Dancers Are Not Normal: The Protein Edition

Are you getting enough protein? Dancers need almost twice as much as normal people because our bodies require protein to repair the muscle fibers that get broken down in class and rehearsal. According to the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science, dancers’ daily diets should include about 1.4-1.6 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight. That means a 120-pound dancer would need almost 80 grams a day.

But few of us know how much protein we’re actually getting from our meals. Did you realize that while 6 ounces of cottage cheese boasts 24 grams of protein, a large egg only offers about 6 grams? Check out this handy chart that Women’s Health put together to rate the best sources of protein.