Meal Support

I have found this to be such a valuable outpatient learning tool and skill to practice with someone recovering a healthy relationship with food and their body. There is a place for talking through things in nutrition sessions, but eating with someone takes the work to another level. Since no two recovery paths are the same, meal support can offer personalized information about areas of strength and competence as well as areas that need more practice and guidance. 

It can seem scary at first to think of eating with your dietitian or support person; however, most find it to be incredibly helpful and supportive.  Not eating alone can become comfortable again. Getting through a hard part with eating, can sometimes be a little easier when you are with someone supportive. 

How it works:

We both bring a meal or snack to our scheduled session. We begin by asking you to check in with your head (thoughts), your heart (emotions) and your belly (appetite cues). It helps us know what you are bringing into your meal. Often we set an intention for a skill to practice such as taking a deep breath every so often or not using a food behavior. We eat together and practice the intended skill. A few minutes before the end, you check out with your head (thoughts), your heart (emotions) and your belly (appetite cues). We notice together what we learned and talk about how it went. 

Once you feel comfortable with your meal support skills, consider inviting your partner or support person into your session to learn along with you. One of the best parts about this skill is that you can take it with you anywhere and practice.

For those looking for this in the Boston Area, start with your dietitian or therapist. Several local group nutrition practices offer meal support as a service either in home or in office such as cnc360.com and metrowestnutrition.com.  For more details about meal support, see our guide parts one and two.