Yang discovered artisan tinned fish at her favorite gourmet grocery store, Houston’s Central Market. She fell for the beautiful packaging first, and the contents second. “I was like, ‘I’d love to have these at home as part of the décor,’ ” she says. “There are vintage-looking ones, and sometimes I splurge on fancy ones.” (Her favorite brands are Fishwife, Berthe, La Barca, and José Gourmet.) Yang developed her pasta dish from there, explaining that the balance of carbs, protein, and healthy fats from omega-3s make it the perfect post-performance meal: “Even if it’s really late, and my legs are so sore I cannot walk one more step, the act of creating something really energizes me.”

Caroline Kane credits her mom with her love of cooking. Kane, who uses she/they pronouns and is making her Broadway debut as an ensemble member in Water for Elephants, learned this recipe for glory bowls from her mom, who had in turn learned it from her friend, Sandy. While fighting cancer, Sandy embarked on a group hiking trip. At the end of each day, the hikers would gather around a long table laden with roasted vegetables, rice, tofu, and a pitcher of dressing. “Afterwards, she’d feel so well-nourished and fueled, and be able to get up the next day and hike again,” says Kane. “I really liked the idea that I can make this for my friends, and just set out all of the rough ingredients and everyone can build their own bowl, and go nuts.”

“I hate when something says ‘gluten-free,’ and it pretends to be something it’s not,” says Jordan Fry, who stopped eating gluten and grain eight years ago to help combat her alopecia. “Don’t tell me that it’s a chocolate chip cookie and then it tastes like cardboard.” Fry, who left Ballet West in 2021 to focus […]

Winter festivities often involve larger meals with foods that might be richer than what you’re used to, and trying to navigate the seasonal sugar rush can be overwhelming.  

Pumpkin, in its various forms, provides a versatile canvas for creativity in the kitchen. Canned pumpkin purée, a pantry staple, can be easily incorporated into soups and pies, and frozen pumpkin can be added to oatmeal and pancakes. When fresh pumpkin is roasted, its caramelized edges and tender interior add a delectable dimension to salads, pastas, or a standalone side dish. Don’t overlook the seeds; toasted pumpkin seeds make a crunchy, nutritious snack or a flavorful salad topper.

Many dancers struggle to keep up with their iron needs, however. Research suggests that when compared to the general population, dancers are at a higher risk for low iron stores—a likely culprit being restrictive eating patterns. This can be a result of either restrictive dieting or a busy schedule that makes it challenging to eat enough throughout the day.

While cooking from scratch is often touted as the ideal approach to healthy eating, it’s not always feasible for dancers during busy rehearsal and performance periods. Elaborate home-cooked meals are also not the be-all and end-all of nutritious eating. Particularly when time is scarce, turning to nutritious snacks and relying on packaged and frozen foods can be part of a healthy eating plan, offering convenience without sacrificing nutrition.

When Caitlin Trainor’s daughter Evangelina was a toddler, Trainor wanted to give her a treat that was nourishing and contained minimal refined sugars. After some experimentation in the kitchen, Trainor developed her cast-iron banana bread.