Blog posts

Who is the biggest waster?

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:56:10 GMT

As part of our Food Waste campaign we provided diaries for you to print out and fill in. Here in the office, four of us decided to join in. The results are in…

Food dates and food waste

Fri, 03 May 2013 11:03:30 GMT

One of the most common questions we get asked is the difference between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates on foods. “Don’t they mean the same thing?” you ask. If you are confused you are not alone.

Community Food Initiatives Programme 2013-15

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:45:23 GMT

Community Food Initiatives are projects that improve the availability, affordability and accessibility of healthy, safe food for low income groups at a local level.

Balancing out the EGGcess calories

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:50:32 GMT

Avoiding chocolate and all the Easter goodies is going to be challenging over the next week. So how do we avoid putting on extra weight?

All the single ladies, all the single ladies…

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:06:51 GMT

Whether you are a student, or just like me are living on your own, you can learn to shop for and cook tasty, healthy and inexpensive meals.

Six Nations-themed recipes

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 09:53:46 GMT

To paraphrase a quote by comedian Bob Hope, if you watch a sport it's fun, if you play a sport, it's recreation, if you work at a sport, it's golf.

Killian Byrne - Operation Transformation – One Year On

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 12:37:38 GMT

Our guest blogger Killian Byrne, event manager and Dad of two, was a leader on Operation Transformation last year. He has continued his amazing lifestyle change since his time on the show ended in 2012. Read on to find out how he did it.

What we can learn about food safety from our garden

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 10:42:42 GMT

Just like plants, bacteria can ‘wake up’ when there’s a change in their environment but stop growing when conditions are unfavourable.

Fuel for Fitness

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:34:30 GMT

If you're one of the lucky ones who got to register for the Operation Transformation annual 5km run you’ve probably thought about what gear you’re going to wear. But have you thought about what you're going to eat and drink?

Refill and Refuel?

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 10:16:52 GMT

It’s hard to stick to a healthy diet on the road. Road trips, whether for business or pleasure, often include the kinds of food you would never dream of eating at home.

Road(show) to success

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:58:08 GMT

I made two resolutions this year…1). Procrastinate less, which I’m hoping to start in October or so, and 2). Exercise more and eat a bit healthier.

Feeding the world, food waste and obesity

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:05:55 GMT

Here is a big question - will food rationing be part of future solutions to the obesity crisis?

Waste not, want not

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 12:20:44 GMT

..you’ll follow a crow for that some day!

Supplements and the common cold

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 12:40:09 GMT

I’m acutely aware of the joys of the winter cold. The paracetamol, honey and lemon have taken the edge off my cold but I haven’t been amused over the last couple of days when friends said...

Losing weight - what works?

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 10:00:45 GMT

Commercial diets and diet books often promise quick fixes, and let’s be honest, most of us would love a quick fix. Unfortunately though, these diets tend to be unsustainable. "So what does work?"

The Horrors of Trick or Treats!

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:04:10 GMT

Last year neither child came home with one piece of fruit or one peanut. Instead they were laden down with chocolates, chewy bars, crisps, candied popcorn and a variety of other high sugar, high fat content 'GOODIES'?

Cancer: A conversation that we should be having.

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 10:46:24 GMT

The evidence that a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of most cancers is strong. As a nutritionist it’s a message that I often give.

Sharing IS caring!

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 14:11:51 GMT

My sister was very quick to remind me that my own Friday night usually starts out with “Can I have two number sixes and a number, a number 17?"

From the edges of the Universe to kitchens everywhere

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 08:42:53 GMT

This week safefood will bring our ‘Germ Scene Investigation’ stand to the Ploughing Championships from the 25th – 27th September.

Is there an App for That?

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:43:16 GMT

I outline four of my favourite apps, the constant battle with my own weight and how app technology has helped me with my struggle.

