Solid Start

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 💛

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. 💛