Taylor Nutrition

12/18/2025

12/15/2025

Don’t Let Caffeine Crash Your Game: Use It Wisely

Caffeine can be a helpful performance tool for adult athletes when used intentionally. Research shows small, well-timed doses can improve focus, alertness, and endurance.

That said, caffeine is not fuel. It doesn’t replace carbohydrates, protein, or proper hydration — and more is not better.

For most healthy adult athletes (18+)
-Up to 400 mg per day is considered safe
-Performance benefits are typically seen around 3–6 mg/kg, taken 30–60 minutes before training or competition (this is where you need to talk with your sports dietitian to ensure this is safe for you and won’t cause health issues)
-Overdoing caffeine (especially through energy drinks) can lead to jitters, poor sleep, gut upset, dehydration, and impaired recovery — all of which work against performance.

Youth Athletes (

12/09/2025

Most athletes eat like a triangle… and it’s holding back their performance 🔺

As a sports performance dietitian, I see this pattern all the time:
👉 Light or rushed breakfast
👉 Minimal lunch
👉 A couple snacks (maybe)
👉 THEN a massive amount of food in the evening when hunger finally hits hard

This “triangle eating pattern” means athletes are under-fueled during the hours they’re most metabolically active — training, school, work, lifting, skating — and then overwhelmed with hunger at night. We also minimize our ability to maximize muscle protein synthesis by not spreading our protein more efficiently throughout the day!

What happens next?
⚡️ Energy crashes
⚡️ Poor training quality
⚡️ Slower recovery
⚡️ Increased cravings and chaotic evening eating
⚡️ Trouble building muscle
⚡️ Mood and focus dips

When your body doesn’t get enough fuel early in the day, it will ask for it later — loudly.

🔁 Flip the triangle.
Front-load your day with:
🥣 A real breakfast
🍽️ A full lunch
💪 Intentional training fuel
🥤 Hydration + electrolytes + carbs (if needed)
🍎 Steady snacks

Then your evening meal and snack becomes balanced and intentional 💪🏽

If you want help building a performance-focused fueling plan that actually fits your schedule, send us a DM 📩 or contact us at taylornutrition.ca!

12/01/2025

BROWNIE BATTER PROTEIN BITES
This was the recipe you wanted!!
Post-recovery fuel that tastes like dessert? Absolutely.

These brownie-batter bites deliver quick carbs to replenish energy after the game, protein to support muscle repair, and fibre to keep athletes fuelled longer.

Need more recipes or support with meal planning? Connect with us at taylornutrition.ca 💪🏾



Pair 2–3 bites with 1 cup of milk and you’ve got the perfect recovery snack: an extra boost of high-quality protein plus easily absorbed carbohydrates to maximize muscle repair and refill energy stores fast.

11/24/2025

What Fuel Should I Pack in My Sports Bag?
(Banana, sports drink, chocolate milk, and Clif bar for me)
Having the right snacks on hand means you’re always prepared for:
🔥 Pre-game energy boosts
💪 Post-game recovery

Packing a variety of grab-and-go options helps you:
✔ Maintain steady energy
✔ Perform at your best
✔ Reduce fatigue
✔ Optimize recovery
✔ Avoid relying on last-minute, low-quality options

Fuel to Keep in Your Sports Bag:
Pre-Workout (30–60 min before):

-Fresh fruit (banana, grapes, apple slices)
-Applesauce or fruit cups
-Jam sandwich
-Rice cakes with a sports drink
-Dried fruit
-Pretzels
-Sports drink if needed

Post-Workout Recovery:
-Shelf stable milk chocolate milk or chocolate soy milk
-Clif or Rx Bars + Shelf stable chocolate milk
-Peanut butter and jam sandwich
-Tuna + crackers + sports drink
-Trail mix + babybel cheese + banana

Pro tip: Restock your bag every Sunday so you’re never caught unprepared. Consistency = performance.

Don’t forget to connect with www.taylornutrition.ca

11/12/2025

GAME DAY NUTRITION MADE SIMPLE!💥
Share with a teammate!

Let’s talk about nutrient timing and how to fuel your body for peak performance using the 4–2–1 + Recovery Method 🏒💪

🥙 4 HOURS BEFORE
Goal: Build your energy reserves.
✅ Balanced meal = carbs + moderate protein + low fat + low fibre
🍽 Example: Chicken, rice, roasted veggies, fruit
💧 Hydrate well (500–750 mL water or electrolyte drink)

🥪 2 HOURS BEFORE
Goal: Top up energy and hydration.
✅ Smaller, carb-rich meal or snack
🍽 Example: Turkey sandwich, smoothie, fruit
💧 Keep sipping fluids

🍌 1 HOUR BEFORE
Goal: Quick, easy-to-digest energy.
✅ High-carb, low-fat snack
🍽 Example: Banana, applesauce, or energy bar
💧 A few sips of water or sports drink if needed

🥤 POST-RECOVERY (Within 30–60 min)
Goal: Rebuild • Rehydrate • Refuel
✅ Carbs: Replenish glycogen (1–1.2 g/kg)
✅ Protein: Repair muscles (20–30 g)
✅ Fluids: Replace sweat losses
🍽 Example: Chocolate milk, smoothie with fruit + Greek yogurt, or rice bowl with lean protein

🔥 Pro Tip: Consistent fueling = stronger performance, faster recovery, and less fatigue.

