A Healthy Meal Plan for Dancers. To do any sort of physical activity, your body needs the right fuel to help it perform its absolute best. But diets are not a one size fits all sort of thing. What works for the bodybuilder will not work as well for the dancer. In order to achieve our best, we need to craft the optimal healthy meal plan that provides our bodies with exactly the right balance of nutrients. Whether you’re a novice or a professional, it’s not always easy to know exactly what kind of nutrients your body needs for dancing. In this article, we’ll provide a quick overview of the ideal nutritional balance you should be feeding your body as a dancer and give you some guidelines and food suggestions that you can follow to help you achieve your absolute best! ![]() ![]() The Importance of Nutrition. Whether you’re training dance or any other physical activity, many have a bad habit of ignoring their diet or dieting in the wrong way. The problem is usually that we tend to think in calories instead of nutrition. That is, we believe that since we’re burning so many calories in our training, it doesn’t matter what we eat as long as the calorie count evens out. But this is a dangerous assumption. If you’re getting most of your calories from junk, your body is still starving even if the calorie count matches. Without the proper nutrients, your muscles cannot grow, your circulation will slow down, your heart will weaken, and many other problems will develop that prevent you from reaching your full potential and put you at serious risk of injury. So you need to focus on eating a diet that provides that right balance of nutrients to help sculpt your body into the perfect dancer’s body. Special Nutrition Needs For Dancers. The needs of your body depend on what you are using it for. For a dancer—especially a ballet dancer—you need to focus on the following aspects: Strength & Flexibility: Above all, dancers need to build strength and flexibility. Immediately after those two qualities, dancers need the endurance to get through a full performance. Lean Physique: while it’s not true that you can only dance if you are stick thin, it is important that you work toward a low percentage of body fat. A lean, toned body is easier to maneuver and contort than one with a higher percentage of body fat. ![]() In order to achieve that, there are a few general nutritional guidelines you can follow: Calorie count: No, calorie counting alone is not enough to nourish your body. But it is one aspect you need to keep in mind. As a rule of thumb, you should eat 1. That is, non- fat body mass. Individualized nutrition counseling and planning for dancers. Dancer Nutrition © 2017. What Do Ballet Dancers Really Eat? Professionals Open Up On Diet, Gruelling Rehearsals And Eating Disorders. Ballet is rigorous in both its physical. Nutrition for Dancers. Professional Ballerina Diet. Weight Loss Meal Plan for. Ever wondered what the standard ballerina diet really looks like? How Top Ballerinas Really Eat. Ballet dancers. Find and save ideas about Ballet diet. 2 Week Detox Diet Detox Clean Eating Meal Plan Healthy. Adult Ballet Dancers Individualized diet plan that. The Pole Diet! Anytime I ever heard. Meal Plans and Portions. Find and save ideas about Dancer diet on Pinterest. Healthy dancer meal plan. Find this Pin and more on Dance workouts. Diet Plans for Dancers Checkout Dieting. So, for example, say you weight 1. That means 1. 14 pounds is lean body mass. ![]() ![]() Ballet Diet Meal PlanSo you would need 1,7. Macronutrient balance: those calories need to come from nutrient rich foods not just any junk you find. For a dancers, the optimal balance is macronutrient balance: those calories need to come from nutrient rich foods not just any junk you find. For a dancers, the optimal balance is: 1. Micronutrients. Dancers have a tendency to be deficient in a few key micronutrients. Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals that are found in nutritious foods. Dancers need a good balance of all of them but should pay special attention to calcium, iron, and vitamin D. Hydration. Most people do not drink enough water whether they exercise or not. And the more you exercise, the more water you need. On rest days, you should drink 2. On training days, you should increase it to 4 liters. Hydration helps improve circulation, oxygen delivery to the muscles, coordination, and energy levels (all of which are essential for dancers). Food For Dancers. To achieve the optimal diet as a dancer, include nutritional sources like: Complex carbs. Oats, quinoa, and whole grains are wonderful sources of carbs that are also high in iron (an important micronutrient for dancers). They are also high in fiber which improves metabolism so that you can both burn fat AND improve energy levels. Lean protein. To meet your protein needs, one of the best foods for dancers is fish. This is high in protein, high in healthy unsaturated fats, and provide an impressive range of micronutrients including iron, calcium, and vitamin D. Focus on fatty fish like tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring. Poultry