Emma Clarke Q & A

Introducing Emma Clarke

Eating makes up a big part of your fitness journey! It’s the fuel that provides your body with the energy but also the ways to repair and grow those happy muscles. The information on offer can often feel overwhelming, but also a little confusing. There’s also lots of outdated information constantly repackaged as new and myths that just won’t stop being shared!

That’s why we reached out to Emma Clarke, an accredited Sports Nutritionist who’s using her platform to give you the right information in a digestible and easy to understand way. We talk about her passion for food, the approach to a balanced diet and ways to stay motivated to cook and create delicious meals.

Hey Emma, thanks for chatting with us! Can you tell us a little bit about you and your passion for food and nutrition? Maybe a bit about your background as well (accredited sports nutritionist)?

Emma: “Thanks so much for having me on board! Well, my name is Emma Clarke and I am an accredited sports nutritionist and soon to be personal trainer! I studied my Bachelor of Food and Nutrition at Latrobe University and graduated in 2021 and then did my certificate in Applied Sports Nutrition to become an accredited sports nutritionist. My passion for food and nutrition stemmed from when I was young. I have always loved cooking growing up and my spark for nutrition flourished when I was looking at ways in which I could improve my overall health and eating habits. Through that, I fell in love with the concepts and was shocked at first that this was actually a career and you could help others with their nutrition and lifestyle! This has been my dream career since I was 16 and sixteen year old Emma would seriously not believe that she would be here right now doing what she’s doing!”

What are some of the fundamentals when it comes to food and nutrition? Some things everyone should consider when eating?

Emma: “One fundamental I encourage everyone I work with to implement is making sure your plate is structured to include all of the key fundamentals of nutrition. Ensuring there is a palm-sized portion of good quality protein, handfuls of good quality wholegrain complex carbohydrates, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and a garnish of healthy fats. If we have this concept nailed down, you’re basically set for life. But I also want everyone to remember that healthy eating doesn’t mean restriction and it doesn’t mean letting go and avoiding the foods that we as a society have deemed “bad!” All foods have a place and purpose within our diets and all foods can fit in a healthy and balanced diet, no matter what your goals are!”

Are there some things to be wary of on social media when it comes to eating? Trends? Fads?

Emma: “One thing I like to say with anything diet, nutrition, exercise or lifestyle related is that if you feel that the phrase, trend, fad or concept is too good to be true, then it probably is! To further explain this, if you feel that a nutrition concept that someone is preaching sounds so crazy, like there is no way that this could work, then it’s very highly likely it’s not going to work or be attainable for the long term. This can be a tricky one to pick up on now considering there is so much misinformation surrounding us nowadays! That’s why I hope to help people navigate away from this misinformation and educate and guide them in the healthy direction.”

Are there any outdated myths or advice you’d like to address when it comes to food and nutrition?

Emma: “As a sports nutritionist, the common themes I see is people either avoiding carbohydrates or eating strictly “clean & perfect,” meaning they don’t eat anything that’s processed, “unhealthy” etc in hopes to improve performance and quality of life. As an active individual, our bodies main energy source to thrive and perform is carbohydrates! Avoiding them and cutting them out of our diets is only going to cause further health issues down the long road and actually can inhibit your performance. Regardless, your bodies need carbohydrates to thrive and function optimally. As for this belief that you need to eat “strictly clean,” this is quite dangerous for those with high energy requirements and can lead to many of us under fueling our bodies. Which in turn, does not lead to an improvement of performance.”

You’ve got a range of easy and delicious meals and recipes on your social channels! How do you stay motivated to keep cooking?

Emma: “Thank you so much! I am grateful to have a passion for cooking and trying out new meals and recipes on a regular basis. As you become interested in nutrition, health and understand the concepts of healthy eating and nutrition, I feel this motivation and passion expands. I always look to ensure I’m mixing my meals and snacks to not only make sure I’m not getting bored haha, but also to ensure I’m getting a wide variety of foods and nutrients into my body to support my overall health and well-being!”

Lastly, what’s a meal you could eat every single day for the rest of your life?

Emma: “Ahhhh I love this question because I know my answer off by heart! It would have to be a bowl of chocolate oats topped with frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries, banana, Greek yoghurt and peanut butter. Luckily I have this meal everyday and I would quite happily have this meal for the rest of my life, I sometimes wish I could haha!”