Nutrient Know How | paediatricnutrition.com

Fibre rich food groups – portions for kids

feedjourn — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:55:40 +0000

Fibre Rich Food Groups – learning to eat, learning to love

For young children, introducing fibre is best increased slowly and gradually; from gentle fibrous foods in infancy, throughout the early and school years. Establishing food preferences, learning to chew well, helping digestion and gut adaption to fibres. This helps regulate your child's appetite, blood sugar, and energy levels. Essential for gut health - now and future - and provides the right food for those helpful and friendly gut microbes. Fibre is found in these 6 plant food groups below. Aim for a variety of fibres from different groups every day. Eating and drinking sufficient fibre and water supports developing regular toileting habits, with soft poohs that are easy to pass. Milk is a food, and not necessarily helpful for developing soft poohs. A fibre diet alone is an unhelpful approach to improving toileting habits or constipation. Remember to drink enough water !

Vegetables

As well as fibre, vegetables contain protective nutrients
eg. roots, shoots, leaves, cruciferous, bulbs, fungi, seed, pod and fruit

Legumes

Peas, beans, lentils, tinned or well-cooked
eg. in soups, salads and mains, legumes are high in protein too

Fruits

Apples, avocado, berries, citrus, exotic, stone, dried
eg. perfect for lunchboxes, snacks and rich in vitamin C

Wholegrains

Oats, corn, barley, buckwheat, quinoa, rice, rye, wheat
eg. energy providing foods, rich in B vitamins

Nuts

Almond, brazil, cashew, hazelnut, peanut, pecan, walnut
eg. whole nuts for children over 5, nut butters from infancy

Seeds

Sunflower, pumpkin, flax, hemp, chia, sesame
eg. chia seeds are especially helpful for preventing constipation

Fibre and Fluid for kids - how much does my child need?

6-18 months

5g daily offering soft grains like oats, wheat, rice, fresh vegetables and fruits at each mealtime

500mls milk and 350mls water; 50-80mls with each meal and snack

2-5 years

10g daily gradually increase wholegrains in bread, crackers, nut & seed butters regularly each week plus 3-5 portions daily of fruits and vegetables

500mls milk and 600-900mls water; 4-6 medium cups eg. 150-180mls

6-11 years

15-20g daily continuing to build up fibrous foods, including whole nuts and seeds, tinned and well-cooked pulses, eg. hummus, lentils and peas

500mls milk and 1000 - 1300mls water; 4-6 large glasses eg. 300mls

Age 11-16

20-25g increasing the portion sizes and variety of the 6 fibre rich food groups, with 2-3 vegetables and 2-3 fruits daily, wholegrain choices daily, pulses, nuts & seeds regularly each week

500mls or more of milk and 1500mls water; 4-6 larger glasses eg. 250 - 400mls

Download your Fibre Portions for kids here >

Food

Young child's portion

Fibre (g)

wholemeal bread

1 medium slice

3.2

sourdough bread

1 medium slice

2.5

cooked brown rice

150g

2.8

Weetabix

5.2

porridge oats

30g

3.8

Shrediies

40g

6.6

oatcake

15g

1.2

hummus

40g

1.7

cooked orange lentils

40g

2.7

sweetcorn

60g

1.5

peas

60g

5.4

carrots

60g

2.0

broccoli

60g

2.9

cauliflower

60g

1.3

peppers

40g

0.9

4 cherry tomatoes

60g

0.8

cucumber

40g

0.3

sweet potato

80g

1.2

tomato sauce

80g

0.7

baked beans

150g

9.7

grapes

40g 1 child handful

0.5

berries

40g 1 child handful

0.8

apple with skin

1 x medium

1.2

banana

1 x medium

1.4

tangerine

2 x small

2.3

fresh apricot

40g 1 child handful

4.4

3 prunes

20g

2.0

2 medium figs

20g

2.4

2 fresh dates

20g

1.4

tinned peaches

100g

1.4

sultanas

30g 1 child handful

0.8

nut butter

15g (on one slice bread)

