Nutrition - What do the professionals eat?
What do the professionals eat?
Nutrition is vital in every dancer’s life. Dancers need proper nutrition to function properly, perform choreography and of course, power the brain to work through the week. Impaired performance is just one of the disadvantages of poor nutrition. We’ve gathered some interviews from the professionals on what they eat on a daily basis.
Claudia Dean - Dancer & Teacher, previously at Royal Ballet
“My typical lunch for work consists of leftover dinner from the night before. These meals include: Spaghetti, roast chicken, steak with vegetables and homemade pizza or wraps. To stay hydrated during the busy day, I always carry a 1 litre water bottle and fill it up 2 times a day. When it hits 12pm each day I will always have an almond milk vanilla latte. I also like to occasionally snack on protein bites during the day for something a little sweet. Bananas were my best friend and got me through some really long rehearsal days.”
Claudia’s Chassé Passé Shake
Ingredients (Serves 1)
- 1/3 Cup of Blueberries (frozen or fresh)
- 1/3 Cup of Diced Mango (frozen or fresh)
- 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1 Banana (frozen or fresh)
- 2 Tablespoons of Quick Oats
- 3/4 Cup of Coconut Water or Almond Milk (whichever you prefer)
- 1 Teaspoon of Chia Seeds
- Drizzle of Honey
- Sprinkle of Cinnamon
- 6 Crushed Almonds
- Mint Sprig (optional) for presentation and garnish
Method:
Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into a glass or shaker and take with you to start your day!
Natasha Vujic (Teacher and dance coaching, Canberra)
“I love starting my day with 2 boiled eggs, 3 if they are small.
For my midmorning snack I like to make a smoothie and I always make sure my lunch is going to fuel me depending on my evening of teaching ahead. I like incorporating some sort of meat and vegetables. During the winter I like my lunches to be hearty and warm and I tend to make enough to last me for a few days. In summer I usually make nice fresh salads for lunch.
In the afternoon I will have some sort of snack, sometimes it’s nuts or sometimes if I am feeling like something sweeter it will be 2 rice cakes with peanut butter and honey.
For dinner I try to eat light as it can be late depending on what time I get home from teaching, usually some vegetables or left overs. I love love love Danish’s! I also love bubble tea, I don’t drink coffee but I am addicted to my bubble tea. I do love salmon, when I go out to eat dinner 9 times out of 10 I will order salmon or something with seafood. I do love my seafood.”
Natasha’s healthy mushroom risotto
Ingredients (Serves 4):
2 chicken breasts, diced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 brown diced onion
2 gloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 cups of mushrooms, chopped
2 cups of baby spinach
2 cups of risotto rice
6 cups of chicken stock, warmed up
25g Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp fresh chopped chives
Salt & pepper to taste
Method:
Heat oil in large pan, cook chicken then remove from heat.
Add the onion and sauté for several minutes until translucent.
Add the garlic and 1 cup of risotto rice, then stir to coat the rice with oil.
Pour the chicken stock slowly into the pan one cup at a time and stir frequently. Only add the next cup of rice once the first cup of stock is nearly absorbed by the rice. Be sure to stir the rice consistently during the process.
When the rice is almost done add the mushrooms and last cup of stock.
When the rice is cooked, stir through the chicken, baby spinach and chives, then top with parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and serve.
Alexandra McMaster - Dancer in French and German companies, Creator of ‘Ballerina Bites’
Energetiks was fortunate enough to interview Alexandra last year. Here’s what this amazing dancer had to say about her food:
“I was very frustrated with the dance world’s outlook on food, and although we say ‘things’ are changing, disordered eating is still there. I wanted to showcase the importance of one’s diet and why the foods which we consume really has an effect on how we perform as dancers.
In my book I go through why I’ve chosen to eat a plant-based/vegan diet for the past 3 years (and counting). I wanted to help dancer’s who are or considering eating this way because in reality, it does take some effort to ensure you’re receiving enough nutrients and minerals. However, with today’s research and evidence there’s enough positives backing this lifestyle and I definitely think the effort is worth it.
As you’ve mentioned, I’ve also ‘debunked’ a lot of statements with topical conversation around them e.g. ‘Carbs will make you fat if consumed in the evening’. With my knowledge and the help of friends in the medical field, we really took the time to address these remarks and why they definitely shouldn’t hinder you from enjoying a balanced diet.”
Do you have a personal favourite recipe from the book?
Ooo, I obviously love them all, but if I had to pick one it would be the ‘Sweet Citrus Tofu Salad.’ For me, it’s the perfect combination of everything - spicy rocket leaves imbedded through protein rich quinoa, baked tofu to add fullness and a scatter of roasted walnuts for healthy fats. The dressing is a combination of sweet and sour, which delightfully ties the salad together. Yum!
Do you remember the first food you fell in love with as a kid?
I was a child of simple tastes and grew up eating a standard Australian diet (meat & three veg), my mum was a very adventurous cook but my favorites were simple dishes; Bangers (sausages) and mash with peas & gravy, and homemade nachos was also a favourite. I remember eating Nacho’s every Saturday before a full day of ballet. I know, questionable. For dessert it was always vanilla ice-cream with milo, which Dad would mash and stir into soft serve, epic!"
What would be your advice for other dancers who are wanting to try a more hands-on approach to food, and start out on their own journey with healthy cooking?
“Keep it simple, and big-batch-cooking is your best friend. Making meals that you can scoop into containers and then freeze for upcoming dinners, in my opinion, is a true saviour. I find this keeps cooking easy and no-fuss, so there’s no excuse to leave your body undernourished.
Once you know this, then start googling! In the beginning I seriously wrote ‘healthy brownies’ into my web browser and found 100’s of recipes and recipe video’s via YouTube. I particularly found YouTube useful, as it shows you exactly how to do it!
Lastly don’t be too hard on yourself, I don’t have enough hands to count how many times I’ve had failed attempts in the kitchen. As with anything, this is how you learn, discover and grow.”
Alexandra’s Banana Bran Muffins (you can find the full recipe here)
Ingredients (makes 8 muffins)
2 large ripe bananas (mashed weight around 340g)
1 cup (236ml) mylk
½ cup (85g) coconut sugar
¼ cup (65g) smooth peanut butter
¼ cup (60ml) rapeseed oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (140g) oat bran
1 cup (165g) buckwheat flour
1 tbsp (5g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bi-carb soda
¼ tsp salt
Method
Pre-heat oven to 180°c and line a muffin tray with eight muffin liners.
In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.
Stir in the wet ingredients- mylk, coconut sugar, peanut butter, coconut oil and vanilla extract.
Once combined well, add the dry- oat bran, buckwheat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, bi-carb soda & salt.
Again stir until combined before spooning the mixture between the muffin cases.
Bake for 25- 30 mins, or until golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted.
