In this interactive toolkit you’ll find information about how nutrition impacts teenagers’ health. The materials can be used to help teens understand eating disorders, what treatment looks like, and how to work towards recovery with a team of health professionals. The goal of this resource is to encourage discussion and conversation between teens, their supportive family and friends, and their treatment team.
This toolkit was written by Katelyn Castro, MS, RD, LDN with guidance from Whitney Evans, PhD, RD, Vanessa Kane-Alves, RDN, LDN, and the team of registered dietitians in the Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital. This material was supported in part by the Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) program, funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau/Health Resources and Services Administration (T71MC00009).
The clinician’s guide lists which materials may be most relevant for teens with specific eating disorder behaviors and treatment approaches. Clinicians must use their clinical judgment to determine when materials are appropriate to share with teens and at what rate, depending on their stage of recovery, treatment approach, and eating disorder behaviors.
All handouts in the toolkit are listed individually below so they can be printed and used separately or as part of a series of discussions with teens.
Eating Disorders Overview:
What Does Eating Disorder Recovery Look Like?
Overview of Family-Based Treatment
The Health Impact of Restrictive Eating
The Health Impact of Extreme Picky Eating
The Health Impact of Purging
The Health Impact of Over-Exercising
The Health Impact of the Restrict-Overeat Cycle
Nutrition Basics:
What are Calories and What Do Our Bodies Use Them For?
Why are Carbohydrates Important for Our Bodies?
Why is Fat Important for Our Bodies?
Why is Protein Important for Our Bodies?
Nutrient-Dense Meal Planning for Teens with Eating Disorders:
Meal Planning Guide for Weight Restoration
Building Nutrient-Dense Meals and Snacks: Create Your Own!
Nutrient-Dense Snack Formula
General Meal Planning for Teens with Eating Disorders:
Meal Planning Guide to Restore Healthy Eating Patterns
Building Balanced Meals and Snacks: Create Your Own!
Balanced Snack Formula
Topics for Later in Eating Disorder Recovery:
How is Diet Culture Affecting Me?
Fear Foods: What are they and how do we face them?
Food Chaining for ARFID
Recognizing and Challenging Eating Disorder Thoughts
Reconnecting with Hunger and Fullness Cues