💾 Save this post for your next game day & tag a teammate who needs to level up their fueling game!

And don’t forget to connect with us at taylornutrition.ca 💪🏾

10/29/2025

Game Day Fueling Tip: Timing Is Everything ⏱️

Your pre-game meal can make or break your performance — and timing is key! Aim to eat your main meal about 4 hours before game time. This gives your body time to digest and top up energy stores so you’re not skating or sprinting on a full stomach.
Here’s what to include:

 Carbohydrates: Include a large amount of carbs—1/2 plate! These include rice, pasta, oats, potatoes & more to fuel your muscles with steady energy.

Protein: Add a moderate amount (chicken, fish, eggs, tofu) to support your muscles — without slowing digestion.

Fats: Keep them moderate (avocado, nuts, olive oil) for lasting energy, but not too much — you don’t want to feel heavy on the turf or ice.

💡 Pro tip: Think “fuel early, perform strong.”

Your pre-game plate sets the tone for how you feel and play when the puck drops!

Don’t forget to connect with www.taylornutrition.ca

08/08/2025

When one of your elite hockey athletes sends you a photo of his grocery haul, you know he’s taking things seriously. As a sports dietitian, that’s always a moment worth celebrating.

Because the truth is: performance nutrition isn’t optional. It’s a key part of how athletes train, recover, and show up on game day.

If you’re not fueling properly, your recovery suffers. Your performance dips. Your energy tanks.
But when elite hockey athletes, like Josh Banini, commit to dialing in their nutrition, they give themselves a real edge — on and off the ice.

Every athlete is different. Nutrition support is personalized based on sports performance goals, health, training load, and your specific nutrient requirements.

There’s no copy-paste plan — just strategy, consistency, and a willingness to put in the work.

Proud of this kind of buy-in. Connect with us at taylornutrition.ca 💪🏾

07/01/2025

Today, I’m reflecting with deep gratitude. My parents immigrated to Canada—my father from India and my mother from Guyana—both making incredible sacrifices so that my sister and I could grow up with opportunity, education, and freedom.

As a female and a visible minority, I don’t take those freedoms for granted. I’m proud to call this country home. We have so much to be thankful for—and so much worth protecting and uplifting.

Happy Canada Day 🇨🇦

06/30/2025

Whether it’s the Canadian Death Race or a full Ironman, fueling can make or break your race.

One of the biggest issues I see? Underfueling with carbs.

Carbohydrates are your body’s main fuel source during endurance events. When properly timed and consumed, they help maintain energy, spare muscle glycogen, delay fatigue, and keep your brain sharp—essential for staying strong all race long.

If you’re currently guessing your way through race nutrition, it’s time to stop winging it. A personalized fueling plan from a sports dietitian can help you train smarter, race stronger, and avoid the dreaded DNF.

Connect with us at Taylornutrition.ca 💪🏾

06/18/2025

Off-Season Nutrition for High-Performance Hockey

This off-season, —an 18-year-old elite-level defenseman—is doing more than just training hard on and off the ice. He’s learning how to use nutrition as a competitive advantage.

1. Meeting Energy Needs
Muscle doesn’t grow in a deficit. Consistently fueling with enough calories is essential to support training volume, recovery, and lean mass development—especially during the off-season when gains are the goal.

2. Nutrient Timing
Strategic use of carbohydrates and protein around training enhances recovery, supports muscle protein synthesis, and stabilizes energy throughout the day. Timing matters when performance is the priority.

3. Hydration, Carbohydrates & Electrolytes
Water alone isn’t enough during intense training. Sports drinks that contain carbohydrates and electrolytes help maintain focus, prevent cramping, and delay fatigue during long or high-intensity sessions.

4. Evidence-Based Supplement Use
Supplement strategies are individualized—based on what’s truly needed. No hype, no wasted money. Only well-researched, evidence based supplements.

5. Consistency
Elite performance is built through daily decisions. It’s not just about how hard you train—it’s how consistently you support your training with smart nutrition.

This isn’t a generic plan. It’s a personalized, structured approach built to support performance at the next level.

Nutrition isn’t a bonus—it’s the foundation of high-performance hockey.

Connect with us at Taylornutrition.ca