Tracy Bevan: ‘We always say that if it’s for charity, there are no calories!’

Tracy Bevan is a charity director. Here, the 58-year-old shares her day on a plate.

Credit: Art by Eliza Iredale

5.15am Half-a-litre of water with fresh lemon. I don’t drink coffee or alcohol, but occasionally have a herbal tea.

6.30am A litre of water while on a one-hour walk with my dog, Fern. I don’t eat breakfast, never have.

11.30am Off to speak at an event with one of our new corporate partners. There is usually a table of delicious pink food and today I have strawberries and a cupcake. At the McGrath Foundation, we always say that if it’s for charity, there are no calories!

12.30pm Two chicken sushi rolls.

6pm After another walk with my dog, dinner is roast lamb, pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, potatoes and gravy, plus a large glass of lemon water. I aim to drink three litres throughout the day.

Dr Joanna McMillan says

Top marks for … Dinner, the most nutritious meal in your day. Cruciferous vegetables, in this case cauliflower and broccoli, are associated with a lower risk of colon cancer, while peas boost your fibre intake. The seaweed in your lunchtime sushi rolls provides additional unique fibres.

If you keep eating like this you’ll … Fall short on a wide range of nutrients and phytonutrients, including antioxidants. Your intake of brain nutrients such as omega-3s and some B-group vitamins is also suboptimal.

Why don’t you try … Opting for salmon sushi to boost your intake of omega-3s, and with brown or black rice if possible. Add a salad dressed with Japanese sesame dressing. Snack on an additional piece of fruit with a handful of nuts.

Tracy Bevan is an ambassador and director of the McGrath Foundation. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month; pinkisthecolour.com.au.

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