At the Whole Dancer, we love working towards goals that create a mentally and physically healthier version of yourself as a dancer.

Some research suggests, it takes 30 days to establish a good habit. It also takes 30 days to rid yourself of a bad habit. Though studies show new habits can take longer than 30 days to form, I feel that you have to give any new lifestyle change at least a 30 day trial.

Meal prepping, or as some call it: rediscovering leftovers, is a fantastic habit that will help you make healthy food choices, save money, and save time. It can seem daunting at first, but once you get into the swing of it, it will seem so easy.

Meal prepping is mostly about planning. Think about your week ahead. Look at your schedule and plan what day you’ll go grocery shopping, what nights you have more time to cook, and what night’s you will just want to be able to pull something out of the fridge to reheat.

It helps if you have a consistent schedule where you know you can always go grocery shopping on a certain day of the week. If that’s not possible, schedule a time to go grocery shopping every 5-7 days.

When creating your grocery list, think about how many days of food you have to plan for. You don’t want to buy so much food that it spoils before you eat it, but at the same time you don’t want to run out of staple items before your next trip.

Always create a grocery list before you go shopping. Grocery shopping with no aim, especially when hungry, can often lead to overspending and buying items that might not create cohesive meals.

Look up recipes you want to make in the coming week before you go grocery shopping so you can add all of the ingredients to your list. It’s the absolute worst when you’re mid-cooking and realize that you’re missing a key ingredient.

Have a list of staple ingredients that you buy each week without fail. Often these are items that included in your favorite recipes, go-to rehearsal snacks, or versatile food items that can go into a variety of recipes.

Examples of items that can be on your list of staples are:

• a type of leafy greens
• a variety of veggies of different colors such as peppers, broccoli, carrots, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and squash
• fruit that is easy to throw into your dance bag
• berries (if they are in season)
• a protein heavy grain such as quinoa or brown rice
• a nut butter that is good to add to fruits or veggies for a rehearsal snack

Obviously there is going to be some fluctuation in produce depending on what is in season.  And, don’t be afraid to deviate from your list if something at the grocery store inspires a meal.

The next step is looking at your calendar and finding a time you can dedicate to meal prepping. I usually spend an hour to an hour and a half on meal prep. For me, I often meal prep the same day I go grocery shopping, or a night when I get home a little earlier and I know that I have time and energy to meal prep.

That night, I will make enough dinner to have at least one serving in addition to that evening’s meal. After dinner, I make lunches for the next few days. I usually make about three days worth of lunches or meals at a time. You don’t want to get so far ahead of yourself that the food goes bad.

Salads are one of the easiest meals to meal prep. There are infinite options, so you can always get creative while making lunches. It’s also a great way to repurpose extra ingredients (such as chopped veggies) from dinner that night. Check out The Whole Dancer blog post on “How to Build a Better Salad” that gives you tips on creating a well-rounded salad.

In addition to meal prepping, you can pre-portion your snacks. Divide that huge bag of baby carrots or granola into 3-5 smaller bags, and take strawberries or blueberries out of the big plastic containers from the store and put them into smaller containers.

Reusable containers are your best friend for meal prepping. For the obvious reason, you will need a fair amount of reusable containers for the meals you are creating. Use containers that are perfect meal size so you can just grab and go, and not have to worry about re-portioning the food. Before you start cooking line up your containers so you can put portion the food into the containers as soon as you’re done cooking.

Not sure what to meal prep? You can find recipe ideas in so many places! The Whole Dancer Blog shares recipes from dancers, as well as ideas for rehearsals snacks, and how to fuel yourself for auditions and performances.

Pinterest is a great place to find recipe ideas. Find a cookbook you resonate with to find new ideas for meal (I’m personally a huge fan of Thug Kitchen, which I did a review of on The Whole Dancer blog: https://www.thewholedancer.com/thug-kitchen-101-cookbook/). If you’re still stumped, ask a friend or family member. Everyone has a favorite recipe that they would love to share.

Meal prepping might feel daunting and time consuming at first, but you will thank yourself when you’re running out the door in the morning and can just grab your lunch, or when you come home from a long day of rehearsals and dinner is already made.

The post How to Meal Prep for Healthy Eating Success appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

It’s also important to make sure you’re not just eating a salad because it’s what you thing you should be eating. In an effort to be virtuous eaters, dancers can easily fall into the trap of eating things we think we should eat and forgetting to cater to our desires. There has to be a healthy balance with food between what you need and what you want.

