Eating Disorder Recovery Meal Plans

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Last updated on December 5th, 2023 at 03:45 pm

Recovery from an eating disorder requires a recovery meal plan that is unique to meet a person’s needs. Eating disorders are dangerous mental health disorders with medical complexities.

If you have had an eating disorder, your hunger cues are skewed and they cannot be trusted to keep you adequately nourished.

Meal plans in eating disorder recovery include:

• Portion goals for meals and snacks
• Serving size guidelines
• A custom calorie goal (only known to providers)
• A way to track food that does not include calories

Meal plans for eating disorders often change throughout the recovery process. If you are in recovery from an eating disorder, you must depend on a medical care team to determine your meal plan. The eating disorder will not allow you do adequately nourish on your own.

This article will explore the goals of a meal plan in recovery, the risks of initiating a meal plan at home, and sample recovery meal plans.

Goals Of Eating Disorder Recovery Meal Plans

Eating disorders, especially those involving very low caloric intake, will require a meal plan carefully constructed by a registered dietitian to re-nourish safely. Eating disorder recovery meal plans will vary from person to person.

An eating disorder meal plan will do several things for someone recovering from an eating disorder: 

• Help them  re-nourish safely
• Can help the person struggling with an eating disorder feel as though they have “permission” to eat (for example- my dietitian or doctor says I HAVE to eat this much)
• The prescriptive nature of an eating disorder meal plan can help soothe the eating disorder’s urge to restrict food
• Provides adequate nutrition for the body
• Can support weight restoration for patients that have lost significant amounts of weight.

Someone suffering from an eating disorder likely has a loud eating disorder voice which will make it very difficult to get adequate nourishment on their own.  A meal plan can help.

An eating disorder meal plan can get rid of the confusion about when, where, and how much to eat for weight restoration and long-term ED recovery. 

What Should I Eat In Recovery

A balanced meal plan for eating disorder recovery will consist of: 

• Grains and Starches: bread, English muffin, bagel, pita bread, grits, oatmeal, crackers, pretzels, popcorn, quinoa, bulgur, millet, polenta
• Meat or Meat Alternatives: chicken, fish, beef, pork, tofu, beans, tempeh, legumes
• Dairy or dairy alternatives: milk, soy milk, buttermilk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, almond milk
• Vegetables: tomatoes, carrots, kale, broccoli, collard, artichokes, green beans, celery, cucumber, potatoes, winter squash, peas, corn
• Fruit: apricots, bananas, dates, grapes, oranges, juice, melons, strawberries, pineapple, raisins
• Fats and oils: butter, mayo, olive oil, salad dressing, olives, avocado, hummus

The amount of each of these food groups will vary greatly for each person.    

All recovery meal plans will include every food group unless there are medical reasons a person can’t have certain foods. If it is deemed appropriate, the healthcare team may support a person in recovery with a vegan recovery meal plan.

Re-Feeding From an Eating Disorder At Home

It is not safe for everyone to initiate refeeding from an eating disorder outside of a residential facility.

If you are consuming less than 500 calories a day (the equivalent of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk) A recovery meal plan at home is not safe.  

Extremely low calorie intake leads to starvation syndrome, which requires a higher level of care such as an inpatient facility or medical monitoring at a hospital. 

The decision to start a recovery meal plan at home should be carefully assessed by the eating disorder treatment team which includes a dietitian specializing in eating disorders. 

If a person is consuming very low nutrition they may require the following when refeeding: 

• A comprehensive metabolic panel CMP(blood draw) with their physician two times a week. 
• A DEXA scan (especially if the person has gone more than 6 months without a period)
• A magnesium test
• Monitoring blood pressure
• Monitoring heart rate

The comprehensive metabolic panel and magnesium test are intended to monitor for re-feeding syndrome, which can be life-threatening. 

When food is re-introduced, it should be gradual.

Recovery Meal Plan For Anorexia

The recommendations for starting with a recovery meal plan WILL NOT meet the actual nutrition needs for most people through the duration of their recovery. 

You should plan to gradually add to this plan weekly with the guidance of your treatment team. Typically an increase of 500 calories per week is appropriate. 

Here is a meal plan that will be safe to follow for most people. 

