Nutrition Therapy

What is Nutrition Therapy?

Nutrition therapy for eating disorders allows you to develop a better relationship with food. It can provide accountability to meet your nutritional goals. Psychological work for eating disorders is difficult to begin until a client’s nutritional needs are met. That’s why this must be addressed first. Led by a registered dietitian (RD), the goal of nutrition therapy is to restore a healthy relationship with food. This includes assessing, educating, and helping clients regain trust with their bodies.

Our nutrition therapy focus at EDRS is primarily on recovery from an eating disorder. However, nutrition therapy is a useful tool for mental health in general. Proper, balanced nutrition is a powerful foundation for recovery from any mental health condition.

If you think you could benefit from creating a structured meal plan with the support of a registered dietitian to challenge your eating disorder symptoms and behaviors, call today. Our admissions team will guide you through our intake process.

You deserve peace with food and your body. We’re here to help.

Why is it Important to do Nutrition Therapy with an Eating Disorder Informed Dietitian?

Nutrition therapy with an eating disorder informed dietitian means that you’re engaging with a professional. They understand that recovery from an eating disorder involves much more than food plans or calorie counts. Instead of focusing solely on nutrition facts, they approach food through a therapeutic and recovery-oriented lens. They integrate compassion, body awareness, and collaborate with a mental health team.

Eating disorder informed dietitians:

Recognize the psychological, emotional, and physical complexities of eating disorders.
Understand that progress must happen at a safe and sustainable pace, never through restriction, pressure, or rigid rules.
Work to rebuild trust with food and the body, supporting nourishment without judgment.
Collaborate closely with therapists, physicians, and other members of the treatment team to ensure consistent, aligned care.
Use non-diet, weight-inclusive, and trauma-informed approaches (such as Intuitive Eating or Health at Every Size® principles).
Help clients reconnect with internal cues of hunger and fullness, rather than relying on external control or guilt.

Eating disorder informed dietitians understand that food is never the only issue. It’s also a doorway to deeper healing, self-compassion, and recovery.

How Does Nutrition Therapy at EDRS Impact Eating Disorder Recovery?

Nutritional treatment at EDRS focuses initially on creating a meal plan. This encompasses the needs for medical stabilization and weight restoration within an ambivalent client. This work is undertaken with care and compassion alongside a client’s therapist. While many clients are hesitant to begin work on the “food thing,” our dietitians at EDRS approach nutrition therapy with a deep level of understanding of treatment goals. EDRS dietitians work to create food plans that will safely guide a client through the recovery process, rather than push them away in critical early stages.

What Does a Nutrition Therapy Session Look Like at EDRS?

Nutrition therapy sessions look different for each person. However, sessions include decreasing anxiety around eating “fear foods” and education on how the body uses food. Clients meet with an RD weekly or biweekly. This depends on where they are in their recovery process. It helps to review their unique treatment plan and goals. Nutrition therapy works to reduce the labeling of foods as “good” or “bad.” This increases food variety while challenging food rules. Dietitians work with clients to identify hunger and fullness cues. This approach helps clients move towards more intuitive eating.

Following an initial assessment, our registered dietitians will help develop a plan of support. It’s unique to your needs and helps meet your nutritional goals. We review this in each session to ensure that your needs and goals are the focus. Sessions can include selecting recipes or creating grocery lists, and increasing food variety. Our team of dietitians is here to help you throughout this entire process and help you meet your personal goals.

How Nutrition and Therapy Will Interact Throughout Your Recovery:

At EDRS, we believe that eating disorder recovery is most effective when your care team works together. Your RD and therapist communicate regularly. This helps to ensure that every part of your recovery (physical, emotional, and psychological) is supported in a coordinated way.

This collaboration may include:

Sharing insights and updates about your progress, challenges, and goals (with your consent).
Aligning treatment strategies so your therapy and nutrition plans complement each other, rather than conflict.
Addressing triggers or anxiety around food that come up in therapy sessions, so your nutritionist can provide guidance and support.
Supporting meal planning and exposure exercises in a way that aligns with your mental health work.
Monitoring both physical and emotional health, ensuring that you are safe, balanced, and progressing in recovery.

By keeping communication open and coordinated, your therapist and nutritionist can help you:

Feel supported, not isolated in your recovery journey.
Address both the mental and physical aspects of disordered eating simultaneously.
Gain confidence and consistency as you learn to trust your body and your choices around food.

At EDRS, you’re never navigating your recovery alone. Our team works together so that every step you take is safe, informed, and personalized. Call today to learn more about what nutrition therapy can look like for you.

Our Nutrition Philosophy

At EDRS, our nutrition philosophy is non-diet, weight-inclusive, and body-positive. It’s rooted in the understanding that health and well-being come in all shapes and sizes. We focus on supporting your body, mind, and recovery: not on weight or appearance.

