1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: It's the Happy Families Podcast. It's the podcast for. 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 2: The time poor parent who just wants answers. 3 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:11,040 Speaker 1: Now, good day. 4 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 3: My name's doctor Justin Courslan here with Kylie, my wife 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 3: from mum to our six kids. Welcome to the Happy 6 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:18,920 Speaker 3: Family's Podcast. Ozzie as Yossi, I that wasn't even pre planned. 7 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 3: I love that even though you were born in New 8 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 3: Zealand and are now a naturalized Australian. 9 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: That just came straight out. 10 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:26,440 Speaker 2: Well let's just say I am Australian. 11 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: Yes, you are. 12 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 2: Long winded. 13 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:33,239 Speaker 3: I really hope that you enjoyed the Australia at Long 14 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 3: weekend and got heaps out of it, lots of time 15 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 3: with your family. We have a friend who became a 16 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 3: naturalized Australian over the weekend, so congratulations to him and 17 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 3: anyone else who became an Aussie and is now fortunate 18 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 3: to live in such a brilliant, brilliant country. 19 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 1: Kylie. 20 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 3: All this week we've got kids right around the nation 21 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 3: going back to school. Last week a couple of states began, 22 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 3: but now this week it's pretty much everybody else, I think, 23 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 3: and we decided that we are going to make life 24 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 3: as easy as we can for parents this week short 25 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 3: podcasts podcasts for time pop parents who just want answers. Now, 26 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 3: we're going to give you a slice of advice, a 27 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,680 Speaker 3: single slice of advice each day to help make things 28 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:15,839 Speaker 3: go smoothly with the return to school. 29 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 2: I know you're saying a slice of advice, but I 30 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:19,960 Speaker 2: know you too well, and I think that this might 31 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 2: be more like a loaf of advice. 32 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:23,960 Speaker 1: We're going to do it really short. Okay. 33 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 3: We actually put a list together for today and there's 34 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 3: six slices of advice. 35 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: Okay, six, so. 36 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:30,479 Speaker 2: Two double decker sandwiches. 37 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 1: What we're up for. 38 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,479 Speaker 3: What we're doing today is a slice of advice on 39 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 3: school lunches because number one, it's hot, right and kids 40 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 3: don't like hot, mushy food by the time they get 41 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 3: to recess and lunch. Number two, cost of living crunch 42 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 3: nobody likes making food and seeing it go to waste. 43 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: And number three lunches kind of. 44 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 3: It's one of those things, Kylie, where it takes a 45 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 3: lot of effort in the morning, takes a lot of 46 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 3: effort to drag out of the kids what they're going 47 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 3: to take for lunch. 48 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: Then it takes efforts to make the lunch and the 49 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: lunch and to make sure it all happens. 50 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 3: If we're going to go to the effort of doing 51 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 3: what we can to ensure that our children are taking 52 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 3: a healthy lunch to school, we want to make sure 53 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 3: that it's eaten and that. 54 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: It's worth eating. 55 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 3: So six slices of advice for how we can get 56 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 3: the kids eating their lunch rather than binning it or 57 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 3: bringing it home. 58 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 2: First slice, stick with foods that are familiar to your children. 59 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 2: This is not the time to start introducing new foods 60 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 2: and trying to extend their taste buds. 61 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, stretching taste buds is a challenge. The best time 62 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 3: with kids, full tummy is better than no food in 63 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 3: the tummy. So just prioritize sending them to school with 64 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:38,839 Speaker 3: food that you know that they're going to eat. That's 65 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 3: your first slice of advice. Here's mine. We've done this 66 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 3: in our home. This has been one of the most 67 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 3: successful things we've. 68 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: Done around school lunches. 69 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,800 Speaker 3: Menu plan and what I mean by that is literally 70 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 3: create a menu like you'd get at a I don't know, 71 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:53,239 Speaker 3: at a restaurant. 72 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 2: No, like a roadside motel when you go to those. 73 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, like the breakfasts, Order things order, Yeah, okay, 74 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,239 Speaker 3: So in our home we've created menus with a whole 75 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 3: lot of lunch options. What that does is it reduces 76 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 3: the cognitive load on a busney morning for everyone. 