Meal Prep Tips for Eating Disorder Recovery
Meal prep is commonly suggested as a way to support healthy eating habits, but for those navigating eating disorder recovery, it can feel challenging or anxiety-inducing. The goal of meal prep in recovery isn’t perfection—it’s about reducing stress around food choices and ensuring you have nourishing options available when you need them. Here’s how to approach meal prep in a way that supports recovery.
1. Keep It Flexible
Rigid plans can feel restrictive and triggering, so think of meal prep as creating options rather than locking yourself into a schedule. Prep ingredients—like roasted vegetables, cooked grains, or proteins—that can be mixed and matched into different meals.
For example:
Use roasted sweet potatoes in a salad, a grain bowl, or as a side.
Prepare chicken or tofu that can go in wraps, pasta, or stir-fries.
2. Start Small
If meal prep feels overwhelming, start with just one or two meals or snacks. Maybe it’s prepping overnight oats for breakfast or portioning out snacks like trail mix, protein bars, cookies, chips and dip, or yogurt cups.
Gradually expand as you feel more comfortable.
3. Prioritize Variety and Balance
Aim to include a mix of carbohydrates, protein, fats, colorful fruits or veggies in your meals, and fun foods. Balance not only nourishes your body but also helps you reconnect with food as a source of enjoyment and energy.
Try this simple formula for balanced meals:
Base: Choose a grain or starch like rice, quinoa, or pasta.
Protein: Add chicken, beans, eggs, or plant-based options.
Veggies: Include a mix of cooked or raw vegetables.
Flavor: Add sauces, herbs, or dressings to make it satisfying.
Ask yourself: Is this enough food? Is this satisfying? Is this restrictive?
4. Make It Convenient
Recovery can be exhausting, so don’t hesitate to use shortcuts like pre-cut fruits/vegetables, rotisserie chicken, convenience foods, or frozen ingredients. There’s no need to overcomplicate it—convenience doesn’t make a meal less valuable.
5. Involve Support
If meal prep feels overwhelming, invite a supportive friend or family member to help. It can turn into a bonding activity and reduce some of the pressure.
6. Celebrate Wins, Big or Small
Even prepping one meal is a success. Recovery is about meeting yourself where you are, so celebrate the steps you take, no matter how small they may seem.
Sample Easy Meal Prep Idea
Breakfast: Overnight oats with fruit and nuts
Lunch: Grain bowl with rice, roasted veggies, grilled chicken and a brownie
Snacks: Pre-portioned trail mix, cheese and crackers, or hummus with veggies.
Dinner: Pasta with marinara, pre-cooked meatballs, and a side salad.
Meal prep doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. Approach it with flexibility and self-compassion, and over time, it can become a helpful tool in your recovery journey.
*Important Note: This blog is intended as general information and may not be suitable for everyone. Meal prep strategies can vary depending on where you are in your recovery journey. Always consult your dietitian or recovery team to determine the best approach for you. They can provide guidance tailored to your specific needs and goals.
Moving Toward Healing
Understanding the difference between disordered eating and an eating disorder is important in recognizing when you may need support. Whether you’re dealing with irregular eating behaviors or more severe symptoms, reaching out for help can guide you toward a healthier, more compassionate relationship with food.
Remember, you don’t have to go through this journey alone.
At Side By Side Nutrition, our certified medical nutrition therapy dietitians provide personalized, one-on-one nutrition counseling specifically tailored for individuals facing disordered eating, restrictive eating disorder, and chronic dieting.
Our approach is grounded in a holistic philosophy that prioritizes behaviors, and overall well-being, fostering a positive relationship with food and our bodies, and practicing self-compassion rather than fixating on numbers. This philosophy forms the foundation of values-aligned, intuitive eating, sustainable health and well-being. Our focus lies in assisting clients in cultivating a sustainable, empathetic, respectful, and trusting connection with food, body image, and self.
Our dietitians are based in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, Colorado, as well as Woodinville, Washington, and we work with patients from all over the state and country providing in-person and online nutrition counseling.