The Nutrition Couch

The pub has quietly become one of Australia's most budget-friendly options for a family dinner out. And with the cost of groceries where they are right now, that is not going to change any time soon.
But if you are trying to eat well, the pub menu can feel like a minefield. Do you order the salad you do not actually want? Ignore the chips? Feel guilty for choosing the schnitzel?
This week Leanne and Susie are cutting through all of it with their honest, practical, no-guilt guide to eating at the pub, the RSL, and anywhere else that serves a $18 special. Plus they take aim at Subway's new high-protein marketing claims, and the numbers are not pretty.
In this episode:
How to navigate a pub menu without ordering a salad you do not feel like and still ending up hungry an hour later, including the exact strategies Leanne and Susie use themselves
Why splitting a meal is often the smartest move at a pub, and how to do it without missing out on protein
The entrée trap: which pub starters are quietly adding hundreds of calories before your main even arrives, and which ones are genuinely worth ordering
Why the pub salad is often not the healthy option it appears to be, and what to order instead if your goal is to keep calories in check
Subway's new Packed with Protein range: Leanne deep-dived the nutritionals so you do not have to, and what she found about that 54-gram protein footlong will genuinely surprise you
Why the Subway wrap is almost never the healthier choice over the bread, despite what most people assume
The chocolate-coated health bar that is being heavily marketed to pregnant and breastfeeding women. Leanne and Susie break down the ingredient list and the saturated fat content, and explain why it has more in common with a chocolate bar than a snack bar
The listener question: is a mini Coke a few times a week really a problem? Leanne and Susie give an honest, nuanced answer that is more useful than a simple yes or no
Shop Designed by Dietitians:
Looking for supplements that are actually formulated to clinical doses with real ingredients? Visit designedbydietitians.com to explore the full range.
Keep telling your friends about The Nutrition Couch and join the private Designed by Dietitians Facebook community for exclusive content, giveaways, and free webinar recordings. DM Leanne or Susie on Instagram for the private link.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You have probably seen them all over your Instagram feed. Beef liver supplements, sold as a natural, ancestral, high-iron fix for tired, depleted women. But before you add one to your cart, Leanne and Susie have something important to say.
This week on The Nutrition Couch, they dig into the iron conversation that so many women desperately need to have, including why your doctor might have told you your iron is fine when it is anything but, why infusions are often the only real solution when stores are genuinely low, and exactly why beef liver supplements are one of the most overhyped products circulating on social media right now.
If you are tired, breathless, foggy, or just never quite feel rested no matter how much sleep you get, this episode might be the most useful 40 minutes you spend this week.
In this episode:
Why ferritin is the iron marker that matters most and why a result your doctor calls normal can still leave you feeling exhausted, foggy, and completely flat
The real daily iron requirements for women across different life stages, including why pregnancy and breastfeeding can leave stores so depleted that supplements alone simply will not cut it
Why iron supplements can be so rough on your gut, which forms tend to be better tolerated, and why liquid over capsule is often the smarter starting point
The signs that your iron might be low that most women overlook, including restless legs at night, breathlessness on easy walks, and waking up exhausted after a full night of sleep
The best food sources of iron ranked, including the ones that most women are not eating nearly enough of, and the vitamin C pairing that makes all the difference to absorption
What to avoid when taking iron and why washing your tablet down with coffee or tea is quietly undoing your efforts
Beef liver supplements: Leanne looked up more than ten brands and the numbers are damning. Why these products are providing a fraction of what your body actually needs, what they cost versus what you get, and why they are not a therapeutic solution for anyone with genuinely low iron
A supermarket hot chocolate review comparing Jarrah, Avalanche, Cadbury and Lindt, what the nutrition panels actually reveal, and why some functional hot chocolates retailing at $60 should be approached with serious caution
A review of the new Birdseye scalloped potato with paprika from the frozen vegetable range, and why the nutritionals are stronger than you might expect
Shop Designed by Dietitians:
If you are looking for a genuinely functional hot chocolate to wind down this winter, REST by Designed by Dietitians is formulated with magnesium glycinate, glycine, L-tryptophan, passionflower, chamomile, and jujube extract for sleep and nervous system support, with no artificial sweeteners and a whole milk powder base for that creamy mouthfeel. Find it at designedbydietitians.com
Join the private Designed by Dietitians Facebook community for exclusive giveaways, webinar recordings, and content you will not find anywhere else. DM Leanne or Susie on Instagram for the private link.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If your joints ache after exercise, if your hips or knees are not what they used to be, or if you are just noticing your body recovering more slowly than it did a few years ago, this episode is going to be genuinely useful.
Leanne and Susie break down the evidence on what food can and cannot do for chronic pain and joint health, call out the supplements that are not worth your money, and explain what the Mediterranean diet actually looks like in real life, which is not what most people think it is.
Plus there is new research on meal repetition and weight loss that might just change how you think about meal prep, a verdict on the new Arnott's Shapes Light and Crispy range that had everyone's Instagram lighting up, and a straight-talking answer to one of the most common questions in clinic: do you actually need a multivitamin?
