British chef Jonny Marsh made a name for himself sharing simple recipes online, but his day job remains one of the coolest on the planet: he’s a private chef to some of the world’s best soccer players. He’s been at it for eight years, traveling the world and meal-prepping for names like Kevin De Bruyne and Marcus Rashford.
Once in a while, he also helps out with lower-tier athletes, as was the case when a collaboration with Specsavers saw him visit Sunday league team Warley FC to try to revolutionize the players’ diets, and help them actually win matches. “Some of them were on five or six KFCs a week,” says Marsh. “It was horrific.”
He whipped them into shape with a new pie recipe comprised of spinach (to help oxidize the blood) and beetroot (to enhance cardiovascular performance). “Pies are traditional in soccer, so it wasn’t about ramming it down their throats, but bringing them around to these new ingredients,” Marsh says. “They went from quite adamant that they would hate this food, to trying it and enjoying it. That’s what good nutrition is about: finding what you enjoy and working with it.”
In a recent interview with Marsh, who we phoned in Los Angeles, we asked him to distill nearly a decade of experience cooking for the game’s elite athletes into six core nutrition principles that can benefit anyone, whether you’re a pro, weekend warrior or just trying to cut down on the KFC.
1. Consistency and Simplicity
“Consistency and simplicity are the most important dietary factors. If you’re struggling to overhaul your own nutrition, start by thinking about what proteins you like. Chicken? Steak? There are endless opportunities, and it isn’t complicated. Even if you want to start with rice, veggies and chicken marinated in a spice or sauce, it’s a start. It’s about meeting yourself where you are. Asking what you enjoy, and thinking about how you can combine that to make it more interesting. The best players are the same.”
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“It’s interesting, but I realized that [fueling] is personal to each player. There’s no one right answer when it comes to ‘When should I eat to perform at my best?’ [Belgian national team player] Kevin De Bruyne would love three bowls of pasta the night before a game because he would like to feel heavy and strong. [German national team player] İlkay Gündoğan would have rice, fish and a little bit of salad the night before a match because he’d want to feel light.
“In both cases, we tracked things like if they played better after a big or small meal, if they felt better, if they slept better, etc. You have to remember that even if they’ve had a good meal the night before, they might not be kicking off the next day until midday, or even 3 or 5 p.m. For a midday start, I would tell them they need to eat by 8 a.m. in order to allow time for proper digestion, but then again, I know I never like to eat before exercising in the morning so it really comes down to the individual.”
3. Eat for Pleasure
“I cooked for [British players] Luke Shaw and Kyle Walker. Every nutritionist says not to have red meat before a game. Every weekend, it’s all they wanted to eat. And they felt better because they’d had it. We focus on eating clean and hitting macros, but there needs to be some enjoyment, too.”
4. Recovery Is Everything
“Working with higher-level footballers, I used to do this thing called the recovery curry: lemongrass, garlic, ginger, a kaffir lime-leaf broth and high-protein noodles, tons of Asian vegetables, plus spices for inflammation and chicken or fish depending on the player. Eating for recovery is very important. I think of recovery like using gels in running; you want to stay at the optimum level for as long as you can. You need to eat food that will help with the impacts your body takes, those aches and those tired muscles. You want to bring yourself back to top level as quickly as possible.
“The players know this. Carbs replenish everything, and you’ll see all the hydration fluids and protein powders in the changing rooms, but you might also see plates of sushi, or loads of deep-fried chicken. Players need the fats and some like to eat and eat. The salt replenishes electrolytes, too.”
5. You’re Allowed to Ignore Fad Diets
“There are so many fad diets. We had the carnivore diet with everyone just eating steak, eggs, avocados and blueberries. Then all of a sudden, everyone went vegan for a month until they realized it made them look gaunt. I had a huge amount of players go vegan and they realized it was a lot tougher. They would all tell me they wanted more options and then most went back to eating meat. Two or three years ago, pasta before games was a big thing. I mentioned gels earlier, but they’re definitely the biggest thing at the moment. I was talking to a player here in L.A. and she has a gel before kickoff and two at half time.”
6. Take Advantage of the Information Era
“Everyone’s an expert now, everyone’s trying something out because social media gives us all this access to top-level information, which we can cater to our likes and dislikes. Forget players being more curious about nutrition than they were 10 years ago, they’re more knowledgeable than they were just two years ago. The information is spreading that quickly. Everyone is touchable on social media. If you want to talk to a top sports scientist, they’re just a message away. Everyone’s more health-conscious now. No one goes to the pub. It’s great.”
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