Rob Hobson Nutritionist, Cardiff (2026)

03/02/2026

Has healthy eating become overcomplicated?
 I think it has and not because nutrition science is confusing, but because we’re surrounded by noise.

What often gets missed online is that we already have clear, evidence-based healthy eating advice in the UK. The Eatwell Guide is built around a small number of core messages, and I’ve grouped them into 9 simple bits of advice, including quantitative targets like fibre and oily fish, because that’s how most people understand and apply guidance.

Before optimisation, biohacking or cutting carbs, it’s worth asking whether the basics are in place.

The 9 Eatwell principles (my simplified version) 👇
 1️⃣ Eat at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day 2️⃣ Base meals on higher-fibre starchy carbohydrates (wholegrains) 3️⃣ Aim for around 30g fibre per day 4️⃣ Include beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat or other protein sources 5️⃣ Eat fish regularly, including oily fish once a week 6️⃣ Include some dairy or fortified alternatives 7️⃣ Choose unsaturated fats and keep portions small 8️⃣ Cut back on foods high in fat, salt and sugar 9️⃣ Pay attention to portions, balance and overall diet quality

The Eatwell Guide isn’t perfect and it was never meant to be. 
It’s population-level public health advice for the majority of people, even though much of the criticism comes from a performance or optimisation lens that most people aren’t actually eating within.

Yes, it’s quite carb-focused visually, and many people especially active adults, older people, or those trying to lose fat would likely benefit from more emphasis on protein. That’s a fair criticism. But as a framework, it still promotes the fundamentals most people are missing: fibre, food quality, regular eating and balance.

Nutrition doesn’t need to be extreme to be effective.
 👉 Be honest — how many of the 9 do you follow?

31/01/2026

These are 3 nutrient-dense breads designed for small appetites. 
These are not “diet breads” but breads that actually delivers fibre, protein and useful nutrition per slice.

When appetite is low, whether due to busy days or GLP-1 medication food quality matters more than volume. That’s where nutrient-dense bread earns its place as it provides a nourishing base without needing large portions.

Breads like these can help support protein intake, fibre intake and gut health when you’re eating less, without relying on ultra-processed “easy calories”.

What you add on top can stay simple and still work hard nutritionally:
 – Oily fish like sardines, mackerel or smoked salmon – Eggs or cottage cheese for compact protein – Hummus, beans or lentils for fibre and minerals – Nut butter, seeds or avocado for healthy fats

This is the exact approach I share in The Low Appetite Cookbook, practical, evidence-based nutrition for people who don’t want (or can’t manage) big meals.

👉 Link in bio 👉 Follow me for morerealistic, science-led nutrition advice.

30/01/2026

This carbohydrate paper is being used to make some big claims online but many of them don’t hold up.
Here’s what’s being said, and what the research actually shows 👇

Claim 1: “High-carb fuelling has been fundamentally wrong for decades.” This is a narrative review, not new experimental data. It doesn’t show carbs don’t work it reframes why they work during long endurance exercise.

Claim 2: “You only need tiny amounts of carbs because performance is controlled by the brain.” The paper discusses exercise-induced hypoglycaemia, where low blood glucose triggers the brain to limit effort. Carbohydrate helps by maintaining blood glucose. That doesn’t mean muscle glycogen stops mattering especially as intensity rises.

Claim 3: “Fat-adapted athletes perform just as well on very little carbohydrate.” This mainly applies to steady-state endurance. It does not generalise to racing, repeated surges, sprint finishes, or high-intensity training where carbohydrate availability remains strongly linked to performance.

Claim 4: “High-carb fuelling increases diabetes risk in athletes.” There’s no long-term outcome data showing this. Acute metabolic changes during exercise are not the same as chronic disease, and endurance athletes consistently show lower diabetes risk than the general population.

Claim 5: “You only ever need 10–15 g carbs per hour.” That relates to preventing low blood glucose in specific contexts. It does not replace the dose-response evidence supporting higher carbohydrate intakes during hard training, long sessions, repeated high-intensity work, and racing, where carbohydrate availability underpins performance and training quality.

What this paper adds is nuance, not a reversal of sports nutrition.

