EP 242: Practical Meal Planning Tips & Tricks to Lessen Stress & Reduce Food Anxiety ~ HBS Interview With Dietitian Brittany Braswell

In this powerful interview, Lindsey sits down with Brittany Braswell, a registered dietitian, food freedom coach, and host of Faith-Filled Food Freedom podcast. Brittany shares her unique approach to eating disorder recovery that integrates evidence-based nutrition with Christian faith, creating lasting transformation for women struggling with food guilt and body shame.

In this episode you will discover practical strategies for menu planning without restriction, overcoming fear foods, and why having a strong faith foundation accelerates recovery progress.

This episode is perfect for: Christian women in eating disorder recovery, anyone struggling with meal planning anxiety, and those seeking faith-based approaches to food freedom.

Meet Brittany Braswell:

🎓 Registered Dietitian with 12+ years experience 🎤 Public Speaker and Podcast Host of Faith-Filled Food Freedom 💝 Specializes in: Food freedom and body image coaching for Christian women 🏡 Life: Wife and mom of three in small-town Alabama ✨ Mission: Helping women break free from food guilt and body shame through Christ-centered coaching

Key Topics Covered: Brittany's Journey to Food Freedom

• How traditional nutrition education created food polarization
• Discovering the connection between restrictive teaching and client struggles
• Working in eating disorder treatment centers and seeing faith's impact
• Why evidence-based recovery + faith = faster, sustained progress

The Power of Faith in Recovery

• Why bodies created by God respond better when we trust His design
• How faith provides a solid foundation vs. carrying recovery weight alone
• Breaking free from "A-student recovery" perfectionism
• Using truth to combat eating disorder lies

Menu Planning vs. Meal Plans

• Meal Plans: Structured like a cast - helpful for stability during healing
• Menu Planning: Flexible approach focusing on available ingredients
• When to transition from rigid structure to intuitive flexibility
• Brittany's $5 menu board system for decision fatigue

Practical Strategies Shared: Quick 5-Minute Meal Formula

Brittany's Go-To Mexican Bowl:

• Canned black beans (protein)
• Microwaveable rice pouch
• Salsa for seasoning
• Shredded cheese
• Optional: pre-cooked shredded chicken from freezer

Menu Planning Made Simple

• Create a "par stock" list of always-available ingredients
• Plan 3-4 flexible meals per week
• Use visual menu board with clip-on recipe cards
• Build in backup options for exhausting days
• Prep shredded chicken in bulk for quick protein

Overcoming Fear Foods

• Get education about feared nutrients (challenge the lies)
• Use accountability - eat with others when possible
• Categorize fears: least scary → moderately scary → terrifying
• Start with least scary foods first
• Rename trigger words (carbs = "components" or "cactuses")

Powerful Insights:

💡 "Our bodies were created by the Lord, so He knows them better than we do"

💡 "Clients who integrated faith made progress faster and sustained it longer"

💡 "You don't have to do recovery like an A-student - there's no perfect way"

💡 "Having a plan doesn't mean you can't be intuitive - it means ingredients are available when cravings hit"

💡 "Everything will feel scary first when incorporating new foods"

Brittany's Definition of "Best Self":

"Having total peace about saying no and setting boundaries"

• Learning that "no" is a complete sentence
• Prioritizing values over people-pleasing
• Creating margin in calendar to avoid anxiety and rushing
• Protecting time with family and serving clients authentically

Why Faith + Nutrition Works:

✅ Provides solid foundation beyond personal willpower ✅ Offers truth to combat eating disorder lies ✅ Reduces pressure of carrying recovery weight alone ✅ Creates sustainable progress vs. white-knuckling ✅ Addresses identity and worth at the core level ✅ Prevents relapse behaviors from perfectionist pressure

For Christian Women in Recovery:

🙏 Your faith matters in your food freedom journey 🙏 God designed your body and knows what it needs 🙏 Recovery doesn't have to be perfect - grace covers the messy middle 🙏 Community and accountability accelerate healing 🙏 Your identity is in Christ not in food control or body size 🙏 Boundaries are biblical and necessary for wholeness

Connect with Brittany Braswell:

🎧 Podcast: Faith-Filled Food Freedom (wherever you listen to podcasts) 🌐 Website: www.brittanybraswellrd.com 📚 Free Resources: www.brittanybraswellrd.com/herbestself  

Free Resources Mentioned:

Visit www.brittanybraswellrd.com/herbestself for:

• Simple menu planning strategies without restriction
• Guilt-free meal planning guides
• Related podcast episodes
• Faith-based recovery resources

Key Takeaways:

✨ Menu planning can support intuitive eating when done flexibly ✨ Faith provides the foundation recovery needs to be sustainable ✨ Fear foods become manageable with education and gradual exposure ✨ Quick meal strategies prevent eating disorder thoughts from winning ✨ Accountability accelerates progress in recovery ✨ Boundaries protect your recovery and honor your values ✨ You don't have to be perfect at recovery to be successful

For Supporters and Family:

Understanding that:

• Recovery looks different when faith is integrated
• Meal planning helps reduce decision fatigue
• Supporting flexible eating is more helpful than food policing
• Accountability can look like simply eating together
• Faith-based recovery often progresses faster

Love this episode? Here's how you can support:

💕 Rate and review to help more women find faith-based recovery content 💕 Share with a friend who's struggling with food and faith integration 💕 Follow Brittany's podcast Faith-Filled Food Freedom 💕 Connect in comments about your biggest takeaway

Her Best Self with Lindsey Nichol is a podcast for women in eating disorder recovery who are ready to break free from perfectionism, people-pleasing, and diet culture to live authentically and wholeheartedly.