Just as a car needs petrol to drive you to dance class, your body needs fuel in order to perform at its best. It is always advised to consult with a dietician or nutritionist to find out what is best for your body.

GET TO KNOW YOUR BODY AND TWO IMPORTANT WORDS: CARBOHYDRATES AND GLYCOGEN!
Carbs are a great source of energy for your muscles. In simple forms when you eat carbs they go into your stomach, then store in your muscle in the form of glycogen, which is where your energy is formed!!  If you aren't getting enough carbs before a dance class, you may feel more tired during class and performances.
 
Eating Well!! Cereals, bread pasta and rice, are great forms of complex carbs that we all know, but dried fruit, berries, noodles, yoghurt and veggies are all carb rich foods as well and easy to eat before dance. You can now buy an abundance of dried strawberries, mangos, apricots and more that taste great! Try to avoid a lot of chocolates and foods containing sugars as they will only give you energy for a short burst of time!
 
You don't need to know all of the confusing numbers on the back of products and start measuring things out, on average  a dancer doing 2-4 hours of class a day, should have around 6.5-7.5g of cabs/kg body weight a day, meaning if you are 45kg, multiple that by 6.5 to give you 292.5grams of carbs/day.

However you don't need to confuse yourself with all of that, as a young dancer, you should be getting to know your body and how you feel when you are dancing. If from school you go straight to dance and afterwards you feel tired, you should try eating some dried fruits oats or berries before during and after class and take note of how you feel next time! 
 
COMPETITION TIME
Eisteddfod, competitions and Concerts consist of costumes, makeup, hair and unfortunately more often than not Fast Food, soft drinks and energy depleting sweets.
 
HERE'S A PLAN TO KEEP YOU ON TRACK…
>1 Week Before Performance
This is the time you need to keep your body fuelled as rehearsals are at their highest.
Eat meals that look like they came from the earth (fresh veggies and organic meats), avoiding foods from Packets and Cans. This way you will get the most nutrients from your food. Healthy snacks in between meals such as dried and fresh fruit with low sugar content and Red meat or Salmon are perfect to keep those energy levels firing.
 
>Performance Day Diet Plan
Breakfast
Banana and fruit smoothie, toast with honey, light muesli mix with low fat yoghurt
 Lunch
Salad sandwich with salmon (which is high in protein) or alternative meat
 
Evening Meal
This time is important as an eisteddfod can go as late as midnight and beyond so preparing a cooked meal the night before can come in handy. Stir fry's are a great choice as they are light, easy to eat and taste grate cold or warm. They provide a great source of energy packed full of vitamins with veggies, noodles and choice of meat or prawns.

DRINKS
Energy Drinks can contain High sugar and loads of calories. 1 can of drink needs at least 40min of high energy exercise to burn which isn't a problem for dancers however choosing something like Hydrolight from your chemist in either orange or blackcurrant could be a better option and can also be purchased in Ice block form.

SNACKS
Snacks throughout the day are important as well as water or hydralight. Foods such as sultanas, fruits and nuts are a much better choice for in between performances and create lasting energy in your body opposed to high sugar and fat products that deplete energy! Remember you wouldn't put mud in your car for fuel, so avoid putting energy draining food in your body!!
 
Happy, Energetic Dancing!!
 
Tina Sparks