Red wine, cheese and chocolate frogs: what a dietitian thinks of late-night ritual

Callum Hann is a chef and business owner. The 36-year-old shares his day on a plate.

7.30am After a sleep-in, I have a strong coffee and orange crepes and double cream made by my wife, Crystal.

11.30am We decide to go to a nearby patisserie for beef brisket pies with salad. Another coffee for me.

4.50pm My kids, Elle and Henry, help me make “green pasta” – pasta dough with blanched cavolo nero blitzed through it. We eat it with a simple pecorino sauce, garlic and extra cavolo nero. Crystal and I add anchovies to ours.

8pm After the kids are asleep, I prep a curry. Crystal and I have a glass of pinot and raid our “cheese drawer” for little chunks of gruyere and roquefort which we eat with sliced apple and crackers. We finish with a chocolate frog.

Dr Joanna McMillan says

Top marks for… Cooking from scratch and planning ahead, ensuring your family is eating mostly whole foods. The kids are also learning valuable kitchen skills, while shared meals at the table role model healthy eating into a fun family routine. I especially love the addition of cavolo nero to pasta, giving a fabulous nutrient boost.

If you keep eating this you’ll… Benefit from the range of vegetables and the calcium, iodine and umami punch in your anchovies and cheese. But the double cream, pastries and cheese-and-chocolate combo push up your intake of saturated fats. This is associated with weight gain, especially when eaten late in the day.

Why don’t you try… Switching to wholegrain crepe batter to boost fibre, topping them with Greek yoghurt for more protein early in the day, and adding berries for a phytonutrient kick. Keep the pastries to an occasional treat – beef sourdough sandwiches would be a healthier choice. Snack on a handful of nuts mid‑afternoon to curb evening nibbling.

Callum Hann is a contestant on MasterChef Australia: Back to Win, Sundays at 7pm, and Mondays and Tuesdays at 7.30pm on 10.

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