Social media offers an open lens into the lives of anyone willing to share. This is especially attractive to aspiring dancers who are hungry to access the routine of a professional – how they both achieve and navigate a career. But the dancer’s feed isn’t just home to inspiring choreography and pirouettes. It can also feature performers narrating everything they do in a day, including their workout routine and the foods that go along with it.
While the intent behind “What I Eat a Day” posts are often harmless, the reality is that they can lay the groundwork for a dancer’s struggle with food. Dancers are already more vulnerable to unhealthy foods and body beliefs that risk poor nutrition – adding another source of comparison can make dancers feel dubious; wondering if their choices are “good” or “bad” and potentially inducing guilt if their meals and snacks do not conform to what is considered acceptable for a dancer. As a nutritionist for dancers, I encourage artists to think about the impact that “What I Eat a Day” posts can have on them – and consider scrolling right past them.
They are not a reflection of your individual needs
Comparing what one dancer eats to another dancer’s meal plan makes it difficult to both identify and respect individual body needs. The types and amounts of food that are needed to sustain a dancer’s body are highly variable and depend on many factors that go beyond what a reel can depict. Simply put, what works for one dancer may not work for another. Those who try to follow someone else’s eating routine can risk behaviors that leave them undernourished and malnourished—a recipe for injury.
They are often inaccurate
Social media is leading the way and the missing factor in most of these posts is the dancer’s relationship with food. A dancer’s “What I Eat in a Day” is unlikely to show the full picture. Extra servings of food, impromptu snack times, or experiences that dancers may feel do not meet the misguided expectations set forth by diet culture are examples of what can be removed. And the fact is, a day’s worth of food and snacks isn’t all that sustains a dancer’s performance potential. Eating patterns over time—this includes efforts to fuel and hydrate, along with sleep patterns and exercise routines—matter. A snapshot will never adequately reflect what it takes to sustain a dancer’s capabilities.
They can also make disordered eating worse
Restrictive eating is unfortunately normalized in today’s wellness-oriented culture, with “clean” eating a common culprit. Since many dancers unwittingly engage in such eating habits, there is a possibility that any “What I Eat a Day” vlog represents an unhealthy diet. Whether they’re not consuming enough calories or trying to follow strict dietary guidelines, dancers who have unique nutritional needs due to their physically demanding art form may be contributing to a narrative that supports poor nutrition.
Are food posts excluded?
They shouldn’t be. There’s a difference between sharing inspirational food content (like recipes and snack ideas) and then sharing that same content with nutrition advice along with it. To help reduce the risk of malnutrition among dancers, it is recommended that you get food advice from registered dietitian nutritionists who are particularly familiar with the unique needs of dancers.