Dancers often know what foods are healthy and best for fueling their busy day, but struggle with timing and when to eat, especially with snacks. 

The foundation of a dancer's diet needs to include 3 meals that provide adequate calories and a balance of wholesome carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats evenly spread throughout the day. Including 2-3 snacks may provide the additional nutrition and energy necessary for optimizing the dancer's performance. For example, a nutritious snack of easily digestible carbohydrates consumed 30 to 60 minutes prior to dancing may significantly help with improving physical and mental stamina during a long practice, while a snack that contains protein and carbohydrate within 30 minutes after a long period of intense dancing will enhance recovery of muscle tissue and replenish energy stores. 

Despite the benefits of including timely snacks in a dancer's nutrition plan, there are some challenges with snacking. Ideally, snack foods will provide important nutrients including fiber, protein, calcium and iron, that are often missing from a dancer's meal plan. However, many dancers, along with most people, struggle with intense cravings for foods containing fat, salt and sugar that may influence their food choices. 

This mechanism in our brain was very important for survival at a time when food was scarce. However, in today's culture, access to food is not a problem yet we are still hard-wired to desire these foods. Managing these cravings or urges is even more difficult when a dancer is underfed, overly hungry and/or stressed and may contribute to less healthful snack choices or eating for emotional reasons, i.e. when tired, bored, sad, frustrated -- or procrastinating homework! 

Some dancers try to control these cravings by restricting themselves from eating "forbidden foods", but this often backfires and leads to feelings of deprivation and consequently a cycle of cravings, overeating, guilt and more overeating. Others may abandon all inhibitions and "just give in" to their urges or cravings for tantalizing and highly palatable snacks and unfortunately miss out on important nutrients or end up with unwanted weight gain. Therefore, the key to healthy snacking is to avoid skipping meals, develop a solid nutrition plan, and consistently give your body what it needs, so that a nutrient-dense snack is an easier choice.   

The table that follows provides a guide to planning snacks around your dance schedule. When planning snacks for other times of your day, such as a mid-morning snack between classes, it's helpful to combine nutrient-dense, slow-digesting carbohydrates with protein for sustained energy. Following are a few suggestions: 

• Fruit and nut bars. 
• Trail mix...dried fruit, nuts, whole grain cereal. 
• Whole grain crackers and string cheese. 
• Granola with nuts and dried fruit in baggies. 
• Fresh Fruit...apple slices, bananas, clementine's, and grapes are easy to tote. Consider adding single serve peanut butter or a handful of almonds for a boost of protein.
• Baby carrots or other cut veggies and hummus.
• 2-3 homemade "energy balls" (i.e. with oatmeal, peanut butter, honey, chia seeds, and nuts)
• (Along with drinking plenty of water throughout the day)

Use the following guide to help you develop a plan for fueling around your dance schedule:

Timing

Optimal NutrientsExamples

Pre-dance fuel

30 minutes to 1-hour prior

Nutrition goal: Provide fuel to working muscles and conserve glycogen (energy) stores. 

Nutrients Needed: Easily digestible and well-tolerated carbohydrates

• Piece of fruit or 2 tbsp. dried fruit
• Small container applesauce
• Homemade "energy balls" (with oatmeal, peanut butter, honey, dried fruit, and chia seeds)
• 2 fig newtons
• 1 cup dry cereal or ¼ cup low sugar granola
• ½ cup trail mix (with cereal and dried fruit)
• Handful of crackers
• Handful of pretzels
• Granola bar
• 8 ounces of an isotonic sports drink, i.e. Gatorade

Fluids: Drink ~16 oz. of water in the hour before (as tolerated)During dance practices or class longer than 1 ½ hours

Nutrition goal: 1) to maintain hydration and 2) provide quick energy and prevent fatigue.  

Nutrients Needed: Easily digestible and well-tolerated carbohydrates, electrolytes, and fluids

Nutrition goal: 1) to maintain hydration and 2) provide quick energy and prevent fatigue.  

Nutrients Needed: Easily digestible and well-tolerated carbohydrates, electrolytes, and fluids

Small, frequent bites of

• Crackers
• Fruit
• Applesauce
• Sports drink

Fluids: Continue to drink water (approx 16-20 oz. per hour in small increments, i.e. 4 oz every 15 minutes).

Post-exercise fuel

Within 30 minutes and then a meal 60-90 minutes later

Nutrition goal for dancers who will be dancing again within 24 hours: 1) Re-fill muscle glycogen (energy) stores and 2) Provide protein for repair of muscle after intense activity.

Nutrients Needed: Carbohydrate/protein

(approx a 2:1 ratio, i.e. 40 grams carb and 20 grams protein)

Immediately post-exercise:

• Almonds and a banana or dried cherries
• Apple and nut butter
• Crackers and string cheese
• ½ peanut butter sandwich
• Chocolate milk
• Yogurt and fruit or low-sugar granola
• Protein shake with fruit

Or a meal that provides carbohydrate and protein, for example:

• Stir fry with lean protein, veggies and rice

Fluids: continue to rehydrate by drinking water until urine is light and pale yellow.

About the Author:  Val Schonberg is a Registered, Licensed Dietitian with a Master's degree in nutrition science and is Board Certified as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics. She is the owner of EnlightenU Nutrition Consulting in Lakeville, Minnesota, and enjoys enlightening individuals about food, eating and overall wellness. For questions or additional information, you can check out her website at www.enlightenUnutrition.com or contact Val directly at 612-865-6813