‘Almond milk with hemp seeds’: How the Ella Baché CEO starts her day

Pippa Hallas is the CEO of Ella Baché. The 50-year-old shares her day on a plate.

6am I kick-start my morning with a black coffee.

6.30am My sons are up, so we all have homemade smoothies. Mine is a blend of whey protein, banana, mixed berries and almond milk, with hemp seeds sprinkled on top.

8.30am I arrive at work and have a black coffee with a touch of cream.

12.30pm Lunch needs to be quick and simple, but also pack a protein hit to keep me feeling full. Today it’s my take on a niçoise salad – cos lettuce, green beans, baby potatoes, olives, boiled eggs and tomatoes, with a dressing of lemon, garlic, mustard and olive oil.

3.30pm To curb the afternoon slump I graze on nuts and a piece of fruit.

7pm Family dinner is roasted vegetables with baked salmon (I have been a pescatarian since I was a teenager). For a sweet treat, I have a square or two of dark chocolate.

Jaime Rose Chambers says

Top marks for... Your afternoon snack choices. It’s so easy at this time of day to reach for the sugary snacks as a pick-me-up. Research shows we should all be having a small handful of mixed nuts a day for heart and brain health and to reduce the risk of some chronic diseases.

If you keep eating like this you’ll... Be at risk of calcium deficiency, which may lead to brittle bones. At menopause, our bone mass declines sharply, so we need to increase our servings of dairy or high-calcium foods to four a day.

Why don’t you try... Making sure your almond milk is calcium-fortified. Include canned fish with edible bones such as salmon and sardines, or calcium-set tofu, as a regular protein option.

Jamie Rose Chambers is guest dietitian while Dr Joanna McMillan is on leave. Chambers’ latest book, The Peri Diet (McMillan Australia), is out now.

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