My day on a plate: Kate Murphy

Actor Kate Murphy, 32, shares her day on a plate.

Kate Murphy.

7am After a six-kilometre run, I am starving. I have three Weet-Bix with soy milk, apricots, cashew nuts and strawberries, followed by a banana. I am low in iron so this recipe, given to me by my dietitian, helps me get through the day.

9am A cup of coffee with soy milk.

10.30am A salted caramel nut-butter protein bar.

11.15am Another coffee before I do radio interviews.

1pm Leftover Thai takeaway of chicken curry, cashews and vegetables with coconut rice, plus an orange.

3.30pm A few Vita-Weat crackers with butter.

8.15pm After an evening swim, I cook a stir-fry with tofu, bok choy, broccoli, carrots and eggplant,
with a fried egg on top.

9pm A few pieces of dark chocolate before bed.

Dr Joanna McMillan says …

Top marks for …Your gorgeous quick dinner, which gives you a fabulous vegie boost along with protein from the tofu and egg. Your dark chocolate is also a great sweet-treat choice, being rich in polyphenols – which are a good source of antioxidants as well as boosting beneficial gut flora.

If you keep eating like this you’ll … Have to keep an eye on your iron levels. Your breakfast is helping as cereals are fortified with iron, but iron which is added to foods or which comes from plants is not as easily absorbed as iron from red meat and seafood.

Why don’t your try … Including lean red meat two or three times a week. Oysters and mussels are also terrific for iron as well as iodine – often low in Aussie diets and essential for thyroid function and brain health – and zinc, which is vital for immune function. Legumes and leafy greens will boost iron levels in plant-based meals.

Kate Murphy is the voice of Petra in The Wishmas Tree, in cinemas now.

This article appears in Sunday Life magazine within the Sun-Herald and the Sunday Age on sale March 8.

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