In today’s post I’m sharing 8 simple dinner ideas for recovery.

By “recovery,” I mean primarily BOTH typical anorexia and/or hypothalamic amenorrhea recovery, as restoring nutritional health in both conditions generally requires eating more than one is used to.

(Although, the ideas below could be used or modified in anyone’s regular eating rhythms, eating disorder or not!)

Clients I work with are often busy busy throughout the week — college students, working full-time, etc., and are often interested in dinner ideas that are simpler and don’t take as much time/energy to prepare. Maybe you can relate?? (Either once in a while or all the time!)

For each category of dinner idea, I’ll be sharing both ways to modify it / increase calories as needed or desired along with ways to simplify even further.

For more meal & snack support for recovery, check out the following posts:

–> Breakfast Ideas for Anorexia Recovery
–> Practical Tips for Weight Restoration
–> 6 Snack Strategies for Eating Disorder Recovery

🌟 And, be sure to subscribe so you never miss a new post! 

8 Simple Dinner Ideas for Recovery

Protein + veggies + main carb

This first category is quite broad and can be encompassed to include many many dishes…

I’ll often think about dinner ideas for our weeks at home using this sort of format.

First, choose your protein source. Examples of excellent animal protein sources include: ground beef / chicken / turkey, chicken breasts / thighs / drumsticks, salmon, cod, eggs, pork tenderloin / chops, chicken or turkey sausage, lamb, steak, and more.

Then, choose any veggies you like and be sure to either drizzle them or roast them in some sort of oil (such as olive, coconut, or avocado).

Add your carb source — I love a simple baked potato or some roasted potatoes — and you are good to go!

Ideas for increasing calories / nutrition:

• Be sure to bake or prepare your protein in a healthy oil
• Use extra sauce or marinade for your protein
• Use copious amounts of oil for your veggies (do NOT fear healthy fat!)
• Add butter or oil to your potato
• Mix in butter or oil to rice / quinoa
• Add a side of roll or bread + butter
• Add a side salad w/ plenty of dressing
• Add chopped nuts or shredded cheese to rice, quinoa, side salad, or veggies

Ideas to simplify:

• Use already-prepared meats or protein sources
• Batch prep a couple of protein sources for the week
• Bake a few potatoes for the week
• Use frozen veggies
• Use instant rice or mashed potatoes

Soup + sides

Buy a premade or canned soup, or make one from scratch — the key to making this simple meal balanced and nutritious is to be sure to choose a soup that has at least one protein and complex carb source each, or to make sure to include them on the side. (As in, NOT just veggie soup).

To round out your soup into a full meal, include a couple of sides. Side ideas can be as simple as you like: roll w/ butter, toast w/ peanut butter, salad w/ dressing, apple w/ peanut butter, trail mix, celery w/ almond butter, leftover potatoes, granola parfait, etc.

Sometimes in client sessions we talk about how it’s “perfectly okay” to have more traditional lunch sides or snack foods as dinner sides. Sides like apple slices w/ peanut butter, chips w/ salsa and guac, carrots with Ranch, or a muffin w/ butter.

Ideas for increasing calories / nutrition:

• Add in olive oil, avocado oil, heavy cream, or butter to your soup (also make sure you are getting at least one fat source in your meal anyway!)
• Add extra protein or carb (such as potatoes or rice) to your soup, or eat on the side
• Include a side of a roll with a good amount of butter or bread with a good amount of olive oil

Ideas to simplify:

• Use canned soup (often might need to amp it up nutrition-wise as they can be lower in calories)
• Use a prepared soup from a grocery store or prepared foods store
• Make extra soup and freeze to take out for easy meals later on
• Use frozen sides, such as rolls or even frozen appetizer-like foods

✨ Some of my favorite soup recipes from around the web –> beef + lentil soup, Moroccan lentil + date stew, chicken + rice soup

Spaghetti + sides

Or pasta of your choice!

This can be a good opportunity to challenge your Disordered Eating Part by asking: “What would make this better??”

Don’t be afraid of hearty meat-based sauces, adding shredded cheese, or including an additional carb source on the side (such as bread w/ butter).

Ideas for increasing calories / nutrition:

• Add extra oil, heavy cream, or butter to sauces and/or pasta noodles
• Be sure to include adequate protein in your sauce or to add on top (such as grilled chicken)
• Include an additional complex carb source as a side (ex: bread in olive oil)
• Include a salad w/ dressing on the side (can also add nuts + cheese + dried fruit)
• Add shredded cheese to your pasta

Ideas to simplify:

• Use store-bought sauce (ex: marinara — could add ground beef or rotisserie chicken)
• Use frozen lasagna or other frozen pasta meals — definitely increase sides or add in calories if too calorically low (ex: add in olive oil, add an extra side)
• Make extra sauce and freeze for later
• Freeze leftover pasta noodles for later
• Use “non-recipe recipes”– one “recipe” I love is noodles + chicken + frozen broccoli + plenty of olive oil + Italian seasoning (along w/ a couple sides)

Mac & cheese + sides

While technically a pasta of course, I felt mac & cheese should be it’s own category. 😋

So many options! Make a homemade version, use a frozen version, use / doctor-up a boxed version…

Make with cheese or make dairy-free.

