Meal plans
Re-feeding risk
You will have been informed by your health care professional if you need to take the re-introduction of nutrition at a slower pace at first to manage this risk. Specific advice on the re-introduction of nutrition will have been given to you, and should be followed.
To print the plans
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Restoring to a healthy body weight
Whilst there are several Vegetarian options within these meal plans, specific versions for vegetarian and vegan diets are available by contacting your eating disorder therapist or dietitian.
The following meal plans are designed to be used as a guide to support you to know how much your young person will need to eat over a whole week, to enable them to first stabilise, then restore their weight back to within a healthy weight range. For young people entering the service, who are already within a healthy weight range, then weight stabilisation will be a first initial treatment goal.
The meal plans will show you one way of achieving a balanced nutritional intake. The information is based on the population demographic in Dorset, however can be adapted to your own family’s eating routines, and cultural needs.
Each young person’s energy needs will vary depending on their:
- age
- sex
- starting weight
- how much activity they are doing.
Weekly weight monitoring will also help to guide you with whether they’re having enough nutrition to restore or stabilise their weight.
Whilst we have provided the meal plans here to initially guide you with food choices, during treatment support will be given to build confidence back in responding to hunger cues, working towards normaling eating patterns, and regaining confidence with regular, balanced eating approaches for overall wellbeing.
Where do I start with a regular eating pattern?
Re-establishing regular eating
This meal plan is designed to be a starting point with introducing a regular meal pattern. It will not be enough nutrition to support consistent weight restoration or weight maintenance at a healthy body weight. It is based on half meal portions at breakfast, lunch and evening meal together with three snacks in between. Do not reduce your young person's intake if they are eating more than this already.
Re-establishing regular eating
|
Day |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
|
Breakfast |
1 slice of toast with spread and jam. A pot of wholemilk yogurt. A pear. |
A bowl of cereal with semi-skimmed milk. A banana. |
1 brioche roll with 1 cup of semi-skimmed milk. 1 glass fruit juice. |
A bowl of porridge with semi-skimmed milk. 2 plums. |
1 breakfast muffin with spread and peanut butter.
1 glass fruit juice. |
1 slice of toast with spread, baked beans and 1 cooked tomato. |
1 crumpet with spread, scrambled egg and a serving spoon of mushrooms. |
|
Morning snack |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. |
|
Lunch |
A small jacket potato with spread and baked beans.
A kiwi fruit.
A pot of wholemilk yogurt. |
A small wrap with spread and full fat soft cheese. A small bowl of salad with dressing.
A pot of wholemilk custard. |
An egg mayonnaise sandwich with 1 slice of bread and spread.
A plum.
2 scoops of ice cream |
A small pitta with spread and an individual pot of hummus, A small salad bowl with dressing.
A pot of wholemilk yogurt. |
½ a bagel with spread and 1 ½ slices of chicken.
A ½ cup of strawberries.
A pot of wholemilk custard. |
A small portion of pasta with tuna mayonnaise and sweetcorn.
½ banana.
A pot of wholemilk rice pudding. |
A ham sandwich with 1 slice of bread and spread.
A clementine.
A pot of wholemilk yogurt. |
|
Afternoon snack |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. |
|
Dinner |
¼ of a regular size thin crust pizza with a small bowl of salad and dressing.
2 scoops of ice cream. |
1½-2 rounded serving spoons of chicken and vegetable pasta bake.
A pot of wholemilk yogurt. |
½ a baked salmon fillet with ½ a cup of cooked rice, ½ a serving spoon of stir fried vegetables in oil.
A pot of wholemilk rice pudding. |
2 chipolata sausages with 1 rounded serving spoon of buttered sweet potato mash and ½ a serving spoon of sweetcorn and peas. 2 scoops of ice cream. |
2 fish fingers with 1 small jacket potato and spread A small bowl of salad with dressing.
A pot of wholemilk yogurt. |
1 rounded serving spoon of chilli con carne with ½ cup cooked rice.
A pot of wholemilk custard. |
½ a pork loin with 1 ½ roast potatoes and ½ a serving spoon of broccoli and gravy.
