The Best Medically Approved Weight Gain Meal Plan

Let’s chat about something we all do without even realizing it: meal planning. Whether you’re a meal plan prep pro or fly by the seat of your culinary pants, there’s always a meal plan brewing inside your brain.

But here’s the thing: meal planning isn’t just about deciding what to eat for dinner.

It’s about nourishing your body, fuelling your mind, and building a healthy relationship with food. And trust me, I know a thing or two about the importance of meal planning.

During my journey to recovery from an eating disorder, I had to follow a meal plan tailored to me.

But it wasn’t just about calories. It was about learning to listen to my body and honoring its needs. (and also for weight gain)

In this blog, I want to share some important information with you, especially for those struggling to determine the appropriate amount of food to eat, what foods to choose, how frequently to eat, etc.

It will give you an insight into what to expect if you are being admitted into an eating disorder hospital.

But hey, this blog isn’t just for those battling eating disorders!

It’s for anyone who wants to learn about the importance of meal planning and what a meal plan could look like.

So, are you ready to join me? Let’s dive in and explore the joy of nourishing our bodies and souls, one meal at a time.

What is Meal Planning?

Meal planning involves deciding what we’ll eat or cook ahead of time. This will ensure we’re meeting our nutritional needs and by pre-cooking our meals we save time and money.

It’s all about organizing and collecting recipes and ingredients for a specified period. Creating a meal plan and a shopping list in advance ensures that we have everything we need at home and ready to go.

Going grocery shopping once a week or only when necessary, can help us save space, time, and money. Plus, planning helps prevent impulse purchases and reduces food waste.

When planning, we often choose recipes we enjoy or ones we’re eager to try. This way, we know exactly what ingredients to buy.

This ensures we buy the right ingredients, preventing unnecessary purchases that may be forgotten.

I’ve had my fair share of experiences with forgotten cupboard items!

Before falling ill, I’d spend hours organizing our kitchen cupboards. It was surprising how often I’d find food we had bought ages ago that hadn’t been eaten.

Luckily, most of it was non-perishable, giving us some time to use it up.

Importance of Meal Planning

Meal planning is so important to ensure we are meeting our nutritional needs. Getting a balance of essential nutrients is very important for a healthy lifestyle.

Most important are the fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

However, not everyone wants/needs to follow a meal plan, which is fine. Some have the greatest power for intuitive eating, which I hope and pray I will have one day.

Importance Of Meal Planning in ED Recovery

Meal planning can take on a different meaning for those battling with eating disorders. It becomes more than just ensuring we’re getting the right nutrients—it becomes a lifeline, a roadmap to recovery.

If you are in hospital or have been, you will know that following a meal plan is expected of you.

But do you struggle to understand why you have to follow a meal plan?

I know that I struggled.

I didn’t see the point of eating a certain amount, frequently and at certain times. Not only that, but I was made to believe (by my eating disorder) that eating wasn’t essential for me to live a healthy, happy life.

But let me share a little secret with you…

THAT IS A BIG FAT LIE!!!

Whatever you do, do not listen to that voice in your head, unless it is YOU speaking!

Eating enough and frequently is the most important thing you can do to live a healthy, happy life.

What Does A Meal Plan Look Like in an Eating Disorder Hospital?

When you’re admitted to an eating disorder hospital, you’ll meet a dedicated team ready to guide you on your journey. Among them would be a dietitian, who plays a crucial role in your treatment creating personalized meal plans tailored to your needs.

In the beginning, depending on your physical state, you will be given smaller amounts to eat, as you may be at risk of refeeding syndrome. It can be hazardous which is why you will be monitored regularly.

Your blood sugar levels will be tested approximately four times throughout the day. This will allow the medical team to monitor your body’s reaction to food intake.

Meal Plan Structure

Every meal plan would be structured similarly, but it might vary based on factors like your height, weight, and metabolism.

Typically, you will be given a meal plan with 3 main meals and 3 snacks.

When you first arrive at the hospital, your meal plan will start small and gradual. Think of it like dipping your toes into the water before diving head first.

Your meal plan would consist of little to no snacks and 1/3-1/2 portion sizes for the main meals.

For example, for breakfast, you might only be expected to eat a bowl of cereal to start the day. You might be offered half a meal with a lighter pudding, keeping things light but nourishing. And come dinnertime, you would again be given a smaller portion size without the usual dessert.

At first, it may sound strange, but it is also a way to gradually introduce meals.

I remember when I first got admitted, I bawled my eyes out in front of everyone because I wasn’t used to sitting in front of a meal. I would see everyone around me eating normal portions and freak out.

Starting with smaller meals was a relief in a way. It gave me a chance to ease into the routine of eating regularly again without feeling completely overwhelmed.

