Being a parent these days isn’t easy. Not only do you have to be a chauffeur, a counsellor, a cleaner and an expert chef but now you also have to be a nutritionist as well. Although getting your child to eat 5 portions of fruit and veg every day is important it’s not the only factor to consider when it comes to your child’s diet. Research by Petits Filous shows that 9 out of 10 parents think their child is getting enough calcium, but parents are unclear how much calcium children actually need. 74% of parents wrongly believing that 2 portions of dairy a day offers sufficient calcium for their child when in fact at least 3 portions of dairy every day will meet calcium needs to help develop strong bones. If you’re worried about whether or not your child is getting enough calcium, click below to watch an exclusive video hosted by Dr Rob Hicks and Yoplait registered dietitian Elphee Medici. They will talk you through ways of making sure your child gets enough bone building calcium in their diet, explaining which foods are good sources of calcium and how easy it is to meet all your child’s daily calcium needs through three portions of dairy every day. As well as all this Dr Rob Hicks will also be explaining the benefits of ensuring your child gets plenty of calcium in their early years as well as hints and tips to help your children develop strong healthy bones. For more information visit www.calciumeveryday.com

Despite a barrage of campaigns a staggering amount of us are also dodging our five a day duty by failing to eat the recommended 5 portions of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis. Poor quality nutrition is an epidemic of our times. With busier lifestyles and more processed and packaged food eaten than ever before, it’s not surprising we are unaware of our own nutritional needs and the benefits that can come from making small changes to our diets. To try and help us overcome this, and offer people a younger, healthier lifespan, specialists have stepped in to offer people across the UK the first online personal nutritional analysis service. NutriProfile.org uses a scientifically validated food frequency (diet) questionnaire which asks the user a number of simple questions regarding their weekly food intake, as well as age, height and personal health goals to create an entirely personalised report. The free personal report demonstrates what’s lacking in an individual’s diet and includes specific food recommendations to address these deficiencies – it’s like having a one-on-one nutritional consultation. It is hoped that this new service will help us have a better understanding of our dietary requirements. Our video offers exclusive advice from nutrition experts Dr Adam Carey and Dr Sarah Brewer For more information please visit: www.nutriprofile.org

Although most parents know that a high salt diet is linked to high blood pressure, few are aware of just how seriously an excess of salt can affect them and their children. Research reveals that only a quarter are aware that high salt intake is linked with conditions as serious as stomach cancer. Less than 1 in 5 realise that too much salt can lead to osteoporosis. Only 19% are aware that a salt excess in their child's diet can aggravate the symptoms of asthma. These statistics are troubling and suggest that this is an area that parents really need more guidance on. This research conducted by the Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) and Netmums is particularly worrying because a high salt diet can be damaging to children's health. Trials conducted as part of the research show that eating a high salt diet in childhood pushes blood pressure up. Children who eat more salt were also shown to have a higher blood pressure than children who eat less salt, which could lead to health difficulties as they get older. The key to keeping your child on a low salt diet is to make sure that they stay well under the maximum daily limit for salt. The 6g a day figure has been pushed quite strongly in the media, but it is important to remember that this is the maximum daily limit for adults. Children should actually be eating much less than this. A 4-6 year old, for instance should not be eating more than 3g a day, and a 2-3 year old should eat no more than 2g a day. Considering a single slice of bread can contain 0.5g of salt and a bowl of cereal with milk contains 0.7g of salt it is easy to see how the daily limit can be reached very quickly. If you're unsure how to stick below this limit you'll be glad to know that this week is Salt Awareness Week so there's plenty of advice available. For more information on how keeping your child's salt intake low visit watch this video

Leading medical experts have issued new guidelines to highlight the difficulties thousands of patients have swallowing medication and the dangers of crushing non-crushable tablets. 60% of older people have trouble taking tablets and yet many physicians fail to take even simple steps to check that a patient is actually able to swallow the prescribed medicine.