Marc Pugh could give Man Utd stars some cooking tips as QPR’s Foodie Footballer becomes Instagram chef success

Posted Wednesday, April 22, 2020 by Thesun.co.uk

MARC PUGH has given footballers plenty of food for thought while in lockdown.

The QPR ace took a nutrition course six years ago and became so handy in the kitchen he started an Instagram account entitled @TheFoodieFootballer.

Marc Pugh has racked up 8,500 followers on Instagram as a budding chef

On his page there are plenty of recipes for tasty, healthy meals.

And with players currently stuck at home fending for themselves, he urged them to follow his lead and use the time to take up cooking.

Manchester United’s stars might want to have a word after it was revealed that some of them injured themselves cooking.

Pugh, 33, told SunSport: “Ten years ago, I was a terrible cook.

“I wish I had educated myself more when I was younger.

“I used to have pizza as a pre-match meal when I was at Shrewsbury as a 21-year-old. We kept winning games so we thought it was a good omen!

“Before I did my course I didn’t know how important nutrition was. Now I take it very seriously, both for myself and for my family.

“As a professional it has helped with recovery particularly.

“During this lockdown, when we have all the time in the world, what better way to spend it than learning to cook! It could improve your game and your fitness.”

Midfielder Pugh completed the online course to help out his wife, who had a lot on her plate being pregnant with their second child at the time.

The 18-module qualification covered body composition, metabolism, body nutrition, fitness and helped him with performance and recovery.

Marc Pugh shared his tasty recipes with his followers on Instagram

Pugh said: “I feel better now than when I was 21.

“Back then I made mistakes going into games and felt lethargic because of what I’d eaten.

“When I was at Bury, we played Weymouth in the FA Cup and I felt horrendous.

“I actually scored but I felt awful. The pre-match meal was pasta and it bloated me. I never do that now.

“To this day, my pre-match meal is salmon, vegetables and sweet potatoes about 3½ hours before kick-off.”

Pugh’s Insta page is directed at anyone, not just professional athletes, who wants to eat good food but stay in tip-top shape.

That does not mean it is all kale and quinoa though — even if he is partial to the latter.

The former Bournemouth star, who has scored twice in 31 appearances for the R’s this season, said: “My Instagram page is to show people they don’t have to eat like a rabbit to be fit and healthy.

“Refined carbs give you sugar spikes so I don’t use many of those. Good carbs like quinoa, sweet potato, brown rice and vegetables are amazing for you.

“I do have a bit of a sweet tooth but mostly I use natural sweeteners like dates and honey.

“There are some scones with jam and cream on there because my missus did it for our kids!

“I don’t like to call it a ‘diet’. But portion sizes are important.

“Some people look like they could climb their mountain of food rather than eat it!

“I like to get a lot of colour on the plate. And it is good to keep your metabolism guessing, so sometimes I skip breakfast and have more of a brunch instead.

The QPR star has urged his fans to follow his lead while stuck in lockdown

“During this period, I’ve been trying to keep to my routine of getting up around 6am, before the kids are awake, and having a coffee which is a good way to burn fat.

“The biggest tip is to exercise early in the day.

“I’ve been working on a book. I should hopefully be able to get it done a lot quicker with this lockdown.”