Olympic gold medallist Christine Ohuruogu and world junior champion Dina Asher-Smith today taste tested the “perfect meal for an athlete” according to performance nutrition experts.
LONDON, 2015-2-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — The dish, an 8oz New York strip sirloin steak served with sweet potato mash, kale, samphire, mange tout and broccoli, was served by London chef and former Olympian Francis Agyepong at Christopher’s restaurant in Covent Garden.
Francis competed in the Triple Jump for Great Britain at the Barcelona and Atlanta Olympics, and has since developed his career as a head chef in London’s West End.
He has worked with Sainsbury’s and British Athletics’ performance nutritionist Joseph Agu to create a perfect menu for Christine and Dina, as they prepare for the 2015 athletics season, which will see Christine bid to retain her world 400m title in Beijing, where she won Olympic gold in 2008.
Joseph Agu said: “This is the perfect meal for an athlete, with the right balance of protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals. Steak is high in protein, which is excellent for muscle recovery and also in iron stores which helps reduce fatigue. It’s an ideal meat for athletes to consume during their training programme.
“Sweet potato is an excellent carbohydrate source so it contributes to the recovery of normal muscle function after hard training. The green veg provides vitamins A & C which support the immune system to function normally, which is hampered with hard training.”
Dina Asher-Smith, who was crowned British 60m champion at the Sainsbury’s Indoor British Championships last weekend and will compete at the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham on Saturday, said: “As a young athlete I’m always looking for ways to improve my performance, so good nutrition is key. Ahead of a big event like the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix it’s important to eat properly, and as the experts have identified, this dish is perfect for an athlete.”
Christine Ohuruogu said: “Nutrition is a very important part of athletics, and it’s great that Francis and Joseph have identified a dish which will help our training, but also taste great. Healthy eating is a big part of my life, so I’m really pleased to see Sainsbury’s using their sponsorship of athletics to inspire others to live a healthy lifestyle.”
Francis Agyepong said: “At Christopher’s we are always trying to be at the fore front of culinary awareness in terms of ingredients, traceability, style and nutrition. If you peruse our menus you will see many elements of ‘superfoods’ incorporated into our dishes; from quinoa and seeds, to beets, kale and black rice.
“In creating this ultimate athlete menu, I have focused on nutrition first and foremost – the dish is ideal for energy, recovery and tissue rebuilding. The quality of ingredients used and the resulting taste also has a positive effect on the mind and general wellbeing.
“Food and nutrition is a big part of everyone’s lives but to an athlete it can mean the difference between having a short or long sustained career. The body has the ability to self-repair if the food you are putting in it is of premium quality – that is why our menu at Christopher’s is very balanced.”
The Ultimate Athletes Lunch Recipe – Christopher’s, Covent Garden
Ingredients (serves 1)
- 1x 230g sirloin steak
- Mixed greens: Samphire, Kale, tender stem broccoli, calvolo nero, peas
- 1 x medium size sweet potato
- 90ml agave syrup (or maple syrup)
- Coconut Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (fan oven)
- Place sweet potato in oven for approximately 25 mins
- While potato is cooking season the steak with salt and cracked black pepper, drizzle a little olive or sunflower to coat the steak
- Once potato is cooked, cut out the flesh and mash until smooth, adding 90ml agave syrup, then cover
- Place steak on a hot grill or into a hot frying pan and cook for 3mins on each side (remove from the heat and allow to rest for 4-mins)
- Meanwhile drop your vegetables into medium size pot of salted boiling water for approx. 40 seconds, drain the vegetables off before pouring into moderate hot pan with 10 ml of coconut oil toss two or three times before finishing with some chopped tarragon, mint and parsley
- Serve immediately
Credit
Francis Agyepong, Christopher’s, Covent Garden.
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