Dietitian-Approved Eating Disorder Recovery Meal Plans

Following a customized meal plan may support eating disorder recovery, but it’s a highly individualized practice. 

Taking a “one size fits all” approach and using a generic meal plan is OK, but you might get better results if you follow something tailored to your needs.

It should account for your eating disorder, food beliefs, eating behaviors, and overall health status. 

We’ve developed three meal plan samples that can be customized to your needs under the guidance of a registered dietitian.

Keep reading to learn more about their potential benefits, and try our free samples today. 

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How Can Meal Plans Help with Eating Disorder Recovery?

An eating disorder is a serious mental health condition that can affect your food intake, your relationship with eating, your body image, your nutrition beliefs, and more.

‍Recovering takes time, and using different tools can make healing easier. 

A nutrition meal plan may be a helpful tool for recovery. It can: 

• Provide structured eating times. 
• Prevent meal skipping. 
• Limit surprises, which can be stressful, by outlining what meals and snacks will be served. 
• Be personalized to meet your energy and nutrition requirements. 

These meal plans won’t broadcast calories or other metrics that could trigger eating disorder thoughts (e.g., the grams of fat or carbohydrates in a meal).

Instead, more focus will be spent reviewing the qualitative benefits of your meal plan, like how the different foods will nourish your body and help you heal. 

Anorexia Nervosa

The severity of your symptoms will influence your eating disorder recovery plan.

Restoring your nutritional intake by eating several meals and snacks daily, and correcting mineral or vitamin deficiencies, is essential to helping your body heal. 

Your healthcare team will help you increase your meal and snack intake.

They’ll also help you challenge food fears and eating disorder thoughts so that you can heal your relationship with food.

Binge Eating Disorder

A nutrition meal plan for binge eating disorder will be filled with foods that help you feel satisfied and energized.

Through counseling, you’ll learn how to challenge eating disorder thoughts that might prompt you to binge and how to end the binge-restrict cycle confidently. 

Bulimia Nervosa

The nutrition meal plan for bulimia nervosa should be customized to meet your nutritional requirements and address deficiencies (if any are found).

It will have nutrient-dense options to ensure you feel satisfied throughout the day. 

Through counseling, you can learn how to address binge eating and cope with other eating disorder triggers without purging. 

Avoidant and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) 

A meal plan will be customized to fit your ARFID preferences (textures, tastes, etc. will be considered).

Learning how to expand your food intake is vital to getting enough nutrition to stay healthy.

Through counseling, you can broaden your food choices and better understand your relationship with food.   

Pica 

A PICA meal plan will address nutritional deficiencies (if any are found).

In addition to dietary changes, you may need a supplement, which can be incorporated into your structured eating plan. 

Through counseling, you’ll learn how to build balanced meals and decrease the risk of dietary deficiencies in the future. 

Rumination 

If you have rumination eating disorder, a meal plan will help you stay nourished and comfortable after eating.

Through counseling, you’ll learn how to cope with triggers that could cause you to regurgitate food or purge. 

Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders (OSFED)

A meal plan can help you stay nourished as you heal from OSFED.

You’ll address eating behaviors and nutrition beliefs through counseling to help heal your relationship with food. 

Sample Meal Plans

According to the USDA nutrition guidelines for adults, each meal should include one lean protein, plenty of vegetables (and fruits), and a high-quality carbohydrate.  

We haven’t included serving sizes or calorie amounts, as this can trigger eating disorder thoughts.

Instead, we designed nutritionally balanced meals rich in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your body needs to thrive. 

A globally recognized eating disorder expert, Dr. Marcia Herrin, recommends that people in recovery follow the “rules of 3”, which states that they eat every three hours and have three meals and three snacks daily.  

Your dietitian may have other recommendations to help you develop a fully customized plan. 

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Sample 1 (Omnivores) 

Day 1 

Breakfast: Oatmeal with milk, Greek yogurt, ground cinnamon, and fresh berries.  

Lunch: Quinoa with black beans, baby spinach, diced onion, and bell peppers. Top with salsa and olive oil.

Dinner: Baked salmon with broccoli and cauliflower. Serve with herbed quinoa. 

Snacks: Greek yogurt with nuts and seeds, crackers with cheese, apple slices with nut butter.  

Day 2

Breakfast: Whole grain toast with nut butter, berries, and lemon zest. 

Lunch: Whole wheat pita pizza with tomato sauce, onions, peppers, spinach, goat cheese, and grilled chicken. 

