Glasgow City FC Celebrates Women’s Football with ‘Eat to Compete’ Nutrition Day

Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb, and Specially Selected Pork helped fuel a day of football, cooking, and learning for 44 young players from Glasgow City Football Club’s (GCFC) Academy during a special Eat to Compete event. Delivered in partnership with Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), the day focused on teaching girls about how nutritious red meat can support performance and recovery, while showing them how to create simple, healthy meals.

The day featured four engaging sessions: Skills and Drills, a Nutrition Talk, a Cookery Demonstration, and finished with some friendly matches. GCFC organised and ran the football activities, while the QMS team delivered the nutrition education and cookery demonstration. The cookery session was joined by GCFC first team players, including Scotland internationals Lisa Evans and Abi Harrison, Finland international Sofia Määttä, and Ukraine international Nicole Kozlova. Lots of fun was had whilst the players helped the young athletes prepare some tasty Scotch Beef burgers.

The event provided hands-on learning about how red meat can fuel performance, support recovery, and contribute to overall health for young athletes.

The sessions were well received by the players, with Myla from Glasgow City U10s saying: “I enjoyed meeting the players and learning about my diet.” Ella, who plays for Glasgow City U12s, added: “I really enjoyed learning what to eat before and after training.”

Sarah Crilly, Academy Manager at GCFC, former Scotland international, and head of programmes for the Glasgow City Foundation, said: "It was fantastic to be given this opportunity from Quality Meat Scotland for so many girls to, not only spend an afternoon on the pitch playing the game we all love, but also to educate our future stars on the importance of proper nutrition as aspiring athletes.

“As a club we are committed to building an eco-system that supports women and girls across all sport and events like this support us with these aims."

Tracy Martin, Reputation Manager at QMS, said: "It was fantastic to see the Eat to Compete resource in action with Glasgow City FC. Young players learned how good nutrition supports performance and recovery, and it was brilliant to see them engaging with the food and cooking alongside their heroes from the first team. Days like this bring the guidance to life and inspire young athletes to make healthy choices that benefit both their sport and wellbeing."

The Eat to Compete programme offers young athletes:
• Practical nutrition guidance for performance and recovery.
• Simple recipes using Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb, and Specially Selected Pork.
• Insights into farming, sustainability, and careers in agriculture.

Red meat plays a vital role in supporting women’s health, providing high-quality protein, iron, and essential nutrients needed for energy, muscle growth, and recovery after exercise. This is especially important for girls and women athletes, whose nutritional requirements can be higher due to growth, training, and menstrual cycles.

The event is part of QMS’s wider programme supporting young people in sport across Scotland, combining nutrition education, cookery demonstrations, and performance guidance delivered with input from professional athletes.

For more information and to download the Eat to Compete guide, visit qmscotland.co.uk.