No vice: Why a dietitian says we need to stop the guilt over the occasional chocolate

November 8, 2026 — 5:00amBrooke Testoni is creative director of an accessories brand. The 38-year-old shares her day on a plate. Photo: Art by Eliza Iredale6am English breakfast tea with soy milk, honey and collagen, then a morning walk and emails from [accessories brand] Rylan’s international partners.7am A slice of gluten-free toast with avocado.8.45am After drop-off, I get a soy piccolo. I do this every morning! Into the studio for a quick call with the team, admin, and a fun design meeting for next season.1pm A poke bowl at my desk with tofu, rice, ginger, avocado, cucumber, edamame, carrots, red cabbage, sesame seeds, nori and mayonnaise.3pm The afternoon is a mix of phone calls and a fitting ahead of the Lexus Melbourne Cup Carnivalm. Followed by peppermint tea and a few squares of Tony’s Chocolonely milk chocolate. Chocolate is my vice.6.30pm Family dinner of grilled salmon, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, and a salad. I’m pescatarian.9pm WelleCo Super Elixir, then bed.Dr Joanna McMillan says:Top marks for … Your colourful dinner, combining salmon with a lovely variety of vegetables, and choosing a poke bowl for lunch. A few squares of chocolate can comfortably fit into healthy eating – there’s no need to call it a vice.If you keep eating like this you’ll … Be getting plenty of valuable nutrients from your evening meal, but breakfast could work harder for you. As a pescatarian woman, it’s also worth deliberately including iron-rich foods such as lentils, tofu or mussels across your week.Why don’t you try … Adding two eggs to your avocado toast for protein, iodine and choline, a nutrient needed for normal brain and nervous-system function. Add a piece of fruit at breakfast or alongside your afternoon chocolate to broaden the day’s nutritional mix.Brooke Testoni is the creative director of Rylan, and was a guest of Lexus at the Melbourne Cup Carnival.Get the best of Sunday Life magazine delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning. Sign up for our newsletter.Nicole Economos is a Social Media Producer/Journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.From our partners