For long, steady efforts, fuelling to maintain blood glucose may be sufficient. But higher intakes still matter as intensity, power output, and training demands increase.

Carbs aren’t the enemy. More isn’t always better. Context still matters.

Study: PMID 41562187

28/01/2026

If your appetite is low, breakfast needs a different approach.

Whether that’s due to stress, illness, recovery, life changes or medications like GLP-1s then forcing down a big meal rarely helps. What does help is making smaller portions work harder nutritionally.

That’s why these recipes focus on nutrient-dense breakfasts:
 ✔️ high-quality protein to support muscle and recovery ✔️ fibre to support gut health and appetite regulation later in the day ✔️ energy-dense ingredients like eggs, seeds, nuts, dairy and wholegrains without large volumes of food

If you’re not a morning eater, you don’t need to suddenly love breakfast. Start small:
 • a few bites rather than a full portion • softer or easier-to-eat foods • eating within 60–90 minutes of waking, not immediately • consistency over quantity even something small still counts (boiled egg, small handful of nuts, small serving of yoghurt)

For anyone using GLP-1 medication, this protein-first, low-volume approach becomes especially important not just for weight loss, but for long-term health and muscle protection.

All of these recipes are from The Low Appetite Cookbook designed for smaller appetites, changing appetites and real life. 👉 Link in bio

Follow for nutrient-dense recipes and evidence-based nutrition advice.
 

27/01/2026

. Mornings are when I like to check in which means a quiet moment, a cup of de-caff, and sometimes a quick blood pressure reading.

Monitoring your blood pressure at home can help you understand more about your heart health and how your lifestyle supports it. Knowing your numbers means you are more in control of your health.

The Braun ExactFit™ 2 is a medical device designed to make that easy with clear, colour-coded guidance that helps you interpret your results:

💚 Green – normal blood pressure
💛 Yellow – mild hypertension
🧡 Orange – moderate hypertension
❤️ Red – severe hypertension

If you keep having hypertension results, consult your GP.

I like to check in now and then as part of a balanced routine starting the day calmly, moving my body, and cooking simple, heart-healthy meals with plenty of plants, greens, and olive oil.
You can find the Braun ExactFit™ 2

25/01/2026

Silken Tofu and Brown Rice Bowl with Sesame, Lime and Avocado

I know tofu isn’t for everyone but honestly, try this. 
When it’s done simply and paired with the right flavours, it can be incredibly comforting, light and genuinely delicious, especially when appetite is low. One of the biggest challenges with plant-based low appetite eating (including for people using GLP-1 medications) is getting enough protein into a smaller portion. Tofu is one of the easiest ways to do that. It’s soft, easy to eat and delivers plant protein without feeling heavy.

This silken tofu and brown rice bowl is built around protein stacking. Alongside tofu, it includes edamame beans and toasted sesame seeds to gently boost protein, fibre and minerals without increasing volume. Brown rice provides slow-release energy, avocado adds healthy fats, and the sesame, lime and ginger dressing brings everything together.

It’s a light, high-protein, plant-based meal that works when appetite isn’t what it used to
be.

Serves 2 | 350 kcal | 16.5g protein | 6.5g fibre
Ingredients 
2 tsp light soy sauce Juice of ½ lime 2 tsp sesame oil 1cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated 200g silken tofu 180g cooked short-grain brown rice 80g frozen edamame beans, defrosted ½ small avocado, diced 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds 1 tbsp chopped coriander

Method
 1.Whisk the soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil and ginger to make the dressing. 2.Gently warm the silken tofu until heated through, keeping it as intact as possible. 3.Reheat the rice, spoon into bowls and top with edamame and avocado. Place the tofu on top and break it up slightly. 4.Drizzle over the dressing and finish with sesame seeds and coriander. Serve warm.

Nutrients >30% RDA: folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin K Nutrients >15% RDA: calcium, potassium, zinc, vitamins B1, B3, B6, C, E

👉 Follow me for more low-appetite, high-protein, nutrient-dense meals 📘 The Low Appetite Cookbook — link in bio

24/01/2026

Supporting gut health doesn’t need to be complicated, it’s about regularly including fermented foods, fibre and plant compounds that help your gut microbiome thrive.

