Meal Plans: The Most Helpful Insider Reveal

Meal plans (dramatic sigh) are a bloody eating disorder destroyer and, at first, a misery maker. But—and yes, there is definitely a ‘but’—they are also a lifesaver.

Generally, all decisions based on your care plan are first discussed with you first before actioning it. However, this will be different if you are an involuntary patient.

In this article, I will overview the standard meal plan and the extras you can add.

*But before we start, I want to ask you not to click on any links written in _{small text.} I will explain why at the end. However, you are welcome to click on the bold italic links.

Breakfast:

• a single serving of cereal with 150ml-200ml milk (standard)
• a double serving of cereal with 200ml-300ml milk (standard)

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• As an extra, you can have a slice or two of toast included in your meal plan if needed. On the toast you can choose from a variety of spreads (extra if discussed with the dietitian) ⇾ spreads include raspberry, strawberry, blackcurrant and Marmalade jam. Marmite, honey, and crunchy or smooth peanut butter
• a glass of juice (which is a standard on everyone’s meal plans)
• a glass of milk (extra)
• raisins, nuts, or a yogurt (extra)

Morning snack

Yogurt with fruit is the standard, but you can customize your meal by adding cereal, extra fruit, yogurt, raisins, or milk.

The available yogurts include _{Ubley yogurts} (for non-lactose intolerant patients) and _{Alpro yogurts} (for lactose-intolerant patients). If you are lactose intolerant, note that you will need two Alpro yogurts to get the same amount of nutrients as one Ubley yogurt.

For all my coffee drinkers, this is the only time in the day when you can enjoy caffeinated coffee. So drink up and enjoy! I think this restriction is to ensure that we don’t overload on caffeine and so that we can get a good night’s sleep.

Lunch

For lunch, you will get a sandwich (with wholemeal _{Hovis bread}), fruit and a snack.

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Afternoon Snack

The afternoon snacks will change depending on the time of year. Additionally, patients will have a say in which snacks are included on the snack menu.

The selection process took place in the weekly dietitian group, where we discussed how to improve the meal plans and menus. We also talked about different nutrients, the importance of food, deficiencies, diet culture, and other related topics.

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Snacks change frequently, and you can’t have the same snack every day. If the staff see a particular snack being favorited, they won’t restock it until the other snacks are gone.

This was a real struggle for all of us.

Even though we have eating disorders and tend to have fear foods (though not always), some of us genuinely dislike certain foods. Sometimes I feel like that often gets forgotten—that we are human and can decide what we like and don’t.

However, I would still recommend trying everything before deciding what you like and what you don’t. Your taste buds can change, and it might be your eating disorder making you believe you don’t like something.

Trust me, it’s worth it.

For example, I always hated peanut butter; I would gag trying to eat or even smell it. But during my hospitalization in Roehampton, I gave it another go and discovered I love peanut butter—definitely a smooth PB lover. What’s your favorite?

Dinner

Dinner is something where I can’t say what will exactly be on the menu. It changes about 2x a year and rotates every 4 weeks. (you will get a new meal every day for 4 weeks before the rotation starts from the beginning again)

But tbh all the meals tasted and looked the same.

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Some meals that were on the menu when I was there were:

• Vegetarian spaghetti Bolognese
• Vegetarian sausages/Schnitzel
• Cod and chips
• Fishcakes
• Meat
• Pasta dishes

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If there was a meal that you really didn’t like then you would be able to swap 2 meals a week for either an omelet with cheese (mushroom, tomato, pepper) or jacket potato (beans with butter or cheese, or tuna Mayo)

Dessert

After your meal, you will have 15 min to complete your dessert. Typically, the desserts are cakes or mousses, something challenging to normalize balanced eating and enjoying sweet things.

However, just like with the main meal, you can swap the dessert for some ice cream, but only three times a week. This might sound slightly easier to manage, and in some aspects, it is.

However, a full portion (which everyone has unless you have increased your meal plan elsewhere and are on a half-dessert portion, which is very unlikely) consists of 4–5 scoops of ice cream, depending on the size of the scoops. Not only is the portion challenging, but you also have only 15 minutes to eat it.

So basically be prepared for a brain freeze!

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• apple crumble
• bakewell tarts
• brownie
• pancake
• flapjack
• banoffee pie

Ice cream: strawberry, vanilla and chocolate

Night snack

For your night snack, you will have a cup of milk (200–300 ml). Either plain or with decaffeinated coffee, chocolate, or honey (depending on your meal plan)

With that, you will have the option of all the snacks available. But you could also have a bowl of cereal or a slice of toast with spread (which were very popular)

Final Important information on meal plans

I want to end this article with a parting challenge for you.

You might have noticed that I have included links to as many of the options as possible. I did this to challenge you.

When struggling with an eating disorder, we often feel compelled to look at the nutritional value of the products we eat. However, being in the hospital, you will be encouraged to challenge this behaviour, which is why a variety of different foods are included in everyone’s meal plans.

I want you to think about how helpful or unhelpful it would be to look at the nutritional values. Will it make you more anxious? Will you benefit from it? What good does it bring to know the calories when you will be eating the food anyway?

As you reflect on these questions, keep in mind that now you have reached the end of this article on meal plans.

You now have two options: you can either go back through this article, click on all the links, examine the nutritional values, and potentially add stress to your experience.

OR

You can take a different approach. You might choose to go for a walk, relax in bed, enjoy a coffee or tea, or explore another MentalBeings blog. Whatever feels right for you.

Your path to recovery is shaped by the choices you make. Remember, healing lies in your hands

I hope you have found this article helpful, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.