Search Results for: recipe

Healthy Snacking Guide for Dancers

I encourage dancers to optimize each eating opportunity as a chance to fuel for performance, however, many still hesitate to snack. Combatting this means building a smart snack plan; one that maintains optimal energy throughout long rehearsals and performances. Here’s a comprehensive guide on what dancers need to know about it.

Alcohol On Dance Performance

For dancers of the legal age to drink, understanding the effects of alcohol on performance is crucial not only to maintain your performance but to ensure your safety. In this blog post, we’ll explore what every dancer should know about how alcohol can impact their performance, including how to identify your limits safely.

What Is A Healthy Diet For Ballet Dancers?

A ballerina diet focuses consistency and balance. Ballet dancers need to optimize their food choices to support their energy to dance. As a result, a varied and non-restrictive diet is key. Add foods like colorful fruits and veggies, whole grains, eggs, potatoes, blueberries, to name a few.

The Importance of Vitamin B12 for Dancers

Vitamin B12 plays an active role in many bodily functions— from your blood health and nerve functioning, to your growth and genetic makeup. Vitamin B12 also functions in the process of metabolism, supporting the breakdown and utilization of nutrients from food for energy. Since our bodies cannot produce vitamin B12, we must obtain it through our diet. In this blog post, we’ll explore why this vitamin is crucial for dancers, how to ensure an adequate intake and provide some delicious recipes to incorporate into your meal plan even if you’re a plant-based dancer.

Salt for dancers: how much is too much?

Among the various nutrients, one that has garnered mixed reviews is salt. Many dancers fear salt. It’s not uncommon for dancers to go as far as restricting their salt intake altogether, fearing it will cause bloat and water retention. However, salt is an incredibly important mineral for a dancer’s body, and understanding its role can […]

How To Eat Healthy In College

College is an exciting time that brings about a newfound level of independence and autonomy. But for many college-aged dancers, limited time and financial resources can make the idea of fueling for performance stressful especially is residing in a dorm for a summer dance intensive or a year-round pre-professional program.

Food Variety- why dancers need more of it

Learning how to build a supportive eating routine is a tenet of The Healthy Dancer® — a key player in their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. In my work as a dietitian for dancers, we prioritize balanced meals to ensure adequate fueling patterns. Alongside this is aiming for a variety of foods. But what does […]

The Importance of Iron for Dancers

Iron is a notable mineral relied upon by athletes for performance success— so much so that the International Olympic Committee recommends iron screenings during health evaluations. Despite a dancer’s needs being comparable to those of athletes, iron remains overlooked. In a study of female ballet dancers, more than half were reported to be iron deficient. In this blog post, we will explore the paramount importance of iron for dancers and how it contributes to their overall performance and well-being.

Thanksgiving Day Survival: A Dancer’s Ultimate Guide

Thanksgiving is a time for celebration, gratitude, and of course, delicious food. But for many dancers, the holiday can bring challenges. Whether navigating a table full of festive foods or dealing with the pressure to stay “on track” before Nutcracker, Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be stressful. You can enjoy the holiday while fueling your body for dance and honoring your needs. In this blog post, we’ll formulate solutions to the most common food- and body- struggles that dancers experience around holiday meals.

Dinner Hack for Busy Dancers: Potato Boats

Potatoes, whether mashed, fried, or baked, are a classic comfort food adored by many. But misinformation and circulating food fears often leave dancers wondering if potatoes are an okay addition to their meal plans. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the benefits of potatoes and share unique recipes that showcase their potential as a convenient and balanced meal.

The daunting realities of cooking for dancers

If you’re a dancer who has or is struggling with disordered eating, or perhaps you’re attempting to abide by strict “clean” eating rules, then cooking can easily become a daunting task. In this blog post, we will explore the reasons why cooking can be an unexpected challenge for dancers, and how to rekindle this activity in a way that feels joyful and supportive.

