Light Late-Night Meals for Long Rehearsal Days

Running from school to the studio then home can leave little time for dinner—but that shouldn’t mean skipping it altogether. If you’re coming home at 10 pm with an empty stomach, don’t head straight to bed. Dance Spirit has you covered with three options to tide you over till the morning, without filling you up too much.

1. Cherry Smoothie

Pour two small cups of kefir (a type of liquid yogurt) into the blender, along with 12 to 15 chilled cherries (don’t forget to remove the pits!) and some ice cubes. Kefir’s filled with digestion-friendly probiotics, and cherries are a great natural source of melatonin, a key hormone that helps induce sleep.

2. Cottage Cheese (3/4) Cup

Scoop out a 3/4-cup serving of cottage cheese into a bowl—the protein will help keep you full all night so you won’t wake up #hangry. For some added boosts (and flavor), mix in a sliced half of a banana. It’s loaded with potassium, which has been proven to reduce anxiety and stress, two much-needed benefits after a long dance day.

3. Breakfast for Dinner

A scrambled egg paired with a toasted slice of whole-grain bread is a perfect light meal that’ll help ease you into sleep. The carbs found in the toast and the protein from the eggs work together to help your brain access an amino acid called tryptophan—crucial for triggering the good kind of drowsiness!