As an eating disorder dietitian, I talk to clients every day about their nutrition needs. Many are surprised by the food portions that I recommend. And it makes sense! Eating disorders are really good at normalizing a smaller amount of food. They like to try to convince you that you don’t need more. It’s exhausting to have to constantly challenge your eating disorder on portion sizes. But, eating enough is crucial in recovery. And snacks are just as important as meals. Meeting your nutrition needs is difficult without them. Snacks bridge the gap to meals, providing your body and brain with the energy they need. As a result, this usually has people eating every 2-3 hours or so. This frequency can be difficult to manage when you are busy with school, work, or other responsibilities. It can also be overwhelming to figure out what to eat or scary to reincorporate foods that you’ve been avoiding. This is where an eating disorder dietitian can help! Not only can they help you figure out your needs, but they can help you tackle the thoughts that make eating difficult. They can also eat with you in a planned snack exposure that provides one-on-one support. In this blog we’ll talk about several quick snack ideas. I usually recommend a minimum of 2-3 food components per snack. The food components can be whatever you enjoy. If you need more staying power in a snack, combining carbs, fat, and protein can help. Keep reading to learn 10 quick snack ideas for eating disorder recovery.
Snack Ideas:
- Yogurt, granola, & fruit: You could also add nuts, nut butter, chocolate candies, or cereal.
- Trail mix: Mix-ins could include nuts, seeds, chocolate candies, dried fruit, popcorn, cereal, or pretzels.
- Pita chips & hummus: Portion your own or, for a more portable snack, you can buy the single serving cups to bring with you!
- Cheese & crackers: You could also add pepperoni, fruit, or nuts for a mini charcuterie board!
- Granola bar & fruit: Granola bar ideas include Clif Bars, Nature Valley Bars, Luna Bars, KIND Bars, and Perfect Bars.
- Bagel with spread: Spread ideas include cream cheese, peanut butter & banana, Nutella & strawberries, smashed avocado, or tomato sauce & cheese.
- Sandwich: Pb&j, turkey & cheese, grilled cheese, the list goes on.
- Pretzels & milk: Make your snack more fun with peanut butter filled pretzels, chocolate covered pretzels, or yogurt covered pretzels.
- Cookies & milk: Some of my favorites from the grocery store are Oreos, frosted animal crackers, sugar cookies with frosting, fig bar cookies, or chocolate creme wafer cookies.
- Ice cream: Don’t forget about sundaes, milkshakes, and ice cream novelties too.
Why These Snacks Are Great For Eating Disorder Recovery
These snacks are good for eating disorders because they offer a balance of nutrients, variety, and ease of consumption, which can be crucial for individuals managing disordered eating.
These snacks emphasize balance, enjoyment, and flexibility, all of which are key factors in managing eating disorders. They can help reduce the stress associated with eating while providing the necessary nutrients and variety that foster a healthy relationship with food.
Final Thoughts on 10 Quick Snack Ideas for Eating Disorder Recovery
Incorporating balanced and enjoyable snacks into your daily routine can make a significant difference in eating disorder recovery. These snack ideas provide both nutrition and flexibility, helping to ease the anxiety around food choices. This process can be supported by working with a dietitian, who can provide receive personalized guidance and support with food choices making the process of meeting your nutritional needs more achievable and less overwhelming.
Contact Us
Courage to Nourish is a group of eating disorder specialized dietitians. We have in person locations in Alexandria, Virginia, Columbia, Maryland and College Park, Maryland. We offer virtual services across the state of Virginia, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. We offer individual nutrition therapy. As well as support groups. We would love to guide you in building a better relationship with food.
Contact us for more information. And to schedule a discovery call. Also, sign up for our client or clinician newsletter!
Interested in a support group? Courage to Nourish offers a weekly virtual ED Recovery Support group. This group is free of charge! Email lauren.garcia@couragetonourish.com to find out more information!
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As a professional who used to work in a corporate setting, I have seen the negative, daily impact that diet culture has on people’s lives. This led me to discover intuitive eating and Health At Every Size ©, which I now use in working with clients in recovery at the partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient level. I love helping clients find a way of nourishing, moving, and viewing their body that is satisfying and sustainable.