7am Weekends, I love a full Irish, but otherwise it's cornflakes, wholemeal toast and a poached egg. I'll also have a banana and coffee with milk and sugar – I recently cut down to half a spoon. Music is on from the minute I get up, not Christmas tunes in June though.
11am I drink two more coffees – meeting clients or I could be in the office. I walk and cycle a few times a week and every now and then go for a run. Nothing regular – so I need to tackle that.
2pm I'll probably pick up a baguette with chicken and salad. Water, sometimes flavoured, and an apple. I don't snack between meals. I'll have a cup of tea at some stage in the afternoon.
7pm If it's an evening when my children are staying with me I'll make a proper dinner but otherwise it could be something fast like scrambled eggs and toast. I enjoy my food but I'm not a foodie – I eat to live. After a day working, I'm not into fiddling around making elaborate sauces. If I'm cooking I might do grilled salmon and some potatoes and broccoli. And I have a rule – one takeaway a week, no more. It could be Thai or Indian. Sometimes McDonald's. Weekends if I'm working I will have to eat at that venue so try to make sure there is some veg included.
Midnight Weekdays, I'm in bed for 12. If I watch a movie I'll snack on popcorn or a couple of biscuits with a cuppa. I enjoy a few drinks with friends but wouldn't have one alone, and never DJing at a corporate event – especially a wedding. It's a finely tuned skill to read a room and the atmosphere will change several times. A DJ needs to know what to play at that exact moment – there is a science and psychology to it. First up is Auntie Mary and later Michael in his mid-30s will emerge from the bar as the first batch are off to bed. And you have some of the younger generations up and down taking selfies – often not lasting a full song. Some people there is no budging, but it's my job to ensure everyone who physically can will launch on to the dance floor at some stage. The right song can literally elevate a room. Just as the wrong one will clear the floor. I'm in bed quite late at the weekends – music ringing in my ears.
THE VERDICT
By Dr Conor Kerley, dietetics consultant, researcher and lecturer at University College Dublin and Technological University Dublin
Breakfast Cornflakes are quite refined – they contain less nutrients than a wholegrain cereal. Poached egg is a smart option as it's not cooked in fat. No problem with a weekend full Irish – adding in mushrooms, tomatoes and beans will up the health factor.
Lunch I hope Garvan passed on the mayo – high in saturated fat – and his baguette was wholemeal. Good to see the fruit and veg.
Dinner Scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast is a decent dinner standby when you are strapped for time – but better if there was sautéed spinach and chopped peppers on the side. The salmon and veg is a nourishing meal and easy to cook.
Tips If Garvan is making a quick supper for himself he should always include some sort of veg. He could opt for porridge or unsweetened muesli instead of cornflakes and careful with the takeaways – they are higher in calories and saturated fat than home cooking and therefore, depending on your overall diet, even once a week may be problematic.
My Daily Diet series
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- Jonathan Forbes
- Mike Ross
- Sean Rainbird
- Hanif Kureishi
- Nuala McGovern
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- Caroline O'Donoghue
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