In this episode:
Why joint pain increases as estrogen declines, and why women in their 40s and 50s are disproportionately affected by inflammation, tendinitis, frozen shoulder, and chronic pain
The only three nutrients with a genuine evidence base for joint health, and why turmeric is not one of them
What the Mediterranean diet actually looks like when you strip away the Instagram version, and why most people eating reasonably well are still not doing it properly
Why just 10% body weight loss can meaningfully reduce the experience of joint pain, and why that number is more achievable than most people think
The collagen question answered properly: how much you need, which form works, why vitamin C must be paired with it, and how long you actually need to take it before expecting results
New research from a US university showing that eating the same meals most days led to nearly 6% body weight loss over 12 weeks, compared to 4% in those who varied their diet significantly. What this actually means in practice, and the important caveat both Leanne and Susie flag
The new Arnott's Shapes Light and Crispy range: is the white box marketing genius or genuine nutrition improvement? Leanne and Susie give their honest verdict, including what the ingredients and nutrition panel actually reveal
Why neither Leanne nor Susie routinely recommend multivitamins, what the real risks of nutrient stacking are, and what to do instead if you know your diet has gaps
Shop Designed by Dietitians:
If you are looking to support joint health, recovery, and overall nutrition, explore the range at designedbydietitians.com, including RENEW collagen, omega-3 support, and the full supplement range formulated specifically for busy women.
Keep telling your friends about The Nutrition Couch, and join the private Designed by Dietitians Facebook community for free content and upcoming online seminars. DM Leanne or Susie on Instagram for the private link.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If your dinner creeps out to 8 or 9pm most nights and your fat loss has stalled, this one is worth 30 minutes of your week.
In this episode of The Nutrition Couch, Leanne and Susie unpack why late dinners quietly derail body composition for so many women — and why the fix isn't as simple as just eating earlier.
Do late dinners actually stall fat loss? Why pushing your last meal out often triggers a calorie catch-up spiral: over-hunger, reliance on bars and snacks, and a heavier meal than your body actually needed. Susie and Leanne explain how circadian rhythm and insulin sensitivity quietly stack the deck against you, why some women (think CrossFit at 5am, or insulin-resistant clients) genuinely need different approaches, and the simple shift of moving more calories into lunch and the afternoon snack that changes everything.
The 12-hour overnight window for gut health Why Susie aims for a minimum 10 hours — ideally 12 — between your last mouthful at night and breakfast the next day, and what happens to next-day hunger regulation when that window gets squeezed.
Is the protein pudding trend actually necessary? Pools, Arlo, Rockabees, Muscle Nation. The hosts weigh in on whether you really need another 20g of protein after a dinner that already hit 30–40g, and when a protein pudding genuinely earns its place.
Tinned tuna ranked: Coles vs Aldi vs Woolworths vs Sirena vs John West Susie runs the actual tuna percentages inside the tin across every major supermarket brand. The Aldi range that beats tuna triple the price. The Coles home brand that comes in at 80% tuna for $1.10. Why Woolworths home brand falls short. And why tinned red salmon at around $10 might quietly be one of the best-value high-protein lunches going.
Product review: Sunny Queen Bacon & Cheese Protein Bites 27g of protein on the front of the pack, a long additive-heavy ingredient list inside, and a 200g "single serve" that raises serious questions. The hosts' verdict on whether this one earns a spot in your trolley.
Listener question: How should shift workers eat? Long-time listener Nicole asks for a practical framework around day, afternoon, and night shifts. Susie and Leanne walk through meal timing, the low-fuel snack options that keep you alert without blowing out calories, and why structure beats "eating lighter" every time.
For the range of protein, creatine, collagen, and magnesium Leanne and Susie refer to at the close of this episode, head to Designed by Dietitians.
Hit subscribe so you never miss a Wednesday drop, and share this one with someone who always eats dinner too late.
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Your cholesterol came back high. Now what? Most women in their 40s and beyond have sat with that question and got very little useful guidance on the other side of it.
In this episode of The Nutrition Couch, Leanne and Susie give you the cholesterol conversation most doctors don't have time for, including what your individual numbers actually mean, why your LDL is almost certainly rising right now if you are in perimenopause, and the specific point at which diet can genuinely help versus when medication is the only realistic path. If you have high cholesterol and you are doing everything right, this one is especially for you.
The cholesterol conversation your doctor probably hasn't had with you
Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides. Susie and Leanne walk through what each number means, what the target ranges are, why genetics can override even the best diet, and why there is no shame in needing medication. They also cover the calcium score test most women have never heard of, and why it matters more than a single cholesterol reading.
What diet can and cannot do for your cholesterol
Diet can realistically move cholesterol one to two points. It cannot bring a seven down to five. That is one of the most important clinical distinctions in this episode, and it is one that a lot of online health content gets badly wrong. Susie and Leanne also name the specific supermarket products and supplements that are clinically proven to help, and explain why your dad's tiny scrape of cholesterol-lowering margarine is doing absolutely nothing.
Protein powder vs skim milk powder: is the cheap swap actually worth it?
A claim has been circulating online that skim milk powder is essentially the same as protein powder at a fraction of the cost. Leanne and Susie run the actual numbers and the comparison is not even close. They also explain why this matters specifically for women in peri and menopause who are trying to hit protein targets without extra carbs.
Plus: A surprisingly impressive new dip at Coles and Aldi that Susie gives a 10 out of 10, and a listener question about kids and sugar at parties that every parent needs to hear.
For the supplement range Leanne and Susie refer to in this episode, head to designedbydietitians.com.
If this one helped you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.