77 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 2: It's not just mum and dad, because you'll notice that 78 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 2: when your kids are rushing around trying to do everything, 79 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 2: the last thing that they've got the capacity to do 80 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 2: is work out what they want to eat. 81 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 3: And when you're saying, what what do you want on 82 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 3: your sandwich? You want to do roll and they're kind 83 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 3: of going it's all too much. So by building a menu, 84 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 3: letting them decide their lunch options, and ideally doing it 85 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 3: the night before so that that way that cognitive load 86 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,119 Speaker 3: is reduced even more, they're going to feel a sense 87 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 3: of ownership they've chosen what they want, much higher chance 88 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 3: of lunch box coming home empty with food in their 89 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 3: belly when we've done it, we've given them options for 90 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 3: different kinds of breads or bread rolls or wraps that 91 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 3: they want. In terms of just what the food is 92 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 3: going to be placed on or in, we've put all 93 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 3: the different salads for them to tick, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onions, sprouts. 94 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 3: They never ever ticked sprouts. I don't understand what was 95 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 3: going on there, Avocado, the whole lot. And then our 96 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 3: job is just to have a look at the menu 97 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 3: that they've ticked the night before, make sure the foods 98 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 3: in the fridge for the next morning or. 99 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: Raced out of the shops and sort that out. 100 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 2: And it just clearly you weren't in the kitchen because 101 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 2: generally what I did was made sure all of those 102 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 2: foods were in the fridge for the week, not the 103 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 2: night before. 104 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: I've done a couple of last minute runs to the shops. 105 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: Believe me. Anyway, men, you plan, I think. 106 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 3: Is going to be a really useful solution strategy. Put 107 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 3: all the different drinks they can have, the different sandwich feelings, 108 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 3: the different types of breads they can have, and whatever 109 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 3: else you can come up with leftovers the whole lot, 110 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 3: let them tick and flick the night before. 111 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:42,039 Speaker 2: Slice number three. Preparing pre preparing foods and freezing them. 112 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 2: This is awesome. We've done this a lot over the 113 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 2: years with the kids, buying things in bolg and then 114 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 2: individually wrapping them so that they're just easy to grab 115 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 2: out of the freezer. This works for two reasons. Number One, 116 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 2: you do the buy once and you've got access to 117 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 2: it all week long. But secondly, it really helped with 118 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 2: keeping everything fresh. If you're sending your kids to school 119 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:04,839 Speaker 2: with a lunchbox that's going to sit in their school 120 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 2: bag all day, the colder things are the fresher they 121 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 2: stay for longer. 122 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 3: We have a friend who used to I think this 123 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 3: was lazy, but it was also genius. Why work harder, 124 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 3: just work smarter, right, This friend used to go down 125 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 3: to the shops, make the purchase of the bread. They'd 126 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 3: come home, lay out all the bread on the bench, 127 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 3: put the peanut butter or the veggiemite or whatever the 128 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:25,280 Speaker 3: filling was that was going to go under the bread. 129 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 3: Then they'd put all the sandwiches together, stick them back 130 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 3: into the bread bag. And each morning the kids would 131 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 3: just reach into the freezer pull a sandwich out. It 132 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 3: was already glad wrapped ahead of time as well, and 133 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 3: so that way they could literally just pull the sandwich 134 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 3: frozen out of the freezer, stick it in their lunchbox, 135 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 3: and off to school. 136 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: Job done. 137 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 3: Made things really simple. Fourth slice of advice. I'll make 138 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 3: this one nice and quick because I've never really been 139 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 3: involved in this one. There's a probably one that you've 140 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 3: done a lot more than me. Baking days. This was 141 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 3: your idea, and it's a great idea. Baking days like 142 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 3: on a Saturday. Turn it into a ritual. Prepare keishes 143 00:05:56,400 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 3: or muffins or other lunch friendly items that are going 144 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 3: to fit in a lunch box the kids are going 145 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:04,039 Speaker 3: to love, but that you don't have time to prep 146 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:06,599 Speaker 3: on a school morning. When you do that stuff, the 147 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 3: kids have food they're looking forward to eating. And again 148 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 3: it's probably been in the freezer, so it stays fresh longer. 149 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 3: It just works better baking days. Use the freezer menu plan, 150 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:19,479 Speaker 3: make sure they've got food that they like. I think 151 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 3: that we're on a winner here. Two more slices of advice. 