Misty Copeland is one of the most successful and talented professional ballet dancers of all time. In 2015, she became the first African-American to be a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theater. Copeland has also performed in On The Town on Broadway, and in the Disney film The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. In July, she shared a video on Instagram of herself modeling some new workout clothes, captioning it, “Clearly every look is my favorite.”
Copeland shared some of her wellness secrets in an interview with SELF. She says that she makes sure to eat healthy. One way Copeland does so is by cooking healthy meals for herself. “It’s not about dieting or depriving,” she says. “I create healthy versions of my favorite foods. Last night I made baked salmon with a Sriracha marinade and quinoa.”
Being a professional dancer, Copeland works out on a regular basis. However, she revealed to SELF that she makes sure to do some form of physical activity on days when she’s not dancing. Copeland specifically enjoys taking fitness classes. “Even if I’m off from rehearsal, I try to be in ballet class every day, sometimes twice a day. When I’m not dancing, I take pilates or gyrotonics.”
Copeland shared some of her favorite foods in an interview with ELLE. She says that while she likes to eat out, she knows what the healthiest options are on the menu. “I like to go with options that don’t have a ton of empty calories added to them,” Copeland explained. “For instance, I’ll order the crab legs and a garden salad. Go for clean–a piece of fish that isn’t breaded or fried, a salad or vegetable, and quinoa, lentils, or couscous instead of rice.”
Copeland tells ELLE that she snacks twice a day. She revealed that her two favorite snacks are fruit and nuts. “Nuts have become my go-to snack. I keep a baggie or a small container of them in my purse and my locker at ABT’s rehearsal studio because I’ve found that they satisfy my hunger and give me a quick spike of energy. At the start of my day, right after ballet class, and before I launch into seven hours of rehearsals, I’ll grab a piece of fruit for an energy boost.”
Copeland follows a pescatarian diet, which means she cuts out all meat, except seafood. She talked about why she chose this lifestyle to ELLE. “I dove in headfirst, becoming a pescatarian overnight. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend going cold turkey like I did. I had dreams of bacon and giant hamburgers for months! But I felt amazing. My energy level skyrocketed.”