What/ How much should a dancer eat?

"Dancers don't eat" or "How are you so skinny??" is something most dancers hear on a regular basis. And to be completely honest, it's the way that us dancers have built our reputation. Unfortunately a lot of (ballet) dancers suffer from eating disorders, and it's something that has turned into a stereotype, due to the strict requirements of the ballet world.

Now, how much should a dancer eat? that's a question that doesn't have just one answer. There isn't one meal plan or diet that will suit all dancers. But something that all dancers should know, is that you have to eat to be able to perform your best. You can't expect your body to function properly if you don't eat enough. In the words of many dietitians: "food is life".

However there's a clear difference between eating a lot, and eating a lot of junk food. As dancers it's our responsibility to take care of our body - it's our instrument(!).

A healthy, well balanced diet is key - and that counts for everyone: dancer or non-dancer. For dancers and other athletes, portion sizes is something that isn't always easy to control. Some dancers like to count their calories to make sure they're getting enough energy, and others listen to their bodies. Both methods work fine, and give you an options to chose from. Personally, I prefer listening to my body, and seeing what it needs, while making sure that I get all the nutrients that I need. I have an extremely fast metabolism, so I naturally need to eat a lot more than the average person (and this is the case with a lot of dancers). For me, counting calories wouldn't benefit me, as it doesn't necessarily consider the calories that my body burns on its own (without dance or sport).

          On the other hand, counting calories is also a good option - especially for people (like me) who find I really easy to eat too much. My main concern when it comes to counting your calories, is the fact that it disregards the type of food you're eating. All it measures, is the amount of energy you're getting out of your meals (or at least supposed to). Some people fail to realize that they still need to eat healthily, and end up eating junk food on a regular basis.

I am by no means a qualified dietitian, to tell you what and how much to eat, but if you think you're struggling with portion sizes and the type of food you're eating, talking to a professional may help you out. Just remember that it's important to eat enough food, without eating too much, as well as eating healthily - no one wants to dance after having eaten a tonne of unhealthy food.
          Dancing on a junk food -based diet, won't benefit you at all.
Because I know that quite a lot of dancers struggle to find healthy meals to eat throughout the day, especially because we're always in a hurry, I will be posting meal suggestions on my instagram story (Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday), to give you a few more ideas of what you can eat, to remain healthy and get the amount of food that your body needs.
Please remember that portion-sizes vary from person to person. The amount that I eat, may not suit everyone - and that's normal(!).

I guess the moral of the story is: "eat enough food, and make sure you eat as clean as possible."
With all that being said, you are allowed to treat yourself every once in a while, if you're craving something specific - just don't let this happen too often.

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