In late February, I was invited to St Angela’s College in Sligo to attend an event called Recipes for Success. On the evening, Sligo’s under 16 ladies GAA team arrived with their coaches to learn how best to fuel their bodies with the right nutrients.

Athletes, especially teenage athletes, require a nutritious and varied diet with lots of whole grains, dairy, proteins like meat and – of course – fresh fruits and vegetables. It is also important that they drink adequate amounts of water each day.

The sessions work as great bonding exercises for any squad

When the students arrived at St Angela’s, they were greeted by two home economics teachers who would be leading their cooking and nutrition lesson for the evening. Many of the young athletes admitted that they do very little cooking at home. This was hopefully about to change.

Recipes for Success operates throughout the republic of Ireland and sessions are taught on a voluntary basis by home economics teachers in each region. St Angela’s College is the only college in Ireland currently training home economics teachers. With this in mind, it made sense for the GAA to collaborate with St Angela’s with the Recipes for Success programme. Colin Regan, the GAA’s community and health manager, says the programme has led to more than just culinary skills for young players.

“Not only do the players learn valuable life skills with the potential to enhance their performance, the sessions work as great bonding exercises for any squad,” he says.

Developed as part of the GAA’s Healthy Club Project, Recipes for Success shows young athletes how evidence-based healthy eating can increase and even improve athletic performance. Amanda McCloat, acting president of St Angela’s College, has played a large role in the development of the programme, including the creation and publication of the Recipes for Success booklet which is handed out to students during sessions. She says, as home economists, Recipes for Success exemplifies their passion for teaching young people essential life skills.

It is a voluntary project for everyone involved and is built on the support of the brilliant home economics teachers

“Not every student has an opportunity to study home economics at junior cycle, so we developed Recipes for Success (in partnership with the health and wellbeing committee of the GAA) to teach young people food, nutrition and cooking skills outside the formal school setting,” she explains.

“It is a voluntary project for everyone involved and is built on the support of the brilliant home economics teachers around the country who teach the sessions to the Healthy Clubs, based on recipes and lessons designed by the home economics team here at St Angela’s College.”

The session with the under 16 Sligo ladies starts off quietly enough – the players, in a new environment and with an Irish Country Living camera in the room, don’t all rush to answer the nutrition questions being posed to them. Once we enter the practise kitchens at St Angela’s, everyone loosens up – after all, it’s time to get cooking.

Chicken fajitas with fresh vegetables, crispy sweet potato oven chips and nutty protein balls were on the menu and the students wasted no time getting stuck in. Head coach Fintan Kennedy says that some of the students wouldn’t normally have done much cooking at home, but have since started.

“One of the girls – who had said she couldn’t even make toast – came to me at training the following Wednesday and was excited to tell me she had made fajitas for her dinner that day,” he laughs.

“We have actually really benefited from Recipes for Success,” he continues. “All of the girls are now posting photos of their [recipe] creations from the book in our closed group, as well as their skills and running work. The recipes are fantastic and it has been a great source of fun for all the girls and coaches.”

Amanda says one of the most important takeaways, for her, from the success of the programme is the strength of the relationships involved.

“The project has established a very strong relationship between Colin Regan and his team at the GAA,” she says.

“The home economists here at the college include Dr Elaine Mooney, Roisin Lydon and Dr Eileen Kelly Blakeney.

“This is all supported by the relationships we have developed with the Association of Teachers of Home Economics (ATHE) and the home economics teachers around the country who have worked with the players – which is in excess of 1,000 young people, at this stage, over the course of the project.”

Colin also says that the building of these relationships has been hugely important to the programme.

“We’re indebted to Amanda and her team in St Angela’s for their expertise, and to the army of home economics teachers that have delivered – in their free time – workshops to squads across the 32 counties,” he says.

“Sports nutritionist Dr Crionna Tobin’s input was also important in helping to design the recipes with the players in mind.”

Amanda would love to see an increase in funding for the continuation of Recipes for Success to be extended to all GAA clubs across the country.

“Food is fuel and it is critical that young people understand and are able to prepare healthy, nutritious food for themselves,” she says. “This can have a direct impact on their performance.”

1 Keep your mind and body active in a way that is feasible; given your circumstances and the advice from the HSE on social distancing.

2 Eat plenty of healthy food. Exercise, develop a good home routine and try to avoid snacking.

3 Have fun together with your family in the kitchen – every moment is a learning opportunity.

4 Try a new recipe to cook for a family meal. Start off with basic three- to five-ingredient dishes, such as chilli con carne (mince, tinned tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, onion, chilli flakes or fresh chilli served with wholemeal spaghetti).