Nic's Nutrition

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Nic's Nutrition

👩🏻‍⚕️ Specialist Dietitian BSc PGDip MSc
📗 How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed
📺 BBC ITV Ch4 Ch5
💁🏻‍♀️ Mum Hi! My name is Nic!

I’m a UK Specialist Registered Dietitian (RD) and I want to say welcome to my page! I have a passion for promoting easy to understand nutrition and diet tips and started blogging over at http://nicsnutrition.com in January 2012 as a way of promoting healthy eating messages in a readable and accessible manner. My aim is to motivate and inspire YOU to lead a healthier and subsequently happi

er life, one step at a time through my nutrition blogs, healthy lifestyle tips and recipes, and healthy product reviews. Welcome to this page, I really hope you find it useful!

15/08/2026

Kinda chic to… 💅🏼

A few nutrition opinions I’ll happily stand behind ✨

P.S Scroll to the last slide for a little throwback… turns out I’ve been saying this for a while 😇 ➡️

06/08/2026

After sharing that my ferritin levels were low and I’ve started taking an iron supplement, I wanted to explain how we can support our iron intake through food too.🩸

According to the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey, almost half of girls aged 11–18 and one-quarter of women aged 19–64 have iron intakes below the Lower Reference Nutrient Intake.

Swipe to discover:

🫘 The difference between haem and non-haem iron
🥝 How vitamin C can help absorption
☕ Why the timing of tea, coffee and matcha may matter
🩺 When to speak to your GP about testing

Remember, a low dietary intake, low ferritin and iron-deficiency anaemia aren’t the same thing - and symptoms such as tiredness, headaches and shortness of breath can have many causes.

Please speak to your GP before taking a high-dose iron supplement, as more isn’t always better.

Save this post for some practical, food-first tips - and let me know your favourite iron-rich meal below! x - I’ll go first! ⤵️

04/08/2026

“No news is good news.” .. or is it? 👀

It’s certainly a phrase many of us hear after having blood tests, but over the last few years, it’s something I’ve completely changed my mind about.

As a dietitian, I now encourage my patients to understand their numbers, look at trends over time, and ask how their results fit with their symptoms and overall health.

For example, my recent ferritin (iron stores) result was reported as “satisfactory” by the laboratory. Yet my ferritin was 14.7 µg/L and, alongside symptoms including reduced exercise tolerance, shortness of breath and hair shedding, it prompted a conversation with my GP and a plan to start iron supplements.

That doesn’t mean every result outside (or inside) the reference range needs treatment.

It does mean that blood tests should always be interpreted in the context of:

✔️ Your symptoms
✔️ Your medical history
✔️ Previous blood results and trends
✔️ The reason the test was requested

One result rarely tells the whole story.

So next time you have blood tests, consider asking:

• Can we go through my results together?
• Have any of these values changed over time?
• Do these results explain my symptoms?
• Is there anything I can do to improve them?
• Do we need to investigate the underlying cause?

Being informed doesn’t mean becoming your own doctor - it means being an active participant in your own healthcare.

I’d love to know… have you ever been told your blood tests were “normal”, but still felt something wasn’t quite right?

- This post is for general education only and isn’t a substitute for personalised medical advice. Always discuss your own results with your healthcare professional!

Docs who speak about iron include & as well as xx

HealthEducation EvidenceBasedNutrition Iron Nutrition

19/07/2026

Most people think prunes are only useful when you need a little help with digestion... 💜 But there’s actually much more to this naturally sweet dried fruit than meets the eye.

ad | California Prunes are grown in California’s warm sunny days and cool nights, with fertile soils creating ideal conditions for producing naturally sweet, high-quality prunes. Once harvested, they’re simply dried, helping to lock in both flavour and nutrients.

Prunes are a simple way to boost your fibre intake (something most of us don’t get enough of), while also providing naturally occurring polyphenols and nutrients involved in bone health, including vitamin K, potassium and boron. Research has also explored their potential role in supporting heart, gut and bone health.

One of the biggest myths? That they’re packed with sugar and cause huge blood sugar spikes. Despite their natural sweetness, prunes have a low glycaemic index, meaning they provide a slower release of energy than many people expect.