1.1

mixed nuts

15g 1 child handful

1.2

flax seeds

1 teaspoon 3g

0.8

chia seeds

1 teaspoon 3g

1.0

sunflower seeds

1 teaspoon 3g

0.2

Helping families feel their best x

Vitamin A – is your child getting enough?

feedjourn — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:33:30 +0000

Vitamin A deficiency is rare in the UK, but recent evidence around poor dietary intakes of foods rich in vitamin A in the early years and teens, as well as case reports of deficiency are on the increase. It is a signifiant problem worldwide, especially in global south, and is the most common preventable cause of blindness in the world. Infants, young children and pregnant women are most at risk. The UK Department of Health & Social Care recommends Vitamin A, C and D supplements for all children from 6 months to 5 years. Free vitamins can be accessed for supported families on low incomes. In this 10-minute blog, I will share more about:

Food Sources of Vitamin A
Expressing daily needs for Vitamin A
Reports on low intakes of Vitamin A
Limited fortification of foods with Vitamin A
Vitamin A essential for health
Vitamin A supplements and take aways

1. Food Sources of Vitamin A

Vitamin A comes from both plants and animals; beta-carotene from plants provides one sixth the potency of retinol, the animal source of Vitamin A. Full fat diary products like yoghurt and cheese, plus oily fish and egg yolks are good daily sources of retinol and with butter and cream additional excellent sources, and eaten in moderation. Liver and cod liver oil are both extraordinarily high in retinol, and as a fat-soluble vitamin, humans and animals store Vitamin A in body tissues, primarily the liver. Pregnant women and those planning pregnancy should avoid eating liver or cold liver oil, as high blood levels of retinol, can risk affecting a developing foetus. However, during pregnancy and lactation needs for Vitamin A are increased. Vitamin A-rich foods plant sources include orange-coloured fruits and vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, mango, cantaloup melon and apricots, also greens like kale, spinach and peas. For maternal diets excluding cow's milk and products, with infants with Cow's Milk Allergy, a vitamin supplement containing sufficient Vitamin A is essential. Find out more details here on Food Sources of Vitamin A

2. Expressing daily needs for Vitamin A

We often now think about Vitamin A as "retinol-equivalents or RE" to give one figure taking account of the difference in potency from retinol and beta-carotene. Vitamin A is also expressed as International Units or IU, each IU is equivalent to 0.3ug of RE. Most supplement labels will express both, but foods are unlikely to mention Vitamin A content on labels. Special consideration is given during pregnancy due to the risk of high blood levels of Vitamin A as retinol. The market leading brand of vitamins for conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding contain no Vitamin A, and so food sources are most important.

Infants from 6 month 350ug RE
Young children aged 1-5 years 400ug RE
Children aged 7-10 years 500ug RE
Teens aged 11-18 years 600ug RE
Lactation 1,000ug for first 6 months; 700ug thereafter RE

3. Reports on Low Intakes of Vitamin A

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition's 2024 Report Feeding Young Children aged 1-5 years reports low intakes for Vitamin A in low wage families, with only 10% uptake of of free vitamins A, C and D.

4. Limited Fortification of foods with Vitamin A

Alternative dairy products eg. plant milks, cheese, yoghurt and spreading fats contain little or no vitamin A. Soya milks and their products are not a naturally rich source of Vitamin A, and market leading brands do not routinely fortify. There is no longer a mandate in the UK to fortify foods with Vitamin A. Some manufacturers add beta-carotene for colour eg. in plant based margarines, but the Vitamin A content is negligible. Vegan cheese substitutes contain little or no vitamin A. Finally, there is no longer routine fortification of low fat dairy milk such as skimmed or semi-skimmed in the UK. So, understanding the role of vitamin A, its best food sources, and how much we need is an important part of nutrition know-how and self-care.

