Crunch Bites

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

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

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

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 

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 

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