‘Coffee and two pitted dates’: How does a dietitian rate this?

Matilda Robertson is a designer and entrepreneur. The 32-year-old shares her day on a plate.

6am I wake up and get the day started with my first coffee, an extra-hot almond flat white. I drink around two litres of water throughout the day.

6.30am I am most definitely a routine kind of girl, so I get out of the house early for my morning walk. My go-to is Double Bay to Rose Bay [in Sydney’s eastern suburbs]. Then it’s back for coffee No.2 and two pitted dates.

9.30am After a morning meeting to discuss international projects and a class at The Yard in Double Bay, refreshment is essential. I go for a green juice with apple, spinach, ginger and pineapple.

12pm Lunch is a high-protein meal of poached eggs on sourdough with avocado and chilli. Plus my third coffee.

6pm Dinner tonight is salmon, salad and a Pepsi Max.

7pm A Kit Kat to finish the day.

Dr Joanna McMillan says

Top marks for… Getting eggs into your lunch as you had almost no protein until then. Eggs are also incredibly nutritious, providing 13 nutrients including vitamin D, choline, which is essential for brain function, and lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants which are important for eye health.

If you keep eating like this you’ll… Risk drawing calcium from your bones as you lack dairy or calcium-rich alternatives. Both the amount and diversity of fibre types is low, with no wholegrains, legumes, nuts, seeds or cruciferous veg. You also lack magnesium-rich foods.

Why don’t you try… Boosting calcium by adding Greek yoghurt to breakfast, choosing calcium-fortified almond milk or having feta with your eggs. Boost fibre by opting for wholegrain sourdough and adding beans and quinoa to your salad. Nuts and seeds are rich in magnesium, as is dark chocolate, so make that your sweet treat.

Matilda Robertson is co-founder of activewear label Stax.

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