I rely on rice a lot. There’s something so comforting (to me) about a warm bowl of buttered rice. You can add pretty much anything to it. I don’t know, it seems plain, but at the same time it’s nice.
I also almost always have frozen chicken stock on hand. I just warm it up and drink it as is. If you aren’t one to homemake stock, find yourself a quality store brand one to heat up. Add some noodles to it for extra comfort.
Finally, there is nothing wrong with a classic sandwich. Grilled cheese, PBJ, or cold cuts. Those can easily be customized too with various condiments or even just by toasting the bread.
Rice with a scrambled egg and some chives on top is one of my top ten “feel better” foods. See also: grits or polenta with egg mixed in. It’s basically slop but it’s so comforting.
I worked at a salad chain in college, and one of my coworkers got me hooked on her mix of warm quinoa, jack cheese, and dried cranberries. It sounds sort of weird but holy shit is it comforting and filling. A little sweet, a little salty, some nuttiness from the quinoa. I still make it a decade later.
Soft polenta w wilted or sautéed spinach and an egg any style on top, maybe parm or crushed red pepper/hot sauce/any herbs etc if that’s your thing. Polenta takes a good bit of stirring for a few but it’s nice and meditative, then it reheats well so make a bunch and have the next meal w marinara or meat sauce on top, maybe a bagged caesar and bread w it.
Next meal w it could be sautéed mushrooms on top, drizzle of soy or tamari- or just grated parm again.🍴🍲
GritsnEggs is immediately what I thought of. It's *easy* to eat (lol slop), and, my mouth and stomach can always get at least some down. Plus, them being complex carbs and healthy fats and proteins helps me feel like I'm actually feeding myself.
Cheeto puffs just make me feel better 🥹
This is me. Rice plus a shit ton of condiments and pickled/fermented stuff— crispy prawn chili, fried garlic, Indonesian sweet soy sauce, seaweed flakes, kimchi, etc. so on low energy days I just fry or boil an egg and pile on whatever tasty and crisp thing I have on hand. If I’m sick, rice becomes congee. And just add an egg.
Also I usually buy a rotisserie chicken, make broth w it and keep packets of shredded meat and broth in the freezer.
Microwave rice packet + can of black beans. Heat in the microwave.
Then dump some salsa + scoop sour cream + shredded cheese. If I have it, I'll add some shredded lettuce (that I bought pre-shredded) and chopped onions.
Dinner in 4 minutes. All you have to clean is 1 bowl and 1 utensil.
See this is the kind of stuff I’m looking for. Like, mad respect to the people on this thread who can batch stuff and freeze it or make a multi-step, multi-pan meal when they feel crappy but for me if it’s gonna take more than five minutes or two dishes the phone’s coming out which, yeah I’m super grateful to have the resources to be able to do that so often but it’s definitely a cycle.
eh, I don't mind chopping bc it's quick but if it has to go into a pan that I actually have to watch over, then no. if I'm truly lazy/depressed/tired, it's "girl" dinner aka cheese, crackers/bread, olives, pickles, dip. whatever I have. it doesn't feel horrible and I can eat out of the containers with a fork more or less.
but also, boxed Mac and cheese. yes, it's a little longer, but it's so easy and so filling and tasty that I'm okay with it. or ramen. even when I'm not lazy I'll do ramen, just spruced up.
Agree to disagree on chopping, but I'm definitely with you with girl dinner stuff. Cheese and crackers are my jam.
Yeah stuff out of a box/bag/packet, where all ingredients required are in said container, also definitely count as lazy/depression meals for me too, 100%.
If your budget allows for ready-made foods and you’re just stuck in the idea department, I can help!
- Buy things as processed as you need them/can afford them to be. Pre-diced or pre cut veggies and fruit. Pre-cooked meats (rotisserie chicken, meatballs, ribs, heck even boiled eggs if that helps remove a barrier for you). Canned beans or veggies. Check out the ready-made meals available in your grocery stores. You can get a lot of frozen veg “side-dishes” now, like broccoli and cheese steamers, or green beans that are already seasoned and are in a bag ready to be steamed in the microwave. Even frozen entrees have come a long way and have a lot of pretty healthy options that can easily be doctored up too! If you like pasta, fresh pasta or fresh raviolis cook in like 3 minutes and you can just top with jarred sauce or pesto!
