Good Food
type: channel
link: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com
date: 2026-03-05T00:00:11.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Can you avoid weight gain during menopause?
items: The health facts you need to know about being taller
items: 6 common medical emergencies and what to do
items: When it's more serious than just 'fussy eating': a parent on how to negotiate 'ARFID'
items: I’m 48 with a biological age of 20. Here’s how I did it.
items: Is your child’s diet better than yours?
items: Healthy student meal plan
items: From boomers to Gen Z, which generation is the healthiest?
items: Is there too much sugar in baby food?
items: Sugar addiction and children

Can you avoid weight gain during menopause?
type: item
date: 2026-03-05T00:00:11.000Z
creator: Katy Bradbury
subject: Family health
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: goodhealth
description: Developing a bit of a tummy is a common experience for women during perimenopause. Can it be prevented, and is it even a problem?
encoded: For many midlife women, one of the changes they notice most – or first, before any other noticeable shifts – is weight creeping on, particularly around the middle. So many women tell me that this occurs even when nothing else has changed, and it can feel incredibly frustrating. We already know that body image issues can be a cause for poor mental health in menopausal women, not least because we live in a society that is still fat-phobic and that values youth above wisdom. It can feel a particularly poignant development for those experiencing natural midlife changes. When we have lived the first half of our lives being conditioned into the notion that looks and certain body shapes are currency, if these start to change it can feel like we are losing much of our value. It can take some rejigging of ingrained attitudes to fully appreciate midlife you, and your inherent worth. If you are looking for practical advice on how to support your body and wellbeing during this transition, you may find it helpful to explore this guide on what to eat during menopause, which offers dietary tips and lifestyle strategies tailored to this stage of life. What causes menopause weight gain? From a health point of view, the type of fat that’s more likely to be stored in perimenopause and beyond is called visceral fat which tends to be stored around the middle, and this type of fat is associated with cardio-metabolic risks. This is exemplified by the fact that throughout the lifespan, men are at higher risk of heart attack, up until menopause at which point women catch up. By understanding what’s happening in your body, and making supportive choices around food, movement, and lifestyle, you can feel more comfortable in your skin during this transition, as well as help buffer against some of the primary causes of death in the Western world. The years leading up to menopause (the point 12 months after your last period) are called perimenopause, and you can find out more about what this mean…

weight-gain-menopause-51f1345.jpg
width: 3333
height: 3333

The health facts you need to know about being taller
type: item
date: 2026-03-04T10:45:36.000Z
creator: Pete Wise
subject: Family health
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: goodhealth
description: Did you know that your height comes with health risks?
encoded: In some respects, being tall is like winning the wellbeing lottery. Studies have shown that adults of above-average height are less prone to heart disease, while widely enjoying social advantages including better academic outcomes and higher wages, both of which are linked to better health. However, there’s also evidence to suggest that taller people have a shorter lifespan. Certain health conditions affect tall men and women disproportionately, including several types of cancer, joint issues and bone fractures. As a pretty tall person (6'2"), I found myself wondering whether I should factor these potential problems into my nutrition. Many of us tailor our diets to suit our age, levels of exercise or life stages such as menopause – so should we extend the same thinking to our height? The tall and short of it: facts on human height The average adult height in the UK is around 5'9" for men and 5'4" for women. BMI calculations are often said to mislabel tall, slim people as overweight, as the formula used does not account well for how the body scales with height. Shoe size is roughly proportionate to height. It can be tricky to find shoes in UK sizes 12+ for men and 9+ for women. The standard door height in England and Wales is 6'6". Very tall people are forced to stoop. Most people are at their tallest early in the morning. Gravity compresses cartilage in the spine throughout the day, which can leave us around half an inch shorter by the end of the day. Do tall people need to eat more? The short answer is yes, but there are caveats… “In absolute terms, tall people are more likely to need more energy (and thus to eat more) to maintain their weight than shorter people,” says nutritionist Holly Dunn. “However, how much a person (tall or short) needs to eat depends on their overall body composition, activity levels and additional factors influencing their metabolism, such as their age, genetics, diet, hormones and even the unique composition of their gut microbiota.” So, …

