Dr Joanna McMillan Argues Artist Diet Falls Short on Key Nutrients

In a column for the Sydney Morning Herald published on October 4, 2026, social media producer and journalist Nicole Economos reported on an artist sharing a day of eating that featured tea, crudités, and a Caramello Koala.

Key Clinical Takeaways:
• Dr Joanna McMillan evaluated a 33-year-old Melbourne artist’s daily food intake as falling short on fiber, protein, and several key micronutrients.
• The reviewed menu included multiple cups of tea and coffee, a matcha mochi ball, chicken sandwiches with vegetables, a Caramello Koala, a beer, and potato tots.
• Dr McMillan suggested front-loading the day with a substantial breakfast and keeping pre-prepared vegetables and protein sources available for tired-night dinners.

Artist Shares a Daily Menu Featuring Tea, Chicken Sandwiches, and a Caramello Koala

The 33-year-old Melbourne artist, Esther Olsson, shared her daily food intake in a feature published by the Sydney Morning Herald. Olsson’s day began at 5:30 am with water and black coffee, followed by Australian Breakfast tea in a custom-designed cup featuring a built-in strainer at 6:10 am and again at 9:00 am. At 10:15 am, she consumed crudités and a matcha mochi ball, preceding a lunch of chicken sandwiches with cabbage, mayonnaise, jalapeños, and pickles at 12:30 pm. During a meeting with her boss at 2:40 pm, she received a Caramello Koala. Later, at 5:30 pm, she had a beer at Kip&Co’s new Fitzroy store during a Mirka Mora exhibition, concluding her food intake at 7:30 pm with potato tots for dinner before sleeping at 9:00 pm.

Dietitian Assesses Nutritional Gaps in the Artist’s Diet

Dr Joanna McMillan reviewed the daily menu and gave top marks for the crudités and the vegetables squeezed into the chicken sandwiches, noting that the tea and coffee add beneficial polyphenols. However, Dr McMillan stated that the day overall falls well short of the recommended serves for all food groups. According to the assessment, continuing to eat in this manner leads to shortfalls in fiber, protein, and key micronutrients including calcium and iron, which over time impacts energy levels, immune function, brain function, and gut health. While skipping breakfast is not necessarily a problem if nutrition is made up later, Dr McMillan noted that lunch did all the heavy lifting on this particular day while the potato tots added little nutrition.

Recommendations for Improving Daily Nutrition

To address the nutritional shortfalls identified in the daily log, Dr McMillan suggested front-loading the day with a substantial breakfast consisting of wholegrain sourdough piled with vegetables such as mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, asparagus, or avocado, alongside protein from eggs or smoked salmon. For tired-night dinners, Dr McMillan advised keeping a bag of stir-fry vegetables and chicken, beef, or tofu ready to cook, or stashing a high-protein, high-fiber soup in the fridge or freezer. Olsson is a Melbourne-based artist and a collaborator for T2’s Tea To Take You Places range.