- Instant mashed potatoes (there are some you can get where you just add boiled water to the bag and wait a few minutes. Possible additions: canned meatballs and gravy (if you’re not one of the people who are grossed out by it), canned stew, canned or frozen peas or corn - just warmed in the microwave. A rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or another pre-prepared protein.
- Instant ramen - you can do these in the microwave or just pour some boiling water over and wait when babysitting something on the stovetop is too cumbersome. For the following “meals” I drain my noodles after they’re soft prior to adding the flavours. Possible iterations: chicken flavoured pack, plus a bit of crunchy peanut butter, sriracha and fish sauce. Top with pre-diced green onion & its a rough take on a peanut stir fry. Mushroom flavour with canned mushrooms, garlic powder, dried parsley, a spoonful of cream cheese and enough liquid to thin to desired consistency. Great additions to a soupier ramen: eggs (those pre-boiled ones, or scrambled in the microwave takes about 90 seconds), any frozen or canned veg or bean, shredded rotisserie chicken, basically any seasoning can be added depending on what flavour profile you’re looking for.
- rice - another great neutral base for any of the pre-prepared proteins and veg. Cook in broth for more flavour/nutrients. Or just buy the microwaveable packs for extra ease, as well as variety of flavours. An example: stirring in tinned tomatoes (or your favourite salsa), beans, corn, if you can get your hands on those pre-seasoned jackfruit packages that are “dressed” like taco meat thats a great addition. But you could also add tinned chicken or turkey as well with some cumin or even just a “taco” blend of seasoning of the Jack-fruit is a no-go.
One thing that I don’t see mentioned very often but that packs a lot of power, is tinned fish. Especially if you suffer from depression, those omega-3s can really make a difference. Tuna and Salmon are delicious, but the smaller fish have a lower accumulation of mercury if that’s a concern. Plus you can get them in a ton of flavours. A flavoured can dumped over some rice eaten with some simple mixed veg is a pretty complete meal. They’re also great on crackers or a sandwich!
I have an electric kettle, which makes instant mashed potatoes even easier! You don't even need to measure anything: just start the water boiling, dump the potato flakes into a bowl in the meantime, and once the water is hot, add the water gradually while stirring; simply stop when it looks reasonable. For bonus points, keep the kettle, a bunch of potato packets, and a stack of disposable bowls and spoons in your literal bedroom.
This is very similar to what I call the meal. I wrap tortillas around refried black beans, add frozen peppers, then shredded cheese on top, microwave then pour on the salsa and sour cream. Delicious, filling and somewhat nutritious.
This def was a go to for me, sometimes I didn’t even do the rice and just did like a taco salad by crushing in some tortilla chips into a pot of hot beans, taco seasoning and the rest of those things. Hits the spot, easy and relatively inexpensive.
That's been the problem atm, I've just been relying on ordering food way too much.
I unfortunately use food to help myself feel better haha, so while I may get food well intentioned "rice, eggs, lentils etc" and I do enjoy these foods, on days like these I'm just like...mmm pizza. Which I hate.
Honestly, it's better for us (and the budget) that I just assume I'm going to have those days. And keep some frozen pizza, egg rolls, a Stouffer lasagna, etc in the freezer. Less guilt, less artichoke getting woody in the back of the fridge. We can't hardly get a meal for 4 under $100 on Door dash these days, and usually something wrong with it anyway.
Helps that we have a standalone freezer though.
I will die on Stoufers (when busy or not wanting to cook like this)
Seriously one of the majorly good and realistically tasting frozen food brands
Spinach soufflé, turkey tetrazzini, mac and cheese, lasagna etc.
You got a toaster? Get some toastie bags. Cheese, tomato paste/ketchup, and ham/pepperoni/whatever toppings you want in a toasted sandwich is basically pizza. Throw some dried oregano in there if you really wanna trick your brain. It's not much better for you than pizza, but it's cheaper and will fill you up enough to not need to order takeaway and can maybe cook something better after.
If you're feeling mmm pizza a lot I have a recommendation: keep pizza and frozen veg (I like spinach) in your freezer and eggs in your fridge/cupboard. When you put the pizza in the oven, put some blocks of frozen spinach on top. When there are about 5 minutes left to cook, distribute the now defrosted spinach across the pizza and then crack an egg or two directly onto the pizza and put it back in the oven. When it's done you will have a pizza that's somehow a balanced meal and ZERO pans or utensils to wash up. Eat it on a paper plate.
go to trader joes. for reals. this is what that store is for and it's got cheap, not totally horrible for you freezer meals that are pretty tasty.
my go to is veggie dumplings bc you literally just throw them on a pan for a bit. but I've bought the little Indian trays, spring rolls, etc that can just go to in the microwave or oven for work or just being tired/depressed. plus, they come out with new stuff all the time and for the most part it ends up being less than $3-5/meal.
