My day on a plate: Alejandro Saravia

Executive chef at Pastuso, Melbourne, Alejandro Saravia, 35, shares his day on a plate.

Alejandro Saravia.

9am After getting a long black, I visit Pastuso before moving on to other restaurants. Along the way, I get a Reuben sandwich for the road as there are lots of farms and producers to visit today.

12.30pm Lunch is a big steak of grass-fed black angus beef with some locally sourced vegetables.

4pm After visiting eight restaurants and cafes, I have an espresso and a brownie.

9.30pm After dinner service in my restaurant, I head home for a late meal with my wife. We graze on cold meats, cheese, salads, leftover roast meat and bread while sharing a bottle of wine.

11pm I check my emails and get more work done while enjoying another two glasses of wine.

Dr Joanna McMillan says:

Top marks for … Keeping dinner light, particularly since you tend to eat late. You want at least a couple of hours between eating and going to bed to allow time for your stomach to empty or you risk heartburn, indigestion and a less-restful sleep.

If you keep eating like this you'll … Have to watch your gut health. You are eating a lot of meat, including processed meats (the corned beef in the Reuben sandwich) and this is associated with an increased risk of colon cancer. You have included vegies in every meal, which helps to mitigate this risk, but reducing your meat consumption and upping your intake of fibre-rich plant foods would be better.

Why don't you try … Ensuring that you eat a generous portion of vegies at most meals, including a wide variety. Also, opt for wholegrain sourdough bread and try to include more varieties of plant foods, including nuts, seeds and legumes.

In January, Alejandro Saravia will present a special menu as part of the Australian Tennis Open's Chef Series 2019; ausopen.com.

This article appears in Sunday Life magazine within the Sun-Herald and the Sunday Age on sale October 21.

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