The college years bring a whirlwind of change, growth, and new experiences, and dealing with college eating disorders can be tough. For students recovering from eating disorders, the transition can come with many situations that challenge recovery. In fact, a 2025 study of students at 26 U.S. schools found that 13% of U.S. college students showed signs of an eating disorder, which is about one in 8 students. Eating disorders can affect students in many different ways, and sym

The first time I encountered the term "mechanical eating" was during my nutrition studies. It was presented as a clinical, somewhat rigid method—primarily used in treating acute eating disorders and supporting eating disorder recovery. The approach was portrayed as formulaic: a strict mechanical eating meal plan that had to be followed precisely for any progress in eating disorder recovery to be made. But through my experience as an eating disorder dietitian, I’ve come to see

As an eating disorder dietitian, I recognize the benefit of eating disorder meal planning for clients – it helps make the workweek less stressful, it’s economically efficient, and it ensures we eat nutrient-dense meals all week long. This approach to eating disorder meal planning without rigidity can be especially helpful during eating disorder recovery. But is it worth giving up a large chunk of our weekends? My vote’s No. But I also don’t want to take more than one trip to