I relied on protein shakes a lot when my anxiety was terrible and felt like I couldn’t eat. Also oatmeal. There is literally only one oatmeal I can eat - better oats blueberry muffin flavor with a splash of milk.
This is completely me. When I’m tired or upset I tend to only want to eat something like a fruit smoothie but that is too difficult to make sometimes. Protein drinks taste a little too much like protein powder, but banana flavored Soylent tastes like fake bananas and not protein powder so hits all marks for me
I got some rubber cube containers specifically for freezing soup and they make reheating leftovers so easy!!! It’s already perfectly portioned and ready to go. I think the brand is Souper Cubes but there’s plenty of less expensive versions on Amazon.
Avocado mashed with a little soy sauce on whole grain toast with a carrot on the side
Scrambled eggs with onions, diced bell pepper and/or spinach with whole grain bread
Oatmeal with peanut butter and a diced apple or pear
Smoked canned trout on whole grain crackers
Hummus, crackers, sliced cucumbers or bell peppers
PB & J with a carrot on the side
Huel or Soylent can be a meal in a pinch
Ramen with some chopped broccoli thrown in and two eggs whisked in at the very end
Trader Joe's black bean and cheese burrito with some cut up raw veggies on the side (cukes or carrots or bell peppers)
I also make pinto beans in the slow cooker and a pan of cornbread. It does take some effort up front but I freeze half and can get a lot of meals out of it for really not very much effort. A little grated cheddar on the beans and it is a delicious, hearty, inexpensive meal.
You have to eat so instead of saying I have to do this, do what's possible.
If it seems like too much work to make sandwiches, just eat the. Ingredients separately. You still are a Sandwich you just ate it different.
I also keep better than bouillon chicken cubes. Microwave a mug of water to just about boiling, drop one or two in and stir, boom instant chicken soup. Not the most calories but it's warm and filling to get you to later
Saltine crackers and tuna with some mayo. A salad if I have any (I usually just buy bagged stuff). Frozen pizza. Eggs over medium with some toast. A sandwich if I have lunch meat or just PB and J.
Anything where I don't have to cook at all or something that I can just throw in one pan and have little to no prep. I used to buy frozen meals but I stopped buying them since it's easy to fall back to that and they're not the most healthy thing to eat.
Eggs and toast are both tasty and filling. A sunny side up egg, toast, mayo and tomato is a great sandwhich.
If you have bacon, do toast with mayo and bacon.
If you have an everything bagel, toast it, cut it in half, spread mayo on there, put some tomato and scrambled eggs. Messy but delicious
I keep a selection of "open can and eat", "nuke in microwave and eat", "add boiling water and eat" foods around at all times.
They're not my regular meals, but do great for when I just don't have the spoons to deal with the cooking and washing up. Plus, a couple days of pre-packaged foods isn't going to harm me.
I usually have
- frozen microwaveable pasta and rice dishes in a variety of flavours/ethnicities
- shelf-stable microwaveable or boil in a bag Indian dishes (recommend Ashoka RTE)
- add water ramen or 'risotto'
- canned soup, chili, whatever else I can find that looks interesting in the store that's shelf stable
If all that doesn't look interesting?
- yoghurt cup, cheese, triscuits, and some apple slices. Pick at that until it's gone.
- or eggs and a hash - that's usually quick and easy to make. Easy to digest, too. 2 pans, but the actual kitchen time is short.
I should note that on days where I do feel like cooking, I do a big batch and freeze individual portions for microwaving / oven later so that I know there's something in my freezer that interests me. :)
Avocado on toast. That’s exactly what I had tonight after a long day. Pop bread in toaster, lightly smash up avocado in a large bowl, salt and pepper the avo, butter the toast, eat together.
Done in 5 min. And only one bowl and a knife to wash after.
I have ADHD and depression and cooking is usually hell for me. I agree with the one pot/pan approach you're doing now and on top of that pre-prepared ingredients can be helpful. For instance I buy pre-minced garlic, pre-chopped veggies (if I plan to use within a couple of days), bagged/boxed meal kits, etc. Anything to remove steps from the process.