Feeding the sporty teenager

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:59:40 GMT

‘Back to school’ time is now upon us. For many it’s a welcome return to some routine and order at home, and food plays a big role in this.

Kids in the Kitchen

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:47:00 GMT

Oops… picture the mess… cracked eggs miss the bowl, flour on the floor, sticky fingers BUT plenty of laughing can be heard. It’s Kids in the Kitchen!

My first day at school

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:31:46 GMT

Do you remember your first day at school? I won’t tell you what year it was, but there was a lot of polyester around and most lunches involved salami sandwiches and Blue Riband bars.

Late night takeaways: Do you want fries with that?

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 08:28:19 GMT

My better half was not too impressed when I informed him that his preference, a quarter pounder with cheese and bacon meal, also contributed to over half his GDA for calories, total and saturated fat and salt.

Food and Drink sponsorship and sport

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 09:40:54 GMT

If the Olympics are to be true to their motto of “inspiring a generation”, having fast food and beer as the main sponsors as well as an official “treats provider” are not the way to go.

(Not) Working 9 to 5…

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 09:28:14 GMT

Picture it! As I write this post, somewhere in the world it’s the middle of the night and even though most will be snug in their beds, there will be someone, somewhere – working!

New dietary guidelines in the Republic of Ireland

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 08:45:41 GMT

Last month the Dept. Health issued new dietary guidelines for the Republic of Ireland for adults and children over 5 years old. While the pyramid format remains the same, these new guidelines put a greater emphasis on portion sizes and reducing ‘treat foods’. Dr. Aileen McGloin has the low down.

Food safety ads and cooking

Tue, 08 May 2012 13:07:12 GMT

Our latest food safety TV advertisement. Effective or over the top? We explain why we think it won’t affect whether a person chooses to cook or not..

We'll be back soon!

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:02:29 GMT

Thanks for visiting our blog which is currently undergoing some work. We will be back posting soon. If you’ve got comments about what we have written to date or thoughts on future topics you would be interested in...

At the end of the day, what can you do about night eating?

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 09:52:08 GMT

You heard it here first! Nutritionists are human too. Unlike certain TV nutritionists we don’t get up at five am to puree mung beans and like all you normal folks out there, we like things like chocolate and ice-cream...

I'll be right over for leftovers!

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:53:18 GMT

Thanks to Aileen for her great blog post last week and lots of your comments in reply; we appreciate hearing from you and keep them coming. Like leftovers? To be honest, I've never really considered leftovers as the basis of a recipe, at least ...

The power of role modelling

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 09:53:47 GMT

Kids do the funniest things. Especially when they start to mimic those around them. Whether it's their favourite character on television (my 2 and-a-bit year old thinks he is a Fireman), a friend or adult in their lives, children have an ability to ...

Why learning about food should be child's play

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:54:35 GMT

The blog is back! Sorry for missing the post last week. I was speaking at a conference we hosted on Thursday in Cork called "Salt: Hard to Shake" which launched new salt research and showed we're still eating way too much salt in our diets. (you can...

You will, you will, you will

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 13:58:10 GMT

Are social niceties part of our obesity problem? It’s hard not to giggle to yourself when you think of the sketch from Father Ted where Pauline McLynn, a.k.a. the famous Mrs. Doyle, insists on tea...

Food for Thought...need your ideas!

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:54:54 GMT

Here's some food for thought over the weekend. Sorry, I meant "Thought for Food". Thought For Food is a brand new initiative that hopes to generate new ideas to tackle the world’s food issues. 60 students from 12 of Europe’s leading universities...

Testing children's meals..

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:41:30 GMT

There was a really interesting article by Ailin Quinlan in the Independent earlier this week on children's meals and just what's in them.. What's I like about this article is that they've gone to the trouble of showing...

Do you want some pinks instead of greens?

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:54:12 GMT

Thanks to Aileen for a great post last week on sleep and weight - I feel refreshed! Here's something to brighten up a gloomy August Friday and for filing under I-can't-believe-they-didn't-think-of-that-sooner. Rainbow coloured cauliflower. Now avai...

