12/10/2025
🥦 The Shocking State of Our Children’s Nutrition 😢
With National Nutrition Week here, I need to shed some light on something close to my heart; the nutrition status of Aussie kids.
Brace yourself…the stats are horrifying:
📊 1 in 5 kids has a nutrient deficiency that affects growth, energy or learning (AHS, 2022)
🩸 8% under 5s are iron deficient → fatigue, poor attention, delayed development (AIHW, 2023)
🌤️ 30% have vitamin D deficiency → weaker bones & immunity (MJA, 2021)
🍞 Restricted diets can cause micronutrient deficiencies even if energy intake seems fine (RCH)
📉 Up to 10% experience faltering growth — 1/3 go unrecognised (ADC, 2019)
🧠 Undernourished past age 2 = up to 13 IQ points lost + lifelong height/muscle impacts (WHO, 2021)
🥛 1 in 10 infants has a food allergy, the highest rate in the world (ASCIA, 2023), 70% are malnourished without Dietitian input
🌱 Early nutrition care = 3x more likely to catch up in growth + 2x more likely to reach milestones (UNICEF, 2022)
Yet most parents think:
“They’re eating something… they must be fine.”
But they might not be fine.
⚠️ Missing out on full growth potential
⚠️ Living with undiagnosed intolerances
⚠️ Struggling with learning or focus
⚠️ Compromised bone density (built early in life)
⚠️ Higher lifelong risk of chronic disease
I often find these issues by accident…a parent says,
“I can’t make this meal because my child doesn’t eat meat.”
We test, find an iron deficiency, do a few nutrition sessions… and the child is eating, learning, and sleeping better.
It shouldn’t be luck that determines whether a child’s nutrition issues are found and fixed.
👶 Introducing Our Nutrition Screening Program
We’ve launched a Nutrition Screening Program to make early intervention easier & more affordable; and it’s now available to all families via Telehealth 💻
📄 Download our FREE screening form, link in comments
📧 Email it back with payment ($75)
👩⚕️ A Paediatric Dietitian will review and contact you with next steps
❤️ Let’s help every child live their healthiest, happiest life, because the earlier we intervene, the bigger the lifelong impact.
