What to eat on injection day

Why dose day is different

Weekly GLP-1 medicines peak in the day or two after each injection. That's when fullness, nausea and food aversions tend to be strongest. By mid-week, appetite usually comes back a little. Planning your food around that rhythm, rather than eating the same every day, makes the hard days much easier.

The dose-day rules

• Cold beats hot. Cold food smells less, which helps if smells put you off.
• No cooking. Have everything ready the day before.
• Drink some of your protein. Milk, a smoothie or a drinking yoghurt can be sipped over an hour.
• Tiny portions, often. A few spoonfuls every two to three hours.
• Plain and bland. Skip spicy, greasy and rich food today.

Ten dose-day foods with real protein

Figures are typical for UK supermarket products. Check your labels.

The day before: batch cook

Make dose day a no-cook day by cooking the day before. A pot of lemon chicken and orzo soup or red lentil soup gives you warm, gentle portions for the next two days. Boil some eggs and portion out yoghurt pots while you're at it.

The day after

Stay gentle. Reheat the soup, eat leftovers, and keep sipping. Most people can manage a little more than on dose day, but it's still not the day for a big cooked dinner.

Mid-week: eat well while you can

When your appetite comes back, put the bigger cooked meals and higher-protein dishes on these days, like baked salmon, turkey meatballs or a chicken traybake. This is where you catch up.

Recipes to try

Drink

Berry skyr smoothie

Protein you can sip over half an hour when chewing feels like hard work.

18g protein3 minServes 1

You need

• 200ml semi-skimmed milk
• 100g plain skyr
• 80g frozen berries
• Half a small banana

Method

1. Blend everything until smooth.
2. Pour into a glass and sip slowly.
3. Keeps in the fridge for up to a day; shake before drinking.

Batch cook

Lemon chicken and orzo soup

A light, brothy soup that freezes well, so a gentle meal is always ready.

26g protein per portion30 minMakes 4

You need

• 400g skinless chicken breast
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1.2 litres chicken stock
• 100g orzo
• 1 lemon
• Handful of spinach

Method

1. Soften the onion and carrot in a little oil for 5 minutes.
2. Add the stock and the whole chicken breasts. Simmer for 15 minutes, then lift the chicken out and shred it.
3. Add the orzo and cook for 8 minutes.
4. Return the chicken, stir in the spinach and the lemon juice, and season.
5. Cool and freeze in single portions.

Batch cook

Red lentil and tomato soup

Smooth, mild and plant-based. Add a spoon of yoghurt for extra protein.

13g protein per portion30 minMakes 4

You need

• 200g red lentils, rinsed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 1 tsp ground cumin

Method

1. Soften the onion and carrot in a little oil.
2. Add the cumin, lentils, tomatoes and stock.
3. Simmer for 20 minutes until the lentils collapse.
4. Blend until smooth and season. Freezes well in single portions.

Questions people ask

What should I eat on the day of my Mounjaro injection?

Small portions of cold, plain, no-cook food with protein, such as yoghurt, cottage cheese, boiled eggs, cooked chicken or a milk-based smoothie. Batch cook the day before so there's nothing to make.

Should I eat before my injection?

You don't need to change your meals around the injection itself. Some people prefer a light meal beforehand. Follow your prescriber's instructions about your medicine.

Why am I less hungry the day after my injection?

Weekly GLP-1 medicines are at their strongest in the day or two after each dose, so fullness and nausea often peak then and ease later in the week.

Which day should I take my injection?

That's a question for your prescriber. Many people pick a day that lets the hardest eating days fall when they're at home or not cooking for others.

Read next

General food information for adults, not medical advice. Always follow your prescriber's advice about your medication, and speak to your GP, pharmacist or a dietitian about health concerns. Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic are trademarks of their owners; Little & Often isn't connected to them.