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Festive meals get a healthy upgrade for football stars
Professional footballers may enjoy Christmas dinner, but their plates look different from most households. Private chef Tommy Cole, who prepares meals for Premier League players at clubs like Fulham, Chelsea, and Brighton, blends tradition with nutrition to keep athletes at peak performance.
Healthier twists on classic dishes
Cole's approach to festive meals prioritizes balance. Roast potatoes, for example, are cooked with less fat while maintaining crispiness. Stuffing and other fillings are prepared with minimal oil, and leaner cuts of meat-like turkey breast-are favored over fattier options.
"Turkey's very popular at Christmas, so we'd use the breast and not so much of the dark meat," Cole explains. "We also try to pack in plenty of vegetables."
Fueling performance during a packed schedule
The Christmas period is grueling for footballers, with clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal facing over 15 matches in December and January alone. Cole works closely with club nutritionists to tailor meals to players' needs, increasing carbohydrates like potatoes and pasta to sustain energy levels.
"The guys playing frequent games need more fuel," he says. "We'll boost their carbs and sneak in extra veggies-sometimes blended into sauces like katsu, which uses carrots, onions, and garlic."
Recovery-focused ingredients
To aid recovery, Cole incorporates oily fish, nuts, and seeds into players' diets. While he accommodates personal preferences-even unusual requests like frankfurters-he prefers "slightly fancier" dishes to ensure nutritional value.
"We communicate with the players to learn their likes and dislikes, then build a menu around that."
Tommy Cole, Private Chef
Boxing Day traditions and unexpected requests
For Boxing Day, Cole sticks to classic comfort food like bubble and squeak, packed with vegetables. His journey into professional cooking was unplanned-he started during a ski season and later trained formally, eventually catering to celebrities and athletes.
Despite his high-profile clientele, Cole keeps their identities private. His viral TikTok videos, showcasing his culinary creations, have drawn millions of views, fueled by curiosity about elite athletes' diets.
Football's festive fixture crunch
This year's Boxing Day features only one Premier League match, but the broader holiday schedule remains packed. Players and managers have long criticized the relentless pace, citing injuries and short recovery windows as major concerns.
