Ask the Expert: Nutrition – Wegovy & Mounjaro Nutrition Guide

Taking your injection consistently is just one part of your GLP-1 weight management journey. Nutrition also plays a fundamental role in long-term success, alongside movement and mindset.

But, with so much misinformation online, it isn’t always easy to find accurate guidance. Especially on diet, where everyone seems to have an opinion.

Laura Perez, Simple Online Pharmacy’s Clinical Nutrition Lead, has spent the last eight years working in clinical nutrition, focusing on obesity management.

“Now I lead a team of amazing and talented dietitians and nutritionists,” she says. “We speak to patients about their treatment and about how to make their nutrition journey on GLP-1 treatments as smooth as possible.”

So she’s well placed to answer your questions about diet on weight management injections. Here, she sits down with our Lead Pharmacist Aamina Rafiq, for an episode of Ask the Expert on nutrition and GLP-1s.

What Should I Eat on Wegovy or Mounjaro?

It’s important to adopt a positive mentality towards food on GLP-1s. This means, instead of cutting out food groups from your diet, focus on adding good nutritious foods.

Think about including all food groups in your diet:

• Carbohydrates: Brown rice, pasta, potatoes, quinoa, cereals
• Protein: Lean meats (chicken, fish), legumes, pulses (chickpeas, beans, lentils), eggs and cheese
• Healthy fats: Olive oil, nuts, avocado, seeds, salmon, sardines

Try to consume foods that are whole. This means eating food that is either unprocessed or minimally processed. Brown bread or brown rice are great whole foods. Minimally processed meat or fish (without too many extra ingredients), plain Greek yoghurt rather than flavoured – these small changes can make all the difference.

Fruit and vegetables are highly beneficial as sources of fibre and nutrients. They can also be very filling, helping to make the most of your meal plans.

Aim to eat three main meals throughout the day, which include these food groups.

What Are the Best Foods to Eat on Mounjaro or Wegovy?

Focus on eating a little bit of everything from the above list of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats.

Eat more whole foods that are natural or close to a natural form. Avoid packaged foods with long ingredient lists.

Raw fruits and vegetables are a great source of fibre. This is especially important if you have constipation.

Should I Follow a Specific Diet Plan?

This doesn’t have a straightforward, yes-no answer.

Diet plans can be restrictive. Many people follow diet plans they’ve found online, written by people who don’t know them. So these online meal plans often don’t suit our lifestyle, preferences or other individual needs.

You should focus on making sustainable, long-term changes in your GLP-1 weight loss journey. Following these online meal plans could be hard to maintain in the long-term.

However, introducing structure to your diet can help you plan what you are going to eat and when. This helps you organise your meals, so you know you’re getting all the nutrients you need. Using a structured menu can help you create a strong base for a healthy, balanced diet. You can continue following it until it becomes a habit.

Most people have busy lives and families to feed too. So meal plans can take the stress and overwhelm away from cooking and eating healthy food. If planning for a whole week of meals seems overwhelming, just plan for the next two to three days. This can also help you maintain variety into your diet – so you’re not just eating the same meals every day for seven days.

How Can I Use Mounjaro or Wegovy to Change My Diet and Habits?

You still have to make conscious food choices and build new habits. But using medication can make it easier to implement those lifestyle changes.

Long-term success on GLP-1 weight management treatment can only happen if you make changes to your diet, levels of physical activity and mindset around food. So take this opportunity to make those changes. Look at your current lifestyle and think:

• “What could I change or improve?”
• “Am I getting all the right nutrients?”
• “Could I organise my meals better?”
• “What could I add to my diet to make it more nutritious?”

Take the opportunity to connect with your body and develop a healthier relationship with food.

Why Am I Not Hungry on Mounjaro? And Should I Force Myself to Eat?

GLP-1s work by suppressing your appetite, so you feel fuller for longer. Sometimes this suppression can be strong. Appetite suppression and common side effects (like nausea) are usually strongest the day after you inject.

While appetite suppression is normal, it could be an issue if you’re struggling to eat. In that case, your healthcare provider may need to change your dose.

We would not advise forcing yourself to eat, if you’re feeling full and it doesn’t feel right. However, it’s important that you eat all the nutrients you need to you stay healthy and strong. So, try to have some structure, sit down at mealtimes, and focus on nourishing your body. The key here is balance.

If you don’t feel like eating your usual meals, swap it for lighter, easy-to-digest foods you can eat. Yoghurt with fruit is a good example.

While it’s not the ideal way to add protein into your diet, a protein shake could be a good option. This may help you get in essential nutrients without having lots of food sitting heavy in your stomach. You should avoid using protein shakes as a meal replacement though; only use them to top up your nutrition.

How Do I Maintain Proper Nutrition When I Have No Appetite?

Again, meal times and structure can help with ensuring good nutrition. You don’t have to stick to these times forever. And you don’t have to keep to the same time everyday. It doesn’t need to be in the same setting either.

If you’ve got a set time for, for example, breakfast, you know you’re getting your nutrients and fuelling your body for the day.

This structure lays the foundations on which you can build a good, healthy diet.

What Foods Help with Nausea While on Mounjaro or Wegovy?

A lot of the time, people experience nausea because they’re not eating enough or not drinking enough water. So it can be helpful to ask yourself:

• “When was the last time I ate something?”
• “Do I need to eat anything?”
• “How much have I had to drink today?”

Eating a bit of food and drinking fluids can help with nausea. However, you’ll need to eat something that settles the stomach – and this is different for everyone. For many people, this might be something plain, like crackers or some toast. Yoghurt may also help some people.

