Long hours, high stress and irregular schedules come with the territory in live event and entertainment ticketing, where professionals juggle numerous tasks, unpredictability and the mental demands of delivering seamless guest experiences. Whether you are answering a never-ending stream of questions in the ticket office, helping your frontline staff, troubleshooting last-minute technical glitches or coordinating crowd flow, your body and brain are your most important tools. And like any well-oiled machine, they run best when you care for them.
As June marks the year's halfway point, it offers a natural moment to check in on your health habits. It also brings a surge in summer events, and with National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month on the calendar, it is the perfect time to rethink what supports your energy, focus and stamina throughout the day. Here are five tips to ensure your food is working as hard as you are!
- Prioritize balanced, whole-food meals. Start strong. A solid breakfast sets the tone for energy and mental clarity, even if you get your start later on an event day. Think complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and healthy fats, like eggs with whole-grain toast and avocado or Greek yogurt with fruit and granola. The Mayo Clinic offers a wide variety of healthy breakfast recipes for every tastebud, from burritos, frittatas and whole-grain or protein pancakes to ideas that incorporate various fruits, vegetables, poultry and meat.
Regina Shvets, a clinical dietitian at Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., recommends making protein the cornerstone of your first meal of the day, then building around it with whole grains, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats.
“Breakfast offers numerous benefits to people in all life stages, and it can also help with meeting certain health goals,” says Shvets, who recommends avoiding heavily processed breakfast meats like sausages, bacon and ham, and limiting white bread and plain bagels.
She adds, “And of course, we should not forget about fruits and vegetables. According to current dietary guidelines for Americans, adults should consume 1.5 to two cups of fruits and two to three servings of vegetables every day, but that’s not a tall order when you remember that one serving is a small amount. For example, a medium apple or 1 cup of strawberries is one serving. Many people do not get the recommended daily amounts of fruit and vegetables, so adding a cup of fruit or vegetables to your breakfast will help meet that goal.”
⭐Helpful tip: Take advantage of summer produce. Add in-season fruits like berries or citrus to your breakfast, and swap out refined carbs for colorful veggie sides. Smoothies can also be a great (and delicious!) way to incorporate fruits, fiber and vegetables into your meal.
- Snack smart. Event days do not always offer the luxury of sitting down for a full meal, making smart snacking essential. Having snacks ready to go supports a busy schedule and helps you avoid last-minute choices that could lead to an energy crash or sluggishness.
The Mayo Clinic recommends “pay[ing] attention to protein and [combining] snacks to make a more satisfying meal. To ensure you are being fulfilled, combine carbohydrates, protein and fat for long-lasting, satisfying snacks. Aim for snacks to be less than 200 calories. Good sources of protein include hard-boiled eggs, pouches of seasoned tuna, cheese sticks, cottage cheese, yogurt with no added sugar or soups made with lots of vegetables and legumes. A healthy go-to snack could [also] be apple slices or baby carrots dipped in small amounts of peanut butter or almond butter and sprinkled with cinnamon.”
⭐Helpful tip: Bring a cooler bag if there is no fridge nearby. It will help keep your food crisp, cold and ready to enjoy, which is especially handy on a busy event day.
- Make hydration non-negotiable. Fatigue, poor focus and headaches are often subtle signs of not drinking enough water. Staying hydrated is one of the simplest and most effective ways to maintain energy and mental clarity throughout the day. Keep a reusable water bottle with you and sip regularly, not just when you feel thirsty.
“You have many drink choices out there. At the end of the day, water is the first-choice beverage for best hydration,” UC Davis Health dietetic intern Alicia Marzolf shares. “Drinking the right amount of water for your personal health and activity level is important. Try healthy add-ins like fresh mint, sliced cucumber, or lemon wedges to add flavor and variety to your water.”
When you are on your feet or in hot venues, consider electrolyte-rich options like coconut water or low-sugar sports drinks. These beverages support fluid balance and may also help prevent muscle cramps and early exhaustion.
⭐Helpful tip: Outdoor gigs can mean extra sweat. Substantially increase your water/fluid intake and snack on hydrating foods like watermelon, cucumbers and oranges.
- Plan for success with meal prepping. Cooking in bulk may seem unrealistic for someone working variable shifts, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. A few hours a week can yield multiple lunches or dinners, like grain bowls, wraps, soups or even pasta salads.
“Meal prepping is a great way to save yourself both time and money, and it goes a long way toward reducing the stress of not knowing what to eat,” Elyse Homan, MS, RD, LD, Registered Dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic, recommends. “You can quickly make multiple days’ worth of food and then not worry about meals the rest of the week.”
⭐Helpful tip: Prepare in bulk. Proteins can be batch-cooked and used in wraps, salads and bowls all week.
- Practice mindful eating when you can. While stepping away for a quiet, leisurely meal is not always possible, even a few moments of mindfulness during meals can enhance digestion and satisfaction. Try not to eat while answering emails or troubleshooting guest issues. Eating slowly, chewing thoroughly and recognizing hunger cues support long-term wellness.
⭐Helpful tip: Longer daylight hours give you more time to take breaks outside. Bring your meal or snack outdoors, breathe and reset, even if it is only for 10 or 15 minutes.
The behind-the-scenes hustle does not have to come at the expense of your health. With a bit of planning, ticketing professionals can nourish their bodies and minds without missing a beat. June invites us to reflect, reset, celebrate fresh foods, and prepare for a busy summer. Whether you are managing ticket sales, leading front-of-house teams, working a festival circuit or building technology, smart nutrition can help you power through and perform at your best. Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup, especially when the show must go on.
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