I developed this pineapple, ginger and kefir tonic with basil chia pearls for as part of their 30-Day Gut Reset. It combines fermented kefir for beneficial bacteria, ginger to gently support digestion, basil for polyphenols, and chia seeds to feed the gut with soluble fibre.

Pineapple, ginger & kefir tonic with basil chia pearls Serves 1 | 300 calories | 14g protein | 6.5g fibre

Ingredients
 200ml plain kefir (or coconut kefir) 100ml pineapple juice ½ tsp fresh grated ginger 1 tsp honey (optional) 1 tbsp chia seeds 4–5 basil leaves, torn

Method
 1. Mix the chia seeds with the pineapple juice and leave for 10 minutes to thicken into soft pearls.
2. Stir the kefir with ginger and honey in a glass, then spoon in the basil chia mixture to create layers. Finish with extra basil.

A simple, refreshing way to support digestive health and your gut microbiome.

👉 Join Bio-Kult’s 30-Day Gut Reset

22/01/2026

I get why food tracking and calorie counting apps are popular.
 For some people, at certain times, they can be genuinely helpful.

Tracking food intake can highlight patterns you hadn’t noticed, offer a short-term reality check, or add structure during a specific goal or phase. I’ll even ask clients to track briefly if it helps us understand what’s really going on nutritionally.

But…. tracking every mouthful long-term isn’t realistic or necessary for good health.

Even when done properly, food tracking has limitations. If I were analysing intake professionally, I’d use specialist nutrition software and robust food tables like the UK CoFID food database. Even then, it’s still not 100% accurate. Tracking relies heavily on self-reporting, estimating portion sizes, logging home-cooked recipes, selecting the right shop-bought foods, and remembering to log everything that’s eaten. That margin for error adds up quickly.

What I see far more often is people becoming overly focused on numbers and particularly protein intake while other fundamentals quietly fall away, like fibre, plant diversity, meal timing and enjoyment. The data can start to feel more authoritative than your own hunger and fullness cues.

Nutrition isn’t just maths. It’s behaviour, routine, stress, hormones and real-life context which are all the things an app can’t measure.

What matters most to me is helping people build food awareness so understanding appetite, energy levels and how food fits into daily life. That’s what supports long-term health, body composition and a healthier relationship with food and not perfect logging.

If food tracking works for you short-term, great.
 Just don’t let the app replace your body as the decision-maker.

21/01/2026

There’s been a lot in the news this week about GLP-1 ready meals and GLP-1-friendly foods landing in UK supermarkets.

What interests me most isn’t the products themselves it’s where this could lead if we’re not careful with how we frame them.

GLP-1 medications haven’t created a new way of eating. They’ve highlighted something that already exists: low appetite eating. And that affects far more people than just those using weight-loss medication like older adults, people living with illness, those recovering from treatment, people under stress, or anyone whose appetite has quietly changed over time.

That’s why I’m cautious about turning GLP-1 into a food category.

We’ve seen this cycle before with low fat, low carb, keto, clean, slimming… now GLP-1. When food is framed around weight loss rather than nourishment, the market tends to optimise for claims over quality, convenience over food, and margins over nutrition.

The risk is that we end up back where we started, just with new language.

There’s also a danger that nutrient density gets reduced to a checklist of protein grams, fibre grams, added vitamins rather than whole foods, digestion, tolerance and real nutritional value, which matter most when appetite is low. And once food becomes niche or medicalised, it often becomes more expensive. Low appetite eating shouldn’t come with a premium price tag.

That’s why it’s encouraging to see some supermarkets focusing on nutrient-dense meals in smaller portions, without shouting about dieting or being “GLP-1 friendly”. That approach keeps low appetite eating normal, inclusive and accessible not niche.

GLP-1 offers an opportunity to improve how we nourish people when they eat less. If we get the framing wrong, we risk recreating diet culture under a medical name.

That’s not innovation. That’s just good nutrition.

19/01/2026

When appetite is low, eating well needs a different strategy. 
Not bigger portions but better nutrition in smaller meals.

