Afternoons for Wednesday 26 November 2025

 

1:15 Why being a fussy eater might not be as straightforward as it seems

A large study into avoidant and restrictive eating (which is an extreme form of picky eating) in children shows the issue is much more common than we thought.

About 6% of children have ongoing restrictive eating patterns, and 2–3% meet the level of clinical concern

A cohort study of over 35 thousand children in Norway also found links between restrictive eating patterns and developmental & emotional difficulties

So how can parents tell the difference between relatively typical fussy eating and something more serious? 

And how can parents help their children develop healthy eating habits at a young age? 

Registered dietitian and co-founder of The Food Tree Rachael Wilson has developed a treatment model for children with avoidant and restrictive eating and chats to Jesse. 

1:25 NZ is full of paper roads - but what are they exactly?

We have 55 thousand kilometres of paper roads across New Zealand.

But in our team meeting we discovered that there was confusion about what paper roads are, and why they are important.

To help give us the answers is Dot Dalziell, who's a regional field adviser with Herenga a Nuku Aotearoa - otherwise known as the Outdoor Access Commission.

1:35 Author Fleur Beale on why local stories are crucial for our kids
Every year the New Zealand Society of Authors gives out the President of Honour award.

The award is to recognise contributions to writing and to the NZ literary scene.

This year's recipient is child & young adult author Fleur Beale.

Fleur has written more than 50 books, including I am not Esther, Juno of Taris and End of the Alphabet.

Fleur chats to Jesse. 

1:45 Heading Off: Autonomous Region of Bougainville

Time for heading off, our weekly travel segment where we hear from you - our afternoons listeners - about some of your amazing adventures.

We've travelled the silk road, motorbiked around the world, and kayaked the Yukon. 

It's been a while since we've had a local adventure though, maybe you are an expert in exploring the West Coast cave systems or a Northland beach aficionado. 

Whether local or abroad if you've got a story to share, we'd love to hear from you Afternoons@rnz.co.nz

Today we're heading to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.

It's an area of Papua New Guinea that Sarah Togher became very familiar with whilst stationed there with VSA.

2.12 Music Critic: New music from Mavis Staples

Dianne Swan is here with me to talk about her music picks this week. 
You might remember a few months ago Dianne talked to us about Mavis Staples and her incredible career in music.  Well now Mavis has got a new album out, and Dianne is keen to share it. 

2:20 Easy Eats: Vietnamese inspired turmeric and dill fried fish

This is Kelly Gibney's (simplified) version of Vietnamese cha ca, a dish that originated in Hanoi. Fish is marinated in curry powder, turmeric, fish sauce, sugar and dill. It’s then fried and served over rice noodles. The combination of ingredients might sound unusual if you’ve never had this dish but it’s absolutely delicious. Like most Vietnamese food, there’s a perfect balance of salty, sweet, sour and fragrant. Be generous with the fresh dill and with the squeeze of lemon or lime you serve it with.

Recipe is here

2:30 Bookmarks with Clare Bowden from Mandatory Menswear

Today for Bookmarks, we're stepping into the world of fashion with Clare Bowden, owner, founder, and designer of Mandatory menswear. 

It's been almost three decades since she launched the brand, and in that time it's grown to become one of the most recognisable labels in New Zealand. 

She's dressed the likes of Troy Kingi, Delaney Davidson, Hone Kouka and Taika Waititi.

Clare is in our Wellington studio to tell us about some of her favourite things to read, watch and listen to.

3:10 Feature interview: Why creativity is an important as health and exercise

We know the usual pillars of health; sleep, exercise, watch your diet and maintain social connections.  Dr Daisy Fancourt says her research shows we need to add a fifth pillar, creativity. She’s a professor of psychobiology and epidemiology at University College London and Director of the World Health Organization's Collaborating Center on Arts. Her research explores the powerful impact of engaging with art in any form, from music and dance to literature, cultural sites, and even street art. She shares what science says about the power of art.

3:35 Stories from Our Changing World

Time for Our Changing World, and this week the focus in on native freshwater plants.
Once widespread in our lakes and slow moving rivers, as water quality has declined, these plants have begun to disappear. 
So Project Roto Turf has been set up to try to find an underwater turf solution to restore lake beds. 

Claire Concannon goes to the project hub in Hamilton where freshwater ecologist Mary de Winton introduces her to some of the plants grown on site. 

3:45 The pre-Panel

Wallace Chapman previews tonight's instalment of The Panel.