Popular Posts

Hydration for Dancers: Fueling Strategies

While recommendations vary among dancers, most pre-professional and professional level dancers should aim for a planned approach to staying hydrated throughout their day. Dehydration is one of the leading factors negatively impacting our performance, whether it’s in the studio or in class. Keeping your body hydrated can even help with balance, flexibility, and muscle recovery.

The Truth About Processed Foods

I’m guilty. As a Registered Dietitian (a board-certified EXPERT of nutrition!), I’ve used the phrase “limit processed foods” time and time again. I’ve previously unraveled the harms of clean eating in an article that you’ll need to read and bookmark ASAP. I’ve even given you three reasons why the idea of “empty calories” is a total sham. But what about processed foods? Should we really be avoiding them?

Brain Health: 7 Foods to Sharpen Focus and Support Retention

First, let’s uncover the obvious: diet culture likes to use this idea of “brain food” to sell us an eating regimen that oftentimes moralizes some foods and demonizes others. Honestly, there’s no single food that can completely make or break your brain health and functioning. But we can utilize aspects of gentle nutrition to ensure that our body receives a variety of building blocks that support focus, retention, and overall mental clarity. Let’s dive into 7 foods that can help to provide the building blocks of brain health.

15+ Plant-Based Breakfast Recipes for Dancers

For dancers choosing a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, focusing on abundance and variety helps to ensure that that you’re eating enough to support your performance. But for some dancers, choosing a lifestyle that is 100% plant-based can risk vitamin and mineral deficiencies (if not well-planned) and even trigger disordered eating (if not implemented with the help of professional support). Here are our favorite vegan breakfast recipes!

Diet for Dancers: Are Foods High in Fat Bad?

The war against dietary fat (AKA the fat in our food) was declared nearly a century ago when the American Heart Association published findings of a suspected association between dietary fat and heart disease. But instead of promoting positive health behaviors, associations between food and disease have only led to a landscape of food guilt, stress, and anxiety. And we know that weight cycling (a product of yo-yo dieting) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Here’s another one for your evidence library.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Nourish Your Body and Soul There’s only one remedy for overripe bananas: baking. Bananas add a well-known but subtle flavor to almost any recipe. Enjoy this banana bread straight from the oven, or store it for another day. The extra-moist center makes it especially delicious even when packed in your dance bag. Ingredients Directions Preheat […]

Diet for Dancers- The Truth About Gluten and Dairy

For over a decade, wellness culture has deemed gluten and dairy as the foes of “health.” When it comes to health, diet culture likes to point a finger at food as having a direct impact on various health and lifestyle outcomes. Interestingly, the obsession over gluten and dairy surfaced back in the early 2000s. But what can seem like an innocent “lifestyle change” can often be a slippery slope into disordered eating.

20+ Healthy and Delicious Snack Recipes

What exactly is a healthy snack? Convenience, variety, flexibility, and balance. With busy schedules, snacking is a must for dancers. Here are our 20+ favorite snacks to prep and pack for your week!

20+ Healthy and Delicious Dinner Recipes

Dinner is a great time to pause, enjoy the family (or alone) time, and reflect on your day. Incorporating a balance of macronutrients sets you up for tomorrow’s success. In this article, we’re sharing over 20 favorite healthy, easy, and delicious recipes to try!

20+ Healthy and Delicious Lunch Recipes

While time is often limited during a busy day, building a balanced lunch is key to surviving long afternoons. Prioritizing quick and easy nutritious meals can help to maintain your energy levels to beat that midday hump. But without a doubt, busy schedules often get the most of us.

20+ Healthy and Delicious Breakfast Recipes

What does a healthy and easy breakfast look like? Building a nutritious breakfast starts the day with the tools your body needs for an energized and productive morning. The following recipes are a compilation of favorites to enjoy. Bookmark this page as we’re adding new recipes to the list monthly!

Should I Attend A Summer Dance Intensive?

According to a recent poll I shared on Instagram, 70% of dancers who are considering a summer intensive are most anxious over how to fuel while away. This is especially concerning since summer intensives are a common site where disordered eating habits emerge.

Protein Powder for Dancers, Ranked

Consuming adequate protein from high-quality sources will be your best bet for muscle recovery. If you are considering a supplement, choose a third-party tested plant or whey protein powder. You can utilize this to increase the protein content of your smoothie by adding a protein powder that contains at least 20 grams per serving.

Tiny Pretty Things – A Review

Mental Health, Nutrition

With the pilot laying the groundwork for the most common dancer stereotypes, I had some concerns. But then I kept watching… and realized something big

A Dancer’s Diet: Build the Perfect Trail Mix

Guests, Nutrition

Smart snacking is key to a dancer’s energy throughout the day. As a result, dancers often rely on convenient, packable, and non-perishable options. But sometimes, misguided food fears can make the concept of snacking tough to implement. To better understand why trail mix is a great snack option for dancers, let’s break it down.

The Best Bruschetta Recipe

Serious question: do you call it but-SHETTA or bru-SKETTA? I’ve been making this recipe for my family since that trip in 2012 and now I’m sharing it you. So many elements come together: the tang from ripe summer tomatoes, the crunch from a rustic baguette, the spice from fresh garlic, and of course, the aromatic but subtle hint of sweetness from fresh basil. There are a few secrets that I’ve learned since, which sets this recipe apart from your standard bruschetta.

Intermittent Fasting for Dancers

Intermittent fasting is one of the most controversial topics because technically, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re restricting calories enough to be in a calorie deficit. If you’re meeting your total nutrition needs during the “allowed” hours, then you can technically fuel your body sufficiently. There are, however, several issues that I’d like you to consider…

5 Actionable Tips to Build a Better Body Image, By Catherine Drury

Features, Guests, Mental Health

To consistently dance and perform at your best, you need to have a working relationship with your body. Asking someone to love their body is often unrealistic (though it can be a goal!). However, a certain level of body acceptance is necessary to achieve the physical- and artistic- success required of dancers. Though it takes time, let’s discuss 5 tips to build a better body image:

Reclaiming My Ballet Body, By Colleen M. Werner

Features, Guests, Mental Health

Featured writer Colleen Werner explains how her journey to food- and body- healing shaped her #BoPoBallerina movement.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Simple ingredients with a not-so-simple taste. These decadent cookies are as real as it gets. No hidden nutrition agenda, no secret agent fiber additive, and absolutely no protein powder. Yup, straight from a dietitian’s kitchen to yours. It’s time we let cookies be cookies.