Former England international Andros Townsend is drawing attention for his unusual diet, which includes consuming raw steak, sardines, and boiled eggs during travel. The 34-year-old footballer, currently playing for Thai League 1 club Kanchanaburi Power, has shared videos of his eating habits on social media, aiming to maintain his health while on the road and away from kitchen facilities.
Townsend asserts that his diet is a way to avoid the temptations and potential health pitfalls of fast food and ultra-processed products, which he states have well-documented drawbacks. He argues that raw beef, when sourced from high-quality, grass-fed suppliers, can be a better option than restaurant meals that may be cooked using heavily processed oils. He claims to have followed this raw meat regimen for four years, dating back to his Premier League days.
His practices have sparked a divided reaction online. While some viewers praise his commitment to health and his culinary choices, others express disgust. Comments on his videos range from calling the unappetizing, such as "Wouldn’t feed that to a dog," to concerns about consideration for others, particularly regarding the smell of boiled eggs on flights.
Townsend defends his diet by citing potential nutritional benefits, noting that certain vitamins, including B1, B6, and B12, can be partially degraded by cooking and are thus retained in higher concentrations in raw meat. However, consuming raw meat carries inherent risks, including potential contamination with harmful bacteria like E. coli or Salmonella, or parasites. Experts note that while whole cuts of meat may offer some reduced risk compared to ground meat, bacteria can still be present on the surface. Townsend maintains he has not experienced any adverse health effects from his diet.
He is not alone among athletes in advocating for raw food products; Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is known to consume raw milk. Despite the health claims and endorsements, the visual aspect of Townsend's meals, such as eating sardines directly from a can while on commentary duty, continues to be a point of contention for many viewers.
