What The Cast Of 'Dancing With The Stars' Really Eats In A Day

Pro dancer Witney Carson has tried it all when it comes to dieting. "I've done keto before, and I felt really gross," Witney told Women’s Health. "I did lose weight on it, but my skin broke out. I have eczema and my eczema was super, super bad. I think I have an allergy to dairy and cheese, so I try to stay away as much as I can now."

Now, Witney's back to the basics. She eats a lot of whole foods and tries to keep a clean diet, which includes lean meats and minimal carbs. Her meals consist of oats in the morning to hold her over till lunch, when she has greens and protein. She gets an energy boost in the afternoon from nuts, a protein bar, or even plain turkey lunch meat. And there is one thing she doesn’t have for dinner: carbs.

Jenna Johnson, who made history this year as part of the first same-sex pairing on DWTS, had an awful relationship with food for a while, she told Women’s Health. After gaining weight on a vegetarian diet, she started incorporated meat back in, consuming more protein, and ultimately slimming down.

"Looking at food as fuel has been a game changer for me," Jenna said. "For me, what makes me healthiest and happiest and most powerful is a happy balance of non-processed food and a lot of protein. I need it for recovery and for my muscle."

The season 26 winner starts her day off with eggs, but ditches the coffee for kombucha. (Now that's brave, IMHO.) For lunch, she consumes leafy greens with a side of protein, like chicken or shrimp. When it comes to snacks, she opts for nuts, berries, and the occasional hard boiled egg. Jenna doesn't go without dessert after dinner (which usually consists of chicken, quinoa, and green veggies) and opts for dark chocolate or a vegan treat.

Britt Stewart, who joined the cast on season 29, has been gluten-free for 11 years for health reasons, she told Women’s Health. Her diet practice is all about intuitive eating.

"I really believe in intuitive eating and listening to your body, and not in the fad diets that are popular in the moment," she said.

In the morning, Britt is all about her organic coffee. Sometimes, she'll follow that up with a green smoothie or yogurt and granola. When she's burning calories during rehearsals, she'll snack a couple times a day. In the morning, she reaches for fruit, while her afternoon snack is a little more savory (think veggie chips and hummus). For lunch, she keeps it plant-based with a big salad. Dinner is when she really listens to her body and what it wants—which can be anything from stir fry to a steak. Occasionally, she reaches into the freezer for a pint of ice cream.

Veteran pro Cheryl Burke shed pounds in 2014 following a very specific diet. During the pandemic, Cheryl talked all things fitness with Hollywood Life, including what she stocked up on.

"I'm totally addicted to Hippeas snacks. Also water, green tea and dark chocolate açaí and blueberries," she said. "Whenever we can manage to get…pasta and marinara sauce, it's a good day! Also, lots of greens for [husband Matthew Lawrence]'s reptiles, who are vegan as well, so they have to share their greens with me!"

Lindsay Arnold—who was paired up with Matt James in season 30 until their shocking departure—often shares easy recipes on her Instagram. This yummy summer salad is one of Lindsay's go-tos. For breakfast, she opts for avocado toast and granola and yogurt with berries.

"Quick & Easy breakfast 🤗🤗 for people like me who don't have the time *or the skill* for the fancy stuff 😂😂😂 but still want something that is tasty and good for you!!!" she wrote.

She also hits up Trader Joe's for its pizza kits (a woman after my own heart), but you won't find any mushrooms or tomatoes on it.

Not only does season 29 winner Artem Chigvinstev share recipes on Instagram, he's also going to culinary school, his fiancée Nikki Bella revealed. He even made her banana bread with chocolate chips in it while she was pregnant. Now that's love!

As for his IG, he's shown off his impressive strawberry shortcake, a classic BEC, and a simple pasta recipe with his followers.

Sharna Burgess is all about having her cake and eating it too—literally!

"Wanting for yourself is human, WHICH YOU ARE, and as long as you move with kindness, courage and gratitude throughout life.. you aren't hurting anyone by going after your own desires. Find things that make you feel good, and keep doing them. So... eat the [f—ing] cake 😘✨," she wrote on IG to accompany a photo of her eating a nice slice of cake.

The season 27 mirrorball trophy winner is all about indulging—whether it's coffee or donuts. She also promotes Hello Fresh, as a way to accommodate her busy schedule.

Two-time mirrorball trophy winner Peta Murgatroyd fell in love with cooking when she started a family with fellow pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

"I used to loathe it, because I never had to do it and therefore never had the passion for it," she told People. "Now that I'm a mother and I am concerned with what my child is eating, I am more inclined to cook at home, to ensure I know exactly what's going in his mouth."

For breakfast, she takes her coffee with half and half and agave, and she has a four-egg omelet with goat cheese, five slices of smoked salmon, capers, and dill. Her go-to lunch is a salad with chicken, cucumber, flaxseed, tomatoes, red onion, dill, and balsamic vinegar dressing. As for dinner, she prefers a 5 oz., dry-rub steak with steamed veggies.

