Crunch Bites

In Australia, allergies are on the rise, with 1 in 20 school aged children now living with a food allergy. Join Mikala as she discusses allergies with Dr Merryn Netting, Advanced Accredited Paediatric Dietitian and Senior Project Officer for the National Allergy Council. In this episode, Merryn and Mikala explore understanding allergies, how families and schools can best manage allergies, as well as some upcoming research around prevention and treatment.

Topics covered in today's episode:

•        Understanding what an allergy is
•        The most common food allergies in Australia
•        Allergy management in schools
•        Allergy management for families
•        Social and emotional impact of allergies
•        Upcoming research around the prevention and management of allergies.

Episode links:

• Allergy Aware Schools and Childcare Services Resource Hub
• Nip Allergies in the Bub
• Food allergy animations
• PrEggNut study
• Transcript 

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It’s well known that Dads play an important role in children's lives, but just how much of a role do they have in building children's healthy habits? Join Mikala and Professor Philip Morgan, Project Lead of the Healthy Dads Healthy Kids program, as they talk about the positive influence Dads can have on their children's nutrition and physical activity. Philip also shares some key tips for Dads who want to be the best role models and lead the way for their kids.

Topics covered in today's episode:

•     The changing landscape around gender roles in households
•     The importance of co-parenting and playing on the same team
•     The influence Dads have on children's nutrition and physical activity
•     Barriers Dads may face in being involved in food tasks
•     Top Tips for Dads to get involved

Episode:

•      Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids website
•      Daughters and Dads website
•      Healthy Youngsters Healthy Dads
•      Research from Philip Morgan
• Transcript

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Is your family feeling the pinch with the increase in cost of living? Or are you trying to find ways to save money for that next family holiday? Setting a weekly food budget and sticking to it is a good way to stay on top of your money. Tune in to Mikala and Nicole’s conversation about food budgeting, where they share tips on how you can save money at the supermarket and make your food shop go further.

Topics covered in today's episode:

•       How to save money at the supermarket
•       The value of meal planning and shopping lists
•      How to make your food last longer and stretch further

Episode links:

•         Weekly meal planner
•         Weekly lunchbox planner
•         Long-life food tips
•         How to use the fridge crisper draw
•         Meat and greet: the low down on meat and meat alternatives Crunch Bites episode 
• Transcript

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What does it mean to eat sustainably, and how do we reduce daily exposure to plastics in our food?

Join Mikala as she talks eating sustainably with Dr Amelia Harray, Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian, and Clinical Researcher. Find out how the way you shop, the equipment you cook with and the way you store food impacts your health and the environment. Amelia shares her top tips and discusses affordable and accessible ways to reduce exposure to plastics and improve your health. 

 Topics covered in today’s episode:

•    What it means to eat sustainably
•    Understanding plastics and how the food we choose can make a difference
•    Ways to manage exposure to plastics when cooking and storing food in the home 

Episode links:

•    Eat Sustainably
•    The PERTH trial Facebook and website
•    Plastic, diet, and human health
• Transcript

Research referenced:

•      Plastics and health
•      Phthalate and bisphenol A exposures
•      Phthalate exposure in pregnancy
•     Human health studies on plastic-associated chemicals

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Does your child have a sensory sensitivity to food or are they a fussy eater? Are you curious to learn more about how our senses impact feeding practices? Then this episode is for you.

Join Nicole as she speaks with Kerry Judge, an Advanced Clinical Speech Pathologist who leads the fussy eating team at Rocky Bay. Nicole and Kerry chat about sensory sensitivities and fussy eating, as well as what can cause these food challenges for families. Kerry shares her top tips on how you can address these challenges at home, as well as where to go for extra support.

Topics covered in this episode:

-      What are sensory sensitivities and how does this relate to fussy eating?

-      Potential causes of these food challenges

-      Practical tips to overcome fussy eating or sensory sensitivities

-      The SOS (staged exposure) approach to sensory sensitivities

-      Where to seek extra information or support

Episode links:

•       Rocky bay services
•       Dr Kay Toomey’s SOS approach to feeding
•       Food based sensory activities
• Transcript

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The world of crackers has grown rapidly in recent years. With so many options available how do you know which cracker to choose that will tick all your boxes? Join Mikala and Nicole as they discuss cracking the code and share their findings from examining over 180 different crackers available in supermarkets across Australia. 

Topics covered in this episode:

-         What to look for in a healthy cracker

-         The difference between moulded crackers and minimally processed crackers

-         Tasty toppings to pair with crackers

Episode links:

-         Cracker review article

-         Transcript 

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We know food, sleep, and movement are important for growing bodies, but how much of each should our children aim for every day? And how do they all influence each other? Join Mikala as she speaks with Dr Jazzmin Zheng, Senior Research Fellow from Deakin University, about eating, sleeping, and moving.

Topics covered in today’s episode:

-      How diet changes from early years to childhood.

-      How nutrition, physical activity, and sleep interact with each other.

-      Recommendations around nutrition, movement, and sleep for children.

Episode links:

-      Jazzmin’s research

-      Australian physical activity, sedentary, and sleep guidelines

-      Australian Guide to Healthy Eating guidelines for children

-      Transcript 

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Knowing how to read a food label is an important skill, and if you're not aware of some of the basics to look out for it can be a confusing space to navigate.

In this episode, Mikala and Nicole chat about the marketing tactics food companies use to sell their products and provide some practical tips to help you choose the best of the bunch when shopping for food that will fuel your family well.

Topics covered in today’s episode:

-      Marketing tactics companies use to make their product more appealing

-      Understanding the ingredient list and what to look out for  

-      How to use the nutrition information panel effectively

Episode links:

-      Label reading wallet card, digital or order a hard copy  

-      Navigating the supermarket blog.

-      More about label reading

-      About the Health Star rating system 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cooking with kids can be a messy, fun, and crazy learning journey. Join Mikala and Nicole, as they share the key ingredients that will help you successfully get the kids in the kitchen and have fun at the same time.

Learn about all the wonderful benefits involved in getting kids in the kitchen, the age appropriate tasks kids can help with, and why letting go of perfection helps us all.

Mikala and Nicole will share some of their favourite recipes to start the ball rolling and when cooking with kids.

Topics covered in this episode:

• What are the benefits of cooking with kids
• Ways you can involve kids in the kitchen
• What tasks can kids do depending on their age and developmental stage
• Great recipes to start children's cooking journey off
• The importance of food safety and hygiene when cooking with kids
• Other tips to consider when cooking with kids 

Episode links

• Unicorn noodles
• Recipes
• Transcript 

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Yoghurt has earned its place as a valuable addition to a child's day and offers a wide range of benefits that can support wellbeing. This healthy staple is rich in essential nutrients such as bone-strengthening calcium, brain-boosting protein, and gut-loving probiotics.  

Join Mikala and Nicole for this bonus episode as they talk about how yoghurt is made, which varieties to reach for and how much protein and calcium ticks the box when choosing the best of the bunch in the weekly food shop.  

Topics covered in this episode:  

• How is yoghurt made? 
• Which varieties to reach for?  
• How much of the essential nutrients a serve of yoghurt can provide 
• How to add flavour and texture to your yoghurt 
• Tips on serving in savoury meals and snacks  

Episode links 

• Study analysis 
• Eat for health 
• How to make yoghurt at home  
• Episode transcript  

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.