Lifestyle Health 'Dancing with the Stars' ' Witney Carson's Food Diary: What I Eat in a Day By Julie Mazziotta Julie Mazziotta Twitter Julie Mazziotta is the Sports Editor at PEOPLE, covering everything from the NFL to tennis to Simone Biles and Tom Brady. She was previously an Associate Editor for the Health vertical for six years, and prior to joining PEOPLE worked at Health Magazine. When not covering professional athletes, Julie spends her time as a (very) amateur athlete, training for marathons, long bike trips and hikes. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 18, 2019 08:15 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: ABC/Craig Sjodin As a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars, Witney Carson knows that she needs tons of healthy foods to fuel her cardio-heavy days. “Each day, my diet is super important,” the 5’3″ Carson, 22, tells PEOPLE. “I need energy throughout the entire day, especially during the DWTS season. I try to stick to whole clean foods and I can’t tell you what a difference it makes!” Carson, who hopes to nab her second mirror ball trophy this season with partner Vanilla Ice, never wants to lose that energy – and that’s part of why she has no interest in going on a restrictive diet. Chicago Med‘s Torrey DeVitto’s Food Diary: What I Eat in a Day “I love food and will never starve myself to make my body look a certain way,” she says. “It’s all about being healthy on the inside that matters and getting whole foods to keep you happy and energized. If you think starving yourself is the way to go, it’s not. Actually, the more healthy foods you eat, the faster your metabolism gets – therefore you burn more calories.” And Carson, who drinks almost a gallon of water each day, says staying hydrated is one of the best things you can do for your body. “The most important thing is to drink as much water as you can throughout the day – it will keep your skin healthy, your body healthy, and your mind,” she says. “Nothing feels as good as being healthy does!” 1,700 Calories, 64 Ounces of Water and Not Many Carbs: What Kim Kardashian West Eats in a Day Hydration 80-96 oz. of water a day Breakfast 1 cup of green tea Homemade banana oat waffles – mix one mashed banana with 1 cup of steel cut oats, ¼ cup of almond milk, 1 tsp. vanilla and a dash of cinnamon, and cook in a waffle maker. Top with Greek yogurt, fresh berries and a drizzle of honey Snack Handful of raw cashews Olympian April Ross’ Food Diary: What I Eat in a Day Lunch Mediterranean chicken salad, with cucumbers, olives, diced chicken, spinach. Topped with a scoop of hummus, feta and balsamic dressing Snack Apple with almond butter Dinner Grilled salmon with asparagus and a sweet potato RELATED VIDEO: Dancing With the Stars Pro Witney Carson Ties the Knot on New Years Day Dessert Two squares of dark chocolate 1 cup of herbal tea Total Calories: 1,890 The Verdict: “Witney has an awesome balance of whole grains, quality proteins, colorful produce and healthy fat,” says Chicago-based dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner. But she suggests that Carson incorporates a little more protein into her morning meals, especially breakfast. “Other than the Greek yogurt, this breakfast is a little low in protein,” Blatner says. “Adding an organic, omega-3 egg or 1-2 tbsps. of hemp seeds into the batter can increase the protein.” Bones‘ Tamara Taylor’s Food Diary: What I Eat in a Day Carson’s Mediterranean chicken salad is a “great, veggie-rich lunch with healthy fat coming from the olives,” though Blatner recommends adding cooked quinoa “for a dose of smart carbs.” The pro dancer picked a “perfect” snack combo – “produce gets you full, protein keeps you full” – and her dinner is a great balance of a protein, a smart carb and produce. Plus, “salmon is a good choice because it contains omega-3 fats to help decrease workout soreness,” Blatner says. Carson finishes her day on an “excellent” note with her dark chocolate and herbal tea dessert. “When a sweet tooth hits, the best thing to choose is a little dark chocolate savored along with caffeine-free herbal tea,” says Blatner. NOTE: It is recommended that women eat at least 1,200 calories per day, and men eat at least 1,800 calories per day.