Camp life means being extra careful about what goes on your plate. So does Andre Berto do the sensible thing and avoid temptation at every turn?
Andre Berto's secret to looking that cut? Quinoa and brown rice.
Of course not. He’s a food junkie who stays on top of Chopped, in what could only be described as a fit of culinary masochism.
“I do a lot of cooking. Outside the ring, everybody who reads my Instagram or Twitter knows I’m pretty outside the box,” Berto said as he prepares to face Josesito Lopez on Friday night in Ontario, California, on Spike TV. “I’m obsessed with the Food Network, especially while I’m in camp because I can’t eat what I want.”
Berto, whose parents emigrated from Haiti, says he likes to cook food from the islands, but when it’s time for camp his menu is mainly brown rice, quinoa and chicken.
“It almost kind of drives me crazy,” he said. “I’m one of those guys in camp where I’ll watch it and literally write down a list of all the places and restaurants I want to hit. I’m a little sick with it.
Laila Ali, a corner analyst for NBC's broadcasts of Premier Boxing Champions fights, was on two episodes of Chopped: All-Stars and made it as far as the finals.
Could Berto follow in her footsteps? Don’t think he hasn’t considered taking a crack at the show’s mystery baskets.
“There’s a couple of tough judges on that show. Chris Santos, he’s the toughest one. They’re professionals, as well. Most of them own their own restaurants. They're very critical of a lot of contestants,” Berto said. “The judges in the fight game are pretty self-explanatory, although they seem to be blind from time to time.”
