This insight comes from our trusted partner, Lauren Garcia, MS, RDN, LDN at Courage to Nourish. Their team plays a meaningful role in supporting individuals on their eating disorder recovery journey, and we’re grateful to work alongside them as part of a comprehensive, interdisciplinary care approach.
Dietitians are experts in food and nutrition. We see them working in hospitals, wellness clinics, schools, athletic facilities- the list goes on and on. But did you know that dietitians also can play a role in the mental health field? When it comes to treating eating disorders, the dietitian is a vital member of the interdisciplinary care team. In this blog, we will examine how dietitians help support clients on their eating disorder recovery journey through food and nutrition knowledge.
Nutrition
Eating disorders have the best recovery success rates when treated through an interdisciplinary approach- nutrition, therapy, psychiatry, and regular medical monitoring. Dietitians who work in eating disorders are trained to treat a large variety of different diagnoses- anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, orthorexia, to name a few. Eating disorders are characterized by different behavior use, but they all create a dysfunction in one’s eating patterns. With these mentioned diagnoses, nutrition rehabilitation is one of the first steps to recovery. The dietitian’s role entails assessing the client’s current eating and determining the gaps needed to be filled for the client to nourish themselves. Establishing a structured eating routine is important. This helps the client begin to normalize their eating provide their body with consistent nourishment. Dietitians provide a structured eating plan tailored to each client’s individual needs. This includes guidance on individual snacks and meals based on the client’s food preferences. We monitor the client’s eating and adjust and make suggestions as needed.
Medical
Nutrition interventions can help correct nutrient deficiencies, support weight restoration, and reduce physical complications. Dietitians can help support a client’s primary care doctor with medical monitoring. Dietitians are typically seeing a client more often than the PCP and can help keep a closer eye on a client’s vitals. We monitor weight trends, heart rate, blood pressure, bowel habits. Many eating disorder clients need to restore their weight to a healthy threshold. Dietitians in the ED field have training in assessing historical weights and growth charts to help determine goal weights when necessary. We then determine these goals and collaborate with the therapist, psychiatrist and PCP to ensure that the team is in agreement and the client’s health needs are being met.
Body Image
Many RDs in the ED field have additional training in emotion coaching and motivational interviewing. Thanks to this extra training, many dietitians in the ED field can help provide support for a client’s body image concerns. It is common that body related concerns arise when one is restoring their nutrition intake and/or weight. Clients with eating disorders often see misinformation around food and use comparisons of their own body to others. Thus, creating a false narrative that can further exacerbate eating disorder behaviors. Using evidence-based knowledge, dietitians provide nutrition education to help combat these eating disorder thoughts that so often directly relate to body image. Dietitians understand what topics are within their scope of practice, thus, conversations that extend beyond one’s own relationship with food and their body would be referred to the client’s therapist.
Therapist and Dietitian Collaboration
Recovery is most effective when both the body and mind are supported. Therapists address the underlying emotional pain, trauma, anxiety, or obsessive thoughts that fuel disordered behaviors. Dietitians, on the other hand, address how those struggles show up through food and nutrition. Together, they form a more integrated support team. For example, a therapist might help someone challenge the belief that they’re only “worthy” if they restrict food. A dietitian can then guide that person through the real-world steps of nourishing themselves without guilt. This combination creates a bridge between insight and action- helping individuals not just understand their disorder but actively build a healthier relationship with food and their body.
Final Thoughts
Consistent and adequate nutrition helps stabilize energy levels, improve mood, and support organ and brain function. Many people in recovery carry fear, guilt, or confusion around food. A dietitian provides structure and support to relearn how to eat in ways that feel safe, sustainable, and nourishing. Thus, the dietitian is an integral member of the eating disorder care team.
Schedule a consultation call with Courage to Nourish to learn more about their dietitians and the services they provide for eating disorder recovery.
Looking for extra support in recovery? They have two support groups running year-round.
About the Author
Lauren Garcia, MS, RD, LDN is a registered dietitian with nearly a decade of experience across diverse clinical and nutrition counseling settings. She began her career in hospital intensive care and cardiac units, where she saw the deep influence of diet culture in medicine, before transitioning to eating disorder care in PHP/IOP programs. Lauren now works as the clinical director at Courage to Nourish, supporting clients in Maryland, DC, and Virginia. She specializes in the treatment of eating disorders and the unique challenges of managing chronic illness alongside recovery. Lauren practices from a HAES®-aligned, non-diet lens and is passionate about helping clients break free from diet culture and build a more peaceful relationship with their food and body.