152 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 2: Bento boxes. These are great for kids who don't actually 153 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:29,760 Speaker 2: like committing to one thing that gives them a taste. 154 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 2: It's like a taste plate. 155 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, Or often they don't want a sandwich. 156 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 3: They just want a range of foods that aren't sort 157 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 3: of smushed between bread and. 158 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:39,359 Speaker 2: So the great thing about this is everything goes in 159 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 2: its own little compartment. They can have vegetables, fruit, they 160 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 2: can have nuts. It's a little bit tricky sometimes, but 161 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:50,480 Speaker 2: nuts and seeds, dried fruit, they can have meat. There's 162 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 2: all the different things that you can have, but it's 163 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:54,040 Speaker 2: all individually spaced. 164 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 3: Two things that I love about Bento boxes. Number One, 165 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 3: you don't have food mingling, so the flavor to stay 166 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 3: where they should, nothing leaks into the other compartments. 167 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 1: If you've got a good quality Bento box. 168 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 3: Thing that I like most about Bento boxes the food 169 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 3: just looks great when it's all compartmentalized and separated and 170 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 3: put in there, it looks good. 171 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: And when food looks good, when it looks attractive. 172 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 2: The more inviting it is to eat. 173 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, every Valentine's Day, you make a very special Bento 174 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 3: box style lunch for our kids with a whole lot 175 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 3: of red and pink foods, including way too much sugar. 176 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 3: But regardless of that, it all looks so attractive and 177 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 3: the kids they look forward to their Valentine's lunch more 178 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 3: than any other lunch of the year. 179 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 2: You only have to make one Valentine's lunch box this year. 180 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 3: Final slice of Advice. Final slice of Advice. It's a 181 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 3: different situation, isn't it. It is for school lunches, and 182 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 3: it's probably got less to do with the school lunch 183 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 3: and more to do with what your kids are doing. 184 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: Personal story. 185 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 3: As a kid, growing up, I had squad sessions swim 186 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 3: squad sessions up to ten times a week, so I'd 187 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 3: swim from five to seven in the morning six days 188 00:07:57,400 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 3: a week, and four afternoons a week. I swam from 189 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 3: five to seven as well. In each of those two 190 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 3: hour sessions, I'd easily be swimming five, six, maybe even 191 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 3: seven kilometers. And when you swim that much and use 192 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 3: your body that much, you're so hungry you don't actually 193 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:11,559 Speaker 3: care what's in your lunch box. 194 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:13,720 Speaker 1: So long as you've got a lunch box with food. 195 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 2: I think you're talking about every boy on the plant 196 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 2: pretty much. 197 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 3: Move your body, or get the kids moving their body 198 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 3: a lot. When they move their bodies that much, they 199 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 3: just become a whole lot less concerned about what they're eating. 200 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 3: All they want is fuel, right, They just want to 201 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 3: get those calories in. I used to take well, I 202 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:33,720 Speaker 3: used to eat fourteen wheet picks for breakfast, and then 203 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:37,680 Speaker 3: I would take twelve bread rolls from the supermarket with 204 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 3: marmite and butter spread on them. 205 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,719 Speaker 1: Twelve every day, twelve bread rolls. 206 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 3: Six for recess, six for lunch. I didn't care what 207 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 3: it tasted like. I just wanted the calories because I 208 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 3: was so hungry, and I was still skinny as a 209 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 3: rake because I just moved my body so much. So 210 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:54,559 Speaker 3: stick to familiar foods ensure that the kid's got a 211 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 3: full belly, create buying through physical activity plan menus, leverage 212 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 3: the power of the freezer, and consider innovative lunchbox solutions. 213 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:04,000 Speaker 3: That's our half loaf of advice. 214 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: On school lunches. Good luck, good luck. Yeah, that's right, 215 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: good luck. 216 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:09,320 Speaker 3: If the kids going back to school today or if 217 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:11,839 Speaker 3: they're already back, Hopefully these ideas are helpful. The Happy 218 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:14,439 Speaker 3: Families podcast is produced by Justin Roland for Bridge Media. 219 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 3: Craig Brews is our executive producer and for more information 220 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:19,319 Speaker 3: about making your family happy, we'd love for you to 221 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 3: check out Happy Families dot com, DOTU or just hang 222 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 3: out with us on social media. Dr Justin Colston's Happy 223 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 3: Families on Facebook, and you can find us on Instagram 224 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 3: and TikTok as well