Recovery Breakfast Portions: 

• Grains-1
• Meat/alternatives-1
• Dairy/alternatives-1
• Fruits/Vegetables-1.5
• Fats/Spreads-1

Recovery Lunch Portions: 

• Grains-2
• Meat/alternatives-1
• Dairy/alternatives-0.5
• Fruits/Vegetables-1
• Fats/Spreads-1

Recovery After Noon Snack Portions:

• Grains or Cereal Bar-1

Recovery Dinner Portions: 

• Grains-2
• Meat/alternatives-2
• Dairy/alternatives-1
• Fruits/Vegetables-1.5

Recovery After Dinner Snack Portions: 

• Dairy/Alternative-1

How Many Meals Does Someone Recovering From Anorexia Need

A person in recovery needs a minimum of:

• 3 meals
• 3 snacks

Hypermetabolism in anorexia recovery can significantly increase the amount of energy one needs throughout the day and should be closely monitored for while someone follows an eating disorder recovery meal plan.

People recovering from an eating disorder including anorexia should plan to have a meal or snack no more than 3 hours apart.

Bulimia Recovery Meal Plan

Bulimia often includes symptoms such as

• binging
• Purging
• Compulsive exercise
• Laxative use
• Diet pills

The goal of a bulimia recovery meal plan is to restore weight where necessary and potentially set an overshoot weight goal. Overshoot weight goals are required if a person is still having clinical symptoms of malnutrition at their usual body weight.

The goal of a bulimia meal plan is not to replace calories are lost in behaviors like purging, compulsive exercise or laxative use. A person should work on meeting the caloric needs of the meal plan while simultaneously reducing other eating disorder behaviors such as purging.

Eating Disorder Meal Plan Variations

Rule Of Threes In Eating Disorder Recovery

The rule of threes in eating disorder recovery is a simple way to remind ourselves when and how to nourish. 

The rule of threes includes having this structure daily: 

• Three meals
• Three snacks
• No more than three hours apart

While individual needs will vary and should be discussed with an eating disorder dietitian, a general eating disorder recovery meal will consist of: 

• A grain
• A Fat
• A Protein
• A fruit or veggie

Plate By Plate Method In ED Recovery

The plate approach focuses on the composition of each plate at every meal. 

Some individuals can benefit from this approach as it does not require measuring individual portions or calorie counting. 

The plate approach includes: 

• 1/2 plate of grains/starches
• 1/4 plate veggies/fruits
• 1/4 plate protein
• one fat
• 1 serving of dairy

The plate approach is modified depending on where a person is in recovery.

All In Recovery

All in eating disorder recovery may or may not have a designated meal plan.

All in recovery is focused on:

• Eating as many calories as possible
• Eating as often as possible
• Immediately stopping all eating disorder behaviors

All in eating disorder recovery comes with many risks and it is often unrealistic for people in recovery.

How Do You Start Eating After Starvation

Steps to stop eating after an eating disorder include:

1. Get a meal support team
2. Have support persons prepare and serve meals
3. Complete meal plan to 100%
4. Delete calorie counting apps and stop counting calories
5. Challenge your fear foods

In person or virtual eating disorder treatment is critical as you initiate refeeding.

Meal Planning For Eating Disorder Recovery

Easy disorder recovery is not easy. It’s reddened with many emotions and comes along with an abundance of physical discomfort. It is certainly something that no one should face alone. 

No one should begin to reintroduce food after restriction without proper guidance from an eating disorder treatment team. 

You can expect every recovery meal plan to include:

• variety
• balance
• Frequency in meal consumption
• Portion guidelines

You will need support you in preparing and executing your meal plan. A support person such as a partner, parent, or friend should be responsible for:

• Meal prepping
• Cooking meals
• Plating meals

Risks of Eating Disorder Recovery Plans

While meeting your meal plan is medically necessary and critical for a lasting and full recovery, it can come with risks and discomfort.

Some risks of recovery plans include:

• Gastroparesis
• Refeeding syndrome
• Electrolyte imbalances
• Edema
• Extreme hunger
• Constipation
• Involuntary purging

Tips For Following Your Recovery Meal Plan

Following a recovery meal plan is not easy emotionally or physically.

These tips for recovery can help:

• Keep a few good recovery books on hand for reference
• Have a list of positive mantras or quotes
• Know the facts and myths about eating disorders
• Get grocery shopping support
• Stop body checking

It is very likely that during the recovery process, nothing will sound good to eat. Eat anyways.

Check out my anorexia story to see some of the strategies I used in my own recovery journey.