In A Nutshell

by Elizabeth Snell, RD - Dancespirit

If you need to munch, know what to crunch.

How often do you carry healthy snacks in your dance bag? Don't leave home without them; they help you maintain blood sugar levels and improve your concentration. Such munchies will boost your energy in the late afternoon, help you to remember routines and even control weight by reduced snacking on chips, candies and cookies. Eating a healthy mini-meal three to four hours after lunch will fill you with vitamins, minerals and energy.

Nuts and seeds are great for this purpose. Neither of these portable snacks require refrigeration and both are good sources of vitamins and minerals-magnesium, calcium, zinc and iron. Zinc promotes cell reproduction and is important for the immune system and wound healing. Magnesium works with calcium to build and maintain strong bones and teeth. Just a small serving (100 calories) of pumpkin and squash seeds, almonds, cashews, pine nuts or peanuts provides eight to 15 percent of the total daily recommendation for zinc and magnesium. And while nuts provide iron, which assists in red blood cell production needed for energy, both nuts and seeds contain protein, which also assists with red blood cells and is important for building muscles and repairing muscle fibers that are stressed by constant use.

Each kind of nut and seed has its own strength, so eat a variety to increase your nutrition. For example, sunflower seeds are a good source of folate, a B vitamin. Almonds, however, contain a quarter of the amount of folate but five times the amount of calcium as sunflower seeds.

Nuts and seeds are high in fat, but remember that some fat is necessary for maintaining healthy hair and skin. Many people may want to avoid this nutrient, but it's an essential component of a healthy dancer's diet. Fats provide energy for the muscles, form many hormones, offer protection around nerves and organs and absorb fat-soluble vitamins and minerals, including calcium and iron. Though not all fats are created equal, nuts and seeds happen to be high in the good fats, or unsaturated fatty acids, which help to lower overall blood cholesterol and decrease the risk of heart disease later in life.

Nuts and seeds are a powerhouse of nutrients. A balanced diet includes moderate amounts of these healthy treats. As a partial snack, they are best combined with high-carbohydrate foods such as dry cereal, popcorn, fruit and pretzels.