Ideas for increasing calories / nutrition:

• Add extra butter, cheese, or heavy cream
• Top w/ bacon
• Add chicken or ground beef for extra protein
• Include an additional complex carb source as a side (ex: roll w/ butter)
• Include a salad w/ dressing on the side (can also add nuts + cheese + dried fruit)
• Add in broccoli + peas

Ideas to simplify:

• Use boxed or frozen mac & cheese
• Make a simple pasta of noodles + shredded cheese(s) of choice + olive oil or butter

Breakfast for dinner

Traditional breakfast foods need not be confined to breakfast!! 🥞

(Another possible way to challenge your disordered eating if something like pancakes for dinner causes you stress)…

Ideas include:

• Scrambled eggs + toast w/ butter + fruit + avocado
• Omelette w/ veggies and cheese + chicken sausage + toast w/ avo + Greek yogurt
• Pancakes w/ butter or nut butter + fruit + bacon + yogurt
• Loaded oatmeal bowl (really adding on the toppings)
  • Ex: oatmeal in whole milk + solid amount of peanut butter + melted butter or coconut oil + drizzle honey or maple syrup + fresh or frozen fruit; bacon or sausage on the side

Ideas for increasing calories / nutrition:

• Add oil, butter, heavy cream, whole milk, coconut milk, and/or cheese to eggs
• Choose full-fat dairy (what I always recommend versus low-fat!)
• Add bacon to eggs or as a side
• Add breakfast toppings such as nut butters, crushed nuts, coconut flakes, chocolate chips, and more
• Add a breakfast treat as a side, such as a donut or other breakfast pastry

🌟 Download my list of ideas for breakfast toppings here! 

Ideas to simplify:

• Make basic scrambled or sunny-side up eggs
• Make extra scrambled or hard-boiled eggs for leftovers the next day
• Use a pancake or waffle mix
• Make a frittata you can eat for several days in a row
• Use frozen hash browns as a side

Sandwich + sides

Again, dinner does NOT need to be complicated to be filling and satisfying. A hearty sandwich with a couple of sides can do the trick!

Sandwich ideas are endless…

• PB&J (with PLENTY of PB)
• Turkey w/ cheese, veggies, any spreads (hummus / mayo / avo / etc)
• Classic grilled cheese
• Grilled cheese w/ feta, avo, hummus
• Chicken or tuna salad
• Turkey w/ apple, cheddar, spinach
• Hard-boiled eggs w/ cheese, avocado

Ideas for increasing calories / nutrition:

• Use a bagel or sub instead of sandwich bread
• Add granola to your PB&J
• Add bacon or chicken to your grilled cheese
• Add butter or mayo to your sandwich bread
• Add two slices of cheese to your sandwich
• Sides!!!
  • Not “just a sandwich” — add a couple of sides to round out your meal
  • Ex: pretzels w/ peanut butter, granola parfait, trail mix, dark chocolate squares, potato salad, sweet potato fries

Ideas to simplify:

• Keep sandwiches as simple as you’d like! (As long as you’re getting enough to eat)
• Choose already-prepped or easy to put together sides
• Buy a sandwich from a deli for a quick meal

Eggs your way + sides

Eggs (with the yolk!!) are incredibly nutrient-dense. Personally I actually prefer to have them for dinner as opposed to breakfast.

Options for preparing eggs are endless… think frittatas, omelettes, scrambled, hard-boiled, sunny side up, and more. Eggs can be eaten on their own with sides, in burritos or wraps, as a breakfast quesadilla or taco, and more.

Example “eggs with sides” meals:

• Eggs (w/ cheddar cheese) scrambled in olive oil + roasted potatoes + steamed broccoli + side salad w/ dressing
• Eggs sunny side up w/ a baked sweet potato (w/ butter) + roasted bell peppers / onion + toast w/ butter
• Eggs (w/ feta) scrambled in olive oil + baked potato (w/ butter) + apple w/ almond butter + baby carrots w/ Ranch

Ideas for increasing calories / nutrition:

• Add cheese, olive oil, whole milk, coconut milk, and/or heavy cream to your scrambled eggs
• Drizzle sunny side up eggs with olive oil
• Add a side of toast w/ regular butter or peanut butter
• Add a side of baked potato w/ butter or olive oil
• Increase the number of eggs you are eating!
• Add an additional side

Ideas to simplify:

• Make double or triple the amount of scrambled eggs so you can have leftovers
• Make enough hard-boiled eggs for several days
• Choose simple sides (toast, baked potato, bagel, granola parfait, fruit w/ nut butter, avocado, etc)
• Make a frittata for easy leftovers to reheat

Simple Mexican-inspired meals 

Tacos, taco salad, quesadillas, and burritos can all be delicious and quick dinner options. 🌶🌮

A few examples:

• Quesadilla w/ black beans + cheese + avocado, sides of chips + salsa, carrots + Ranch
• Taco salad w/ greens + ground beef + guac + cheese + salsa + chips for scooping
• Chicken tacos w/ your favorite toppings; sides of refried beans + salad w/ dressing

Ideas for increasing calories / nutrition:

• Add ALL the toppings, such as avocado or guac, shredded cheese, beans, and more
• Cook ground beef or chicken in coconut oil, avocado oil, or tallow
• Add roasted potatoes to your quesadilla, taco salad, or burrito
• Increase the amount of tacos you are eating
• Increase the amount of toppings / other portions
• Add sides such as chips w/ salsa, refried beans, black beans w/ Mexican seasoning + olive oil, Mexican rice, regular rice, roasted or baked sweet potatoes

Ideas to simplify:

• Use frozen burritos as a base for your toppings + sides
• Cook extra ground beef / chicken / protein to have on hand for later
• Buy already-prepared guacamole
• Make a simple guac w/ mashed avocado, salt, + lime juice
• Choose simple sides like chips + salsa or canned beans
• Prep all your toppings at once for multiple days’ worth
• Get some Chipotle or Qdoba!

Final thoughts

As we wrap up, a quick reminder on what I consider a balanced meal:

Most of the time, my meals include more than one source of each of the macronutrients (especially multiple fat sources!).

The important point is that you are getting at least one solid source of each. 

✨ I’d love to hear: what additional meal planning resources for recovery would be helpful to you? ✨

Have a great rest of your day! 💜

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