Tape-measure-37bfd86.jpg
width: 3302
height: 3001

6 common medical emergencies and what to do
type: item
date: 2026-02-16T17:03:13.000Z
creator: Kayleigh Rattle
subject: Family health
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: goodhealth
subject: health and wellbeing
description: One minute everything’s fine and the next you’re facing an unexpected crisis. Here’s how to navigate everyday family emergencies calmly, and to promptly get the right help for you and your family
encoded: Whether it’s a burn, sprain, broken bone or choking incident, family life is often riddled with unexpected perils that will have you trying to stay calm while simultaneously finding the right kind of support. To help alleviate panic, here’s the lowdown on what to do if you’re faced with a common family health emergency. What is a medical emergency? Medical emergencies are illnesses or events which require professional medical care as soon as possible. You should call the local emergency services if you or someone you’re with experience a medical emergency. Without prompt medical care, there’s a risk of worsening health, which could lead to permanent or long-term damage to your body, or even death. The emergency: burns The scenario: Whether inquisitive little hands have accidentally reached for the hob, or someone has spilled boiling water from the kettle, a burn requires immediate attention, no matter the age of the person it’s happened to. How to tell if it’s serious: “The seriousness of burns should not be underestimated,” advises Rebecca Guy, senior policy manager at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. “They can be extremely painful and can even cause lifelong scarring. Any burn that is large, blistered, deep or affects sensitive areas like the face, hands or joints should be treated as serious.” What you should do: “The first step is always to cool the burn under cool running water for at least 20 minutes, then cover it with cling film,” explains Rebecca. You’ll also want to take a trip to A&E if the burn is serious. “Because children's skin is thinner and more vulnerable, even smaller burns can have lasting consequences. Parents should always seek medical attention immediately if their baby or a child is affected,” she adds. The emergency: choking The scenario: As much as we love and need food, errant bones or food not chopped or chewed properly before swallowing (especially with children and older people) can pose serious risks and result in cho…

everyday-health-emergencies-b288f48.jpg
width: 3333
height: 3333

When it's more serious than just 'fussy eating': a parent on how to negotiate 'ARFID'
type: item
date: 2026-02-04T12:42:06.000Z
creator: Amber Dalton
subject: Family health
subject: Health
subject: Eating disorders
subject: goodhealth
description: When does fussy eating in children become a bigger issue? One parent explains her son's ARFID diagnosis and the signs to look for
encoded: It wasn’t long after I arrived to pick up Stan*, then aged eight, from his first visit to a friend’s house that I finally resolved to speak to the GP about his eating – or rather lack of it. Although I’d warned his playmate’s mum that my son probably wouldn’t tuck into whatever she prepared (unless it happened to be a particular brand of margherita pizza) and that I’d feed him later, I found him alone at their dining table staring down a bowl of noodles, desperately hoping it would disappear. The other kids had presumably wolfed down their tea and gone back upstairs to play. In that moment, I realised I could no longer ignore what I had long suspected was more than a case of fussy eating. My child was clearly distressed by something that most of us find easy, if not downright pleasurable: the simple act of sharing a meal with friends. A few weeks later, I came across a podcast that described almost exactly what my son had shown signs of since infancy. Listening to a woman articulating how her limited diet was affecting her life proved that Stan was not alone – and that this condition had a name, ARFID. It was the impetus I needed to make an appointment with my son’s doctor. What is ARFID? Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is ‘a condition characterised by the person avoiding certain foods or types of food’, or sometimes restricting the amount they will eat (or both)’. If you’re nodding in recognition because your young child eats mostly beige foods or turns up their nose at broccoli, it’s important to understand that, with ARFID, the restrictive behaviour must "result in either physical impairment or significant interference with personal or social functioning, or both," explains clinical psychologist Rachel Bryant-Waugh, a consultant at the Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders and a specialist in ARFID. The symptoms aren’t so much low weight or reduced growth, but a negative impact on psychological wellbeing, for example making i…

