Practical nutrition tips for busy days inspired by Strictly Come Dancing training routines

As Strictly Come Dancing returns, nutrition expert Melissa Cohen shares practical advice on filling lunchboxes with familiar, easy-to-prepare foods to sustain busy schedules and optimise performance.

With Strictly Come Dancing back on television, the conversation around training fuel has moved beyond elite performance and into everyday reality: what do you actually eat when you have to keep going through a long, busy day? Vitabiotics’ head of nutrition, Melissa Cohen, argues that the answer is less about perfection than practicality. The aim, she says, is to choose foods that are familiar, easy to carry and simple to eat between sessions, a view that matches wider nutrition advice stressing meal planning, portability and balance. Guides from Myprotein and other nutrition experts also note that a useful lunchbox should combine carbohydrate, protein, vegetables and healthy fats, rather than chasing a rigid formula.

For the start of the day, Cohen keeps things straightforward. She suggests breakfast options such as porridge with peanut butter, seeds, banana and berries, or eggs on wholegrain toast, especially when the morning is likely to lead straight into physical exertion. That advice aligns with sports nutrition guidance that recommends a sensible mix of carbohydrates and protein before exercise, while leaving enough time for digestion. The key, according to nutrition resources from the Hospital for Special Surgery and Nutritionist Resource, is to eat something the body is used to and to match the meal to the time available before training.

Before a workout, Cohen favours foods that are easy to digest and quick to eat. Bananas, crackers, bircher muesli and oat-based snacks can all work, she says, with the right choice depending on how close the meal is to exercise and what suits the individual. She also notes that people who eat further in advance may do better with a more substantial meal containing both protein and carbohydrates. Sports diet guides broadly support that approach, pointing out that carbohydrate helps top up energy stores, while protein can support recovery later in the day.

For longer training days, Cohen recommends thinking in terms of a full-day plan rather than a single snack. Her suggested lunchbox combinations include a chicken and grain salad, a spicy chicken wrap or a quinoa and black bean salad, alongside fruit and vegetables such as bananas, apples, blueberries and carrots. She also points to nuts, seeds, avocado, crackers and hummus as useful extras. That mirrors other lunchbox guidance from sources such as Berry Street and Planet A, which recommend building meals around a simple balance of protein, fibre-rich carbohydrates, produce and healthy fats to keep energy steady and hunger in check.

The same practical thinking applies after exercise. Cohen says that if dinner is still some way off, a snack such as Greek yoghurt with banana and berries, crackers with hummus, or fruit with nuts can bridge the gap. Later on, she suggests familiar dinners such as chicken with rice and vegetables, salmon with potatoes and greens, or a chicken or tofu stir-fry. The wider advice from sports nutrition specialists is similar: recovery eating does not need to be a separate regime, but it should provide protein and carbohydrates in a form that is easy to manage around work, family life or rehearsals. In Cohen’s view, a well-packed lunchbox, built around foods you actually like, is often the most realistic place to start.