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ForkOur Nutrition and Dietetic Health Improvement Team works with colleagues and partners from across the voluntary, local authority and NHS sectors and liaise closely with Oral Health and Health Promotion teams. Our work is driven by local and national policy documents. We engage with local communities to empower and support healthier food choices.  We use a person centred and asset based approach to improve communities nutrition knowledge and cooking skills and provide access to nutrition resources, food activity grants and accredited training around food and nutrition.

Community Nutrition

Nutrition in the News

‘The Global BIG Latch On’
The Kelpies Café, Falkirk – Saturday 3rd August @ 10.30am

As part of World Breastfeeding Week – 1st – 7th August 2019 – ‘The Global BIG Latch On’ takes place at registered locations around the world, where people gather together to breastfeed and offer peer support to each other. Their friends, family and community join this celebration to promote and support breastfeeding.

This year there will be an event held at The Café at the Kelpies, Visitors Centre, The Helix Park, Falkirk, FK2 7ZT.

Don’t worry if you can’t make it along to the event – you are welcome to take part at home.  To be counted add your photo or a comment to the Global BIG Latch On Facebook page or Instagram with #mybiglatchon2019.

Find out more about breastfeeding support groups running throughout Forth Valley:

  • Local Breastfeeding Groups – NHS Forth Valley
  • Parent Club – This website is full of helpful tips and advice on breastfeeding and common problems.

  • Breastfeeding – BDA Factsheet.
  • National Breastfeeding Helpline – 0300 100 0212 – Open 9.30am – 9.30pm every day of the year.

For further information on the Breastfeeding Friendly Scheme email Lesley Hetherington Community Dietitian / Infant Feeding Co-ordinator.

Looking for food safety information for a community event your running?

This new guidance, produced by Food Standards Scotland, is intended for those having a charity or community event such as a street party, a school fair or fundraiser barbeque and is not intended for registered food businesses. When preparing and providing food it is important that you consider all the food safety implications of that event to keep everyone as safe as you can.

New Choose To Lose  – Practitioner Pack now available!!

Community Dietitians from the NHS Forth Valley Nutrition & Dietetic Weight Management and Health Improvement Team are delighted to announce the launch of their new Choose To Lose – Let’s talk about weight – Practitioners Pack.

This pack has been developed to support healthcare professionals to raise the issue of weight in a positive and consistent manner and with consideration to the words they use to encourage and support people to make positive lifestyle changes.

Starting a short conversation of around 2 to 3 minutes about weight can support a person to start thinking about making their own lifestyle changes. Everyone in direct contact with the general public has an opportunity to raise awareness, motivate and signpost people to help them manage and maintain a healthier weight and improve their overall health and wellbeing. It’s useful for practitioners to use the opportunity at follow up appointments to review weight change progress with their patients.

This pack offers suggestions on how to link weight to a person’s existing medical condition – it provides prompts, conversation starters, practical advice and signposts individuals to useful weight management resources and local services.

Food Activity Grant Scheme

Our Health Improvement Team are pleased to open this years grant scheme. Grants ranging from £50 for short term pieces of work and up to £400 for larger projects will be available to apply for. 
These grants aim to support local food activities and initiatives across Forth Valley.

Closing Dates: 15th May; 15th Sept; 15th Dec and 15th Feb 2020.

Help For Low Income Families – Best Start Grant

The Best Start Grant – Pregnancy and Baby Payment has been launched in Scotland. From the 10th of December, you’ll be able to apply online, find out more here or by calling Social Security Scotland on 0800 182 2222.  The Pregnancy and Baby Payment will replace the Sure Start Maternity Grant in Scotland.  The Best Start Food Scheme will replace the UK Healthy Start scheme in Scotland, this will be introduced during 2019.

Nutrition and Dietetic Health Improvement Team

Find out more about our nutrition agenda, who we work with and our main work strands:

Find out more about the work our team has been involved in over the past year:

Below are some of the key local and national documents that give direction to our work:

A Healthier Future – Scotland’s Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan, Scottish Government, 2018.
Scotland’s Public Health Priorities, Scottish Government, 2018.
Situation Report :The Scottish Diet: It needs to change :2018 Update, Food Standards Scotland.
Scottish Health Survey 2017 : Key Findings, Scottish Government.
Shaping the Future, NHS Forth Valley Healthcare Strategy 2016 -2021
A Thriving Forth Valley : NHS Forth Valley Health Improvement Strategy 2017 – 2021

In an Emergency call 999 for health advice and reassurance call NHS24 on 111.
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