5. Essential Vitamin A

There is increasing incidence of Vitamin A deficiency in UK children and children living in the UK, particularly for children with longterm restricted diets eg. those with ARFID and Autism. As Dietitians, we are seeing increasing case reports of preventable blindness presenting in children with highly restrictive diets, as a result of identified Vitamin A deficiency. Essential nutrients are those the body needs for very specific functions, and that cannot otherwise be fulfilled. Vitamin A is essential for :

protection and repair of mucous membrane cells of the gut and lungs
development and maintenance of a healthy immune system
development and maintenance of healthy eyes, vision an night vision adaption

6. Vitamin A Supplements and Take Aways

All children aged 6 months to 5 years are advised to take a supplement containing vitamins A, C and D, to support development stages, and protect against deficiency.
Healthy Start (previously Sure Start) provides free vitamin supplements A, C & D to all children under 5 years, however uptake of these are very low at 10%. Reasons include limited awareness about availability as well as logistics and stocking problems.Find out more here https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/
For shop-bought supplements, standard amounts providing 100% of the recommended daily amount within a multivitamin supplement are the best option.
The continued trend for low fat and UPF products (highest in young children at 47-59%of energy intake), further displaces intake of Vitamin A, making children vulnerable to infections, poor eye, gut and respiratory health. Dietary sources are superior whenever possible, providing additional energy, protein and other essential nutrients.

Don't forget your FREE Guide to Food Sources of Vitamin A

Helping children love real food! x

Making More of Eggs

feedjourn — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:09:39 +0000

We love eggs in our household … and get through 2 dozen every week! They are a powerhouse of protein, essential fats and a wide range of vitamins and trace elements. Nutritional building blocks for the growing brain and body, supporting mental wellbeing and mood. Versatile, quick, and affordable, I usually buy eggs from my local butcher; they’re super fresh, with deep orange yolks and shape-defined whites, indicating their freshness and quality. This also tells me something about the welfare of the chickens that hatched them. Including eggs daily in your family diet provides a wealth of essential nutrients, and are highly bio-available, meaning in a form the body can use. In this blog, I’ll explore safety assurances, health concerns, nutritional composition, and share an easy recipe for the whole family.

Safety assurance background - Salmonella

Egg intake plummeted in the mid-1980’s following a leaked report about dangerous levels of salmonella bacteria found in hen's eggs. The then junior health minister, Edwina Curry stated that most eggs contain salmonella, and especially raw or soft -boiled eggs should not be eaten by infants, pregnant women and the elderly due to fears of salmonella poisoning, and potential fatality! 400 million eggs were destroyed and 4 million hens slaughtered. It took 10 years before confidence in eggs started to return. The Lion Stamp of safety assurance and traceability was introduced in 1988 and 90% of British eggs now have the Lion Stamp, with raw and soft-boiled eggs considered safe to eat, for everyone.

Cholesterol

Another blight on the goodness of eggs has been their high cholesterol contents. Eggs contain relatively high amounts of cholesterol, all found in the yolk, where other essential nutrients are found. We know now, through controlled trials and meta-analysis, that the cholesterol in egg yolks, (and other foods) have very little effect on blood cholesterol for most people. 1-2 eggs are recommended daily for the wide range of nutritional benefits they provide. A detailed summary about fats and cholesterol from Zoe’s nutritional research can be found here.

