You’re ready.
You’ve worked out your calories and macros, you’ve gone grocery shopping, and you’re set to zero in on your nutrition.
The only thing stopping you is meal planning and balancing your macros.
How often should you eat? What if you don’t have time for three sit-down meals in a day?
Meal Planning As A Dancer:
It’s no secret that dancers’ schedules are not always conducive to what most people consider a “normal” food schedule. And while culturally we talk about having “three square meals a day,” that might not be the best meal planning setup for you every day.
Between rehearsals, tech weeks, and audition season, our days fluctuate. And staying full throughout the day makes a big difference in how we tackle each day’s unique challenges.
Somedays, you might have more time to enjoy three bigger meals. But during those tough rehearsal days and end-to-end auditions, we need to ensure that we have enough fuel to keep us focused and energized – which might mean five to six smaller meals during the day. Yet, packing snacks here and there without a plan can lead to lopsided macros that leave you hungry an hour into rehearsal.
So, how do we suggest making sure you’re getting what you need?
You guessed it: meal planning.
First step to meal planning? Take a look at your schedule.
Are you running around town all day, hitting classes, filming auditions, and working your side hustle?
Or are you cleaning the house and working from home?
Next, check in with yourself.
Do you like to eat bigger meals, or do you prefer small meals and snacks?
Maybe a combo of the two?
I tend to prefer three bigger meals and two snacks. This ensures I don’t get too hungry between meals, and I stay fueled for the day ahead.
With those things in mind, how do I go about meal planning?
First, I take a look at my macros, and I divide them up like a budget.
I find that it helps to plan out my bigger meals first, making sure I have a good balance of carbs, protein, and fat. These meals usually take up the bulk of my macros.
Then, with what’s left, I build in my snacks.
The most important thing to remember about meal planning is – no matter the size of your meal or snack – try to make it as balanced as possible. This way your brain and body have all the fuel they need for the tasks ahead!
The best thing about this meal planning system is that you don’t have to do the same thing every day.
Maybe one day you have a really full schedule. So, that day, you may focus on having lots of snacks packed for the day and enjoy bigger meals at breakfast and dinner. But let’s say you have the next day off. So, that day, you may have three bigger meals that you can sit and enjoy fully with plenty of time for digestion.
The beauty of this type of meal planning is you get to decide what’s best based on your needs.
So, take a look at your schedule and get meal planning! Once you start making your macros work for you instead of the other way around, you’re not only going to stop worrying about food, but you’ll be hitting those macro goals on a daily!
What more could a dancer ask for?
xox Am
PS if you want to work with a pro-dancer/ certified personal trainer who can make tailored training, nutrition, and recovery plans for you, you should check out our 1:1 coaching program, The Embodied Artist Academy