whole separate meal? 🎄This carousel walks you throu...
10/12/2025

How do I fit my weaning baby into Christmas dinner without cooking a whole separate meal? 🎄

This carousel walks you through the usual suspects – turkey, prawns, ham, mash, roasties, gravy, roast veg (and even wine if you’re breastfeeding) – with quick notes on:
• Salt
• Texture
• Allergens

So you can plate up safely for baby and actually enjoy your own dinner.

Save this for Christmas week and send to a friend who’s in the same boat.

27 years as a dietitian and I still raised eye brows when I say…🍫 I eat chocolate and pizza🍞 Cereal for dinner is fine🥦 ...
24/11/2025

27 years as a dietitian and I still raised eye brows when I say…
🍫 I eat chocolate and pizza
🍞 Cereal for dinner is fine
🥦 There’s no perfect way to eat

Food has become so complicated.
Swipe through for 7 things I wish every parent knew about nutrition – minus the guilt, buzzwords and scare tactics.

💬 Which slide hit home for you?
📌 Save this for the next time a headline makes you doubt yourself.

This came from a real question in last week’s Q&A 👇A mum messaged to say her 5-year-old was told their Frube and chocola...
11/11/2025

This came from a real question in last week’s Q&A 👇

A mum messaged to say her 5-year-old was told their Frube and chocolate rice cake had “too much sugar”. I shared a longer email with my list about it and since then I’ve had loads of replies from parents with similar experiences — and from teachers saying they’re uncomfortable with some of the food and body talk they overhear in schools.

To be clear: I believe teachers are doing their best for our children.

The problem isn’t individual teachers. It’s the pressure and scare messaging we’re all exposed to around sugar, “good” and “bad” foods, weight and UPFs — and how that can trickle down to very black-and-white rules for little people who are just trying to eat their lunch.

If you’d like my weekly email where I unpack topics like this in more depth (one email a week, that’s it), comment LIST below and I’ll send you the sign-up link. 💛

06/11/2025

Let them serve themselves 🥄
It sounds tiny, but it’s a game-changer for calm dinners. When kids plate their own food, they’re more likely to taste (at some stage, be very patient), learn to be comfortable with foods, and feel in control (without you cooking five different dinners).

How to make it work:

You choose the menu + timing. They choose what goes on their plate and how much.

Always include at least 1 “liked” food.

Keep portions small to start—seconds are welcome.

No pressure, no commentary. Curiosity beats coaxing.

Expect them to go for the foods they like, plain pasta! That's fine, even plain pasta contains multiple nutrients.

Family-style isn’t about fancy bowls; a saucepan on a mat will do. I regularly throw the air fryer drawers on the table.Simple but effective.

Save this for later and share with a friend who needs a calmer dinner✨

Halloween haul? Here’s how we enjoy it and still eat dinner.• Sweets live in a safe spot (not bedrooms). If I want one, ...
03/11/2025

Halloween haul? Here’s how we enjoy it and still eat dinner.

• Sweets live in a safe spot (not bedrooms). If I want one, I ask first.
• After school: sweets at the table as the snack + milk/water and some fruit.
• When snack’s done, bags go away—no all-afternoon grazing.
• Dinner as normal; optional one portion of sweets after.
• A few can go in Friday’s lunchbox. Keep up toothbrushing.

Yes, they’ll eat more this week. It’s okay—the structure does the work.

Address

Cork

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
6pm - 7pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
6pm - 7pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
6pm - 7pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
6pm - 7pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
6pm - 7pm

Telephone

+353872739133

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