There are so many women that ask me about eating disorder recovery meal plans, how much do I eat, when do I eat, what do I eat, how do I learn how to eat intuitively?!?!?  There seems to be so much confusion and also controversy surrounding meal plans for eating disorder recovery.  I hear from so many women that they were told to follow an eating disorder recovery meal plan, but they have trouble following it and then they feel like a failure…this can actually be counterproductive and contribute to the very same eating disorder behaviors we are trying to eliminate in recovery!

 

I personally used a meal plan in my bulimia and anorexia recovery, but only as a guide in the beginning so that I could ‘re-train’ my body, learn how to eat again and re-set my metabolism as I came into the re-feeding process.    At that time, I felt as if I needed an eating disorder recovery meal plan, and there are many other women that work really well with meal plans.  However, not every woman in recovery for eating disorders needs a meal plan!  You will know whether or not you need one, and there are many other eating approaches in eating disorder recovery that might be more beneficial to you.

 

I wanted to share with you what a typical day looks like for me, food-wise.  Now you have to remember that I EAT INTUITIVELY now, and I don’t plan anything out (except for family dinners on the weeknights for budgeting and planning purposes).  I typically follow the schedule my body is on, eating when hungry and stopping when full.  I don’t restrict myself from anything and nothing is off-limits!  However, I do prefer to eat healthy foods and foods that fuel my body, give me energy and make me feel good!  Oh yes, and of course they have to taste good too!

 

Bottom line is that I personally used a meal plan to learn how to eat intuitively and you can too!  If you have any questions about how I did this, please let me know, I would be happy to share.

 

Here is a sample of what a typical day looks like for me now as I am fully recovered from anorexia and bulimia and have maintained my natural set point weight range eating like this for many years now.  Remember this is a guide and you should take this and tweak it/change it according to your own personal food preferences, nutritional needs, and use it in a way that would best fit your own eating disorder recovery.  

**Also remember to listen to your body when using a meal plan, tuning into your hunger and full cues as you begin to trust and tap into the wisdom of your body.**

 

Sample Eating Disorder Recovery Meal Plan:

 

7:30am

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Protein shake made with 1/2 cup organic plain or vanilla yogurt, 1 T peanut butter, almond butter or sunflower seed butter (yummy!), 1 T local honey, 1 banana + splash of almond milk

1 Piece whole wheat toast with 1 T butter

 

10:00am

1 cup fresh fruit – kiwis, mangoes, pineapple, apples, grapes, etc

1/4 cup almonds or other nut based trail mix

 

12:30pm

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Large green salad with cherry tomatoes, walnuts, cranberries, 1 oz brie cheese cut in chunks with serving of protein on top – (I just had this with a large scoop of chicken salad on top as shown in picture and it was delicious!) or you can substitute 1/2 cup tofu, hard boiled egg or 1/2 oz grilled chicken with 2 T balsamic vinaigrette dressing on top

6-10 crackers or serving of chips on the side

 

3:30pm

Raw veggies with 1/2 cup hummus

 

6:30pm

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Homemade black bean burger (recipe below!!) on bun with cheese, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato on top, anything goes!

Cooked veggies with butter and salt or coleslaw on side

Black Bean Burger Recipe for Eating Disorder Recovery Meal Plans:

2 T olive oil

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 15 oz can organic black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 T cumin

1/2 cup plain (I used whole wheat) bread crumbs

Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease lightly

2. Warm oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Add celery and onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.

3. Pour beans into a large bowl and use a fork to mash into a think paste.  Scrape vegetables from skillet into bowl and stir in egg, cumin and bread crumbs.  Season with salt and pepper.

4. Use your fingers to form into 4 patties (do not overmix).  Place patties on baking sheet and bake until firm and set, about 10 minutes on each side.

These keep great in the fridge so even if you are just cooking these for yourself, you can always store in fridge or freezer as they make a easy quick meal for during the week or lunchtime!

8-8:30pm

1/2 cup frozen yogurt or dark chocolate or other desert item

 

So there you have it!  This is a wonderful eating disorder meal plan that is a bit more adventurous than the bland, boring meal plans that are out there.  I hope that helps.  Let me know what you think in the comments below.

 

Peace, Love + Freedom,

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