Arfid-ea7780d.jpg
width: 2609
height: 2372

I’m 48 with a biological age of 20. Here’s how I did it.
type: item
date: 2025-12-19T14:10:59.000Z
creator: Emma Hartfield
subject: Family health
subject: Health
subject: ageing
subject: ageing well
subject: diet and ageing
description: Read on for the secret to eternal youth…
encoded: ‘Biological age’ is supposed to indicate the ‘real’ age of your body – or what age you are on the inside. It’s this that biohackers are trying to manipulate in their quest for longer, healthier lives. But I’m not a biohacker. I’m a quite tired, full-time editor, mother of two teenagers and wife to an overworked teacher. I don’t really exercise and I enjoy a drink. So how the hell is my biological age 20? Molecular biologist Dr Nichola Conlon is an expert on longevity, and explains: “Ultimately everything to do with the ageing process really starts on the inside at the cellular level. What's really interesting is that not everyone's biological age and chronological age match up. Some people are either ageing faster on the inside – in which case they have a higher biological age – or they're ageing slower on the inside, so their biological age is lower.” Dr Nichola appears on the podcast ‘What’s My Age Again?’, where comedian Katherine Ryan gives celebrity guests a biological age test. To give a bit of context, Katie Price was 70 (actual age 47), former footballer Jill Scott was 50 (38) and super scientist Prof Tim Spector was 42 (67). The test used in the show is the same one I tried, called GlycanAge. Jonathan White from the company says, “[it's] an at-home finger-prick blood test that measures your biological age through the lens of your immune system. We measure the chronic inflammation in your body and the patterns that cause it.” When I receive my rather fantastic results from Dr Nichola, I’m told that my inflammatory markers are in the top 1%. Most people in this centile are on some kind of supplement or medication to help with ageing or longevity (for instance HRT). Otherwise they have both good genes (family members living well into their 90s) and a very resilient immune system (with minimal inflammation). I’m not too sure how I’ve found myself here. My longevity genes don’t seem to be bad (my parents are soon turning 80 and look young for their age; but only…

Hero-8577cc8.jpg
width: 3883
height: 3530

Is your child’s diet better than yours?
type: item
date: 2025-10-03T09:25:13.000Z
creator: Catherine Rabess
subject: Family health
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: goodhealth
description: How many of us obsess about what we’re feeding our kids, while neglecting our own diet? Dietitian and mum Catherine shares her confessions and advice from the parenting frontline.
encoded: My three-year-old has eaten spinach pasta, carrots for breakfast and seeded sourdough this week. Sounds impressive – until you realise the spinach was blitzed into pesto, the carrots were hidden in porridge, and the sourdough was slathered in butter and jam. As both a dietitian and a parent, there’s an unspoken pressure to feed your child as though you’re raising a little monk: no sugar, no fast food and certainly nothing beige. While I genuinely believe that foods containing free sugars with no nutritional benefit, like sweets, should be limited in the early years, that doesn’t mean I abide by this rule religiously. The irony is, I often spend more time worrying about what goes into his mouth than my own. There have been many times I’ve fed him a nutritious balanced breakfast while I settle for a coffee and his crumbs. If parenting has taught me anything, it’s this: we’ll go to great lengths to make sure our kids are eating well, while forgetting our own plates in the process. So, is my toddler's diet better than mine? It depends on how you define “better.” What is ‘better’ anyway? Let’s be honest, “better” can mean different things depending on whether you’re scrolling Instagram or talking to a dietitian. Is a child’s diet better because it’s organic? Sugar-free? Packaged in eco-friendly, beige-toned pouches? A toddler’s diet should support growth and brain development, with carbohydrates for energy, protein for muscles, fats for the brain, and fruit and veg for vitamins and fibre. NHS guidelines recommend children aged 1-4 years eat a varied diet from the four main food groups: starchy foods, fruits and vegetables, protein foods (meat, fish, eggs, beans, tofu) and dairy or alternatives. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being consistent over time. A good diet isn’t measured by one meal or even one week. It’s a pattern, not a snapshot. And those baby-specific snacks? They can be a real lifesaver when you’re out and about and haven’t had time to prep anythin…