I also love how versatile they are. They’re delicious stirred into porridge and yoghurt, blended into smoothies, chopped into salads, added to tagines and stews, or simply enjoyed with a handful of nuts as a balanced snack. 🥣🥜🍲

Swipe through to discover 6 things people often get wrong about California Prune Board Europe 👉

Have you tried cooking with prunes before, or do you usually just eat them as a snack? Let me know below! 💬

P.S. Comment TAGINE and I’ll send you my delicious California Prune Board Europe chicken tagine recipe pictured above!

BoneHealth HeartHealth HealthyEating EvidenceBasedNutrition Dietitian

14/07/2026

GLP-1 medications don’t just change how much you eat... they can change what you need to prioritise too 💉🥗

One of the biggest misconceptions is that because you’re eating less, nutrition matters less.

In reality, the opposite is often true ⤵️

When appetite is reduced, every bite counts. That’s why the latest European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) consensus guidance highlights the importance of focusing on protein, fibre, hydration and resistance exercise to help support your health during treatment.

Here are some of the key nutrition priorities:

💪 Protein: Aim for around 1.2-1.6g of protein per Kg of (ideal) body weight per day (although needs vary depending on your age, activity levels and medical history). Spreading protein across the day and combining it with strength training can help preserve muscle mass while losing weight.

🥦 Fibre: Eating less can make it harder to reach the recommended 30g of fibre per day. Prioritise vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds to support gut health and help reduce the risk of constipation.

💧 Hydration: Reduced appetite, nausea and eating smaller meals can sometimes mean you drink less too. Aim for around 1.5-2 litres of fluid a day (more if you’re exercising or it’s hot) to support hydration and bowel regularity.

💊 Micronutrients: Eating less can make it harder to meet your vitamin and mineral requirements. A daily multivitamin and mineral supplement may be appropriate for some people taking GLP-1 medications, alongside a balanced diet.

🏋️ Strength training: Alongside adequate protein, aim for 2-3 sessions a week using body weight, resistance bands or weights to help maintain muscle and strength during weight loss.

Remember, weight loss isn’t the only goal - maintaining muscle, supporting your nutritional status and feeling well matter too.

If you’re taking a GLP-1 medication, are there any nutrition topics you’d like me to cover next? Let me know below👇

Protein Fibre StrengthTraining EvidenceBasedNutrition NicsNutrition

08/07/2026

4 health habits in my routine that spark debate 👀

Nutrition and health advice isn’t always black and white. In fact, some of the habits that form part of my routine often get people talking - including among healthcare professionals.

That doesn’t mean we should ignore the evidence. It means looking at the overall body of research, weighing up the potential benefits and limitations, and considering what works in real life too.

In this post, I’m sharing 4 things I do that often spark discussion, including:

✔️ Taking collagen daily
✔️ Enjoying the occasional glass of alcohol
✔️ Aiming for 10,000 steps each day
✔️ Choosing diet drinks over regular soft drinks

These aren’t recommendations. They’re simply choices I’ve made based on the current evidence, alongside my own preferences, lifestyle and health goals.

I’d love to know: which one do you agree with most, and which one do you disagree with?👇

05/07/2026

Did someone say there’s another heatwave on the way?! ☀️🧊

Inspired by , here’s an easy ice-cube hack to help make staying hydrated a little more fun 😜

Simply chop up your favourite fruit and herbs, pop them into an ice-cube tray, top up with water and freeze. Then add the cubes to your water for a refreshing burst of flavour. ❄️

I used:
🍋 Lemon
💕 Raspberries
🍃 Mint

Other delicious combinations to try:
🥒 Cucumber & strawberries 🍓
🍊 Orange & lime 🍋‍🟩
🫐 Blueberries & basil 🌿
🍍 Pineapple & mint 🍃
🍉 Watermelon & lime 🍋‍🟩

A little tip: these won’t hydrate you any more than plain water, but if they encourage you to drink more, that’s a win!💧

Let me know if you give them a try, or tell me your favourite flavour combination! 👇

30/06/2026

June has certainly been a busy one! 📰✨

From gut health and fibre to caffeine, hydration, plant-based eating, hangovers, asparagus, raisins and everything in between... it’s been another month of helping translate nutrition science into practical, evidence-based advice across the national tabloids.

