So this is not a post on how to loose weight, or what Pilates teachers eat. It's a post for all the Pilates teachers out there who don't eat. I usually teach at least five hours in a row, and don't have time to eat. Literally. And that's not ok. And while my go-to lunch is a salmon salad with kale (just let the kale sit with basalmic and it softens up just fine, thank you, no need to massage the kale - hey, why should my kale get more massages than me?), there are days I bring my salad home uneaten. Not ok. I can't get up at 5am and then be home at 3pm and not eat. So one of my mentors, Pamela Garcia, gave me a great tip that I want to share with you: Eat while the clients clean the equipment. They really don't need you to direct them while they do that. It's ok. The trick is to have food you can quickly grab a few bites of, so it has to be eaten out of hand and not too messy. Fruit works - apples or oranges are good (you just have to pre-slice them like you're in preschool. I find an apple or orange eaten whole is too messy). Trail mix is good. I like the mix of good fats and protein. You can buy it, which gets expensive, or make it yourself. Tanka Bites are a great source of protein and not too messy (some jerky gets a bit greasy). And you can always go with a bar. I recently tried the Sunwarrior Sol Good Bars, and I liked them. They were easy to break into pieces to eat quickly, had ingredients I could pronounce, and use plant protein. I found them filling without being too sweet. My favorite was the blueberry, which had actual blueberries in it! So Pilates instructors, make sure you take care of yourself. It was one of my New Years Resolutions last year (along with Use the Bathroom When you Need To. No, Seriously, Use the Bathroom When you Need To.). Sometimes the simplest change is the best. Practice self-care this year.
**Please understand that I am not suggesting that the above ideas are substitutes for a healthy balanced lunch. They are simply suggestions as to what you can eat to keep your energy up without a lunch break. I still eat that salad as soon as I can.