I’m not kidding. If you never eat what you want to be eating you’re going to feel deprived all the time. It’s an easy trap to fall into – usually it then leads to overeating of those foods you were avoiding. You might even binge – defined as a period or bout, usually brief, of excessive indulgence. It could look like avoiding bread for weeks and then eating half a loaf or swearing off cookies for a month then eating the whole box.

Being overly rigid with food is a slippery slope and the outcome might not be what you had hoped. So, even when it comes to salad, make sure you’re adding tasty components to ensure that it’s enticing and satisfying.

BUILD A BETTER SALAD

START WITH YOUR BASE:

Romaine

Arugula

Green or Red Leaf Lettuce

Spinach

Kale (chop or tear and massage with olive oil for easier digestion)

Use any single lettuce or a mixture of different ones – different lettuces actually provide different vitamins and minerals so mixing it up is advantageous. Make sure to prep lettuces and wash them if they weren’t already washed. Choose local and/or organic if possible. Lettuce absorbs lots of pesticides if they’re grown with them so they’ll be difficult to wash off.

If you prefer a fine chop on your salad take the time to do it. Whatever it takes to make your meal more enjoyable. Remember by taking time and putting care into creating meals for yourself you’ll be more likely to take your time and savor each bite!

ADD YOUR PROTEIN:

Animal Proteins:

Chicken

Turkey

Steak

Salmon

Tuna

When using animal protein think of it as a condiment vs. the main component of a salad or meal. A little goes a long way in terms of flavor, nourishment and satisfaction. When choosing animal proteins you must be concerned with the quality of the meat – no hormones/antibiotics and for fish go for wild vs. farm raised.

Plant Proteins:

Lentils

Quinoa

Tempeh

Tofu

Beans

Different plant proteins work better for different people. You might have difficulty digesting beans or soy products (tempeh or tofu) so it’s important to pay attention to how your body reacts to these foods. Definitely choose Organic soy products in order to avoid GMO’s.

HEALTHY FATS – DON’T SKIP THESE!

Avocado

Pumpkin seeds

Sunflower seeds

Walnuts

Almonds

Eggs

Olive Oil

A nice way to work in your healthy fats is in your salad dressing. Some of my favorites include this vegan Caesar dressing, this avocado dressing or this tahini dressing.

ADD MORE VEGETABLES and FRUIT

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Carrots

Onions

Pickles

Peppers

Apple slices

Grapefruit wedged

Berries

When it comes to vegetables and fruit you should aim to eat a rainbow of varying colors. Different colors provide different antioxidants and phytonutrients (basically the disease fighting compounds of these foods).

There are so many ways to make a salad interesting, dynamic and delicious. These are just some ideas to help you get started. You might also consider what vegetables and fruits are in season or which you can find at your local farmers market. Summer is a perfect time to up your salad game as raw, fresh foods will likely be more appealing because of the heat! Of course if you live in a warm climate you can enjoy salads all year round!

I’d love to know what your go – to salad ingredients are and how well your salad satisfies you. Have I inspired you to try something new?! Comment below.

The post Build a Better Salad appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Kale is a nutritional powerhouse that actually lives up to the hype. It is an excellent source of fiber and protein per cup which helps you feel fuller longer. It’s immune boosting providing vitamins, minerals and omega-3’s.

A Kale Caesar Salad is also a delicious meal or side. Check out my favorite one here.

Give this Kale Salad a try and share your thoughts in the comments!

Ingredients:
Lacinato Kale (one bunch)
Curled Kale (one bunch)
2 Tbsp. Lime Juice
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 clove Garlic diced
2 Tbsp. Red Onion diced
1/3 cup Tahini
¼ cup Olive Oil
½ cup Go Raw Spicy Seed Mix*

Method:
Remove the kale leaves from stems and tear or chop into bite sized pieces. You want about 4-6 cups of raw kale-place it in a large bowl. Add olive oil and massage it into the kale with your hands – this is essential!! It helps break down the kale and make it more easily digested. Add garlic and onion. Cover with lemon juice, lime juice, tahini and olive oil. Top it all with spicy seed mix. Massage all ingredients into the kale using your hands or tongs. All kale should be well coated.

Optional add-ins: chopped tomato, beans, baked tofu, dried cranberries, avocado

*Go Raw Spicy Seed mix is available on Amazon or at many Whole Foods and health food stores. If you cannot find it, just use a mix of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, herbs and spices. Try cilantro, jalapeno powder, cayenne, sea salt, garlic powder, etc.

The post The only Kale Salad Recipe you’ll ever need appeared first on The Whole Dancer.