‘Scrambled tofu with mushroom and avocado’: How this teacher prepares for his day

Luke Springer is a teacher and social media sensation Mr Luke. Here, the 33-year-old shares his day on a plate.

The teacher follows a plant-based diet full of legumes.

6am Good morning, world! I start the day with a glass of lemon water and a double espresso supplemented with an extract of lion’s mane and chaga mushrooms.

7am Scrambled tofu with mushroom and avocado on a slice of toast. Another double espresso and a glass of water.

7.30am A vitamin pack (iron, probiotic, biotin, vitamin B12, zinc and acetyl l-carnitine) plus half a tablespoon of garlic and honey. An oat latte to take to school.

9.30am Brain food time with the tiny humans in my class. I snack on a banana. Recess an hour later is a protein yoghurt berry cup while handing out band-aids and playing chasey.

1pm Premade meal of pasta and pesto eaten at my desk. Water bottle refilled.

6pm Crackers and beetroot hummus before the gym. During my workout, I have a scoop of peanut butter, electrolytes and a BCAA shake.

8.30pm Mexican bean lettuce cups with capsicum and avocado, plus a protein shake.

Dr Joanna McMillan says:

Top marks for… Getting plenty of legumes into your day of plant-based eating. Tofu made from soybeans, the hummus made from chickpeas and the beans at dinner are all great sources of plant protein and contain an array of essential nutrients.

If you keep eating like this you’ll… Risk wasting money on supplements you don’t need, potentially even getting too much of some nutrients, such as iron. You can get plenty of protein into your day without the need for two supplement shakes (BCAA stands for branched chain amino acids and is therefore a kind of protein shake). Be careful not to rely on premade meals that include many undesirable ingredients.

Why don’t you try… Making extra food at dinner so that you have leftovers to take to school for lunch the next day. Combine your legumes with a wholegrain for a complementary mix of protein and nutrients. Add black rice to your Mexican bean cups and ensure your toast and pasta are wholegrain.

Catch Mr Luke in Reef School on ABC Kids and ABC iview.

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