Today’s episode is part of our series of how to get kids to eat more of something, and today it’s the turn of pulses or legumes, so beans, lentils and peas.

I don’t think I need to explain in too much detail why it’s great to help kids to like legumes. So you want to have more pulses in your family’s food, but how to get your child to accept them? As with our other epsiodes on this, we’re not actually aiming to get our kids to do anything. We are finding ways to give children opportunities to build familiarity with a food and try it when they feel comfortable, or building foods into or alongside familiar foods so they feel comfortable to eat.

In this episode Joanne gives some suggestions of dishes where the beans or lentils are obvious to see and taste, and some where they are mixed or blended in so their texture might be easier to cope with for some children. But as usual even when we are mixing things in together, the idea is not to hide them and pretend they are not there, if asked you can always tell the truth or allow them to help to prep them. Hiding and sneaking only builds distrust. But there is nothing wrong with blending or mixing things in to make foods easier to approach and just be honest if asked.

The episode gives lots of ways to get more beans, lentils and peas into your family’s food. And there are lots of recipes in the shownotes.

Links in this episode:

Why beans are so good for us: https://foodfoundation.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-10/TFF_Beans%20Facts_DIGITAL_0.pdf

Food Foundation Bang In Some Beans campaign: https://foodfoundation.org.uk/initiatives/bang-in-some-beans

Recipe ideas in the shownotes at: https://thefoodies.org/ffk101

Music "Happy Days" by Simon Folwar via Uppbeat

In this episode of the Food for Kids podcast, Joanne shares simple, family-friendly meal ideas using seasonal produce available in May. The focus is on easy-to-make recipes that require minimal prep time, making them perfect for busy families. Joanne discusses three main meals, a dessert, and a quick snack, all utilizing fresh ingredients that are in season. She gives suggestions on adapting recipes to suit children's tastes and some swap ideas too.

Links to all the recipe ideas are in the shownotes at https://thefoodies.org/ffk100

Music "Happy Days" by Simon Folwar via Uppbeat

On today’s show we are talking about how to support other people’s children who have allergies. We have had a couple of episodes about what to do if your child invites a friend home who has a special diet, we looked at coeliac disease in episode 10 and plant based or vegan diets in episode 41.

But today I wanted to look not only at inviting a child home for tea who has an allergy but also at the more specific topic of how to include a child with an allergy in a birthday party or event. It can be pretty nerve wracking entertaining other people’s children and especially if any of them have medical issues or allergies and you always want to do things safely and kindly.

Sara is a highly specialist allergy dietitian with over 11 years’ experience, who has worked at two NHS UK allergy centres of excellence: St Thomas’ Hospital in London and Southampton. She helped establish the first adult allergy dietitian service in Southampton and now specialises in supporting children with allergies, both within the NHS and privately through her company, YNRD Ltd. She has taught and marked on the Southampton Allergy MSc and taught allergy on the Dietetics MSc at King’s College London. She has also worked in CAMHS with children and adolescents with eating disorders, and is passionate about children’s nutrition, accurate allergy diagnosis, safe avoidance and reintroduction where possible, and providing realistic nutrition advice that supports a healthy relationship with food.

Links in this episode:

Sara's website: https://www.ynrd.co.uk

Sara's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saradawsondietitian/

Music "Happy Days" by Simon Folwar via Uppbeat