England appoint unlikely new diet guru in bid to enhance performances
Declan Rice, Jordan Pickford, Ollie Watkins, Alessia Russo, Ella Toone and Mary Earps were handed advice at St George’s Park by comedian Jack Whitehall
England have found an unlikely individual to act as a health and nutrition consultant – comedian Jack Whitehall.
In a new video, the British stand-up star and actor was invited to St George’s Park – the home of England football – to hand out his tips and advice to the Three Lions and Lionesses in a bid to help them eat healthier in order to be the best they can be on the pitch.
As part of the Football Association’s The Greater Game initiative, Whitehall teamed up with M&S Food to try out his new ‘food formations’ and ‘super subs’ on England stars such as Declan Rice and Mary Earps.
While not all of Whitehall’s suggestions, such as swapping chocolate for lettuce, go down a treat with the players, the comedian was keen to get his message across that better nutrition means better performance on the pitch.
The comedian suggests a number of swaps to Declan Rice, Jordan Pickford, Ollie Watkins, Alessia Russo, Ella Toone and Mary Earps, with mixed success.
Jack Whitehall M&S
Whitehall’s unconventional approach also includes a sound bath session with Noni Madueke, Conor Gallagher and Marc Guehi, while he braved an ice bath to test recovery techniques under advice from Leah Williamson, Grace Clinton and Beth Mead.
“As I cast my eye over the England teams’ nutrition when I visited St George’s Park – for a brief moment – I did my best to revolutionise healthy eating and nutrition, said Whitehall.
“And, surprisingly, I actually picked up a few useful tricks along the way. Understanding how elite athletes fuel their bodies, whether it’s loading up on the right carbs before a game or using protein to help recovery, has definitely made me rethink my own approach to food and training.
“Even the ice bath wasn’t as bad as I expected… eventually. Food Formations’ is a brilliant way to make nutrition simple, not just for pro players but for parents and kids too.”
The video comes as part of The Greater Game initiative, a partnership between M&S Food and The FA, aiming to inspire football fans, young players and families to think about their health and nutrition to eat well and perform at their best.
While Jack’s unconventional approach might not make it into the official FA’s nutrition handbook, the message is clear – good food choices are key to better performance on the pitch and better health off it.
