diff --git a/mealplans.js b/mealplans.js
index 4811a7d..100dfeb 100644
--- a/mealplans.js
+++ b/mealplans.js
@@ -30,16 +30,22 @@ async function fetchMealplans() {
  * @param {*} mealplans an object with meal plans
  * @param {string | number} timestamp the timestamp of the date
  * @param {string} defaultMessage the default message in case no meal plan is found
+ * @param {number | string} today the date of today, only required for tests
  * @returns {string} the meal plan for the date or the default message if no meal plan is found
  */
-function getMealplanOnDate(mealplans, timestamp, defaultMessage) {
+function getMealplanOnDate(
+  mealplans,
+  timestamp,
+  defaultMessage,
+  today = Date.now(),
+) {
   const mealplan = findMealplanOnDate(mealplans, timestamp);
 
   if (mealplan === undefined) {
     return defaultMessage + "\n\n" + linkToMealplan;
   }
 
-  return formatMealplan(mealplan);
+  return formatMealplan(mealplan, today);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -49,26 +55,37 @@ function getMealplanOnDate(mealplans, timestamp, defaultMessage) {
  * information which is excluded in the formatted meal plan.
  *
  * @param {*} mealplan the meal plan to format
+ * @param {number | string} today the date of today, only required for tests
  * @returns {string} the formatted meal plan
  */
-function formatMealplan(mealplan) {
+function formatMealplan(mealplan, today = Date.now()) {
   const counters = mealplan.counters.filter((meal) => meal.id !== "info");
 
-  const title = `__*${getMealplanTitle(mealplan.date)}*__`.replaceAll(
-    ".",
-    "\\.",
-  );
+  const title = `__*${getMealplanTitle(mealplan.date, today)}*__`;
 
   const formattedCounters = counters
     .map((counter) => formatCounter(counter))
-    .join("\n\n")
-    // Characters that have to be escaped in the Markdown style of Telegram.
-    // https://core.telegram.org/bots/api#markdownv2-style
+    .join("\n\n");
+
+  const formattedMealplan = title + "\n\n" + formattedCounters;
+
+  return escapeReservedCharacters(formattedMealplan) + "\n\n" + linkToMealplan;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Escapes characters that are reserved in the
+ * {@link https://core.telegram.org/bots/api#markdownv2-style|Markdown style of Telegram}.
+ *
+ * @param {string} string the string to escape
+ * @returns the escaped string
+ */
+function escapeReservedCharacters(string) {
+  return string
     .replaceAll("-", "\\-")
     .replaceAll("(", "\\(")
-    .replaceAll(")", "\\)");
-
-  return title + "\n\n" + formattedCounters + "\n\n" + linkToMealplan;
+    .replaceAll(")", "\\)")
+    .replaceAll(".", "\\.")
+    .replaceAll("#", "\\.");
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/tests/mealplans.spec.js b/tests/mealplans.spec.js
index c8b64e0..f2b647f 100644
--- a/tests/mealplans.spec.js
+++ b/tests/mealplans.spec.js
@@ -53,7 +53,12 @@ describe("getMealplanOnDate", () => {
 
   it("returns the formatted meal plan", () => {
     expect(
-      getMealplanOnDate(original_mealplans, "2025-01-31T00:00:00.000Z", ""),
+      getMealplanOnDate(
+        original_mealplans,
+        "2025-01-31T00:00:00.000Z",
+        "",
+        "2024-01-11T00:00:00.000Z",
+      ),
     ).toBe(`__*Freitag, 31\\.01\\.2025*__
 
 __*Wahlessen \\- Aufgang C*__
@@ -65,7 +70,9 @@ Changshou Nudelsuppe mit Rindfleisch für ???€
 
 describe("formatMealplan", () => {
   it("formats a meal plan with only one counter", () => {
-    expect(formatMealplan(original_mealplans.days[5])).toBe(
+    expect(
+      formatMealplan(original_mealplans.days[5], "1000-10-10T00:00:00.000Z"),
+    ).toBe(
       `__*Montag, 27\\.01\\.2025*__
 
 __*Wahlessen \\- Aufgang C*__
@@ -77,7 +84,9 @@ Basmatireis \\(aus biologischem Anbau\\)
   });
 
   it("formats a meal plan with many counters", () => {
-    expect(formatMealplan(original_mealplans.days[1])).toBe(
+    expect(
+      formatMealplan(original_mealplans.days[1], "2025-01-06T00:00:00.000Z"),
+    ).toBe(
       `__*Dienstag, 07\\.01\\.2025*__
 
 __*Menü 1 \\- Aufgang B*__
@@ -111,6 +120,34 @@ Pizza Diavolo mit Peperoni, Salami und Paprika für ???€
 
 Pizza vegetarisch mit Oliven, Paprika,Broccoli und getrockneten Tomaten für ???€
 
+[Speiseplan](https://mensaar.de/#/menu/sb)`,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("escapes the brackets for (heute) in the meal plan title", () => {
+    expect(
+      formatMealplan(original_mealplans.days[8], "2025-01-30T01:30:25.200Z"),
+    ).toBe(
+      `__*Donnerstag, 30\\.01\\.2025 \\(heute\\)*__
+
+__*Wahlessen \\- Aufgang C*__
+Kourou gedämpfter Schweinebauch für ???€
+Basmatireis \\(aus biologischem Anbau\\)
+Broccoligemüse
+
+[Speiseplan](https://mensaar.de/#/menu/sb)`,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("escapes the brackets for (vergangen) in the meal plan title", () => {
+    expect(
+      formatMealplan(original_mealplans.days[7], "2025-03-14T11:05:00.000Z"),
+    ).toBe(
+      `__*Mittwoch, 29\\.01\\.2025 \\(vergangen\\)*__
+
+__*Wahlessen \\- Aufgang C*__
+Gebratene Nudeln mit Sojastreifen für ???€
+
 [Speiseplan](https://mensaar.de/#/menu/sb)`,
     );
   });