These dinners are all nutrient-dense, meaning they deliver protein, fibre and key vitamins and minerals in modest portions. That matters whether appetite is reduced due to GLP-1 medication, stress, illness, recovery, hormones, ageing or simply eating less overall.

My approach to low appetite eating is simple:
 • Start small as smaller meals feel more manageable • Focus on nutrient density so every bite counts • Stay flexible because you can always add to meals if appetite allows

In my new book, The Low Appetite Cookbook (link in bio) every recipe includes a full micronutrient breakdown showing which nutrients reach 15% and 30% of daily RDA, alongside practical protein and nutrient boosters so meals can be adapted to suit your appetite, energy levels and goals.

Preparation matters when appetite is unpredictable. That’s why I’m a big believer in batch cooking, simple meal prepand having nourishing food ready to go so eating well doesn’t rely on motivation in the moment.

Low appetite eating isn’t about forcing food. It’s about working with your appetite, not against it.

👉 Follow me for more nutrient-dense recipes in smaller serving sizes and evidence-based nutrition advice.

17/01/2026

Lentil, Chicken and Roast Carrot Protein Bowl

When appetite is low, every mouthful needs to work harder.

That’s the approach I take when supporting low appetite eating, including for people using GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic or Wegovy. Smaller portions can still deliver protein, fibre and key micronutrients when meals are built from nutrient-dense whole foods.

This Lentil, Chicken and Roast Carrot Protein Bowl is a great example. It’s warm, balanced and satisfying, with a mix of plant and animal protein to support fullness without feeling heavy.

Roasted carrots add natural sweetness and colour, while lentils provide fibre and plant protein to support gut health. Finished with yoghurt, herbs and pomegranate seeds, it’s a simple bowl that delivers a lot nutritionally in a manageable portion.

Serves 2 | 313 kcal | 31g protein | 6.6g fibre
Ingredients 
200g carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1cm slices 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil ½ small red onion, finely chopped ½ tsp cumin seeds 120g cooked puy lentils 30g baby spinach, shredded 150g cooked chicken breast, sliced 2 tbsp Kefir or Greek-style yoghurt Small squeeze of lemon juice Chopped coriander or mint 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds Sea salt and black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan. Toss the carrots with 1 tsp olive oil, season and roast for 20–25 minutes until tender and lightly golden.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a non-stick pan. Cook the onion with cumin seeds for 2–3 minutes until soft and fragrant.
3. Add the lentils, roasted carrots and spinach and cook for 2 minutes until the spinach wilts. Stir through the chicken with a splash of water and heat gently.
4. Mix the yoghurt with lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
5. Serve the lentil mixture warm, topped with yoghurt drizzle, herbs and pomegranate seeds.

Nutrients >30% RDA: folate, phosphorus, selenium, vitamins A, B3, B6, K Nutrients >15% RDA: iron, potassium, zinc, vitamin C
 👉 Follow me for more nutrient-dense recipes that work when appetite isn’t what it used to be. 📘 My new book is out now — link in bio.

15/01/2026

✨ COMPETITION TIME ✨

To say thank you for being here, I’m giving one lucky follower the chance to win:

📚 ALL FOUR of my cookbooks
 • The Detox Kitchen Bible • Unprocess Your Life • Unprocess Your Family Life • The Low Appetite Cookbook

PLUS
 💷 A £150 Amazon voucher

So, if you’re looking to cook more from scratch, cut back on ultra-processed foods and make healthy eating work for you, this bundle has all you need:

To enter:
 🌱 Like this post 🌱 Follow  🌱 Tag a friend in the comments (each tag counts as an additional entry)The more friends you tag, the more chances to win.

⏰ Competition closes:

29th January 2026 at 23:59 (GMT)

Terms:

– open to 18+ UK residents only – Business / competition accounts are not eligible – The winner will be selected at random and notified by DM – This promotion is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by META

Good luck 🤞 

Rob Hobson Nutritionist

03/02/2026

31/01/2026

30/01/2026

28/01/2026

27/01/2026

25/01/2026

24/01/2026

22/01/2026

21/01/2026

19/01/2026

17/01/2026

15/01/2026

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