Oat lattes taste good, but they fail to get a dietitian’s tick unless they contain this

September 13, 2026 — 5:00amSharon Winsor is a chef and CEO. The 50-year-old shares her day on a plate. Photo: Art by Eliza Iredale6.30am When I wake up, I have a glass of water and give myself an hour to feed the horses, get some fresh air and get into the day. 6.30am I have an oat latte.8am Breakfast is scrambled eggs with half an avocado.11am A second oat latte. I also sip water throughout the day.1pm I am in the warehouse today, so I am having a packed lunch of homemade roast chicken with a tomato and cucumber salad dressed with lemon myrtle olive oil and some goat’s cheese.6.45pm Home for a dinner of oven-baked salmon with chilli oil, coriander and freshly squeezed lemon with a side of steamed greens.Dr Joanna McMillan says:Top marks for… The salmon, vegetables and avocado eaten throughout the day give you a terrific mix of healthy fats, including omega-3s, plus potassium and phytonutrients. And I love the use of Australian native ingredients – many are exceptionally rich in antioxidant plant compounds. That’s a beautifully nutrient-dense lunch and dinner.If you keep eating like this you’ll… Risk missing out on fibre diversity and possibly calcium. At 50, protecting bone density is increasingly important, and unless those oat lattes are made with calcium-fortified milk, goat’s cheese alone is unlikely to get you close to your needs. It looks as if you are avoiding foods containing carbohydrates, but risk throwing out the good with the bad in the process.Why don’t you try… Not just thinking “carbs”, but considering carbohydrate quality. Add fibre-rich foods such as wholegrains, legumes, fruit, nuts and seeds to your day, Together, these foods bring resistant starch, prebiotic fibres, magnesium and polyphenols that eggs, fish and vegetables alone simply can’t provide.Sharon Winsor is founder of Indigiearth and the Australian Native Food Festival at Carriageworks, Sydney, September 26-27.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