Our approach is trauma-informed and guided by principles of Health at Every Size® (HAES®). This means we prioritize:

Respecting your body and its natural set points, rather than focusing on weight change.
Building a trusting relationship with food, free from guilt or fear.
Promoting overall wellness, including nutrition, movement, sleep, and emotional health.
Supporting self-compassion and body acceptance, recognizing that healing is about more than calories or the scale.

We also include Intuitive Eating principles and mindful eating practices. This can help you reconnect with your body’s internal cues for hunger, fullness, and satisfaction. As a result, your recovery can be more sustainable, empowering, and personalized.

One of our most commonly used approaches is the Plate-by-Plate method. This is an option that aligns with our philosophy of fostering a positive relationship with food while ensuring proper nutrition. By focusing on visual balance and flexibility, we help guide toward sustainable, long-term eating habits. This helps to support both physical and mental well-being.

Our main goal is to help you feel at home in your body. This includes trusting yourself around food, and reclaiming your life all without dieting, restriction, or shame. Speak with admissions today.

A Meal Plan Made in Nutrition Therapy Might Include:

A meal plan created in nutrition therapy at EDRS is personalized, flexible, and recovery-focused. It’s about helping your body get the nourishment it needs while rebuilding a healthy relationship with food. Some elements may include:

Balanced meals across all food groups (including carbohydrates, protein, fats, fruits, vegetables, and dairy or alternatives.)
Variety of foods (encouraging exposure to different textures, flavors, and cultural foods to reduce fear foods and expand food choices.)
Structured meals and snacks (to stabilize energy levels, reduce disordered eating urges, and support physical and mental health.)
Mindful and intuitive eating guidance (helping you tune into hunger, fullness, and satisfaction cues while eating.)
Inclusion of “fear foods” in a safe, guided way (gradually challenging anxiety around certain foods while providing support.)
Meal planning strategies (such as grocery lists, simple recipes, and tips for eating on the go.)
Flexibility for your lifestyle (plans can accommodate school, work, family life, and social eating.)
Focus on nourishment, not weight (emphasizing health, strength, and well-being over numbers on a scale.)
Support for physical health needs (ensuring nutrients are sufficient for medical stability, energy, and recovery progress.)
Collaboration with your therapist (making sure the plan complements your emotional and mental health work.)

Glossary of Terms

Ambivalent Client: A person who feels uncertain or conflicted about recovery or making changes related to eating and body image.
Body-Positive: An approach that encourages acceptance, respect, and appreciation for all body shapes and sizes.
Eating Disorder-Informed Dietitian: A nutrition professional trained to understand the complex emotional, physical, and psychological aspects of eating disorders, and who provides care in a safe, non-judgmental, and collaborative way.
Fear Foods: Foods that trigger anxiety, avoidance, or restrictive behaviors due to their connection with disordered eating patterns.
Health at Every Size® (HAES®): A weight-inclusive approach to health that emphasizes body respect, intuitive eating, and wellness behaviors, rather than focusing on weight or dieting.
Intuitive Eating: A method of eating that encourages listening to your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues instead of following strict rules, diets, or external restrictions.
Meal Plan: A structured guide developed by a dietitian to help meet nutritional needs, stabilize health, and support recovery from disordered eating behaviors.
Non-Diet Approach: A philosophy that prioritizes nutrition, health, and self-compassion without following traditional diet rules or focusing on weight loss.
Nutrition Therapy: A treatment process led by a registered dietitian that supports healthy eating behaviors, addresses food-related anxieties, and helps rebuild a positive relationship with food and your body.
Registered Dietitian (RD): A healthcare professional trained and licensed to provide evidence-based nutrition care, including medical nutrition therapy and eating disorder support.
Trauma-Informed: An approach that recognizes the impact of trauma on a person’s health and behavior, ensuring care is safe, empowering, and sensitive to past experiences.
Weight-Inclusive: A perspective that emphasizes health and well-being for people of all body sizes, rather than focusing on weight or shape as a measure of health.
Therapist-Dietitian Collaboration: Coordinated care between your therapist and nutritionist to ensure your emotional, psychological, and physical needs are addressed together, safely and effectively.
Recovery-Oriented Lens: A treatment perspective that focuses on long-term healing, self-compassion, and empowerment rather than quick fixes or temporary solutions.

Nutrition therapy is a powerful tool for lasting eating disorder recovery. If you’re struggling with an eating disorder, you’re not alone. Our team is here to help and guide you every step of the way. Call admissions today.

Ready to start your recovery journey?

We have had tremendous success with helping clients gain control of their lives and tackling their eating disorders head-on.

Our clinical intake coordinators can confidentially learn more about your respective situation and work with you to assess your needs and the best path forward.

We look forward to helping you on your path to better health and recovery.

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