Worried about your weight? Don't close your eyes to the benefits of sleep!

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:50:05 GMT

How many hours of sleep do you normally get each night? 5? 6? 7? 8? More at the weekends? Oh, lucky you if you do! Everybody knows that getting enough sleep is important. Well, we soon find out if we don’t. There’s nothing as lousy as yawning your ...

Eating out with kids

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:45:26 GMT

There was a launch during the week of a scheme to help encourage children to eat a little healthier when eating out in a restaurant. It's called "Kids Size Me" and at its heart is a label on the menu to show that a restaurant offer a child-friendly p...

Summer food...makes me feel fine

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:04:24 GMT

Since about 1.00-ish yesterday, my eldest son is one of those "boys of summer". Lucky thing. Months of sleeping late/playing outside 'til all hours/going places/doing sportscamps/watching cartoons/not getting dressed until lunchtime... And foo...

We're men....we've lots to talk about

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:53:08 GMT

Men. Sure, we're usually a species of few words at the best of times. But hopefully this week, we'll have lots to talk about. It's Men's Health Week and there's plenty happening to remind us hunter-gathers to talk about things for a change and get ...

Star Chefs...The Next Generation

Wed, 25 May 2011 13:00:00 GMT

Star Chefs...The Next Generation

Tickled pink about milk

Wed, 25 May 2011 13:00:00 GMT

Tickled pink about milk

A small and sweet message for Easter

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:13:13 GMT

Everyone looking forward to Easter? How many Easter eggs have you got lined up so far? I’m guessing there’s not a single person reading this that won’t have a bit of chocolate this weekend. The question is: how much? In the interests of science,...

Food on Film..

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:42:57 GMT

Food on Film..

Takeaway....their way

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:27:24 GMT

When it comes to food, I really, really like to try new things. A kind of reverse fussy-eater, that's me. This week, me and three friends tried a new restaurant for lunch. Nothing fancy mind you. No knives, forks or plates - just your chosen lu...

Embrace your fussy eater

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:23:57 GMT

Fussy eating. I don't mean the this-recipe-would-be-so-much-nicer-if-you-used-fresh-herbs variety of fussy eater. Oh no. I mean those little darling(s) in your life who probably coined the phrase "flip flop" when it came to their personal stance o...

We were born to run...

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:49:32 GMT

Sorry if you missed your weekly portion of the blog last week - some technical issues (me) as well as getting ready to run in the Operation Transformation 5k last Saturday (me again) meant I missed the post. Apologies and normal service resumed. ...

Why chips will matter more than ever..

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:47:52 GMT

I'll be honest, I may have drawn you in with the lure of chipped potatoes, all golden and sprinkled with salt and vinegar. Those aren't the chips I'm talking about. Sorry. The chips I'm blogging about are the electronic kind and are at the heart of...

Too many cooks... are never enough

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:43:54 GMT

A colleague told me on Wednesday about how she made homemade cookies with her 2 girls last weekend, which were a great success for lots of reasons; her kids loved get...

Here's a question...

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:03:33 GMT

It's all about questions these days. And answers. And it's usually the answers that are most interesting. And funny. Take Dermot junior - I often tell others he wasn't born but hewn from bare rock in a quarry. He's like a force of nature these d...

My jumbo breakfast role

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:00:31 GMT

I love breakfast. I know; how can a rushed bowl of cereal and slice of half-eaten toast be considered as enjoyable? Well for me anyway, maybe it's the anticipation of what's to come. How after a night's sleep, my tastebuds suddenly kick-into ge...

Me Caveman; Me Eat

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 15:57:08 GMT

January seems to be the month for diets. Not actually the decision of going on a diet, but instead which diet to choose. And if you're currently following a diet plan, I wish you every success with it and hope it works for you! Diets have cle...

