What should a meal plan look like for a client on a GLP-1 medication?
In short: A meal plan for a client taking a GLP-1 medication such as semaglutide or tirzepatide should prioritise nutritional adequacy within a smaller overall food intake. Focus on adequate protein, nutrient-dense foods and appropriate fibre and fluid intake, using smaller meals or snacks where reduced appetite or gastrointestinal symptoms make larger meals difficult. Adjust food choices and portion sizes around the client's symptoms and tolerance rather than restricting energy further, and refer back to the medical team (prescriber) if they are unable to maintain adequate food or fluid intake.
1 min 21 s videoCaptions onUpdated 4 October 2026
Why meal planning may need to change
GLP-1 medications can substantially reduce appetite and increase feelings of fullness, which may make previously appropriate portion sizes difficult to manage. Some clients also experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, constipation, diarrhoea or vomiting. A meal plan that worked before treatment may therefore need to be adapted around a smaller appetite, changing food tolerance and the need to maintain adequate nutrient intake.
The 2025 joint advisory from four obesity and nutrition societies highlights several nutritional priorities during GLP-1 therapy, including managing gastrointestinal side effects, maintaining diet quality and nutritional adequacy despite reduced food intake, preventing micronutrient shortfalls, and supporting the preservation of lean mass through adequate protein intake and appropriate resistance exercise. Setting an appropriate protein target is covered in the existing linked protein article. This page focuses on how to build the rest of the client's diet around it.
What a day looks like
When appetite is reduced or larger meals are difficult to tolerate, smaller meals and snacks may be easier to manage. Eating slowly and paying attention to fullness can also help. Here is one example of how a day might look for a client with a reduced appetite.
| Eating occasion | Example | What it provides |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Greek yoghurt with oats and berries | Protein, fibre and fruit in a relatively small meal |
| Mid-morning | A boiled egg and a small piece of fruit | Protein and fruit in a small snack |
| Lunch | Lentil and vegetable soup with a slice of wholegrain bread | Protein, fibre and vegetables |
| Afternoon | Cottage cheese on wholegrain crackers | A protein-rich snack with some carbohydrate and fibre |
| Dinner | A small fillet of salmon, new potatoes and green beans | Protein, vegetables and carbohydrate in a balanced meal |
Encourage clients to eat slowly and respond to feelings of fullness rather than trying to finish a predetermined portion. Large meals and eating beyond comfortable fullness may worsen gastrointestinal symptoms for some people.
Planning around side effects
Gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation are common with GLP-1-based therapies, although their frequency and severity vary between medications and individuals. In the STEP 1 trial of semaglutide 2.4 mg, gastrointestinal disorders were reported by 74.2% of participants receiving semaglutide compared with 47.9% receiving placebo, and most events were mild to moderate and transient. Dietary adjustments may help clients manage some of these symptoms.
| Side effect | What helps | Refer to the prescriber when |
|---|---|---|
| Nausea | Smaller meals, eating slowly, avoiding eating beyond comfortable fullness, and reducing high-fat foods if these worsen symptoms. | Symptoms are persistent or severe, there is repeated vomiting, or the client is struggling to maintain adequate food or fluid intake. |
| Constipation | Gradually increasing fibre where tolerated, adequate fluids and regular movement. | Symptoms are severe or persistent, there is significant abdominal pain, or there are other concerning symptoms. |
| Diarrhoea | Maintaining fluids and choosing foods that are better tolerated while symptoms are present. | Diarrhoea is persistent or severe, or there are signs of dehydration, dizziness or weakness. |
| Reflux | Smaller meals, avoiding lying down soon after eating and identifying individual food triggers. | Symptoms are persistent, worsening or troublesome. |
Severe or persistent abdominal pain, particularly if accompanied by vomiting or other concerning symptoms, requires prompt medical assessment rather than dietary management alone.
Fibre, fluids and micronutrient adequacy
Fibre. Continue to work towards age- and country-appropriate fibre recommendations where tolerated. In the UK, the adult recommendation is 30 g/day. In Australia and New Zealand, the Adequate Intake is 25 g/day for adult women and 30 g/day for adult men.
When intake has been low or gastrointestinal symptoms are present, increase fibre gradually and consider individual tolerance.
Oats, legumes, wholegrains, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds can all contribute fibre within a nutrient-dense diet.
Fluids. Reduced food intake can also reduce the amount of fluid obtained from foods, while vomiting or diarrhoea can increase fluid losses.
Encourage regular fluid intake across the day, taking account of individual needs and any medical conditions that require fluid restriction.
Vitamins and minerals. When overall food intake is substantially reduced, meeting micronutrient requirements can become more difficult.
Assess dietary variety and adequacy, paying particular attention to nutrients that may be limited by the client's dietary pattern.
Where intake remains very low or a deficiency is suspected, refer for appropriate clinical assessment and supplementation where indicated.
Alcohol. Alcohol contributes energy without helping to meet protein or micronutrient needs and may worsen gastrointestinal symptoms for some clients.
Discuss intake where relevant and consider how alcohol affects the client's individual symptoms and overall dietary intake.
Plan for maintenance too
Appetite and hunger may increase if GLP-1 treatment is reduced or stopped, and weight regain is common after discontinuation.
Use the time on treatment to help clients build sustainable eating habits they can carry forward, rather than focusing only on the weight-loss phase.
How to do it in Foodzilla
In Foodzilla, the client can log each GLP-1 dose, you read it next to their weight and what they eat, and you generate plans with the GLP-1 label and more, smaller meals.
- 1Go to Forms & Bookings and, under Templates on the Forms tab, press Use template on GLP-1 / Weight Management Intake & Monitoring, then Save Form. It asks about the medication, dose history, side effects, nausea, appetite and protein intake. Send it from the client's dashboard with More, then Forms..., then Send Form.
- 2Open the client's App Experience, turn on GLP-1 Tracking under Tracking & Goals and press Save Changes. App Experience needs the Professional plan or above. The client then logs each dose from their app or the client portal, and the GLP-1 Tracking card on their dashboard shows the current dose and recent doses.
- 3Open Health & Diet Goals and, on the Nutrition tab, set Daily Protein In, Daily Fiber In and Daily Water Intake.
- 4Go to Meal Plans, choose the client and press Auto-Generate. Under Which meals?, keep Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and add one or more of Pre-lunch snack, Post-lunch snack and Post-dinner snack. Under Dietary needs & ingredients, choose GLP-1. It's one of the labels that needs the Professional plan or above.
- 5Press Generate plan and read each day in the Planner. Replace any large, rich or fried dish with Manual Swap from the recipe's menu.
- 6After each dose change, open Weight History & Progress Photos, where every dose shows as a band on the weight chart, and check the Day and Week views of their dashboard to see how much they're really eating.
Good to know
- Ask when symptoms are worstGastrointestinal symptoms can vary over the course of treatment and may occur or worsen during dose escalation. Ask clients whether they notice a pattern and adapt meal size, food choices and timing around their individual tolerance.
- Create a list of well-tolerated foodsAgree on several simple foods or meals the client can manage when appetite is particularly low or nausea is present. This might include yoghurt, soup, eggs, milk or toast, depending on individual tolerance. Keeping the list in their meal-plan notes gives them easy options when deciding what to eat feels difficult.
- Don't automatically push energy intake lowerGLP-1 therapy can substantially reduce appetite and energy intake. If a client's intake is already very low, the priority should be maintaining nutritional adequacy rather than automatically creating a larger energy deficit. Focus on helping them meet protein and micronutrient needs within the amount they can tolerate, and refer for clinical assessment if adequate intake cannot be maintained.