kids-diets-2dc06c1.jpg
width: 3333
height: 3333

Healthy student meal plan
type: item
creator: Kerry Torrens – Nutritionist
subject: Budget
subject: Family
subject: Family health
subject: Health
subject: Affordable
subject: Cheap
subject: Comfort
subject: Crowd
subject: Easy
subject: Freeze
subject: goodhealth
subject: Group
subject: Kerry Torrens
subject: Quick
subject: seven
subject: Student
subject: student meal plan
subject: Student meals
subject: Student recipes
subject: Uni
subject: University
description: Off to uni? Our Good Food nutritionist selects a range of cheap, quick and easy student recipes for seven days. They'll keep you fuelled for study, too
encoded: About the plan We’ve chosen our seven-day student suppers because they’re nutritious, balanced and cater to a range of dietary requirements. They’re budget meals, too, so they don’t require expensive ingredients, lots of equipment or previous cooking experience. This cheap student meal plan also aims to keep the selection of ingredients low so you can buy in bulk to keep costs down. And the best part is, all the suppers involve minimal prep and result in as little washing-up as possible. Recipes that serve four or more can be scaled back to account for smaller servings, or you can freeze extra portions for another time. Alternatively, team up with a couple of housemates and share the cooking and the cost. Check out our easy week-long meal plan of healthy student suppers below, then find more inspiration for student recipes, student meal ideas and healthy student meals. Also, make sure you are kitted out with all the right equipment by reading our review of the best student kitchen essentials. Our new meal plan hub has all our meal plans in one place. This guide was brought to you by Cook Smart, a campaign designed by Good Food experts to help you save money and reduce food waste. Dive into more Cook Smart content in our budget hub. Student budget meal plan recipes Monday: Vegan jambalaya Kickstart the week with a delicious plant-based dinner. This vegan rice and bean one-pot is packed with all five of your 5-a-day, as well as iron, vitamin C and fibre to boot. Tuesday: Sardine pasta On Tuesday, turn your hand to this simple and comforting sardine pasta. It's an affordable way to include oily fish in your diet; canned sardines are a great source of omega 3 and add plenty of oomph. Wednesday: Double bean & roasted pepper chilli This warming vegetarian chilli is perfect for packing in the veggies and flavour. A low-fat, healthy option, we like to serve it with soured cream or yoghurt as well as Tabasco sauce for a kick. Thursday: Vegan chickpea curry jacket potato Low …

Vegan-Jamabyla-ef2d4eb.png
width: 1299
height: 1181

From boomers to Gen Z, which generation is the healthiest?
type: item
date: 2025-08-08T09:54:12.000Z
creator: Vicky Chandler
subject: Family health
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: ageing
subject: ageing well
subject: goodhealth
description: When it comes to living the healthiest, which generation has cracked the code?
encoded: Gen Zers are sober-curious, screen-savvy and doing their breathwork before breakfast, while boomers are striding into their later life on a diet of oily fish and good red wine. And millennials? Well, I’m somewhere between oat milk, burnout and infrared saunas, but we’re trying… When it comes to living the healthiest, which generation has actually cracked the code? With the help of expert insight, data dives and a few sweeping (but loving) generational stereotypes, we’re here to find out who’s really living their best life. Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) How to identify: The original wellness rebels, who once smoked on planes and had a couple of wines at lunch hour, but now walk 10k steps a day and keep a close eye on their cholesterol. Many are retired or close to it, with more time and disposable income to invest in their health. Favourite dishes and food trends: The meat-and-two-veg generation, who are lovers of real butter and custard-laden puddings. They came of age with the rise of convenience food, but many have since returned to scratch cooking. Olive oil is big, and so is a trip to M&S. While they might roll their eyes at avocado toast, they do take their supplements with pride. Healthy habits: Baby boomers have seen public health advice evolve at a rapid rate. They may not be regulars at the local Crossfit gym, but they’re pretty active – walking, gardening, swimming, yoga, golf. However, fewer take part in strength-training or structured fitness; alcohol consumption remains fairly high (they’re known as ‘the booziest generation’) and although many have quit smoking, the habit has left a long tail of chronic illness. What the data says: This generation is living longer than any before them, but are not always healthier. In research from UCL, baby boomers were one and a half times more likely than previous generations to have cancer, lung disease, heart problems and high cholesterol as they entered their 50s and 60s. According to the NHS, 71 per cent of baby …

