A well-planned lunch box is vital for full time dancers and dance students, writes Fiona Sutherland.
WITH busy days, early mornings and late nights part of a dancer's life, most are well aware of how important it is to fuel the body properly during the day. Breaks may be regular, or few and far between, but having a decent lunch (or items that can be eaten sporadically throughout the day) should be a priority for any full time dancer or dance student. By decent, I mean foods that are providing valuable nutrients to the body to deal with recovering from the morning’s classes and re-fuelling ready for the afternoon. One issue that many dancers report is that they know they need to be eating and are really hungry by lunch time, but are wary of getting too full and feeling physically uncomfortable for the earlier part of the afternoon. Consequently, giving this meal some thoughtful attention and emphasising dietary quality is even more important in the middle of the day.
What does dietary quality mean?
It does not mean cutting out foods, or minimising certain food groups. In fact, it means the opposite. Essentially, optimising the quality of the foods you’re eating encourages you to look at what a food has IN it, rather than what it doesn’t. Does that make sense? So, for example, I encourage dancers to prioritise dietary quality over energy content, which means giving some thought to specifically how a meal or snack can help fuel and sustain you during the latter part of the day . . .
This is an extract from an article by Fiona Sutherland in the current issue of Dance Australia and you can read the full article if you buy Dance Australia from your favourite retail outlet, or use our free app to purchase and download your copy. Or make sure you receive every issue by subscribing here! .