Energy Exchange Cafe

Overview

Counting your steps has the obvious benefit of motivating a healthier lifestyle. But nothing motivates us quite like free food does. Combine the two and you get the Energy Exchange Cafe, a food-for-steps experiment that will pop-up within Chippendale's Concrete Jungle from August 28 through 30, 8am–2.30pm daily. You read correctly — no cash is needed for this dine-out brekkie.

The cafe is a collaboration between Tim Robards — a TV personality and "wellness expert" (his words, not ours) — and Uncle Tobys. The deal is as straightforward as it sounds: show your steps and get a free meal. The menu 'prices' range from 3000 to 10,000 steps, with every dish accompanied by a free coffee.

Patrons can use their preferred step-tracker to show accumulated steps from the previous day, or the day of, or even sign an 'energy pledge' for the steps they intend to take — honour-system style.

The menu is loaded with nutrient-rich and filling dishes to get you through the day. Yes, the menu also features lots of oats.

Choose from creamy turmeric porridge topped with a poached egg, kale and crisp chickpeas (10,000 steps); orange juice-soaked bircher with fresh strawberries, apples and grapes (8000); blue algae smoothie bowls with fresh blueberries and crunchy granola (10,000); or mixed berry hotcakes topped with a heaping dollop of cream (6000). Plus chia seed bliss balls (3000), oat banana bread (3000) and — of course — an avocado on toast (5000) option, too.

Images: Kai Leishman