Whether it’s a newspaper interview, TV appearance, radio slot or social media post, my aim is always the same: to cut through the confusion, challenge nutrition myths and help people feel more confident about the food they eat.

Thank you to all the journalists who continue to seek out evidence-based voices, and to everyone who reads, shares and supports my work. It really does mean so much.

Here’s to another month of making nutrition a little less confusing. 💚

Which topic would you like me to cover next? 👇

NutritionExpert HealthyEating NicsNutrition

29/06/2026

A Super-Speedy, Delicious & Nutritious Chicken Tagine with California Prunes – ideal for a midweek meal! 👌🏼

ad | If you’re looking for a comforting, flavour-packed dinner that’s easy to make and perfect for batch cooking, this healthy tagine is such a winner 🙌

The combination of warming spices, tender chicken, fibre-rich chickpeas and naturally sweet California Prunes creates a delicious balance of sweet and savoury flavours.

✨ Fun facts about California Prune Board - Europe -

• California Prunes are a source of fibre and contain naturally occurring sorbitol
• They provide nutrients including boron, potassium and vitamin K
• They contain naturally occurring plant compounds, including phenolic acids, anthocyanins and flavonoids
• They count towards your 5-a-day (just 3 dried prunes count as 1 portion!)

🍲 Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
500g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp ras el hanout (or use a mix of cumin and coriander)
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
400g tin chopped tomatoes
400g tin chickpeas, drained
150g California Prunes, roughly chopped
250ml chicken stock
1 lemon
Salt and black pepper

To serve:
Wholegrain couscous and/or warm flatbread
Fresh coriander
Toasted flaked almonds or pine nuts
Pomegranate seeds
Plain yoghurt

Method:

1️⃣ Heat the olive oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion for 7–10 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
2️⃣ Add the chicken and cook for 5–7 minutes until lightly browned.
3️⃣ Stir in the garlic, ras el hanout, paprika and cinnamon, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4️⃣ Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and California Prunes.
5️⃣ Pour in the stock, season well and bring to a simmer.
6️⃣ Cover and cook gently for 30–35 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened.
7️⃣ Stir through the zest and juice of the lemon and adjust the seasoning to taste.

Serve with wholegrain couscous or flatbread and finish with coriander, toasted nuts, pomegranate seeds and yoghurt, if desired.

Have you ever cooked with prunes in a savoury dish?

27/06/2026

There are few things I love talking about more than gut health… so it was such a pleasure to head to Manchester for the launch of Jordan AKA Jordan Haworth’s brilliant new book How to Gut Health 🥝📚

The kiwi on the front cover? Love - as it’s something I recommend regularly in clinic… 🤓 For many people struggling with constipation, 1-2 kiwis a day, alongside a live probiotic yoghurt and 1-2 tablespoons of linseeds (also known as flaxseeds), can be a simple, evidence-based combination that helps support bowel regularity (alongside enough daily fibre, fluids and movement!). 💩

One of the things I also loved about the evening was the reminder that gut health isn’t about restrictive diets or chasing the latest trend. It’s about understanding your body and making changes that are backed by good evidence.

As a dietitian, one thing I’d really encourage is seeking advice from qualified healthcare professionals if you’re struggling with digestive symptoms. Be cautious about spending money on things like online hair analysis or IgG food intolerance tests, which aren’t recommended for diagnosing food intolerances and can lead to unnecessary dietary restrictions.

Similarly, if you’ve had an “abnormal” blood result, perhaps a low iron or low vitamin level, don’t just accept the number at face value. Ask why. Is it something that could be improved with a few dietary tweaks? Or do you need further, reputable investigations to identify the underlying cause? Treating the cause is just as important as correcting the result.

If you’re looking for evidence-based gut health information, I’d highly recommend following Jordan Haworth and Tummy MOT. And if you’re looking for personalised investigations & support (as I learnt on the night!), Functional Gut | UK’s Leading Gut Health Clinic offers tailored, evidence-informed testing and advice to help get to the root of your symptoms.

In a world full of conflicting nutrition advice, qualifications, evidence & experience matter. Followers don’t equal expertise, and the most expensive test isn’t always the right one. Choose advice from people who are appropriately qualified and committed to evidence-based practice. 💚

Huge congrats again Jordan!

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