Food in Eating Disorder Treatment: Meet Alsana's Director of Culinary Services Jennifer Batchelor

Food is a big part of eating disorder treatment. Whether you receive eating disorder care in San Diego or elsewhere, it is important to work with people and programs that have an intentional nutrition philosophy that integrates into their overarching approach to eating disorder treatment. I had the great experience of interviewing Alsana’s National Director of Culinary Services Jennifer Batchelor. She described how Alsana, an eating disorder treatment program, provides diverse eating experiences that help people recover from eating disorders.

How long have you been working with eating disorders and with Alsana?

I have been with Alsana for almost two years and in my current position as National Director of Culinary Services for a year in March.  I have been working with eating disorders for almost four years.

What is Alsana and how can it help people recover from eating disorders?

Alsana is an eating recovery community and treatment provider that helps adult clients of all genders at three levels of care: residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient.

We offer clients individualized, holistic, treatment programming that is built on the foundation of our Adaptive Care Model® that addresses medical, therapeutic, nutritional, relational and movement-based challenges.  Alsana has locations in California, Alabama, and Missouri, and virtual programs that serve clients across the U.S.   Our compassionate team of eating disorder treatment professionals is committed to meeting each unique client where they are in their recovery journey. 

What is your role as a registered dietitian overseeing Alsana’s nutrition philosophy when it comes to treating eating disorders?

Our nutrition philosophy is the foundation of our culinary experiences and menus at Alsana.  It is designed to help clients heal their relationship with both food and body with the balance of nourishment and pleasure.  We operate with an “all foods can fit” model that allows for flexibility with food without shame or judgement.

Our RD and chef teams are integral to our clients’ treatment, both clinically and in the culinary space.  As National Director of Culinary Services and Nutrition Support, I use my skills as a trained chef and registered dietitian to work with our registered dietitians and culinary teams to create nutrition experientials, high quality and appetizing meals, and work toward a more positive experience in the kitchen for clients.  

What do you do with Alsana’s development team for Alsana’s eating disorder treatment facilities?

As a part of the development team, I work with our Regional Directors of Development to design the kitchen space at our new sites.  I view the kitchen from a chef’s perspective and help to create a layout that works best for preparing meals for our programs.  I also understand the programmatic needs for each site and can integrate those needs in the design.  I help choose equipment and small wares as well, focusing on quality and the specific needs of our population.

I travel with the National Clinical Educator team to our new sites as they prepare to open. I am tasked with training new chefs on our nutrition philosophy, portioning, and language as well as the flow of meals and snacks. 

How do you attend to cultural diversity when it comes to nutrition for those in eating disorder treatment?

I am blessed to have a diverse chef team, and I tap into their knowledge and backgrounds to add cultural diversity to our menu cycle.  Our chefs contribute recipes that they enjoy making and are a part of their own heritage.  I then adjust those recipes as needed to meet our clients’ nourishment needs.  We also incorporate recipes from around the world to allow clients exposure to different cuisines.  My focus is presenting clients with flavor profiles and textures they haven’t experienced before in a supportive environment so they will feel more confident when they leave treatment to try new foods.

Is there anything else you’d like people to know about eating disorder recovery and nutrition?

With the Nutrition Dimension of the Adaptive Care Model® at Alsana, we have the opportunity to expand clients’ experience with food in a safe space without shame or judgement.  We partner with our clients to explore their motivations, challenge food fears, and nourish full recovery.

How can people learn more about Alsana?

Visit Alsana.com or reach out to admissions at 888.822.8938

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Hey everyone, I really appreciate you reading my blog!  Have a wonderful day. :)  

Marianne 

If you are struggling to find online eating disorder treatment with help with bulimia, binge eating or other eating disorders in San Diego, schedule a free, 15-minute phone consultation using the online scheduler (just click on the orange button), and I will help you get where you need to be! 

You can find more information about me on Instagram @drmariannemiller or on my Facebook page.