Parents might baulk at putting a man who makes a living out of creating inventive ways to kill his Mammy in charge of feeding their children, but GAA All-Stars, they’d know how to put together a healthy snack, wouldn’t they?
Or so you’d think. But there were a few dodgy sandwich wraps created – anyone for quinoa, egg and cheese – when TV presenter Baz Ashmawy challenged Mayo footballer Aidan O’Shea and Kilkenny hurler TJ Reid to create nutritious breakfasts, lunches and snacks at the launch of the Kellogg’s 2016 Cúl Camps, which are expected to be attended by more than 100,000 children during the summer holidays.
The sports camps for children aged between six and 13 years, incorporate a nutrition programme, which aims to make participants aware of the link between nutrition and energy.
At the launch in Dublin today, O'Shea and Reid assembled breakfast, lunch and snack meals against the clock, with some helpful hints and not so helpful heckling from Ashmawy, who munched on cheese (good) and chocolate (bad) to counteract jetlag, having flown in from the US where he is currently filming the third series of the Emmy winning, 50 Ways to Kill your Mammy.
Nutritionist Laura Street chose TJ Reid as the cook-off champion, despite the dubious deconstructed wrap that was his lunch suggestion. He served water with all of his meals, which won her approval. “Children should start their day with milk or water and aim for eight glasses of water each day for optimum hydration,” Street said.
It wasn't all quinoa and raw cacao however, as the winner admitted to enjoying "a bag of chips with salt and vinegar and a good chicken burger," on occasion. Fruit-phobic O'Shea confessed to a weakness for lemon drizzle cake, "my little sister makes it for me", and pizza, "there's a place in Castlebar that puts everything on it for me". For Ashmawy, who took part in the first Celebrity Bainisteoir, a homemade burger is his "cheat meal" of choice.
The Kellogg's GAA Cúl Camps take place nationwide in July and August and cost €55 per child for a week of training in hurling, camogie and football. Bookings can be made online atkelloggsculcamps.gaa.ie
One camp in each province will have a surprise visit from one of the four Cúl Camp ambassadors – Reid and O'Shea, along with Cork camogie player Ashling Thompson and Armagh footballer Aimee Mackin. In addition there are three prizes, worth €16,500, on offer on promotional product cereal and snack packs and the winners will each earn €5,000 worth of training gear for their local club and a €500 voucher for themselves.
