Kartini Clinic for Children and Families

Pediatric Eating Disorder Treatment Program

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      • Causes and Triggers: Bulimia
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More Details about Kartini Clinic’s Meal Plan

March 15, 2008 by Julie O'Toole

I have recently received some feedback about our food plan that impels me to add a few details. The food plan has been the backbone of treatment at the Kartini Clinic for many years, but there are some things you should know about it.

  • It was developed to enable families to feed their children without resort to counting calories or exchanges. The child chooses among real food items that have been counted already (by us). Many different food choices are available.
  • Within the confines of the food plan parents can cook traditional American food, if that is what their family likes, or Chinese food or Indian food or Russian food or German food, nouvelle-cuisine, French food, Japanese food…you get the picture.
  • It IS true that our meal plan does not support fast food.
  • It IS true that we want parents in charge of the food.
  • It IS true that we don't allow low-calorie, low-fat, or diet options or drinks.
  • It IS true that we require family dinners (not a problem for some, a big adjustment for others)
  • It is NOT true that our patients must always stay on the meal plan. In fact, at one year post the onset of re-feeding we sit down with the family of a child who is doing well and discuss: “is it time to stop recording what is eaten?”; “Is it time to add desserts, etc.?”; “Is it time to continue recording, but eat without restriction?”
  • It is NOT true that the meal plan is rigid; it is limited only by a cook's (parent's) imagination. You can eat meat, nuts, milk, yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, cream cheese, chicken, fish, tofu, eggs, French toast, homemade pancakes or waffles, olives, beans, cheese, olive oil or any other oil, ghee, butter, mayonnaise, bread, pasta, rice, bagels, granola, cereal, grits, couscous, quinoa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cornbread and every imaginable vegetable and fruit, to name a few things. You can even eat pizza with a big vegetable-y salad and full fat dressing, as long as pizza doesn't become all that you eat.
  • The time to leave the meal plan behind is very variable and individualized to a patient's progress.

Filed Under: Eating Disorder Treatment, Evidence Based Treatment

Recent Blog Posts

New to Treatment? Don’t Panic!

February 10, 2022 By Julie O'Toole

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February 9, 2022 By Morgan O'Toole-Smith

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Dr. O’Toole to retire at the end of 2020.

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July 18, 2019 By Julie O'Toole

  • Eating Disorder Treatment
    • Anorexia Nervosa
      • Signs & Symptoms: Anorexia
      • Causes and Triggers: Anorexia
      • Treatment: Anorexia
    • Bulimia Nervosa
      • Signs & Symptoms: Bulimia
      • Causes and Triggers: Bulimia
      • Treatment: Bulimia
    • Food Phobia
      • Signs & Symptoms: Food Phobia
      • Causes and Triggers: Food Phobia
      • Treatment: Food Phobia
    • ARFID
    • Treatment Overview
      • Inpatient
      • Partial Hospitalization (PHP)
      • Intensive Outpatient (IOP)
      • Outpatient
      • Cost of Treatment
  • Eating Disorder Resources
    • For Referring Providers
      • Hospitalization Criteria
      • Direct Referrals
    • For Parents & Guardians
      • Top Tips for Parents
      • Understanding Your Insurance
      • Talking to Your Employer
      • Insurance FAQ
      • Mental Health Parity Law
      • Family Housing Information
      • School During Treatment
      • Give Food a Chance
    • Kartini School
    • Research & Resources
    • Treatment Videos
    • Glossary of Eating Disorder Terms
  • About Kartini Clinic
    • Why Kartini is Different
    • Will Treatment Work?
    • Our Staff
    • Contact Us
    • Careers at Kartini

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From Our Blog

New to Treatment? Don’t Panic!

February 10, 2022

Your child has been diagnosed with an eating disorder by one of the doctors at Kartini Clinic. Whether this is a restricting disorder with fear of fat, a bingeing and purging disorder or what we call ARFID (avoidant restrictive food intake disorder), it matters little.  What matters is that the … Read Post...

Kartini School: A Success Story

February 9, 2022

[Ed. note: This is one in a series of guest blogs by our Kartini School administrator, Mary Gunesch. With schools returning to at least partial in-person instruction we thought it a good time to focus on this subject.]  When a student begins treatment at Kartini Clinic, we reach out to their … Read Post...

Online Reviews

September 23, 2021

This post is from Kartini Clinic CEO Morgan O'Toole.  Online reviews have become part of our everyday lives. Who hasn’t glanced at the star ratings when Googling a new hair salon or looking for a restaurant to try out? Most of the time, online reviews are just another useful data point when … Read Post...

The Kartini Clinic Difference

At Kartini Clinic we practice only evidence-based, family-centered eating disorder treatment. Our program is a multi-disciplinary medical and psychiatric treatment model rather than an exclusively psychiatric approach to eating disorder treatment.  read more »

Eating Disorder Quick Links

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Tel: (971) 319-6800
Fax: (503) 282-3409

help@kartiniclinic.com

3530 N Vancouver, Suite 400
Portland, OR 97227

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