An abundance of essential nutrients

Essential nutrients are required for very specific functions, and which cannot be made by the body, and absence of which will result in nutrient deficiency. And so, essential nutrients must be derived from our diets, to maintain these specific and often vital functions. For example, DHA, an essential Omega 3 fat found in rich amounts in egg yolk, is an important component of brain cell membranes. Deficiency of DHA in premature infants, results in slow visual processing, visual and cognitive impairment, and as a result became a mandatory addition to all infant formula in 2020. Breast milk naturally contains high amounts of DHA, a reflection of nature's imperative to provide for the developing foetus and infant. And of course, pregnant and lactating mumma's do need extra DHA, otherwise they utilise their own stores (from brain structures) to provide it for their offspring! Lack of essential nutrients can mean that we function sub-optimally, affecting health, wellbeing and performance. Eggs are of high biological value in supporting development and maintenance of the brain in particular, and also the body due to essential proteins, iron, and B vitamins. Eggs provide a rich range of essential nutrients, readily absorbed by the body, and below I give a breakdown of how the essential nutrients in eggs support the brain and body.

High biological value protein containing all essential amino acids: the building blocks for body and brain. Rich in DHA, an omega-3 essential fat, and choline an essential neurotransmitter parent substance
Egg yolks contain the essential omega-3 fat DHA and are found in high (but variable) amounts in egg yolks and mothers’ milk. Another reason why quality, freshness and animal welfare are so important in selecting your eggs, and eating a high-quality diet throughout child-bearing years (and beyond) is so important
DHA keeps the membranes (the outer boundary) of our brain cells functioning well, which allows them to communicate easily with other cells
DHA provides structural support (building blocks) for those brain cell membranes, making up about 50% of the membrane, which protects & maintains, enables communication & nutrient transport, as well as brain development and repair throughout the whole of the life cycle. This alone makes eggs of high value in infancy and early years, but also for the whole family
Choline is another essential component of eggs. It is. The parent substance for making neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the brain) responsible for enhancing mood, memory, cognitive functions, early and life-long brain development and protection
Choline and DHA work together to support brain and eye development in pregnancy and early infancy. Both nutrients work independently and also support the effectiveness of the other
1 whole egg provides over 30% of daily needs for both choline and DHA, which are around 100mg for children, 200mg for adults, with needs up to 400mg in pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of bones and teeth, cell membrane functions and energy metabolism
A rich source of Vitamin D and Vitamin B12, providing at least 30% of the recommended daily amount per portion. Vitamin D supports healthy bones and teeth, muscles and joints, calcium uptake by bone and immune system function; Vitamin B12 helps mature new red blood cells, supports energy production, immune and nervous system function
A good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B2 Riboflavin, B5 pantothenic acd, B6 pyridoxine, B7 Biotin and B9 Folic acid, providing at least 15% of the recommended daily amount per portion. These nutrients contribute to a wide range of roles to support energy, growth, blood formation and immune system function
- Vitamin A contributes eye and skin health, immune system function
- Iodine supports the essential functioning of the thyroid gland, production of thyroid hormones, energy and nervous system function
- Selenium acts as an anti-oxidant to protect cells against oxygen damage, immune system and thyroid function

Making more of eggs, and helping children love real food x

Spicy parsnip and coconut soup recipe

feedjourn — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:20:11 +0000

This spicy parsnip and coconut soup is a warming seasonal soup for gut-nourishing health with soluble and insoluble fibres. Spices to extend flavour and nutrients, suitable for older infants and early years children, helping shape their palate towards different flavours. These fragranced plants also have gut-boosting properties, providing food for the microbiota, as well as protective substances like polyphenols. The vibrant colours from plants & spices are a clue to their polyphenol content, providing antioxidants to keep body cells healthy, and reduce inflammation. Pumpkin seeds are a great addition, but do need chewing, or nibbling or at least trying … and do need to be crushed or blended for infants and toddlers. Rich in plant-proteins, fibre, zinc and magnesium, supporting gut health, height growth and growing bones for these little ones, as well as you!