gen-z-vs-boomer-bc7f59e.jpg
width: 3333
height: 3333

Is there too much sugar in baby food?
type: item
date: 2025-06-04T14:28:48.000Z
creator: Dr Frankie Phillips – Registered dietitian and public health nutritionist
subject: Family health
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: Baby food
subject: Dr Frankie Phillips
subject: goodhealth
subject: homemade baby food
subject: sugar in baby food
subject: weaning
description: The sugar content of baby food has been brought under the spotlight with a report revealing many foods promoted as ‘healthy’ snack choices are anything but...
encoded: Is there too much sugar in baby food? With headlines suggesting some UK baby pouch foods contain as much sugar as a fizzy drink, navigating the UK baby food market seems to be as challenging as ever. We asked dietitian and child nutritionist Dr Frankie Phillips to talk us through why some of these options may be dangerous for a baby's health. The formative years The first years of a baby’s life are crucial for establishing healthy eating habits. However, statistics suggest that during these months children are already starting to consume ‘free sugars,’ the type we should all limit in our diets. In fact, some toddlers are eating in excess of the amount advised for children of four years and older. Much of the problem is down to misleading messages that dupe parents into buying products they believe to be ‘healthy’. In fact, many of these products could be argued to carry a health ‘halo’ declaring ‘no added sugar’, ‘organic’ etc. when in fact they contain high levels of naturally occurring ‘free’ sugars from ingredients like concentrated fruit juice or processed fruit purée. A recent study by the University of Leeds found half of the baby foods they assessed contained inappropriate levels of sugar and a quarter were so excessive they would warrant warning labels under the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. The study also found that one in five first weaning foods were too low in energy to support healthy growth and 14 per cent of the vegetable-based meals did not contain adequate protein. Why the baby food sector needs guidance Although some baby food brands are working to reduce the sugars in their products, there are still some with unsuitable sugar levels and misleading labelling. The industry focus has been primarily on commercial baby foods and snacks, leading us to ask whether ready-made jars and pouches, as well as snack foods, have a place in the diet of babies and young children. Some brands actively undermine the UK government’s advice on weaning, s…

Baby-food440-c0812d3.jpg
width: 440
height: 400

Sugar addiction and children
type: item
date: 2025-06-04T11:49:13.000Z
creator: Dr Frankie Phillips – Registered dietitian and public health nutritionist
subject: Family health
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: How to
subject: children and sugar
subject: Dr Frankie Phillips
subject: goodhealth
subject: how much sugar should children eat?
description: Why is it children love sugar? We explore the science that explains why our kids seem addicted to all things sweet, and take a look at the way our tastebuds change as we age.
encoded: Children seem to have a much higher tolerance for sugary foods, but how do our tastebuds develop as we get older? Registered dietitian Dr Frankie Phillips takes a look at the scientific reasons behind our preferences for sweet flavours. Discover our healthy family recipes, healthy kids' recipes and low-sugar recipes. Plus, read how much sugar should children have. Babies, breast milk and beyond Babies have an innate preference for sweetness, starting with the slightly sweet taste of breast milk. They also have more sensitive tastebuds (and many more of them), so new foods can offer an intense explosion of flavour, which might not always be that welcomed. A baby's mouth has more nerve endings per square millimetre than any other part of their body, which explains why babies explore new objects with their mouths. It’s also worth remembering that what mum eats while pregnant and breastfeeding may also shape her baby’s taste preferences. Recent research suggests that limiting sugar exposure in-utero and during the first two years of your child’s life may help protect against conditions like type-2 diabetes later in life. As your infant develops, you’ll notice they seem to have a natural instinct to search out energy-rich foods. No great surprise then that kids have a genetic disposition for seeking out the sweet stuff! What is a supertaster? Some children find new (especially bitter) tastes more acceptable because their tastebuds are programmed to be less sensitive. Others are ‘supertasters’, meaning they have a heightened sense of taste. It’s partly a survival mechanism, since many poisonous plants also taste bitter or sour, making them less appealing, so we are hardwired to avoid them. These supertasters might find the bitter taste of brassica and cruciferous vegetables such as brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower very challenging. The good news is that we can learn to accept these tastes, which, given the nutritional benefits of these foods, is excellent news. D…

Sugar-kids440-305b3a8.jpg
width: 440
height: 400