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Recovering from an eating disorder is an ongoing process. Even after transitioning to a less intensive level of treatment or leaving treatment altogether, it's important to keep everything you've learned in mind to continue making progress and healthier choices for yourself.
One of the trickiest aspects of returning home after eating disorder treatment is managing meals at home. Even with help from an eating disorder dietitian or therapist, the kitchen can be an intimidating place. But planning your grocery shopping ahead of time can help.
With help from an eating disorder recovery grocery list, meal plan, and other shopping tips, it's possible to make a trip to the store less stressful and help set you up for success at home.
9 tips to help you manage challenges at the grocery store
With its endless choices and busy aisles, the grocery store can be an overwhelming place for anyone, but the environment can be even more challenging for those in eating disorder recovery.
The impulse to read food labels, the sheer amount of food available, and problematic diet culture language and messaging are just a few scenarios that can make a grocery trip feel more stressful. However, with some help, practice, and patience, these trips can become much more manageable and even mundane or enjoyable.
These tips are a good place to start.1,2
1. Avoid shopping when you are extremely full or hungry
This is a general piece of advice for most people. Going into a store very hungry, or even very full, can influence how you're feeling and the types of purchases you make or don't make. This is true even if you go to the store prepared with your eating disorder recovery grocery list.
Impulse buying is extremely common, accounting for up to 62% of grocery store sales by some estimates.3 But for people with eating disorders or in eating disorder recovery, these unplanned purchases can be potential triggers.
If this happens, it's okay. It's always important to be gentle with yourself, especially in recovery. No journey is a straight line, but remember to be mindful about when you go to the store and try to stay present while shopping to avoid coming home with things you don't need or didn't want.
2. Mentally prepare for your outing
Grocery stores are bastions for eating disorder-related challenges. It is helpful to mentally prepare for the busyness, flashy advertisements, packed shelves, and aisles of food ahead of time.
Practicing some grounding exercises before you head out may be helpful. You can try meditation or breathing exercises, or calming music to help you get in a better headspace. Your therapist or another member of your treatment team can help you find other useful strategies for staying positive and present while grocery shopping or encountering any other potentially triggering scenarios.
3. Make an eating disorder recovery grocery list
No matter who you are, making a shopping list can help make things go smoother once you get to the store. Having a solid list to fall back on can help ensure you remember everything you want or need and also help guard against impulse purchases that may be triggering. In some studies, going to the store with a grocery list has even been found to help improve diet overall.4
A good rhythm is the key to a good eating disorder recovery grocery list. For example, if you practice meal planning, you may prep food one week at a time. In that case, you'll need to keep in mind how much food you need to buy for a whole week's worth of food prep.
Stressful situations can be alleviated by a supportive and understanding friend or family member who also goes grocery shopping.
Studies have shown that shopping with a buddy can have a positive experience on the overall trip and help cut down on impulse purchases.3 Plus, it can make the chore more fun or at least enjoyable.
If you're struggling to get through grocery shopping alone, you can ask someone you trust to join you. Ask them to help you stay on track if you veer from your eating disorder recovery grocery list or if you get sidetracked by other potentially triggering habits like checking labels or obsessing over different types of foods.
5. Choose a small store if possible
Large grocery stores can be extremely overwhelming and busy and offer a massive amount of food options. It can often feel like the aisles never end.
A simple solution for this problem is trying out a smaller grocery store or even a neighborhood market. These businesses usually offer the same staples you'd find at larger grocery chains without the endless variety. They may even carry specialty items you find you really enjoy.
The biggest advantage of a smaller store is cutting down on the amount of time you'll need to be shopping. A shorter grocery shopping trip means less exposure to potentially triggering foods and situations.
6. Limit reading labels
Nearly every food has a label, so it can be difficult to avoid reading them, especially if this is a disordered behavior you've struggled with in the past.
Consider setting goals, giving yourself a certain number of labels you can check per trip, with the eventual goal of not checking labels at all. If you have specific food-based concerns, such as an allergy, ask your shopping buddy or even a worker at the store if they can read the labels for you instead.
Still, it's equally important not to shame yourself if you do check labels or overshoot your goal. Again, recovery is a journey with ups and downs, but what matters most is that you are progressing. If you're struggling, you can speak with a therapist or nutritionist for other strategies or ask for support from friends or family members.
7. Set a time limit
If you aren't paying attention, getting caught wandering aimlessly around a grocery store can be easy. Many grocery stores—especially the big box grocery stores—are designed to keep shoppers shopping and buying as much as possible.5
On the other hand, you want to take your time at the store and avoid not buying the food you actually want or need.
Setting a time limit is one way to establish your intentions and manage your challenges. A timer can help you maintain perspective about how long you've been shopping and keep you moving at a steady pace—not rushing to the finish line but not lingering too long.
If you have a support person with you, you can also ask them to help keep track of the time and hold you accountable.
8. Shop during off-peak time
A crowded grocery store may be particularly triggering for someone in eating disorder recovery because of the overwhelming feelings of being in a busy place and the potential exposure to stigmatizing or harmful commentary from other shoppers.
Planning to grocery shop during less popular times may limit your exposure to these unnecessary triggers and help you maintain the calm, present focus that leads to a successful grocery shopping trip.
9. Order groceries online
The digital age has many additional tools for people, including the development of online grocery shopping.
If you don't feel ready to physically enter a grocery store or can't find a shopping buddy who will help you with the experience, you can likely find everything on your eating disorder recovery grocery list online.
This option also helps eliminate any social anxiety attached to the experience. It limits the amount of potential triggers you're exposed to. However, it's important to remember that it may sometimes be impossible to order everything you need online or that grocery deliveries can sometimes make mistakes, leaving out or adding certain foods by accident.
Regardless, the option is one of the better ways to get what you need while maintaining a healthy distance from a potentially distressful experience.
Meal support at Within
At Within, we offer meal support in many capacities, depending on your needs, situation, and comfort level. Meal support can include several options, all accessible through the app, including:
Providing you with an eating disorder recovery grocery list
Providing a Care Partner to go shopping with you
Working with you to order grocery deliveries
Cooking with you
Assisting with building a plate with appropriate portions
Eating with a Care Partner
At our comprehensive, integrated treatment program, we can support you during three meals and three snacks per day so that you never have to be alone during this integral time of your recovery.
Meal groups
In addition to practical meal support, we also offer pre-meal and post-meal process groups where you can express your feelings before and after the meal and request any support you may need. Once you complete the program, you can continue to receive support through our alumni program, allowing people to continue connecting and benefiting from the community. Talk with our team today to learn about our treatment program meal plans.
Disclaimer about "overeating": Within Health hesitatingly uses the word "overeating" because it is the term currently associated with this condition in society, however, we believe it inherently overlooks the various psychological aspects of this condition which are often interconnected with internalized diet culture, and a restrictive mindset about food. For the remainder of this piece, we will therefore be putting "overeating" in quotations to recognize that the diagnosis itself pathologizes behavior that is potentially hardwired and adaptive to a restrictive mindset.
Disclaimer about weight loss drugs: Within does not endorse the use of any weight loss drug or behavior and seeks to provide education on the insidious nature of diet culture. We understand the complex nature of disordered eating and eating disorders and strongly encourage anyone engaging in these behaviors to reach out for help as soon as possible. No statement should be taken as healthcare advice. All healthcare decisions should be made with your individual healthcare provider.
