CANBERRA Raiders are not only competing on the field but in the kitchen as part of an initiative to encourage healthy eating.

This will be the third year the Raiders and 14 other NRL teams will join Australian Avocado growers in a competition to search for the best recipe using an avocado.

According to research by Australian Avocados and the Canberra Raiders, four in five footy fans are choosing fatty ‘convenient’ footy snacks and one in two families admit to serving up pies, hotdogs and chips when entertaining friends, to save on time, money and effort.

The survey also found 15 per cent of parents admitted to letting children choose the same foods as their role models.

“Families are munching on hotdogs, pies and chips while watching the footy and even after the kids’ football practice, so we’ve teamed up with Australian avocado growers to promote healthy eating and show families that footy snacks don’t have to mean fatty snacks,” Canberra Raiders’ health ambassador Dane Tilse said.

To view and vote for the Raiders’ recipe for Avo and Zucchini Fritters visit  www.avocado.org.au/iheartfooty before 31 August 2011. Voters go into a draw to win tickets to the 2011 NRL Grand Final and a signed team jersey.