Dinner: Grilled chicken with mashed potatoes and Caesar salad. 

Snacks: Greek yogurt with berries and nuts, popcorn with parmesan cheese and garlic powder, banana with nut butter and chocolate chips. 

Day 3

Breakfast: Smoothie with Greek yogurt, spinach, banana, and instant oats. 

Lunch: Whole grain bread with tuna salad and fresh fruits on the side. 

Dinner: Stir-fried shrimp with cashews, onions, bell peppers, and pineapple. Serve over brown rice.  

Snacks: Greek yogurt with diced pear and cinnamon, crackers with cottage cheese and tomato, roasted chickpeas. 

Sample 2 (Pescatarian) 

Day 1 

Breakfast: Whole grain toast with avocado, tomato, onion, and sliced egg. 

Lunch: Chickpea curry served over brown rice. 

Dinner: Baked trout with Greek salad and roasted squash. 

Snacks: Popcorn with olive oil and nutritional yeast, apple slices with Greek yogurt dip, roasted fava beans. 

Day 2

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs on whole wheat toast with fresh tomato slices. 

Lunch: An open-faced sandwich with whole grain bread, tuna salad, and lettuce. Fresh fruits on the side. 

Dinner: Baked tofu with broiled bok choy and mushrooms. Serve with quinoa. 

Snacks: Crackers with cheese, Greek yogurt with mango and cinnamon, roasted BBQ lentils. 

Day 3

Breakfast: Baked whole wheat muffin with shredded carrot, cranberries, and walnuts. Serve with a Greek yogurt cup. 

Lunch: Minestrone with kidney beans, vegetables, and shell pasta noodles. 

Dinner: Grilled shrimp with shredded lettuce, cheese, salsa, bell peppers, and onions. Serve with black beans or rice. 

Snacks: Popcorn with parmesan and dried rosemary; pineapple and Greek yogurt dip, whole grain crackers with hard-boiled egg and cheese. 

Sample 3 (Vegetarian) 

Day 1 

Breakfast: Overnight oats with chia seeds, nut butter, berries, and coconut shavings. 

Lunch: Whole grain sandwich with smashed chickpeas, spinach, tomato, cucumber, and cream cheese. 

Dinner: Spaghetti with pesto, asparagus, lentil meatballs. Serve with a leafy green side salad. 

Snacks: Apple slices with nut butter, whole grain crackers with cheese, vegetable sticks with hummus. 

Day 2

Breakfast: Scrambled tofu with broccoli, red onion, and marinated red peppers. Serve with whole grain toast. 

Lunch: Whole grain English muffin with cream cheese, cooked tempeh, green onion, fresh cilantro, and basil.

Dinner: Grilled black bean patties served on a whole wheat bun with tomato, pickle, tomato, cheese and mayonnaise. 

Snacks: vegetable sticks with savory Greek dip, banana with nut butter and chocolate chips, roasted chickpeas. 

Day 3

Breakfast: Smoothie with half an avocado, soft tofu, nut butter, and frozen fruits.

Lunch: Five bean chili with a whole grain dinner roll on the side. 

Dinner: Broiled tofu with eggplant, red bell peppers, and bok choy. Serve with brown rice. 

Snacks: Popcorn with olive oil and black pepper, baked peach with nuts and spices, crackers with cottage cheese and tomatoes.  

How a Dietitian Can Help 

It’s much easier to heal from an eating disorder when you can work with fantastic healthcare providers, including a registered dietitian. 

They’re expertly trained to:

• Identify any food rituals that might be linked to an eating disorder. 
• Explain why food nourishes your body and is essential for daily function. 
• Help you understand that no food is good or bad.  
• Review your intake and address gaps in your nutrition. 

Dietitians are compassionate providers who undergo extensive training to serve you.

At every nutrition counseling appointment, you’ll receive unconditional support and guidance, which can help you develop a meal plan to help you regain healthy eating habits.

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Takeaway

At Nourish, every registered dietitian offers virtual appointments covered by insurance.

They’ll provide a safe, supportive space to help you heal your relationship with food and optimize your nutritional intake. 

You may not know what to expect if you’ve never met with a dietitian before.

Here are questions to ask: 

• Can you teach me about intuitive eating?
• Are there any group therapy options for eating disorders?
• Do you think journalling can help me heal?
• Can you recommend any eating disorder apps?

Find a dietitian who accepts insurance through Nourish and specializes in eating disorders.