Vegan Diets for Dancers – An Ultimate Guide

We can all benefit from including plants on our plate, but what about a dancer who is aiming for a lifestyle that’s 100% plant-based? A dancer’s, especially an adolescent dancer’s, nutritional needs are higher than the average person’s. Is it doable to follow a vegan diet and meet these extensive nutritional needs? You’ll also grab actionable tips for implementing your vegan diet in a supportive and non-restrictive way.

Plan for Nutcracker: Your Balanced Nutrition Meal Plan

The holiday season is especially busy for dancers. Add Nutcracker to the list and you’ve got what feels like an overwhelming month-long marathon. This article will discuss common pitfalls when fueling for Nutcracker and help dancers formulate a meal plan that supports the high-energy demands of this extreme (and busy) performance season.

Diet for Dancers: Carbohydrates

Some dancers might restrict carbohydrate intake as a result of misinformation surrounding goals to achieve an “ideal” (often lower) body weight. Others might choose to restrict their carbohydrate intake in hopes of abiding by “clean” eating lifestyles, reducing inflammation, and supporting “health” goals. Dancers benefit from the macronutrient mix— I refer to this as a dancer’s fuel mix. A dancer’s fuel mix resembles a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fat in each meal. While all three macronutrients contribute to a dancer’s metabolic functioning, carbohydrates, and fat provide the fuel for a dancer’s working muscles. In this blog post, we’ll explore why carbohydrates are essential for a dancer’s body.

Dancers and Perfectionism: Tackle An All-or-Nothing Mindset

Features, Mental Health

With body ideals at the forefront of the industry, dancers are especially vulnerable to perfectionistic behaviors surrounding both food and body. High expectations and striving to perfect the imperfect create an environment prone to obsessive tendencies and comparative behaviors. As a recovering perfectionist, I’ve learned to utilize a proactive effort to shift superhuman ideals into sustainable (and realistic) goals. For this blog post, I’ve teamed up with licensed psychotherapist Amy Pope-Lantham to explore five strategies that can help dancers tackle the all-or-nothing mindset and find a healthier balance in their dance journey.

5+ “Clean” (Diet) Foods To Start Enjoying …Again

I once thought that a veggie-loaded salad (dressing on the side) was sufficient for lunch. Not only did it check the boxes of a “healthy” meal, but it also filled me physically and, according to what I thought was right for a dancer, gave me the reassurance of control— the hope that if I continued […]

Asking AI For Nutrition Advice- What You Should Know

Artificial intelligence (AI), as a mainstream medium for information, is quickly becoming the norm not just for everyday life, but also, in healthcare. AI for nutrition advice, from calorie targets to meal plans, has gained popularity due to its accessibility. But AI comes with major risks and limitations. This article will uncover everything you should be aware of when relying on chatbots, ChatGPT, and other AI-driven tools for nutrition advice.

A Dancer’s Back-To-School Checklist

Back-to-school is approaching and dancers are gearing up to dive back into their rigorous schedules— a balance of dance and academic coursework is the norm. For dancers returning home from summer intensives, fatigue, and injury might be the reality. As a dietitian for dancers, August is one of my busiest seasons. A spike in stress […]

Chia Seed Pudding

Chia seed pudding is a versatile, nutrient-dense snack to support a dancer’s rigorous training and recovery needs. It’s a fantastic addition to any dancer’s fuel plan. In this blog post, you’ll learn how to craft a basic chia seed pudding, along with delicious flavor combinations to get you started.

A Dancer’s Guide to Stress, Fatigue, & Overwhelm

Mental Health, Nutrition

It’s common for dancers to find themselves exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. Balancing a packed dance schedule with academic coursework is hard enough. Chronic fatigue can be detrimental to your health, well-being, and your ability to perform to your greatest potential. While a dancer’s schedule is notoriously difficult to manage, you owe it to your mind, body, and soul to find moments to breathe.