Picture the scene, a normal summer's day somewhere in England. Let's assume it's not raining for a moment. A group of weary club cricketers have made their way into the tea room for a hearty refuelling. Their whites are grass stained, their brows still glowing with the sweat of a hard afternoon in the field.

You already know what will face them on the table: Crisps, sarnies, cakes and, if the tea maker is particularly reckless, potato salad.

All great food. I love a good mini scotch egg as much as the next man.

But what if our cricketers want something tasty to eat that will also help them on the pitch?

What we really need at the break is something that can provide fuel and nutrients for recovery in a slow release of energy. Who wants a sugar crash or bloating half an hour into their innings? You can get both from cakes, pasta and bread.

Dr John Berardi recommends we combine veggies with complete protein, a balance of fats and some carefully selected carbs to do this effectively. Who eats fat, carbs and protein though?

Those cricketers eat food just like the rest of us.

And a great food for them to try is quinoa, something I have just tried this week for the first time and love for many reasons.

I think those cricketers would have loved it and you will love it too.

Quinoa is a grain like wheat but it's a grain on steroids. Here are the benefits:

• Tastes great. Especially when combined with chicken and spinich.
• Easy to find. Most major supermakets carry it.
• Easy to cook. 12 minutes simmering in a pan with a lid is all it needs.
• Complete protein. It contains every amino acid your body needs to repair muscle after playing.
• Gluten free. You don't get any allergic reaction to it, bloating or lethergy is common with other grains.
• Low GI. There is no sugar crash with quinoa as it releases it's energy slowly.
• High Antioxidants. This stuff is good for your health as well as your cricket.

Compare hot chicken quinoa (prep time about 10 minutes) to a couple of egg mayonnaise sarnies for taste, nutritional value and convenience. The quinoa wins every time.

So stick it in a salad or have it with a meal and see what you think. You might even like it, I know I suprised myself (I'm no Gillian McKeith I can tell you)

I'll also be posting more healthy and tasty cricket food ideas soon. Let me know if there is any food you love. Maybe we can see more of on that tea table in the summer!