Plus the drinks that help him stay hydrated.
Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD
Key Points
- Mark Ballas tells EatingWell that he prioritizes a high-protein, nutrient-dense diet.
- The star opts for no-added-sugar juices and water to stay hydrated.
- Ballas values balance, enjoying comfort foods like pizza and pasta on the weekends.
Whether you know him from Dancing with the Stars or The Traitorschances are that Mark Ballas has graced your television screen. And we got the incredible opportunity to sit down with the choreographer and musician about his favorite meals, from the proteins he prioritizes to what his ideal pizza looks like. Read more about his go-to travel essentials, how he’s able to stay hydrated and his partnership with Evolution Fresh below.
Could you walk us through what your typical day of eating looks like? Any go-to meals?
I’m a big intermittent faster, so I’m not typically doing three meals a day. I try to do 16, sometimes 18 hours off. But typically my first meal of the day would be scrambled eggs with spinach, avocado—and I make a fresh lemon-balsamic dressing with salt and pepper that I put on that. Sometimes I’ll add a scoop of cottage cheese or some grilled chicken breast, that’s something I usually have in the morning if I’m hungry. I usually do black coffee, but if I want to treat myself, I’ll have a vanilla latte with oat milk. If I’m craving something sweet and fruity, I’ll have a glass of juice.
And then for dinner, we do a lot of grilled chicken, white fish, grass-fed beef, sometimes with jasmine rice. Last night we made a concoction of grilled onions, carrots, broccoli, with salt, pepper and a lemon drizzle. We’re very cautious about the meat that we get, so we always get organic chicken, grass-fed beef and wild-caught fish.
Related: What Happens to Your Body When You Do Intermittent Fasting
What are some ways that help you stay hydrated on a busy work day?
You know, it’s actually something I’m working on. I sweat so much, whether I’m dancing or making music or doing a show, but I sometimes suffer with headaches because I can forget to stay hydrated. However, my wife and I have invested in these big flasks that we fill with water, and we try our best to drink them throughout the day. Are we perfect about it? No, but we are working on it. We try to drink a lot of spring water, and we try to do fresh juice with no added sugars.
Favorite comfort meal?
I love pizza and Italian food. A New York-style pizza is great with ranch dressing. And we love pasta, we love Mexican food. My wife and I are foodies, so a good pasta or pizza is it for me.
Favorite pizza toppings?
I can be basic with pepperoni and ranch. It’s classic, but—people are gonna be mad at me, but I do like ham and pineapple. I love meat lover’s as well, or even a supreme with veggies. We have this place out here we order from in LA, they have this cauliflower crust, and there’s buffalo chicken ranch on it. That’s pretty good, but I do love a classic, just pepperoni.
Go-to travel essentials?
I’m not much of a snacker—I mean, I’ll have a protein bar on me sometimes, for when I’m really hungry. But I try my best to just stay hydrated when I’m traveling, because it gets dry on the plane and people are always sick traveling as well. I keep vitamin C with me. I always take a guitar with me; it’s like therapy for me when I’m traveling or on the road. And I need AirPods and my iPad, so I can check out for five minutes, or for a few hours when I’m on a plane.
Why partner with Evolution Fresh, and do you have a favorite product?
I’ve been naturally buying their stuff at Whole Foods. Over the holidays, my cousin came to town with his 3-year-old son, and I have a 2-year-old son, and the juice I was buying for them was Evolution Fresh. When this partnership came up, I was like, ‘Oh, I drink this!’ Anyone who knows me knows that I love fruit juices—I’m usually the guy with the umbrella in his drink. Anything fruity is good for me, and my wife and I have been on a pretty big no-added-sugar crusade, especially for our son. The Defense Up Juice, Mighty Watermelon and their green juice are my three favorites.
What does “eating well” mean to you?
Eating well means treating food as fuel for the most part, eating healthy, making sure there’s healthy meats and veggies and carbs on the table. But it’s also treating ourselves as a family and having moments to snack and enjoy ourselves, so it doesn’t become monotonous. I look forward to those days, but I’m a very disciplined person, just from my background in theater, dance and music. So over the holidays, of course we’re enjoying ourselves more, but now that we’re getting back into the swing of this new year, we are food prepping and trying to make things that are healthy, new and fresh.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
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