What Should Young Footballers Eat? Top Nutritionists Explain

This week, Ben and Mike, two grassroots dads doing their best not to ruin their kids’ football journeys, are joined by Kate and Fran from Performance Canteen, specialists in youth athlete nutrition who’ve worked with elite academies and young players across the UK. While Ben admits his go-to meal plan involves oven chips and panic, Kate and Fran drop a bombshell: most grassroots kids aren’t overfed - they’re under-fuelled. And it’s quietly wrecking their performance, mood, and love for the game. They dive into the biggest myths around “healthy eating,” why sugar isn’t the villain it’s made out to be, and how modern nutrition advice is confusing parents more than it’s helping. If you’ve ever wondered why your kid fades in matches, gets grumpy after training, or constantly asks for snacks—this one’s for you. Grab a bowl of cereal, ditch the guilt, and get ready to rethink everything you thought you knew about feeding young footballers. Get 15% off the Game Ready Course from Performance Canteen. Use code: IOKF15 (valid until the end of June) 👉 https://performancecanteen.mykajabi.c... Football DNA is the ultimate platform for coach and player development: https://footballdna.co.uk/sessions/ Power your grassroots team with effortless payments — sign up with GoCardless today at https://gocardless.com/g/payments-spo... and spend less time chasing fees, more time developing your players. Football Discount Kits supplies quality football kits at prices that actually work for grassroots clubs — no nonsense, no hard sell, just reliable teamwear that arrives on time and looks the part on matchday: https://www.discountfootballkits.com/ Save £200 on the Veo Cam 3 👉 Use Code: iokfveocam3 Save 50% on the Veo Go 👉 Use Code: iokfveogo TikTok:   / iokfootball   Instagram:   / iokfootball   X (Twitter): https://x.com/iokfootball YouTube:    / @iokfootball   Facebook:   / itsonlykidsfootballpodcast   Email: [email protected]