How to Make Spicy Parsnip and Coconut Soup

This recipe makes 8 large portions (2 large ladles) of soup, and you will need a good heavy-bottomed pot! It is best served as a blended soup, as it tends to be thick, with all these nutritious roots, but you can thin this to your preferred consistency with stock. Suited for the whole family, gut-boosting nutrition using low-cost using seasonal ingredients. 1 small ladle for an infant, 1 medium ladle for a toddler, of course appetite dependent, and meant as a rough guide! Pumpkin seeds add a valuable amount of plant protein and fibre. Serve as a warming quick meal in itself, a hot lunch, or taken in a flask, with a sandwich or roll or bread & butter. Boost up the nutrition with peanut butter or cheese for complementary proteins, making this a super nutritious meal. Contains soluble and insoluble fibres for gut and heart health, rich B vitamins and potassium for boosting energy and immunity.

Ingredients

Makes 8 large portions

50mls

Vegetable oil

400g

Parsnips, chopped roughly

200g

Carrots, topped & tailed, chopped roughly

130g

Sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped roughly

1 x 400g

Tinned coconut milk

1 x teaspoon

Turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon each

Chilli flakes, cinnamon, nutmeg,

Stock cubes blended into 750mls boiled water

Sea salt and black pepper

Method

gently fry all the vegetables in a heavy bottomed pan, on a medium heat starting with carrots, then parsnips, then sweet potato, chopping as you go, stirring often
when the vegetables start to soften, add in coconut milk and spices, stirring often
when the vegetables start to stick to the bottom of the pan, add the stock, continue to stir often
once combined, cover and reduce temperature to a simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan
before serving season with sea salt to taste
serve with pumpkin seeds, for a complementary boost of protein, fibres, zinc, magnesium

233kcals, 3g protein, 9g fibre, 105mg folate, 10mg vitamin C per adult portion and meeting one third a young child’s fibre needs for the day. Boost up the protein with bread plus nut butter or cheese.

Good for your body, learning healthy habits, your budget and the planet!

Winter Wellbeing and Love to you all x

Good Sources of Calcium

feedjourn — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 09:39:19 +0000

Infants and children need good sources of calcium in their diets on a daily basis. Calcium absorption in the gut is variable and ranges from 25-50%, increasing when intake is low and reducing when intake is high. Plenty of foods rich in calcium are especially important throughout infancy to support the rapid bone growth and bone mineralisation that occurs at this time. The uptake of calcium by bones is then regulated by Vitamin D, with Vitamin D deficiency limiting bone mineralisation even in the presence of adequate calcium. Growth spurts during infancy and childhood, from a surge in growth hormone provides a boost to calcium absorption, which further strengthens bone mineralisation. Absorption of calcium from breast milk is very efficient at around 66% and from formula milk around 40%. For all infants and young children offer them calcium rich foods every day.

Dairy products like milk, cheese and yoghurt are the UK’s best sources of calcium for infants and young children
Calcium is also found in tinned fish, nut butters, tahini or sesame seed pulp, hummus, figs, dates, and green vegetables
White wheat flour is fortified in the UK with 120mg Calcium per 100g
Water in areas of hard water like Cambridge contains 120mg calcium per litre
For all children with cow’s milk allergy, take care to offer calcium enriched products, checking sources of other valuable nutrients such as protein, iodine,
Vitamin D as well as overall calories
Prolonged poor calcium intake will lead to brittle bones that break more easily, both in childhood and in later adulthood
Exercise and weight bearing activity will also strengthen bone
Have a quick check on recommended intakes to check if your child is getting enough calcium
Download the portions of calcium rich foods below
Infants and young children need a Vitamin D supplement containing a minimum of 10ug daily until 5 years and thereafter for a minimum of the 6 Winter/Spring months to maintain good levels

Recommended Intakes

Daily calcium needs during infancy are 525mg
5-600mls formula provides the majority of calcium during infancy
Breast fed infants depend on mum’s diet, and a calcium and vitamin D is advisable for mum
Daily calcium needs during early years are 350-450mg; provided by 3-4 portions of calcium rich foods
Daily calcium needs during primary school are 450-700mg; provided by 4-5 portions of calcium rich foods
For all children with cow’s milk allergy, take care to offer calcium enriched products, checking sources of other valuable nutrients such as protein, iodine, Vitamin D as well as overall calories.

