Ballet Beautiful: Transform Your Body and Gain the Strength, Grace and Focus of a Ballet Dancer (37 page)

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Authors: Mary Helen Bowers

2.
Hold the salt
: This little tip has changed my relationship with restaurant food. Many chefs douse their food in salt and unnecessary sodium. When you’re ordering out, ask the waiter to ask the chef to hold the salt—and the butter. It’s shocking how much most restaurants use of both.

3.
Skip the sauce
: If there is a sauce in your order, ask for it on the side unless it is your pasta. If it is a cream sauce, tell them not to even bring it, or swap it for a marinara.

4.
When in doubt, order grilled
: Grilled options are almost always a lighter, guilt-free way to enjoy your favorite meats and fish.

5.
Skip the bread and chips
: You can live without it. If you are going to eat bread with your meal, request whole-grain and use olive oil rather than butter. Don’t eat it dry! The oil will help satisfy and tame your appetite.

6.
Order water with your meal
: Stay hydrated to regulate your hunger.

7.
Watch your portions
: Try an appetizer with a salad as a meal, or split an entrée to save money and calories!

8.
Hold off on dessert
: Have an herbal tea or decaf coffee and a side of berries or sorbet if you have to have desert. I usually just wait until I get home to eat my favorite dark chocolate.

9.
Use substitutions
: Remember—it’s about substitution, not deprivation. Often you can find something delicious that’s also a healthier option if you ask the waiter. I often order sautéed greens with my eggs at brunch instead of bacon. Use your substitution principle!

Traveling and Eating: Two Fussy Companions

I
t can be overwhelming to make good food choices when eating out or traveling makes so many options available. I always find that sticking to a version of what works for me at home keeps me looking and feeling my best when I am on the go. Traveling and flying especially can be incredibly dehydrating. I always make an effort to drink extra water on travel days to make up for the loss of fluids, and I make sure I’m eating because I’m hungry, not because I’m tired and thirsty.

Breakfast can be one of the most confusing meals when you travel because of the vast and overwhelming array of choices on hotel buffets and menus. Unless it’s a special occasion, I don’t alter my meals dramatically just because I am on the road. This helps keep my weight steady and prevents crashes from spikes in blood sugar. The concept here also applies to working out: you don’t have to ditch your workout because you are in a hotel. Just modify it and work with your surroundings. I will often choose a plain low-fat yogurt sprinkled with raw almonds (brought from home!) as a source of protein and fat, with some fresh fruit and a slice of whole-grain toast. Be wary of flavored yogurts—most are full of sugar, sometimes even corn syrup. Fresh-cut fruit or hard-boiled eggs are good options. And coffee or tea, of course!

I usually bypass the standard breakfast meat (salty) and juice (extra sugar) and opt for hardy grains, yogurt, and fresh local fruit instead. When I’m traveling, this healthy and delicious fruit-filled breakfast helps me power through my morning Ballet Beautiful exercises and leaves me feeling great until lunch. For lunch and dinner, I look for fresh salads and lots of vegetables, with lean proteins like chicken or fish. I also ask for sauce or dressing on the side so that I can control the portion.

One of the difficulties in traveling is the unknown, but small tricks like these can make all the difference in keeping your weight consistent. Healthy Ballet Beautiful-style meals will do wonders for your energy level and your waist by keeping you energized and satisfied and your metabolism humming, even when you are on the go.

Chapter 9

Putting It All Together

What a Ballet Beautiful
Week Looks Like

W
e have talked a lot about finding balance and satisfaction in your diet. For me, mixing whole grains with healthy fats, protein, and fresh fruit and vegetables at every snack or meal is the key. This chapter is going to show you how to bring your Ballet Beautiful kitchen to life through delicious, wholesome meals in a format that may help you think about how to eat more frequently, make sensible substitutions, and stay on track with how you feel.

Below you’ll find Seven Days of Snacks and Meals—all flexible and easy to prepare. I’m also including sample workouts for an ideal, moderate, and light week so that you can start to envision how to incorporate your new Ballet Beautiful lifestyle and workout into your everyday life!

Although I tend to eat the same breakfast, I have offered some other healthy options that will leave you feeling energetic and satisfied. And remember, don’t skip breakfast! When I’m on the run, it’s hard for me to find time to prepare lunch—
though, as I mentioned in the previous chapter, I do tend to eat two little lunches spaced out through the afternoon. Consider these options and then add in your own alternatives.

I have the most fun and variety with dinner. I do eat out often, but I’ve included my Flash Cooking Tips to help you prepare meals that are simple, quick, and delicious—whether you are cooking just for yourself or for friends and family too!

Seven Breakfasts

1.
Old-fashioned oatmeal with walnuts and fresh blueberries. This is my go-to on days when I am training. If you can’t manage old-fashioned oats because you’re traveling or you’re very short on time, try the instant oats from 3 Sisters—an ideal substitution because it has no added sugars or preservatives. Note too that even Starbucks sells oatmeal these days, which makes it easier to eat well on the road!

2.
Two hard-boiled eggs with one slice of whole-grain toast drizzled with olive oil and half a grapefruit or an orange. You can boil the eggs the night before to save on time!

3.
Plain, fat-free Greek yogurt with walnuts and five dried pitted prunes.

4.
A whole-grain English muffin with yogurt cheese and fresh berries. If you are running out the door, wrap it in aluminum foil—the heat of the toasted muffins will melt the cheese. Yum!

5.
Wheatena cereal with raw almonds and raspberries. I sometimes add old-fashioned oatmeal to the mix.

6.
One slice of toasted whole-grain bread or a whole-grain bagel with half an avocado drizzled with olive oil, sea salt, and red pepper flakes.

7.
Two brown rice cakes or Wasa Crisps with fresh peanut or almond butter and an apple or pear. I’m not necessarily advocating crackers for breakfast, but when you are rushing this really does the trick!

Seven Midmorning Snacks

I don’t find that I need a snack midmorning every day—it’s all about how early I get up. Here are some of my lighter go-tos when hunger strikes!

1.
A piece of fruit and tea

2.
A handful of raw, unsalted nuts

3.
Whole-grain crackers or raw veggies with hummus

4.
An avocado with olive oil and sea salt over quinoa

5.
Half a small bran muffin with tea

6.
Three Suzie’s Thin Cakes with a glass of almond or skim milk

7.
Half a whole-wheat pita with low-fat goat cheese and honey

Seven Lunches

I love a vegetarian soup or a big salad for lunch! In the summer months I might swap the chili for a gazpacho.

1.
A large green salad with grilled chicken, tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, and red peppers, and whole-grain crackers (This is great after a morning workout when your body needs the extra protein.)

2.
Spinach salad with grilled salmon, cucumber, tomatoes, and red onions, and a small whole-grain roll

3.
Lentil soup with an apple or pear and yogurt cheese

4.
Vegetarian chili with a side of steamed greens

5.
Toasted whole-grain bread or half a whole-wheat bagel with natural peanut butter and a piece of fruit

6.
Two-egg omelet with onion and tomatoes, a green salad, and whole-grain toast

7.
Eggplant ratatouille over quinoa

Seven Afternoon Snacks

1.
An organic apple with a handful of raw almonds and a brown rice cake

2.
Celery and carrot slices or wheat crackers with hummus

3.
Five to 10 olives with cherry tomatoes

4.
Air-popped popcorn with sea salt and olive oil, and fresh fruit

5.
A hard-boiled egg and grape tomatoes