Eat For Goals - The Footballer's Guide To Healthy Eating

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 30 Aug 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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Eat for Goals is a book that gives children and young people information on healthy eating and quick and easy recipes for healthy cooking. The book encourages young footballers to be more conscious about eating healthily. The book's message is conveyed by a group of internationally renowned football players who introduce readers to their favourite dishes.

The book is the result of a joint venture between the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the World Heart Federation (WHF) and the European Commission and was introduced in Finland in connection with the 2009 UEFA European Women's Championship final round.

Created for children aged 5 to 11, Eat for Goals is intended as a guide for young footballers on living active lifestyles and eating healthily. The book underlines a simple message - that a healthy lifestyle is also based on healthy food.

In the book, 13 football stars from around the world share their favourite recipes. Top footballers such as Thierry Henry, Miroslav Klose and Kelly Smith talk about the footballer's diet and what food they like to eat to play well. The recipes are quick and easy, complete with detailed lists of ingredients and step-by-step instructions.

"To excel at sport and to perform at one's best, diet is crucial," said Kelly Smith, the English striker from Arsenal LFC and the England national team.

"Eat for Goals shows young players and football fans how to cook and eat like champions," said Steve Gerrard, captain of Liverpool FC and England international.

The book teaches children to adopt healthier eating habits from an early age and to lead more active lifestyles. Eat for Goals is set against a bleak backdrop: obesity is on the rise almost everywhere around the world and even children are increasingly adopting unhealthy lifestyles. The problems concern eating, drinking and physical exercise. As a whole, childhood lifestyles are good determinants of adult health.

"The world of football has long inspired people of any age and gender to exercise. It has now set out to inspire them to eat well too," said William Gaillard, presidential adviser at UEFA.

"As childhood obesity rates rise, initiatives such as Eat for Goals are increasingly important as they encourage healthy nutrition and active lifestyles among children in a fun and inspirational way," said Professor Pekka Puska, president of the World Heart Federation and Finnish Heart Association.

The English version of Eat for Goals is available at just €12.90. The book can be ordered online from the UEFA and WHF websites. It is now available in English, French, German, Polish, Spanish and Dutch, Russian. Italian and Turkish versions will be published later this autumn.

UEFA will donate €1 from the sale of each book in support of World Heart Federation programmes encouraging children to be physically active.

Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)

UEFA is an association of associations based on representative democracy and the governing body of football in Europe. UEFA's core mission is to promote, protect and develop European football at every level of the game, to promote the principles of unity and solidarity, and to deal with all questions relating to European football.

Source
World Heart Federation

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