Nutritional Composition of Milk Alternatives

feedjourn — Thu, 01 May 2025 09:45:32 +0000

If you have a child who has lactose intolerance or cow’s milk allergy, chances are you need to think about the nutritional composition of milk alternatives. Cow’s milk and its products are good sources of calcium and trace elements like iodine in the UK diet. As someone who takes nutrition seriously, a Paediatric Dietitian and mother of 3 growing teenagers, I would like to point out that the nutritional composition of milk alternatives available in our shops is shockingly poor. It does not serve consumers well, has insufficient nutrition for infants, children or teens, and for those who depend on the nutrients milk would normally provide. The missing nutrients and their physiological roles are as follows:

Calcium – for growth and maintenance of strong bones, blood clotting
Iodine – for neurological development during pregnancy, control of metabolism, thyroid function
Vitamin B2 – for healthy skin, eyes and nervous system, releasing energy from food
Protein – for growth and repair of all body tissues, immune function
Vitamin B12 – assists in maturing red blood cells, absorption of iron
Lactose – the milk sugar – food for the beneficial lactobacillus genus of bacteria, maintenance of a healthy intestinal microbiota

Exciting range of nut milks
I was quite excited to see such an explosion of nut milks now routinely available; and on researching this recently, felt somewhat aggrieved to see such poor nutritional composition. Nuts are one of nature’s most incredibly nutritious foods – high in calories, protein, essential fats, minerals like zinc, calcium, iron and magnesium as well as B vitamins. They are also (currently) fairly conflict-free and sustainable. There are not many foods you can say that about! Unfortunately none – and yes I do actually mean NONE – of that goodness is retained in the resultant, washed out and expensive product marketed as milk. Some have no calcium, no protein, no minerals no vitamins, and poor calories. Mil for mil they are 7 times the price.

Compare the nutritional composition of milk alternatives in the chart below, and take care to ensure that you choose ones with higher calories and protein for young children, ensuring they are fortified with calcium, and where possible Vitamin D and other vitamins.

Type of Milk	Calories	Protein	Calcium	Vitamin D	Extras
Whole Cow’s Milk	69	3.3	120	Low	Wide range of nutrients
Cow’s Milk formula	66	1.3	65	1.2	Full range of nutrients
Mature Breast Milk	67	1.3	35*	Varies	Wide range of nutrients
Goats Milk	70	2.8	120	Low	Wide range of nutrients
Arla Lactose Free Milk	56	3.3	120	Low	Wide range of nutrients
KoKo unsweetened	16	0.2	120	0.75	Nothing
Oatly Original	46	1.0	120	1.5	Vitamins
Innocent Hazelnut Milk	72	1.0	0	0	Nothing
Innocent Almond Milk	37	1.4	0	0	Nothing
Alpro Soya Original	42	3.3	120	0.75	Vitamins
Alpro Cashew Milk	23	0.5	120	0.75	Vitamins
Alpro Soya Growing-Up 1-3	64	2.5	120	1.5	Iodine, Vitamins
Rice Dream plus calcium	50	0.1	120	0.75	Not for <5years

* absorption of calcium from breast milk is extremely efficient, but infants needs for calcium from 6-12 months through are high. Check out good sources of calcium if weaning your cow’s milk allergic infant.

