AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth legend, Marc Pugh, has taken Instagram page @TheFoodieFootballer to new heights in recent years, amassing over 60,000 followers from all over the country.
With cooking tutorials, new recipes and family snaps from the kitchen gracing the feeds of supporters, the 34-year-old has attracted plenty of interest.
He spoke with afcb.co.uk last week about how the project began and what he enjoys most about being in the kitchen.
Now, he’s talked us through his three top recipes, as well as provided an insight on what might be next for The Foodie Footballer, both short-term and long.
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“A cook book is a long-term plan, but I want to help inspire the next generation and I want to go into clubs and inspire or educate people about nutrition,” he said.
“To perform optimally, no matter what job you have, you've got to eat well otherwise you're going into your day not feeling your best, so a healthy and balance diet is really important.
“I'm in the process of developing my own website. Long-term, I'd love to go into clubs, speak to players and see how far it goes.
“I just want to help as many people as possible because I know how crucial my nutrition was for me during my career.”
Ahead of naming his three favourite dishes, Pugh did admit it was hard to narrow down, with plenty of delicious options to choose from.
He went on to explain how you can even add an element of fun in the kitchen, while cooking up a storm at the same time.
“I like a variation and I like to try things that are completely different,” the winger continued.
“For example, the cloud eggs are so much fun and the kids absolutely love looking at them, they're just so pleasing on the eye.
“Sometimes I just make something up completely randomly!
“My favourite meal of the day has to be dinner because I don't eat massive portions throughout the day, but with dinner I just go all out and I eat a good amount.
“Obviously, breakfast is your most important meal of the day because it sets you up, but I do love a good dinner too.
“When it comes to my favourite meals, it’s hard to narrow down because I love a good home-made curry or crispy-skin seabass, so it's tough not including ones like those!”
After some thinking time, Pugh came up with his three favourite dishes to make at home – and we’ve attached a link to the recipes so that you can give it a go too!
Asian Inspired Salmon
“One of my favourite protein sources is salmon, so I find my Asian-inspired salmon is absolutely beautiful. I like to serve that with some Cajun spice and sweet potato wedges, along with tender-stem broccoli and asparagus.”
Click here for the recipe.
Rib-Eye Steak
“A classic Saturday night meal has to be a rib-eye steak. I love that, but I do like to mix it up. If you have a rib-eye steak, a lot of people think it can be quite unhealthy because of the dodgy sides or because of the fat dripping, but I like to mix it up and serve it with a Greek-style salad. It goes nicely with some roasties or oven-roasted chips too. You can do that with whatever you fancy really.”
Click here for the recipe.
Satay Chicken Skewers
“My kids are absolutely obsessed with grilled satay chicken skewers. I serve them with anything really, but they're nice and healthy with tender-stem broccoli and a chilli and lemon infused brown rice. It's just something a little bit different.”
Click here for the recipe.
Take a look at all of Pugh's recipes that are currently online here.