Ginger is a fantastic ingredient for managing nausea and settling the stomach. So you could try some ginger tea and see if it helps you.

How Important Is it to Make Sure You’re Drinking Water?

It’s important to drink enough water.

As well as suppressing appetite, GLP-1s can also suppress thirst. So you might forget to drink fluids throughout the day.

Keeping a bottle of water nearby can motivate you to drink more water. Move around the house with a bottle. Or, if you’re in the office, have a bottle of water with you. Keep little cues around to remind you.

Can I Drink Alcohol While Taking Mounjaro or Wegovy?

You can drink alcohol on GLP-1s. However, many patients find their side effects get worse after drinking alcohol.

Reducing your alcohol consumption is ideal. And never go above the weekly recommendations of alcohol units (14 units per week for both men and women).

Should I Avoid Carbonated Beverages and Sugary Drinks?

You should try to reduce your intake of fizzy or sugary drinks on Mounjaro and Wegovy.

GLP-1 medication delays gastric emptying. So these drinks, like food, will stay in your stomach for longer. They can create discomfort and some bloating, and may make side effects such as “sulphur burps” worse. Take this as an opportunity to maybe change behaviors and habits.

Should I Eat Before or After My Injection?

Eating before or after the weight loss injection will not change how well the medication works.

However, if you feel nausea after your injection, and find it a struggle to eat enough, take the medication in the evening. This means you can give your body the nutrients it needs. And your stomach should be a bit more settled in the evening.

You’ll likely feel more comfortable at home in the evening too.

Can I Practice Intermittent Fasting?

Laura doesn’t recommend patients try intermittent fasting on GLP-1 treatment.

When intermittent fasting, you eat the same amount of food you’d normally eat throughout the day, but in a smaller window of time.

If you do this, you don’t have the same opportunity to structure your meals, which contain the nutrients required. Restricting the feeding time would normally mean increasing the volume of the meals.

However, the appetite-suppressing effects of GLP1s might reduce how much you can eat at once. This can lead to ending up eating too little calories a day and risking possible nutritional deficiencies.

Should I Take Vitamins and Supplements?

Yes, we’d recommend an A to Z multivitamin.

Sometimes getting all the right nutrients can be difficult when you don’t have as much of an appetite. Most of us are busy, and life can get in the way too. So a multivitamin can help make sure you’re not missing any important vitamins and minerals.

Are Protein Shakes Recommended?

Protein shakes can be a useful supplement that can help you reach the recommended intake – especially if you’re busy. But they shouldn’t be your main protein source. And they shouldn’t replace a meal.

It’s best to add protein to your diet by focusing on whole foods, adding in more lean protein, nuts and seeds. Or make-ahead breakfasts like chia puddings with added protein sources.

Smoothies are also a great option. You can pack in lots of nutrient-dense foods like fruit and vegetables. You can add healthy fats, like avocados, nuts and even a scoop of protein powder. A smoothie made with Greek yoghurt can also add some extra protein and nutrients to your day.

Which Foods are Easiest to Digest on Mounjaro or Wegovy?

Boiled, grilled or steamed foods will be easiest to digest. It doesn’t have to be boring, though. You can add some seasoning and spices.

If you’re getting stomach-related side effects, white fish and chicken are bland and easy to digest. Some people find fruit and vegetables easy to digest, but everybody is different. It may depend on how you cook the vegetables. Try steaming them or boiling them and stick to simple combinations.

Can I Follow a Keto, Vegan, Vegetarian, or Low-Carb Diet?

It depends on the diet.

You absolutely can follow a vegan or vegetarian diet on Mounjaro and Wegovy. The key is to make sure you’re hitting all the food groups. So you’ll get protein from plant-based sources, like lentils, pulses, legumes and tofu, for example. Vegetarians can get protein from eggs and dairy products too.

However, Keto and low-carb diets are different. They’re a bit more extreme. Making long-term, sustainable changes to eating habits is the most important thing. So, if you can’t see yourself sticking to the diet in three months’ time, then don’t follow it.

A lot of patients tell us they are following – or have followed – low-carb diets. But many aren’t aware that fruits and vegetables are also classed as carbohydrates. It’s not just pasta, rice and potatoes.

Carbohydrates are important parts of our diet. You should have balanced meals, with some protein, healthy fats, and some carbohydrates on your plate.

On GLP-1s, eating large portions of carbohydrates, and not proioritising other food groups, may make you feel uncomfortable. If you feel discomfort, you can reduce your portion sizes. You can also reduce the amount of starchy carbohydrates (bread, pasta, sweet potatoes), which may contribute to this discomfort.

Focus on protein when you don’t feel very hungry. Eating some complex carbohydrates when you are hungry can help you feel full longer. If you feel sick after your injection and have trouble eating enough, take the medication in the evening.

Key Takeaways

• Focus on Whole, Balanced Meals: Include carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats rather than cutting out food groups.
• Structure Helps: Planning meals for a few days at a time supports good nutrition, reduces stress, and builds lasting habits.
• Appetite Changes are Normal. GLP-1s suppress hunger, but you should still aim for structured mealtimes and nutrient-rich foods.
• Simple Swaps Ease Side Effects. Lighter, easy-to-digest foods (like yoghurt, white fish, ginger tea) can help manage nausea.
• Hydration Matters: Drink enough water daily, limit sugary and fizzy drinks, and keep alcohol within safe limits.

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