Home-grown beans, nettles, pears: What this farmer eats in a day

Sam Vincent, farmer and author, 37, shares his day on a plate.

6.30am I drink a bottle of water.

9am Granola made of oats toasted in coconut oil and honey, mixed with chia and sesame seeds, and hazelnuts from the orchard. I eat it with dairy milk, natural yoghurt, cacao nibs, peanut butter and mint, and pomegranate and pear from our orchard. Two cups of milky coffee.

1.30pm Vegetable soup made from home-grown butter beans, celery, pumpkin, garlic, fennel and chilli. I also have rye bread and home-pressed apple juice.

4.20pm A smoothie of kale, milk, frozen banana, frozen blueberries and almond butter.

7pm Dinner is lamb neck ragù with ricotta gnocchi and a side of what greens I can scrounge by moonlight: dandelion, nettle and silverbeet.

Dr Joanna McMillan says:

Top marks for … A fabulously, nutritious day of wholefood eating. I love your inclusion of wild greens. Picked fresh, these are high in vitamin C and other antioxidants. You also include plenty of other vegies, legumes, wholegrains, nuts and fruit, while the lamb adds minerals including iron and zinc.

If you keep eating like this you’ll … Keep down your risk of diet-related chronic disease. Your abundance of whole foods will help you to manage your appetite and weight while meeting your nutritional needs.

Why don’t you try … Including seafood two or three times a week to boost your long-chain omega-3 fats and iodine. These are especially important for brain health.

My Father and Other Animals (Black Inc Books) by Sam Vincent is out now.

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