is another good lean protein source although it’s not as impressive as fish. Healthy unsaturated fat. Again, fish is a superstar in this category. But you can also get your fat requirements from nuts, seeds, avocados, and healthy oils (olive, almond, etc. If you drink it black, it has zero calories and helps increase circulation, rev up your metabolism, and increase energy levels. Definitely don’t use it as a meal replacement but drink a cup about 3. Before you start any diet, however, you should consult your doctor to make sure you know about any unique nutritional needs that are specific to your body. Every dancer needs to carefully craft their own meal plan to fit their needs and goals as a dancer. Final Word. Dancing is 5. You can’t afford to neglect either one. To reach your full potential, you need to put as much emphasis on your diet as you do on your rigorous training plan. Use the information in this guide to start crafting the optimal meal plan for you. Nutrition for Dancers . Diet sodas and cigarettes lie in the sepulcher of dance menus, replaced instead with body fueling foods like bananas, rice, and even (dare we say it?) chocolate. If you’re a dancer struggling with the crash- diet mentality, check out the tips below on proper ballet nutrition. After all, little girls may be made of sugar, spice, and everything nice, but their tutu’d counterparts are made from a balanced diet of carbohydrates, protein, monounsaturated fats, fruits and vegetables! A Balanced Diet Is a Healthy Diet. Here are the basic food groups you should include in your diet: Carbohydrates such as breads, grains, and cereals. Proteins such as fish, eggs, and poultry. Good fats like nuts, avocados, and olive oil. Fruits like raspberries, melons, and bananas. Vegetables such as carrots, spinach, and broccoli. Milk products such as yogurt, cheese, and reduced fat milk. Together, these food groups comprise a balanced diet. Crash diets that cut out one or more of these groups, like carbohydrates or fats, will cause a dangerous imbalance. Likewise, any diet that goes too heavy on one food group can lead to health problems like high cholesterol, thyroid gland malfunctions, and water retention. However, keep in mind that all food groups are not equal; each group has a recommended number of servings per day, as outlined in detail below. Carbohydrates. Possibly the most important food group for any athlete, carbohydrates provide energy when your body needs it. Known as “fast burning” fuel, carbs are broken down in your body quickly, which allows your body to more readily use the metabolized energy. That means that if you’re feeling weak or tired, munching on a serving of carbs can make you feel refreshed and refueled within the hour. To simplify, carbs are good because: They provide quick burning energy. They fill you up. They don’t feel heavy in your body. They are often low in fat. The best source of fuel is whole grains or another type of complex carbohydrates. Whole grains are in their most natural form, which means that they’ll be easier for your body to break down. They also provide longer, more sustained energy since they don’t cause a spike (and subsequent crash) in your insulin and blood sugar levels. Here are some good carbs to munch on: Brown rice. Whole wheat bread. Quinoa. Whole wheat pasta. Proteins. Proteins, like carbs, fuel your body. However, the key difference is that while carbohydrates break down to give you quick energy, proteins are broken down much more slowly, and help both build new tissue (muscle and bone) and provide long- term, stored energy. This means that if you’re fatigued, eating a serving of proteins won’t do you any good within the hour; the proteins take longer to break down in your system, so the benefits will be gradual and delayed. Simply put, proteins: Provide long term energy. Help build strong bones and muscle. Make you feel full, longer. It’s good to consume these foods in smaller amounts, spaced- out throughout the day. This way you’ll have a constant supply of long burning energy without feeling weighed down by proteins in your stomach. Some great proteins to choose from are: Fish. Peanut Butter. Eggs. Lean cut meats & poultry. Good Fats & Oils. Most dancers hate any mention of the word “fat,” but there are, actually, good fats in existence, and your body needs them to function properly. Hot Tip: Read the Label. Many mainstream companies have begun to produce unrefined, whole wheat products. So the next time you go grocery shopping, try to find these more basic, healthy foods. Sometimes they’re tucked away on the last shelf, but the price is usually the same, and the nutrition benefits far outweigh those in more refined grains. You should always try and limit the amount of fat and sugar you consume (particularly refined fats and sugars like French fries and candy bars), but a splash of healthy fat each day can lower your risk of heart disease and help transfer nutrients throughout your body. Healthy fats include any kind of monounsaturated fat which is easier for your body to breakdown