MY WEEK ON A PLATE
Natasha Mckay, 25, champion figure skater
MON 9am
Apple with a teaspoon of peanut butter
11am
Porridge made with semiskimmed milk and berries
1pm
Homemade vegetable soup and a banana
6.30pm
Grilled chicken salad
Skating is an explosive sport – you need a lot of energy to be able to do those jumps – but you also have to keep your weight stable. Socialising can be hard when you’re on such a strict meal plan, but I just try to choose what I can from a menu that will suit my needs.
TUE 9am 11am
Probiotic yoghurt
Granola, natural yoghurt and berries
1.30pm
Wholewheat wrap filled with grilled vegetables, and a salad
8pm
Grilled chicken, roasted sweet potato and vegetables
I start most days by heading to the rink to train at 6am – I don’t like to feel too full when I skate, so I only have a light snack at 9am. I’ll train until 11am, come home to eat breakfast, then head back to the rink to train until 6pm. After that, I often teach kids to skate for an hour.
WED 9.30am
Carrot and cucumber sticks
11am
Scrambled egg on a slice of wholewheat toast, with cherry tomatoes
1pm
Barbecue chicken salad
7pm
Tomato and pesto pasta
I couldn’t skate for three months during the first lockdown, so I was training at home, doing strength and conditioning workouts, and practising my jumps and spins on solid ground. It felt weird getting back on the ice for the first time – I’d forgotten how slippery it was!
THU 9am 11am
Banana
Weetabix with semi-skimmed milk and berries
1pm
Grilled chicken salad
8pm
Grilled chicken, roasted sweet potato and vegetables
My meal plan might look a bit repetitive, but I like it that way – it makes life easier, especially as I do a lot of batch cooking to save time. When Covid restrictions eased, my rink in Dundee was still closed, so I had to travel to and stay in Bradford for four days a week to train. After a five-hour journey home, you don’t want to cook.
FRI 9am 11am
Probiotic yoghurt
Porridge made with semiskimmed milk and berries
1.30pm
Homemade vegetable soup and an apple
7.30pm
Chicken fajitas made with vegetables, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and cheese
I’ve been skating since I was seven years old. You need to be both athletic and flexible on the ice, so our training sessions include at least an hour of Pilates for stability and core strength. I’ve been really lucky and never had an injury.
SAT 9am
Apple with a teaspoon of peanut butter
11am
Scrambled egg on a slice of wholewheat toast, with cherry tomatoes
1.30pm
Wholewheat wrap filled with grilled vegetables, and a salad
7.30pm
Grilled salmon with asparagus
My boyfriend is an ice-hockey player, but we never skate together at the rink. I only have one or two weeks off a year, so we use it to go away somewhere hot – we spend enough time surrounded by ice.
SUN 10am
Weetabix with semi-skimmed milk and berries
3.30pm
Sunday roast (chicken, roast potatoes and vegetables)
6.30pm
Strawberries and Halo Top ice cream
I try to eat as healthily as possible, but I’ll never restrict myself. After most competitions, I’ll go out for dinner to celebrate. When we’re in Sheffield for the British Championships, I’ll head to TGI Fridays and always order the sesame chicken strips with sweet potato fries – it’s my ultimate treat meal.