Amy: (mother of Sam, Isaac and Faith): Are you guys done with breakfast?

Isaac: Yeah.

Gehan: (father of Sam, Isaac and Faith): I think on school days it’s a pretty structured routine that we have, just because of time limitations.

Amy: OK guys, put your bowls away and wash your hands, so you can make your sandwiches. Can you get out the bread and the stuff from the fridge?

Isaac: Yeah.

Amy: I try to make lunches ahead of time, and they help me make sandwiches.

Faith: Can I have some cheese on my sandwich?

Amy: Yes, of course.

The kids usually have a sandwich with some kind of meat, cheese, some kind of vegetable and I like shredded carrot and I try to do a vegetable, like chopped up carrots or cherry tomatoes.

Do you guys want some yoghurt for lunch?

Faith: Yes, please.

Sam: Yes, please.

Isaac: Yes, please.

Amy: And some tomatoes?

Isaac: Yeah, please. I love tomatoes.

Faith: Can I have some dried apricots?

Amy: Yep. See if there are any in the cupboard.

Gehan: You know, we all know the range of things we’re meant to get, but in reality you don’t get all of that range in any one day. So I think really over a week or 2, if you can manage to fit in most of the major things that are important in a healthy diet, I think you’re doing pretty well.

Amy: Make sure to take something for fruit break?

Isaac: Can I have some cantaloupe and watermelon?

Amy: Yes. Sam, can you help him get it out? Apricots in yours.

Sam: Can we have some yoghurt?

Amy: Yes. Do you want to put some in those containers?

Gehan: I think involving the kids in preparing healthy food, it’s really setting good foundations for the future and what we hope is that coming in now, as they grow they’ll be able to keep doing that for themselves with less guidance from us.

Amy: Don’t forget a water bottle, Sam. I think they’re in the fridge.

Sam: OK. Thanks.

Amy: OK. Isaac, that should be good. Do you want some banana bread for your snack?

Isaac: Yummy, yummy, yummy.

Amy: It’s frozen. Can you take some out? And Isaac, did you take some yoghurt? You should have some. Come on, you need some – you need the calcium for your bones.

Isaac: Yep.

Amy: They have fruit break at school, so there’s always a piece of fruit and I give them a piece of fruit for dessert, during their lunch break as well.

Sam, do you want to take an extra piece of fruit for the bus ride home?

Sam: Yeah.

Amy: Because you’ll be starving. Why don’t you grab an orange. Excellent. Be nice and healthy, should get you through the day. Why don’t you get an ice block? OK. Pop that in, you did great, fantastic.

Sam: Will I wrap this in glad wrap?

Amy: OK. Isaac, can you put this stuff away for me please?

Isaac: Yeah.

Amy: They know that they can chop up some vegetables and keep them in a container, and go take those during the day, hopefully they’ll learn as they get older to continue doing that, rather than going for things like chips or cookies.

OK guys, it’s time to go. We’re going to be late.