Annabel Langbein

7 September 2008 As seen in the award winning Sunday Star Times Escape section.

2009 winner - Health Section Qantas Media Awards.

Annabel Langbein is an award winning celebrity cook and writer. She has worked as a food writer and presenter since 1984. She was responsible for establishing the Culinary Institute of New Zealand, a specialist food and marketing consultancy and is the author of eight bestselling food books.

7am: I always start the day with a cup of tea, brought to me in bed by my nice husband, Ted. This morning it was ginseng, but I often get fresh ginger with a squeeze of lemon - it’s a really refreshing way to start the day. The kids and Ted have porridge in the morning with some stewed or fresh fruit and this morning I joined them and tucked into a small bowl of porridge with rhubarb and yoghurt.

10.30am: I usually save my real brekkie until after my yoga class at 9am, then it’s time for a cup of tea and Vogel’s toast with homemade marmalade. I just made a big batch so it was still warm in the pot. Plus a handful of goji berries, three brazil nuts and a kiwifruit. I love preserving. I find it very relaxing to let a big pot of fresh ingredients simmer away before putting the mixture into jars for the larder. Not only do preserves make great gifts, they are a useful way to feel connected with whatever harvests are in season and to give your food a really personal touch.

Noon: I caught up with a friend for an early light lunch of little club sammies made with wholemeal bread, smoked salmon, cucumber and spinach. And I confess, a little bacon and egg pie just warm from the oven.

2.30pm: I grabbed banana and a handful of goji berries (I keep them in the fridge and snack on them all the time). Before dinner Ted and I had a glass of wine, a handful of almonds and a couple of crackers with blue cheese.

7pm: For dinner (it’s never the same) I picked some lovely fresh greens from the garden for a salad; rocket, lambs lettuce, chicory, spring onions and red endive, plus a head of broccoli. I made a yummy duck and mushroom risotto with leftover duck bones from Saturday night’s dinner and we ate it with lightly cooked broccoli, salad greens tossed with two tomatoes and some toasted tamari sunflower seeds with just a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice as a dressing.

For pudding we had fresh mango drizzled with a little bit of fresh passionfruit pulp. I’m lucky I don’t have a sweet tooth really. It’s a hazard when you are a cook, but I try not to eat when I am cooking. Serving dinner on small plates is also a good trick.

Jacquie says:

When critiquing a Day on a Plate, it’s easy to fall into the trap of dissecting a person’s diet into individual nutrients. We are taught to judge whether or not a diet is good or bad based on our theory of recommended intakes of carbohydrates, fat, calcium, or whatever. A healthy diet is so much more than its sum of nutrients.

Annabel’s food diary reminds me just how removed many of us are from healthy, pleasurable eating. It’s not just what we eat that’s making us fatter as a nation, it is also how we eat and I welcome a return to growing our own vegetables, family meal times and quality food. Annabel has a healthy relationship with food - she still enjoys treats, but stays slim with little tricks such as using smaller plates.

Each week a nutritionist from Real Nutrition looks over a celebrity's diet. For award winning health articles and a really good read - check out the Sunday Star Times each Sunday.