A bowl of instant mousse. |
|
Evening snack |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. A digestive biscuit. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. A fruit shortbread biscuit. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. A hobnob biscuit. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. An oreo biscuit. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. A bourbon biscuit. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. A ginger nut biscuit. |
Cup of semi-skimmed milk. A fig roll. |
|
Drinks |
Aim for 6-8 mugs of fluid over the day (which includes the fluids listed). Whilst semi-skimmed milk has been used within this meal plan, whole milk can also provide balanced nutrition and would be supported, particularly if it is your family’s usual choice |
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How much nutrition is needed for weight restoration to a healthy body weight?
Weight restoration meal plan: This meal plan is designed to support your young person to consistently restore weight. It is based on full meal portions and higher energy snack options.
Once your young person is meeting the re-establishing meal plan, we recommend at least twice weekly nutritional increases towards the weight restoration meal plan. This balances the need to increase nutrition further, verses the increased distress that challenging eating disorder thoughts and behaviours can bring.
Other considerations with weight restoration meal plans:
For very low weight, inactive young people, moving towards full meal portions and single snack options* maybe enough nutrition to support consistent weight restoration at the start of treatment.
Older male adolescents (15 years +), have higher energy needs than females. Once this meal plan is reached in full, additional nutrition is likely to be needed to support ongoing weight restoration to a healthy body weight. Please ask your healthcare professional for further information.
If your young person is meeting this (or the equivalent of) meal plan in full, and is not achieving consistent weight restoration, please ask your healthcare professional or dietitian for further advice.
Restoring a healthy weight for females (11+ yrs) and males (11-14 yrs)
|
Day |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
|
Breakfast |
A bowl of cereal with semi-skimmed milk. 1 slice of toast with spread and jam. 1 glass fruit juice. |
A bowl of granola with yogurt and blueberries.
1 crumpet with spread and jam. |
A toasted bagel with spread and peanut butter.
A pear. |
A bowl of porridge with semi-skimmed milk. 1 scotch pancake with spread and jam. 1 glass fruit juice. |
A bowl of cereal with semi-skimmed milk. 1 slice of fruit bread toasted with spread and jam. Grapes. |
2 slices of toast with spread, baked beans and a cooked tomato. |
1 breakfast muffin with spread, scrambled egg and mushrooms.
|
|
Morning snack |
1 large cake muffin. |
2 scotch pancakes with a semi-skimmed milk drink. |
A chocolate biscuit bar with fruit juice. |
A packet of crisps with a fruit smoothie.
|
A handful of mixed fruit and nuts with a Semi-skimmed milk drink. |
Popcorn with a Fruit smoothie. |
A cereal bar with a fruit juice drink |
|
Lunch |
A jacket potato with spread and baked beans.
A banana A pot of wholemilk yogurt. |
A wrap with spread, chicken, avocado and tomato.
Strawberries A pot of wholemilk custard. |
A sandwich with spread, and egg mayonnaise.
2 plums. A pot of wholemilk rice pudding. |
A pitta bread with spread, falafels and hummus.
A small salad bowl with dressing. 2 scoops of ice cream. |
A bagel with spread, salmon and cream cheese.
A small bowl of salad with dressing. A pot of wholemilk yogurt. |
Pasta with tuna mayonnaise and sweetcorn.
A banana. A pot of wholemilk rice pudding. |
A baguette with spread, ham and cucumber.
2 clementines. Semi-skimmed milk drink. |
|
Afternoon snack |
2 kiwi fruit with a handful of nuts. |
A banana with 2-3 biscuits. |
2 clementines with a cereal bar. |
An apple with a hot cross bun. |
A pear with 2 scotch pancakes. |
Grapes with a crumpet with spread and jam. |
A banana with a cake slice. |
|
Dinner |
Pizza with a small bowl of salad and dressing.
2 scoops of ice cream. |
Chicken and vegetable pasta bake.
A bowl of instant mousse. |
Baked salmon with rice and stir fried vegetables.
1 pot of chocolate dessert. |
Sausages with buttered sweet potato mash, sweetcorn and peas.
A pot of wholemilk rice pudding.
|
Fish fingers, a jacket potato and a small bowl of salad with dressing.
A pot of wholemilk custard. |
Chilli con carne with rice.
A waffle with ice cream and sauce. |
A roast dinner with pork, roast potatoes, broccoli and gravy.
