Samantha Harris is most recognizable as the host of Dancing With the Stars and The Insider, but she made her Broadway debut early this month as Roxie Hart in Chicago. This isn’t her first time on a New York stage; Harris played Carnegie Hall while on tour with the musical Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python, but this extended stay ends August 16. In this week’s New York Diet, see how Harris squeezes regional specialties into a packed schedule before heading back to L.A.
Saturday, July 11
I had an early-morning snack at about 6:45 a.m. because I was up with the baby, playing and running around the apartment: honeydew melon and orange juice with Jay Robb’s vanilla whey protein. For juice, I like Tropicana no pulp with calcium.
Around 10:30 a.m., we went to brunch at Sarabeth’s in Central Park South with the baby, my husband, and my mom and stepdad. I had an egg-white omelet with smoked salmon and cream cheese, a glass of fresh O.J., and water.
I had a Promax cookies-and-cream protein bar as a snack right before my matinee performance at 2:15.
In between the matinee and evening performance, I met up with my family at La Masseria. There, I had the grilled salmon, mashed potatoes, and grilled vegetables. I had some of their bread sticks to start and just water to drink. I don’t drink very much. And it’s not too great for your vocal cords.
During the intermission of the evening performance, I had a black-and-white cookie. This one was from Food Emporium. I get them wherever I can. But I do prefer them fresh.
Sunday, July 11
Sunday morning, we went to H&H; Bagels on the East Side and I had a whole-wheat bagel with lox and cream cheese. I also picked up a couple pieces of chocolate rugelach and a fresh black-and-white cookie. In L.A., its really hard to get great bagels, and these are some of the best bagels I’ve found so far in New York. Ive been here for work many times, but this is the first time I’ve lived here for this amount of time; I’m here for the whole summer. I had the black-and-white cookie there and saved the rugelach for intermission.
Around 2 p.m., I had a snack of fresh sliced turkey on whole wheat with some honey mustard. Just an evening performance that night so we had early dinner at 5 p.m. at a restaurant right across from the theater called Serafina , in the Dream hotel. We split a margherita pizza appetizer and then my husband and I split our entrees; he had salmon and I had chicken paillard. And then I had to have quite a few bites of my daughter’s chicken with penne in a Parmesan cream sauce, because it was really good.
I had the rugelach during intermission. I also keep honey in my dressing room and I actually have it straight throughout the show — a teaspoonful in my mouth.
Monday, July 13
I had Kellogg’s Smart Start cereal with skim milk, and a heaping scoop of the Jay Robb’s vanilla whey protein, and a glass of orange juice. I put the cereal in dry, put the protein on top of it, shake the bowl a bit to distribute, pour the milk in, and mix it all together with my spoon. It’s really yummy. This particular protein has a nice sweet taste and mixes in easily. I’m dancing in the show a lot so I need to make sure I have a lot of extra energy. I usually eat the cereal in the makeup chair for The Insider. I go to bed so late from being in the theater, so I try to sleep as late, as close to when I need to be in the makeup chair, as I can. Always double tasking.
For lunch, I ran down to Pax corner market where I had a make-your-own-salad with chicken, roasted red peppers, egg whites, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette.
Then I had a snack: peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat. I do the reduced-fat Skippy, which is loaded with sugar, and I know I should probably have a more natural brand, but I really like it — it’s the little pleasures in life. I also had a carrot sliced up.
I didn’t have a show that night, so I went to dinner with some friends at Haru sushi on Park Avenue. I had a spicy tuna roll with soy paper; I don’t care for seaweed. I also had a roll with shrimp tempura, cucumbers, and rice wrapped in soy paper with spicy tuna on top, and some edamame as well. When I got home later that evening I had a Skinny Cow mint ice-cream sandwich.
Tuesday, July 14
For breakfast, I had the Kellogg’s Smart Start with the protein powder; I do that every weekday.
After that I had a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with honey mustard and cucumbers and a side of honeydew.
For dinner, Energy Kitchen. I had mashed sweet potatoes and a Thai chicken wrap.
During intermission: the cookies-and-cream Promax bar.
I love Trader Joe’s and didn’t know you had it here, so one of my friends from L.A. had just come in for the show and brought me my favorite: Trader Joe’s dark-chocolate-covered raisins. I keep them in the freezer and I had some after the show.
Wednesday, July 15
Wednesday: same breakfast.
I shot the Insider and had Energy Kitchen again: a grilled-chicken sandwich on a whole-wheat Kaiser bun before going to a matinee show.
Before the second show, I ran home and had some sliced chicken as well as a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich on whole wheat — a very eclectic meal — and some edamame. I was just trying to throw something together to have the energy to go back and do another show for the day.
During intermission, I had another Promax protein bar, cookies-and-cream. I’m a creature of habit. After the show, dark-chocolate-covered raisins again.
Thursday, July 16
Same Smart Start.
For lunch, I had a Qdoba Mexican Grill chicken burrito and I added grilled red and green peppers. I didn’t have anything else with it. It’s huge!
