We get it: Everyone needs a little health and fitness inspiration from time to time. It may seem impossible to eat out and eat balanced in a city brimming with queso, brisket and ice cream, but Dallas is also home to plenty of healthful restaurants.
So we asked your favorite spin instructors and personal trainers about their go-to restaurants and dishes in Dallas, whether that means they're rushing to eat between classes or in need of a more relaxed post-workout fuel meal.
Here's where you'll spot these fit folks dining in Dallas.
Kevin Cummings
You can catch Kevin Cummings teaching SoulCycle spin classes at both the Preston Hollow and Uptown locations throughout the week. Samantha Cade, Dallas resident (check out her homemade cakes!) and frequent rider with Cummings, describes his classes as an "intense workout that pushes all riders to their fullest potential." After teaching up to three classes a day, one of Cummings' top restaurant picks to refuel and rewind is R+D Kitchen, which is across Preston Road from the SoulCycle Preston Hollow studio.
- His pick: R+D Kitchen, 8300 Preston Center Plaza, Dallas
- Favorite dishes: Asian Chicken & Noodle Salad and the Thai tuna roll
- Other favorite spots: Nekter Juice Bar and Pok The Raw Bar (Say hi, he works here, too!)
Paige Martindell
As an instructor at Beyond500 on North Henderson Avenue, Martindell uses food to bring high-level energy to each of her classes. "I try to eat lots of protein and get in all the colors of the rainbow on my plate, but I also believe in balance, so ice cream and wine are definitely necessary at times," Martindell said. She also serves as the creative lead for fitness membership program StudioHop in Dallas.
- Her pick: Mudhen Meat & Greens, 900 S. Harwood St., Dallas
- Favorite dishes: Enchilada Stack (with scrambled eggs instead of over easy) for brunch or the Build Your Bowl with rotisserie chicken, mushrooms and broccolini for dinner
- Other favorite spots: Cosmic Cafe, True Food Kitchen, Modern Market and Pok The Raw Bar
Brittani Rettig
It's time to get fit with Britt! In January 2015, Brittani (Britt) Rettig opened her own full-body boutique fitness studio, GRIT Fitness, where you can take classes including high-intensity interval training and hip-hop dance lessons. She also runs a fitness and lifestyle blog, Grit by Brit, that offers home workouts, nutritional advice, fitness fashion ideas and more. To prepare for her classes and workouts, healthy fats such as avocados are staples in Rettig's diet. "I usually stick with a cup of black coffee before a workout, but afterwards, I make sure to get lots of of protein and healthy fats in to make sure my body is covered, especially because I teach so many strength classes," Rettig said.
- Her pick: Ascension Coffee, 1621 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas
- Favorite dishes: Protein Brekky with poached eggs, extra avocado, bacon and berries. Or the avocado toast.
- Other favorite spots: Whole Foods Market. Or Rodeo Goat for a guilty pleasure dinner: turkey burger and cheese fries
Ashley Godby
As an instructor at both Session Pilates and SoulCycle, Ashely Godby, who grew up in Fort Worth, teaches about 20 workout classes a week. "With as much as I teach throughout the day, I make sure to include a good source of protein as well as carbs," Godby said. Breakfast and snacks — larabars are her favorites — are a must, as well.
- Her pick: HG Sply Co., 2008 Greenville Ave., Dallas
- Favorite dishes: HG Chips & Queso (it's vegan!) and Cochinita Nachos with traditional Mexican pulled pork, pepper jack cheese, salsa, guacamole, cilantro and green onion
- Other favorite spots: Start Real Food Fast and Snap Kitchen
Jenni Mueller
Besides being a full-time yoga instructor at CorePower Yoga at the Henderson and Mockingbird locations, Jenni Mueller is also a personal chef who graduated from Dallas's Le Cordon Bleu with an associate's degree in culinary arts. She specializes in helping clients with food allergies and special diets to make meal plans and prepare dishes. Mueller herself follows a pescatarian diet and tries to find meals that use organic ingredients with little additives, sugar and salt. When she's not in the kitchen herself, Mueller has some of her own Dallas food favorites.