A portion of fruit crumble and custard. |
|
Evening snack |
2-3 biscuits with a milky hot chocolate.
|
2 slices of banana loaf with spread and A fruit smoothie. |
A handful of nuts Semi-skimmed milk drink |
A cereal bar with a milky hot chocolate |
A large scone with spread and jam.
|
A chocolate bar with a fruit juice. |
A hot cross bun with a yogurt drink. |
|
Drinks |
Aim for 6-8 mugs of fluid over the day (which includes the fluids listed). Whilst semi-skimmed milk has been used within this meal plan, whole milk can also provide balanced nutrition and would be supported, particularly if it is your family’s usual choice |
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* for single snack ideas,please see the snack information section within the portion sizes heading.
How much nutrition is needed to maintain a healthy body weight
This again varies for each young person. For those who are wanting to return to a more active lifestyle, the increased energy that has enabled them to restore weight, will then be switched to fuelling activity. In many cases their eating pattern that has supported weight restoration, will require minimal adjustments.
For young people (females, 11 +years, and males 11-14 years) who have only moderate activity levels, then please refer to the meal plan below for a weight maintenance meal plan example.
If you need further guidance, please speak to your health professional or dietitian.
Meal and snack example record: maintaining good nutrition females (11+ yrs) and males (11-14 yrs)
|
Day |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
|
Breakfast |
A bowl of cereal with semi-skimmed milk. 1 slice of toast with spread and jam. A banana. |
A bowl of granola with yogurt and blueberries.
1 crumpet with spread and jam. |
A toasted bagel with spread and peanut butter.
A pear. |
A bowl of porridge with semi-skimmed milk. 1 scotch pancake with spread and jam. 1 glass fruit juice. |
A bowl of cereal with semi-skimmed milk. 1 slice of fruit bread toasted with spread and jam. Grapes |
2 slices of toast with spread, baked beans and a cooked tomato. |
1 breakfast muffin with spread, scrambled egg and mushrooms.
|
|
Morning snack |
A hot cross bun. |
2 scotch pancakes. |
A chocolate biscuit bar. |
Packet of crisps. |
A handful of mixed fruit and nuts. |
Popcorn. |
Cereal bar. |
|
Lunch |
A jacket potato with spread and baked beans.
1 glass of fruit juice.
A pot of wholemilk yogurt. |
A wrap with spread, chicken, avocado and tomato.
Strawberries
A pot of wholemilk custard. |
A sandwich with spread and egg mayonnaise.
2 plums.
A pot of wholemilk rice pudding. |
A pitta bread with spread, falafels and hummus.
A small salad bowl with dressing.
2 scoops of ice cream. |
A bagel with spread, salmon and cream cheese.
A small bowl of salad with dressing.
A pot of wholemilk yogurt. |
Pasta with tuna mayonnaise and sweetcorn.
A banana.
A pot of wholemilk rice pudding. |
A baguette with spread, ham and cucumber.
2 clementines.
Semi-skimmed milk drink |
|
Afternoon snack |
.2 plums |
A banana
|
2 kiwi fruit
|
An apple
|
A Pear
|
Grapes |
A Banana
|
|
Dinner |
Pizza with a small bowl of salad and dressing.
2 scoops of ice cream. |
Chicken and vegetable pasta bake.
A bowl of instant mousse. |
Baked salmon, with rice and stir fried vegetables.
1 pot of chocolate dessert. |
Sausages with olive oil sweet potato mash, sweetcorn and peas.
A pot of wholemilk rice pudding.
|
Fish fingers, a jacket potato and a small bowl of salad with dressing.
A pot of wholemilk custard. |
Chilli con carne with rice.
A waffle with ice cream and sauce. |
A roast dinner with pork, roast potatoes, broccoli and gravy.
A portion of fruit crumble and custard. |
|
Evening snack |
Milky hot chocolate. |
2 slices of banana loaf with spread. |
A handful of nuts. |
A chocolate bar. |
A cake slice |
2-3 biscuits. |
Milky hot chocolate. |
|
Drinks |
Aim for 6-8 mugs of fluid over the day (which includes the fluids listed). Whilst semi-skimmed milk has been used within this meal plan, whole milk can also provide balanced nutrition and would be supported, particularly if it is your family’s usual choice |
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