Here is what was expected to manage when there wasn’t a risk of refeeding

Breakfast

Everyone would be given the same. We would start the day with a bowl of cereal and a piece of fruit.

However, if this wasn’t sufficient (either based on your weight or your hunger signals) you would be given a meal increase which would normally be 1–2 slices of toast with spread.

There was a wide variety of cereal options including bran flakes, fruit and fiber, rice crispies, Weetabix, porridge, granola with Yoghurt (which was my craving) basically all the typical English cereals that you can find in any English supermarket.

Spread options for toast: strawberry/raspberry/blackcurrant Jam, peanut butter, chocolate spread, honey, and even biscoff.

Snacks

Below is a list of all the morning and afternoon snacks we had to choose from.

However, please note that this list has likely changed by now. Still, it might give you an idea of what could be available.

Lunch and dinner

For lunch and dinner, we were served a cooked meal packed with the essential macronutrients: protein, carbs, and fats.

The only difference between them was that for lunch, we were given a “lighter” pudding (yogurt, ice cream, custard), and for dinner a heartier pudding (cake or crumble). We all found the desserts difficult as it was a common fear food for all of us.

This meal plan would rotate every 4 weeks, to give us a variety of different meals. So for 4 weeks, you will be given a different meal every day, and if you do eventually get fond of a meal you will have to wait 4 weeks to be able to have it again.

Night snack

This was the hardest part of the day for me, as I struggled to eat late.

We would be given a cup of 200ml milk or 250-300 ml soya milk (if dairy free) with either honey, chocolate powder, or a flavoured syrup (banana, strawberry, or chocolate).

Increasing Your Meal Plan

This would be a difficult time of the week for all of us.

You will be weighed every Monday and Thursday morning at around 5.30 am. Depending on your weight you will be given a meal increase.

On Thursdays, we would have our weekly check-in with the dietitian.

We would briefly discuss what went well in the week, and what was hard, and we would also talk about any observations that were made by staff at meal times.

Increases could be anything, typically adding a slice of toast or another spread. But there was also the option to have another cup of milk during the day, an extra snack, or a double portion of cereal for breakfast.

Consequences for not eating what was on your meal plan

This is a topic that I find difficult to talk about. It was what stressed me out the most.

If we didn’t eat what was on our meal plan we would be given Fortisip. For those who don’t know what Fortisip is, it is a high-calorie drink packed with nutrition.

Whatever wasn’t eaten at the end of the 30 min for the main meal and the 15 min for dessert, would be taken by the staff and the Fortisip would be measured to the amount that they thought was left on the plate.

This would be so stressful because even though they had a Fortisip measurement guide to follow, it would always be a different amount.

I am not sure if it is still like this, but nearer the end of my admission, they had changed the rules.

So much food was not being eaten that they said that if you were given fortisip it would now be double the amount of nutrition than what was left behind.

What happened if you didn’t drink the Fortisip?

That is something that I don’t feel comfortable talking about, as that is my biggest trigger. However, if you want to know, then you can find out more information Here. (NG feeding)

It’s worth noting that as it triggers me, it may also trigger others around you, so I’d appreciate it if you could be conscious of this topic. Being mindful of these triggers is important to maintain a supportive environment.

Remember that this is a safe space.

Support

There were 3 different table setups. There was the supervised, kinda supervised, and the semi-supervised.

Everyone would begin at the supervised table, where a staff member sat alongside them, closely monitoring behaviors and offering immediate support if needed.

If you were managing your meals pretty well and not that much support was needed then you would move further away from the staff member and onto the kinda semi-supervised table. This part of the table was a lot more comfortable as you wouldn’t feel so watched.

However, I did find it incredibly helpful to have someone next to me, as I needed a lot of support. I struggled with various food behaviors like smearing, hiding, cutting into small pieces, and squeezing made having close supervision essential for me.

If you could be trusted, you would move to the semi-supervised table. this was the best table as it was in a separate room, where a staff member would come in every so often to check up on us.

Regardless of the table, individuals were encouraged to bring along something small for support—a placemat, an engraved spoon, a small teddy bear, or any item that served as a reminder of their journey and what they were fighting for.

I hope you’ve picked up some helpful ideas as we finish our trip through the details of approved meal plans for gaining weight.

In this blog, we’ve talked about how meal planning works, especially in eating disorder recovery. We’ve discussed the meal plan set up in a hospital, from closely supervised meals to less supervised ones.

So, whether you’re starting your recovery journey, helping someone else, or just trying to eat better, remember: that meal planning is a way to take care of yourself, one meal at a time.

Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to liveJim Rohn

Thank you for reading!

Click Here if you want to know more about fear foods

Click Here for the best thing about being in hospital