Competition Day Snacks!

Woodbury Dance Center Nutrition Blog

By Laura C. C. Greenwell

Dancers, need some ideas for healthy snacking on those long competition days? Remember, your food is your fuel and reflects the outcome of your performance, so let’s treat it well!

1.      BREAKFAST

First and foremost, start with a solid, well rounded breakfast, ideally before you leave your house so it can digest on the way. Well rounded means whole grain carbs, protein, fresh fruit, nuts, dairy. Think of foods that come from the Earth, foods closest to their natural state.

2.      WATER ALL DAY

Start hydrating as soon as you wake up on competition days. Just losing 2% of your body weight in fluids during exercise can decrease performance by up to 25%! Whoa, that is a big statistic. Constant hydration will decrease odds of injury. Pack a big water bottle and refill at drinking fountains as needed. An athlete can lose up to a gallon of fluid per hour of vigorous sustained exercise.

3.      IN YOUR DANCE BAG

Here’s a list of some great snacks to pack and their benefits to your dance performance:

·        Bananas – High in potassium to reduce muscle cramps and Charlie horses.

·        Dried apricots, peaches, prunes, raisins – High in potassium to reduce muscle cramps and Charlie horses.

·        Almonds, macadamia nuts – Excellent source of protein, vitamins, minerals, monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fat is good fat that will fuel your dancing! Not all fats are equal. Monounsaturated fat improves athletic performance aiding in endurance and offering protection for your internal organs and joints.

·        Berries – They are super foods, high in vitamin C and antioxidants! Plus they’re delicious and easy to nibble on between dances for some quick natural sugar.

·        Edamame – Yes, the popular Japanese soy bean is great for you as a vegetable source of protein and calcium. The isoflavones in edamame help maintain bone density too… let’s prevent stress fractures on those important ankles and feet.

·        String cheese – Calcium source to take care of our bones.

·        Carrot sticks and hummus – A nice snack to tide you over. Carrots have good carbs, hummus has fiber. You’ll feel more satisfied to get you through another dance or two before it’s time to go home and have a sit down meal.

Remember, your body is your instrument! Just as we warm up when we start dancing for the day, we need stay well fueled and prepped to take care of this precious instrument.

Resources for this article include Livestrong (www.livestrong.com) and statistics from research from the St. Catherine University Holistic Health program.