Viva la resolution

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 15:53:51 GMT

Thanks for visiting the blog and welcome back. Sorry for not posting since early December - the bad weather, workload and some blog-free time over the festive season all played their part. That and trying to work my way through all those Christm...

Why I'm pudding in the effort this Christmas

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 10:08:00 GMT

So what does Christmas mean to you? For me, it’s about enjoying the company of family and friends, sending cards, giving gifts (and getting some in return if I’ve been good). And food, because food forms such a big part of our Christmas traditions...

Are we there yet...?

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:25:25 GMT

Daddy, are we there yet...? When I heard that one coming from the back seat of the car this week, I knew that the kids knew that we were really on holidays. With the school mid-term break, we all decided to get away for a few days and enjoy the sun-...

These boots were made for walking...

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:20:20 GMT

Depending on where you live, this coming Monday is a Bank Holiday. Which is great, because there's nothing nicer than a long weekend every now and then. How you spend it is entirely up you. Doing lots or doing nothing, whatever floats your boat. M...

Why we need food heroes

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 11:28:01 GMT

Heroes. It's a word that gets used a lot when the dedication, actions, efforts and commitment of others get noticed. For me, I would subscribe to the old school definition of heroes. Those who do heroic deeds for the sake of others. Ordinary peopl...

Why I'm washing my hands of it

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:44:25 GMT

Next Friday, October 15th is Global Handwashing Day. But before you decide to roll your mouse and click out of here, give me a hand and bear with me for a minute. This is the third year of this worldwide initiative, which is backed by leading pu...

Why growing your own is growing on me..

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 10:20:48 GMT

Green shoots. We could all do with some of that right now. Earlier this year, safefood launched a funded demonstration programme of Community Food Initiatives (CFI) across the island of Ireland. You can hear about them on the following ...

The relentless march of portion sizes..

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:48:09 GMT

If you were at our Social Media conference last week, hope you enjoyed it. And if you couldn't make it, the presentations and audio are now available to download/podcast. Food Portions. What's a portion? Would you like another portion? Do you ha...

Social media and our food

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:55:48 GMT

I'm speaking at our social media conference tomorrow ("You are what you tw-eat") and it got me thinking about the impact of social media on our food choices. Whatever type of food or chef you like, the chances are there's at the very minimum, a webs...

You are what you Tw-eat

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:51:04 GMT

Social Media is changing in many ways, how we live our lives and how we communicate with each other. This blog is just one small part of that. And next Thursday 16th, we're hosting a one-day conference for those working in food and health on the isl...

Why dashboard dining is a table for one

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:46:43 GMT

Hi there and it's good to be back from holidays. I had a great break and enjoyed spending more time with the kids. Thanks to all the guest bloggers who filled in while I was away. Back to the blog in hand. My work at safefood involves a rang...

Muscling in ...

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:25:51 GMT

Hi Martin Higgins, CEO of safefood here, I’m just muscling in on the blog space while Dermot is still away. When I get time away from my job here, I like to spend it doing something I love… fishing. The fact that I am absolutely useless at it does no...

Back to School

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:19:40 GMT

Hello there, I’m not Dermot, I’m Aileen, a nutritionist working at safefood. My office is next door to Dermot’s so I guess I’m the closest thing we can offer while he's taking a break. Speaking of breaks, the school holidays are nearly over. My litt...

Taking on the takeaways

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:16:38 GMT

When you think about what Italy has given the world in terms of art, culture, design, sport and food, fish and chips probably wouldn't be high up that list. Takeaways. I'd guess many people have their favourites. For me, it's Macari's near where I...

Welcome to the Scoop, our new blog!

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:04:37 GMT

With six short words “How about we do a blog?”, I've started something that's new, exciting and to be honest, a little bit into the unknown for me and for safefood. At one time, blogs (or blogging) were to me a bit like having a pension - I understo...