Former pro and judge Julianne Hough is always on the go—especially with her company Kinrgy. She maintains a balanced diet, but definitely knows when it’s time to indulge.

"I try to cut myself some slack if I'm being consistent with my nutrition and activity," Julianne told People. "If I am craving a piece of chocolate I go for something dark to satisfy the craving."

Julianne is all about hydration and drinks 4-6 glasses of water per day. She also incorporates two smoothies into her daily diet: one pre-workout and one as a snack. Her breakfast comprises of two steamed eggs over easy with tomatoes and avocados and a cup of English Breakfast tea. She opts for a boneless, skinless chicken breast over greens and veggies for lunch, and she rounds out her day with baked salmon, sautéed spinach, and a seltzer.

To keep up with his rigorous workout routine, former DWTS pro and current judge Derek Hough has to maintain his caloric intake.

He told Men's Health that he has a "very L.A.-looking fridge." It's full of oat milk, celery juice, avocados, pickles, and kombucha. His diet consistently features chicken, fish, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables. Derek's one temptation: movie theater candy.

In preparation for each season, Alan Bersten keeps a clean diet. That means "cheat day" is his favorite day.

His go-to meal is a carb-filled pizza with a lot of mozzarella, plenty of veggies, and sausage. As for his day-to-day indulgences, it looks like he's a big fan of La Croix and orange juice, according to his IG. Wait, are those Fruity Pebbles I see?

Maksim Chmerkovskiy spent 17 seasons on DWTS and is now a judge on the Ukrainian version. The hunky Latin-ballroom champion uses his Instagram to document his journey with intermittent fasting.

"My 1pm breakfast 🍳 That 16/8 kinda life 💪🏼 Eggs, pickles, sourdough bagel, kerrygold butter, black caviar, coffee (w coconut oil & honey)," he captioned one of his posts. He loves to show off his breakfasts, late-night grilling, and incredible seafood choices.

When she was pregnant with twins, former DWTS pro Kym Johnson shared some helpful tips for those struggling with unhealthy cravings.

"My answer to that is simple: just indulge yourself," she told People. "Don’t feel guilty or be too hard on yourself about your cravings. Balance out your cravings with healthy food. Try to stay away from processed food and meat or food your doctor has advised you not to eat."

During pregnancy, she craved chocolate croissants, but her favorite meals include salmon, salads, and scrambled eggs. She loves snacking on apple slices, dried apricots, and Greek yogurt with some berries. She occasionally shares her eats on IG, including this St. Patrick's Day frittata and a gorgeous charcuterie board.

Gleb Savchenko doesn't post much about his diet, but he does love margaritas. He shared a recipe for a watermelon marg (YUM) that features fellow pro Keo Motsepe. He also promotes ICON Meals kits.

Edyta Śliwińska may have officially exited DWTS after season 22, but she's still dancing. That means she maintains a healthy diet—even during her 2020 pregnancy.

"I try to do something active every day. I'm putting in an hour a day of physical activity," she told People. "I do a lot of cardio because it helps me with my energy. I'm eating really healthy and I'm feeling great."

She even gets her children engaged with picking fresh produce, like these HUGE lemons.

Season 29 newbie Daniella Karagach documented her morning on her personal vlog.

In it, she gets ready for her day, which includes downing a glass of apple cider vinegar mixed with water. She swears it's healthy for you, but does not taste good. She typically follows that up with a bowl of oats, flaxseed, peanut butter, and coconut.

Former DWTS pro Allison Holker is running a household full of kiddos, and she's teaching them all about nutrition.

"As a mom, I am always looking for new ways to teach my kids about the importance of nutrition and overall well-being," she wrote on IG. Her page is full of fun recipes to do with the kids, like these fun treats.

As for her personal diet, Allison sticks to mostly veggies. "For the most part, I eat only vegetables and fruits and I drink a lot of water. I think for my body that is really the best fuel for me—I sleep better at night and I feel like my skin looks better because of eating vegetables and not eating meat," Allison told Hollywood Life.

Anna Trebunskaya—whose last appearance was on season 21—maintained a balanced diet throughout her pregnancy in 2020, but she definitely indulged. "I really loved pickles and olives during my first trimester. Now I switched to more desserts. My go-to dessert is coconut ice cream vanilla flavor," Anna told People.

She even takes her young ones apple picking.

Former DWTS pro Karina Smirnoff looooves seafood—and she even shared favorite recipes with fans. "I shared two of my favorite easy seafood recipes that give you protein for your fuel healthy muscle growth without those extra calories and fat!" she wrote on her IG.

They include zucchini swordfish and miso-glazed salmon.

Since ending his run on DWTS, there's one thing known about Tony Dovolani's diet: It includes ice cream. In 2016, he started supporting his friend's ice cream shop, Double Twister, in Connecticut.

As of 2020, Tony runs his own shop called Scoopin, which is also in Connecticut. So if you want a couple scoops or an ice cream cake, Tony can hook you up.