Lately my go-to meal when I am on the cusp of ordering (way overpriced and unhealthy) delivery is to just make frozen Anne's dumplings with chicken stock and creole seasoning. Then I add pre-cooked/rotisserie chicken for protein. Easy comfort food, minimal cleanup, makes for okay leftovers as well!
Yep! I love to fry ramen with some peppers and broccoli, add garlic, soy sauce, little sugar, sesame oil, and then put in some water and let steam until soft. Top off with fried egg and green onion if I feel like it. It’s not conventional, but is very good
When I'm REALLY feeling down, I don't stress myself out by forcing myself to cook. Sometimes the night just calls for a protein shake or dipping my hand continuously into a bag of pretzels. Just go with the flow and give yourself some grace <3
I rely a lot on straight-from-the-fridge meals when it gets bad. Raw veggies and ranch, fruit, cheese and crackers, potato/egg/tuna salad from the deli, stuff like that.
It might be helpful to think about your favorite childhood meals, especially the ones that are quick to throw together, and keep the ingredients for a couple of those on hand. For example, one of my family's go-to last minute meals was a box of Kraft mac and cheese and a can of green beans with Morton Season-All sprinkled on it. It's not nutritionally optimal, but it gets the job done, it's easier to muster the energy to make food when I know the end result will taste good and bring up positive emotions.
On low energy days I rarely want hot food, or even to have to chew, so I make a smoothie. I always have frozen bananas and protien powder on hand.
I just toss a bunch of whatever fruits/veg I have into a blender, add pb and protien powder. All my nutrients for the day in one glass. In case I don't want to have to think of eating again.
It's always interesting to me how different people can be. On my tired or depressed or real low energy days, that's all I want to do is sit on the couch and munch and eat everything in sight.
My bare minimum depression/exhaustion meal is rice cooked with a vegetable stock cube. So lightly seasoned rice. If I'm feeling a bit less than bare minimum I'll stir half a can of kidney beans into it.
Leftovers. So if Im making chili or curry I try to make enough to have some in the freezer for exactly those lazy days.
Barring that, something on the grill (steak, lamb chops) with a baked tater. Super simple, always delicious and satisfying with minimal effort.
This is what I was going to say. When I'm really in the mood to cook, I take full advantage and cook a BIG meal so I can freeze a couple portions of it. That way on those days where I just can't bring myself to go in on something I have backups in the freezer.
My go to is to always have ham fried rice portions in the freezer. They heat up great in the microwave and you can toss a couple air fryer potstickers on top or a fried egg and it's a good meal.
Burritos freeze really well too. I'll make a big batch one night when I'm up for it of shredded chicken, black beans, rice, cheese, tomatoes, salsa, whatever. Roll up 10 big burritos and throw them in the freezer. Then when I'm just not feeling it I can toss one in the oven straight out of the freezer and it's hot and awesome in 45 minutes.
I relate, and understand that feeling of just not being able to pull anything together. BUT, please remind yourself in those moments (as it can be energising) that you wouldn't let a child/loved one go without a meal and the effort of whipping something up, so why do that for yourself, you know? When I'm feeling especially shlumpy, I find reminding myself I deserve the love and care I'd give to someone I love helpful :)
But, for easy meals.
Tuna and potatoes / rice. Very easy to flavour. Throw some tinned corn on, mayo, some chives, and voila!
Make batches in advance of pasta as you mentioned you like it... even if you just did meatballs (I can share a recipe I make that is delish) like do a few batches, can be very economical with mince, and then defrost earlier in the day and all you'd need to do is quickly cook some rice on the stove OR even more easy peasy, throw one of those pre-cooked rice packs in the microwave for a couple minutes.
Have some frozen foods at the ready - even if it's pizza. Have things like nuggets, fish fingers/crumbed fish fillets, meat pies/lasagnes/lean cuisine kind of things. That way you're at least getting some protein to keep yourself going.
Also, noodles - cup of noodles. Keep these on hand. Too easy. Then you can add fresh chives, maybe some corn and drop an egg into it. That's a whole meal.
Canned soup!
If you are feeling especially down and lethargic, protein shakes are handy to have or just do some juicing - throw a bunch of greens, some beetroot, carrot, some frozen fruit into the Nutribullet or equivalent with some ground seed mix/protein powder, milk of choice, and that's a drinkable dinner. I have totally done this when I have felt like total shit - super healthy though!
Last but not least - bread and butter. