We Need To Discuss the Ballerina Farm Diet

Strong arms, raw eggs, can’t lose.

Last week, Sara (who reports from the front lines of Ballerina Farm) noticed an important development in Hannah Neeleman’s InstaStories. Sara immediately alerted Virginia, and in lieu of a traditional essay today, we bring you our text thread unpacking this critical intersection of momfluencer/diet culture news. 

If you’re reading this as one of Sara’s regular readers, you are already fluent in the language of Ballerina Farm.

If you’re one of Virginia’s readers, you may be asking how a ballerina learned to farm? Here’s a bit about the ballet side of things, here’s a bit about the body politics side of things, here’s a bit about the trad wife side of things, and here’s the rest of the BF archive for your deep-diving pleasure.

CW for some explicit diet details (impossible to avoid when discussing this story!)

Sara

Ok, so our good buddy at Ballerina Farm has introduced a new theme into her account and I think we need to discuss it.

Virginia

She’s a protein girlie now!!

Sara

IT’S TRUE. Virginia, what do you think/know about protein?

Virginia

Well, I know that diet culture teaches us we can NEVER EVER EAT ENOUGH PROTEIN. It is the one macronutrient they have never demonized. Like, you just never hear people say, “I have to eat less protein” or “I’m cutting proteins.”  

Sara

Totally—although I feel like in the 80s/90s, protein was vilified by proxy because it often went hand in hand with fat, right? 

Virginia

Yes. But even then, it was like, eat lean chicken, eat white meat. 

Sara

Oh right. That’s also the era of “pork—the other white meat.” 

Virginia

Correct.

Sara

So I said this was new for the BF extended universe, but that’s not entirely true. Hannah has posted multiple workout videos (the ones she posts while pregnant obviously elicit polarized responses), and Mr. BF (Daniel) posts plenty of weight lifting content. 

Virginia

Hog Dad, as I know him. 

Sara

Lol, correct. 

But this feels different to me: “I’m trying to eat more protein to build more muscle.” Like, it’s super deliberate and I find that curious. I really need to talk this through, to understand why the introduction of “here’s my protein diet” feels like a big development in the Ballerina Farm universe. 

I sense it’s more complicated than BF entering a beauty pageant, or BF sharing a birth video, but I need help untangling WHY.