Episode 025

Title: Feed with FEAST: What Goes on the Plate, and What Happens Next

(with Judy Krasna)

In this episode, Jenni Gaines sits down with FEAST executive director Judy Krasna to talk about Feed with FEAST, a new nutrition resource built for caregivers who are responsible for feeding a loved one through eating disorder recovery. Judy describes how the idea grew from a request for FEAST's old recipe book into a full resource: roughly 50 family-contributed energy-dense recipes, a week-long meal plan, a four-tier snack guide, plain-language nutritional guidance, and a mealtime section covering what to say at the table and how to hold steady when a child pushes back. Both women speak candidly about their own years of guessing in the kitchen, and about the steep learning curve of realizing that what looked like enough food was not enough. Judy makes the case that food is medicine in eating disorder recovery, that the parent is the one administering it six times a day, and that most treatment teams send families home with a calorie goal and little else. Listeners will come away understanding what Feed with FEAST includes, who it is for at every stage and age of recovery, and where to find it.

00:00 Introduction and Disclaimer

01:00 Introducing Feed with FEAST and Judy Krasna

03:00 Where the Idea Came From

06:00 What's Inside: Recipes, Meal Plan, and Snack Guide

08:00 Jenni's First Week: When Enough Wasn't Enough

09:40 Getting Parents Ahead of the Learning Curve

10:40 Food as Medicine and the Missing Roadmap

14:00 Why This Isn't Just a Google Search for Recipes

17:40 Professional Expertise Meets Lived Experience

20:00 Judy's Own Story: Flying Blind in the Kitchen

23:20 Inside the Mealtime Guidance Section

26:20 Who It's For: Every Stage and Every Age

28:20 Where to Find Feed with FEAST

30:30 Why This Project Is Her Baby

SUPPORT & RESOURCES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

FEAST website:

https://feast-ed.org/

FEAST flyer:

https://feast-ed.org/programs-and-services/

Enroll in Feed with FEAST:

https://feast-ed.org/feed-with-feast-about/

Guest bio:

Judy Krasna has been involved in the eating disorders space as a parent advocate and an expert by experience for over 15 years. She was an active volunteer in the Academy for Eating Disorders and is a staunch advocate for incorporating lived experience into research and treatment. After serving on the FEAST Board of Directors and taking on multiple volunteer roles within the organization, Judy stepped into the position of FEAST Executive Director in early 2021. Judy is passionate about helping families of people with eating disorders, especially after her daughter Gavriella took her own life after a fierce and prolonged battle with anorexia.