- Her pick: Kozy Kitchen, 4433 McKinney Ave., Dallas
- Favorite dish: The Kozy Salad with added wild salmon
- Other favorite spots: Rex's Seafood at the Market, HG Sply Co., Flower Child
John Benton
As the sponsored personal trainer for Miss Dallas USA and Dallas model agencies such as Kim Dawson Agency and Wallflower Management, John Benton trains an average of 30 to 40 women a day. For a quick and nutritious meal stop, Benton enjoys the stir-fry option at Green House Market, located behind NorthPark Center's AMC Theater ticket booths. "I sometimes have trouble getting in the vegetables that I need, so that's why I enjoy stir-fries so much, because everything is all mixed together," Benton said.
- His pick: Green House Market (NorthPark Center), 8687 N. Central Expressway, Dallas
- Favorite dish: Chicken stir-fry with brown rice, broccoli, carrot, soy and Sriracha
- Other favorite spots: Southpaw's Grill and Flower Child
Hayes Callaway
In addition to leading classes at SoulCycle Dallas, Hayes Callaway is training for triathlon races, including the U.S. Open Triathlon in Dallas and the Ironman 70.3 in Austin. Callaway is also a certified holistic health coach and launched his health coaching and fitness website, In The Hayes, in July. With his spin class schedule and triathlon training, Callaway has increased his food intake to up to six meals a day.
- His pick: Flower Child, 5450 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas
- Favorite dish: Mother Earth Bowl with ancient grains, sweet potato, portobello mushroom, avocado, cucumber, broccoli pesto, leafy greens, red pepper miso vinaigrette and hemp seeds
- Another favorite spot: True Food Kitchen
Alexis and Samantha Belbel
Fashion and lifestyle bloggers (and identical twins) Alexis and Samantha Belbel run their blog, A Double Dose, where they regularly post workouts, meal plans and nutritional advice. On their Instagram and Snapchat stories, you'll often get a glimpse of their daily cardio or weight training workouts followed by a post-workout restaurant outing. "We like to customize our meals a lot when we eat out," Samantha said. "Most places offer a roasted chicken or another lean protein and then we like to add on vegetables." Mediterranean food is also always a go-to cuisine for the sisters.
- Their picks: Dimassi's Mediterranean Kitchen, which has restaurants in Plano, Richardson and Irving, and Mr. Mesero, 4444 McKinney Ave., Dallas
- Favorite dishes: Roasted chicken, fresh salad, veggies and hummus from the buffet at Dimassi's and the crispy half chicken with grilled season vegetables from Mr. Mesero
- Other favorite spots: Snappy Salads, Kozy Kitchen and HG Sply Co.
Natarra Allen
For Equinox personal trainer and body building coach Natarra Allen, she can always count on True Food Kitchen in Preston Center, which is down Northwest Highway from Equinox Preston Hollow, for a healthy, protein-packed meal. On the weekends, you can expect Allen brunching, possibly at one of her favorite brunch destinations, CBD Provisions at the Joule Hotel in downtown Dallas.
- Her pick: True Food Kitchen, 8383 Preston Center Plaza, Dallas
- Favorite dish: Teriyaki quinoa bowl with chicken, broccoli, heirloom carrot, bok choy, mushroom, brown rice, avocado and toasted sesame
- Other favorite spots: CBD Provisions, Flower Child and Mudhen Meat and Greens
Ann Bush
Bar Method instructor Ann Bush is lucky: Some of her favorite Dallas spots to eat are the next-door neighbors to The Bar Method Dallas location at Inwood Village. You can catch her grabbing a post-workout smoothie from The Juice Bar or a vegetable bowl from Flower Child. "When I'm eating out, I always look for really flavorful vegetables on the menu that aren't just seasoned with salt and pepper," Bush said. "I also love to order fish because I find it hard to make at home." After taking classes at The Bar Method for more than four years, Bush became an instructor in 2013.
- Her pick: Flower Child, 5450 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas
- Favorite dish: Mix 'n' match bowl with red chili glazed sweet potato, sweet corn & quinoa and grass-fed steak
- Other favorite spots: East Hampton Sandwich Co., The Juice Bar and True Food Kitchen