and store in a more beneficial way than saturated fats. Once processed, healthy fats become the body’s most abundant form of stored energy, used when other resources—carbohydrates and proteins, for example—have been depleted. Monounsaturated fats and oils: Aid in digestion. Keep skin healthy. Prevent the storage of unhealthy, saturated fats. Provides small amounts of energy towards the end of a long workout. Contain vital fatty acids (which support everything from mental clarity to clear skin!)Having one or two small servings of healthy fat per day will keep your body running smoothly without the weight and fatigue of processed sugars and poly saturated fats. Healthy fats and oils include: Olive oil. Avocados. Nuts. Some fish (herring or sardines)Fruits. Despite their reputation as summer foods, fruits are available all year round, and should always be a part of your daily diet. While not a central source of energy (the simple sugars burn off too quickly), fruits do contain unique vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function. In short, fruits: Provide essential vitamins and minerals that benefit specific areas of the body. Contain many different antioxidants that help the body recover from stress. Supply fructose and simple sugars the body can break down for quick bursts of energy. Have large amounts of fiber, which help regulate the digestive system. Fruits are great to snack on throughout the day, even though they aren’t as filling as complex carbs or proteins. In general, fresh fruits are best. Avoid eating canned fruits or fruit “drinks,” as these contain high levels of processed sugars instead of actual fruit. If you must opt for a juice, go only for 1. Some good fruits to include in your diet are: Blueberries. Apples. Tomatoes. Oranges. Vegetables. Vegetables are similar to fruits in that their greatest contribution to your diet is not the energy, but rather the vital nutrients they supply. They contain many vitamins and minerals that you can’t find in fruits, including folic acid, iron, and potassium—all fundamental components of a healthy diet. Vegetables can: Provide essential vitamins and minerals that benefit specific areas of the body. Contain many different antioxidants that help the body recover from stress. Have large amounts of fiber, which help regulate the digestive system. Help regulate blood- sugar and insulin levels, thanks to their typically low level of simple sugars. Ease muscle cramps with potassium. Like fruits, vegetables are best when eaten raw. Veggies are easy to pack and pull out at the studio or school, making them portable nutrient trucks just waiting to deliver the goods to your body. Some great veggies are: Celery. Garbanzo beans. Spinach. Cucumber. Mental Edge. Your mother always told you to eat your vegetables. And there really was—and still is—a reason for her nagging. Be positive about “having” to eat veggies; staring down your green beans a la Wyatt Earp isn’t going to make you like them any more than you did when you were a kid. Milk Products. While milk products are often discouraged due to their frequently high fat content, they serve as vital pabulum within the body. Calcium, the main nutrient gained from milk products, is an integral part of having a long and successful dancing career. It not only maintains and supports strong bones (to keep bones stress- fracture free) but also, when combined with Vitamin D, can increase heart health and overall well being. Milk benefits you by: Providing calcium for strong bones. Increasing Vitamin D absorption. Allowing “good” fats into your system. Adding small amounts of protein to your diet. Look for low- fat or fat- free and hormone- free or unprocessed dairy products. This will allow you to get the calcium you need without the unwanted fat. Some recommended milk/dairy products are. Low- fat (1% or 2%) or skim Milk. Unprocessed, low fat cheeses (Swiss, Parmesan, Cottage Cheese)Low fat yogurts. A study performed by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that those who have a Vitamin D deficiency are more likely to die young than those who maintain consistently high levels (greater than 1. Change It Up! The key to eating healthy while still keeping your desired ballet figure is to eat a wide variety of foods and focus on balance instead of restriction. When you’re at the store, get outside your rut and buy many different kinds of seasonal fruits and vegetables, snacks, grains, and proteins. This diversity will help you stay on track and happy with your meals (instead of getting tired of lentils and rice for dinner every day). If you get discouraged, don’t resort to the cigarette and diet coke menu—it may squelch your appetite, but it’ll leave you without enough energy to perform a simple tendu. Sample Menu. Dancers are creatures constantly on the go; between classes, rehearsals, fittings and shows, you may not have a whole lot of time to sit down and eat. Try this simple menu to keep your body nourished and healthy without having to slow down. Breakfast (Before class).
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