Reintroducing Lactose back into the Diet

feedjourn — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 08:59:32 +0000

Following a 2 – 6 week low lactose diet to treat lactose intolerance, your child should now be well on their way to recovery from symptoms. Reintroducing lactose back into the diet in a controlled way is the next step. Starting with low lactose foods, then adding in medium and, once you’re satisfied all is being tolerated, finally adding in high lactose-containing foods. Use the guidance below on lactose content of dairy foods to assist you, taking about 2-4 weeks, gradually increasing, will do several things:

Stimulate production of lactase, the small intestinal digestive enzyme that digests lactose
Help establish and then increase the amount of dietary lactose that is tolerated
Assist in the build up and return of normal lactase production in the small intestine

Re-establishing tolerance to lactose
Re-establishing tolerance to lactose varies from child-to-child, depending on age, habitual diet and degree of severity. Because infants and young children are more dependent on a high milk diet, the lactase enzyme returns more readily and lactose intolerance is usually temporary. Resumption of a normal diet is somewhere between 2-6 weeks for most infants and children. Referred to as secondary lactose intolerance this is often the result of nasty gut bugs like rotavirus, or can be secondary to small intestinal damage caused by untreated cow’s milk protein allergy or coeliac disease. Individuals including older children and teens may develop primary lactose intolerance or a permanent reduction in lactase enzyme, more typically affecting non-caucasian children and those with a habitually low milk/no milk intake following a similar route via infection of small intestinal irritation. Amounts of 2 – 4g lactose per day are usually well tolerated despite the lack of lactase enzyme. Instead lactose is digested by the lactobacillus bacteria, naturally residing in the large intestine.

Other points worth noting about lactose intolerance and reintroduction

Lactase enzyme production returns with exposure to lactose from the diet
Lactose reintroduction can be tried again and again every 2-4 weeks, depending on response
Lactose itself does not cause damage to the small intestine
A tolerance threshold may be reached at a certain level of lactose intake
Tolerance may be improved by spreading lactose intake over the day, or eating with other foods
The difference between lactose intolerance and cow’s milk allergy
The nutritional composition of milk alternatives

Special care with infants
Formula fed babies with lactose intolerance, need a lactose free formula. Lactose intolerance may also occur in breast-fed babies but is less common; only in very rare congenital primary lactase deficiency would there be a need to stop breast feeding and use a lactose free formula. What is important, is to correctly identify if cow’s milk allergy are the cause of the symptoms, to ensure that infants get the right dietary treatment. Products in the shops vary enormously in nutritional composition, and are not suitable to drink because of poor nutritional quality.

Very Low Lactose

< 2g per portion

Medium Lactose

2-4g per portion

High Lactose

4-6g per portion

The foods in this group contain very low amounts of lactose and are tolerated by most people with lactose intolerance. If consuming these foods does not give any symptoms, try medium lactose foods per portion.

Continue to introduce lactose containing foods, including foods with medium lactose. If symptoms return, go back to the previous tolerated stage for 2 weeks and try again.

In addition to very low and medium lactose content foods, continue to introduce lactose-containing foods, including one portion from the high lactose category.

Cheese 1oz

Most hard cheeses have very small amounts of lactose and are unusually well tolerated. Eg. cheddar, red leicester, caerphilly, stilton, parmasan

Cheese spread, cottage cheese, soft cheeses eg. ricotta, marscapone, dolchelate

Cheese spread, quark

Yoghurts & fromage-frais 60g	125g	Larger portion
Greek yoghurt, Goat’s yogurt, all yoghurts and fromage-frais	Yoghurts and fromage-frais, Low fat fruit yoghurts, Organic whole milk yoghurt	Natural whole or fruit yoghurt, Low fat natural yoghurt, Diet/low calorie yoghurts
Dairy desserts & creams 2oz	4 – 6oz	Larger portion
Half fat cream, Single, Double, Whipping, Clotted cream, UHT Spray Cream, Fresh Cheese Cake	1 scoop ice cream, Frozen cheesecake, Trifle with cream, 1 chocolate mousse	2 scoops ice cream, 10mls Angel Delight, 150g tinned rice pudding, 100mls Custard
Hidden milk
1 x small slice cake, 4 chocolate digestives, 1 chocolate coated biscuit eg. 2 finger kit-kat, 100g egg custard tart		1 milk chocolate bar, 125mls whole milk, 70mls evaporated milk, 1 tblsp skimmed milk powder, 40mls condensed milk