How Much Ballerinas REALLY Eat

A common misconception about ballerinas is that they barely eat in order to maintain their ballet physique. However, that belief could not be more inaccurate. I understand why perhaps some people believe that, thinking : that before shows, ballerina’s can’t eat because they can’t dance on a full stomach, but AFTER shows, they also can’t eat because if they do so they may gain weight. 

Unfortunately, there are some ballet dancers who turn to drinking alcohol and smoking because they need a boost before and after performances, but can’t eat. On the other hand, healthy, experienced ballerinas eat a lot of fiber and mainly plant-based foods. The reason why fiber is so good for ballerinas is that fiber makes you feel fuller and the energy lasts longer. By ‘feeling more full’, I mean that you may eat less than if you had eaten food lacking fiber, but you would feel fuller. 

Small, frequent meals are good for ballerinas, but a lot of the time their eight hour rehearsals and one hour break schedule doesn’t allow them to do so. Not to mention, ballerinas who take a 5 minute smoke break may feel more energised than if they eat a healthy snack, so some ballerinas rely on alcohol and nicotine.

Luckily, my personal experience has been quite successful: before performances, I eat a small but nutrient-packed meal, and then bring along a bit of candy with me. Candy gives me a little sugar rush, but I don’t need to eat too much of it because the meal I ate before lasts a long time. After shows, I don’t worry about gaining weight, since I’m a kid, so I pretty much eat normally. 

I hope this article has given you insight on what the diet of a healthy ballerina REALLY should look like. Goodbye!