Plans by the European Commission to allow claims that sugary drinks and energy drinks containing caffeine boost alertness or concentration have been vetoed by the European Parliament.

Andrea Mara got over her initial fears of choking to embrace baby-led weaning, and hasn’t looked back since, especially as it meant the end of peeling and puréeing.

Parents looking for healthy options for their children can now turn to top chef Neven Maguire’s homegrown food bible for recipe ideas, writes Marjorie Brennan.

That January credit card made Kay Cairns baulk and so she’s been on a strict budget since. She is managing to eat well for an incredible €30 a week

People need to re-train their palate so they can eat savoury and not crave sugar says Helen O’Callaghan

Major supermarkets are coming under increased pressure to have sweet-free checkouts after Tesco stole a march on them by removing sugary treats from the tills in all their stores.

Beyoncé, Gwenth Paltrow and Sarah Jessica Parker have deprived themselves of solid food for days on end in order to lose weight.

Clinical dieticians say community-based childhood obesity services are either rare or non-existent.

IRELAND has one of the fastest growing rates of obesity. The National Taskforce on Obesity says 40% of Irish adults are overweight and 18% of those are obese. Our children are following suit. With Nourish Children Week (Apr 15 to 19) just behind us, experts say children should be fed properly from the moment they eat solids.

IRELAND has the fourth highest prevalence of asthma in the world.

Helen O’Callaghan gets the skinny from experts on the latest blockbuster diet which promises results in six weeks flat.

LIFE can be pretty hectic for new parents — the constant schedule of feeding, changing, bathing and sleeping can leave even the most organised people feeling flustered.

ONE in three Irish patients admitted to hospital earlier this year were found to be malnourished, a new study reveals.

A COOK book specifically focused on the needs of people on dialysis treatment has been launched by a Cork-based survivor of life-threatening kidney disease.

PARENTS were yesterday warned they are putting their children’s health at risk by unwittingly giving them too much salt in their diet.

IRISH healthy eating campaigners yesterday welcomed a decision by the makers of Mars bars to abandon advertising aimed at young children.

THE makers of Ireland’s most popular chocolate bars are to put ‘energy ratings’ on the front of their wrappers to help buyers eat more healthily.

YOUNGSTERS are still getting a diet high in junk food and low in nutrients despite moves by snack manufacturers to make their products healthier, nutrition experts said last night.

PARENTS who do their homework on the school lunch are helping to boost their child’s performance in class, according to the National Dairy Council (NDC).

New mums are under enormous pressure to slim down almost immediately after giving birth, it was claimed today.

THE importance of a healthy diet to keep the brain ticking over during the stressful days and weeks of exams has been stressed by the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI).

A new scheme for people on social welfare diet supplements is to be drawn up after a study found that food costs varied by up to 60% between corner shops and supermarkets.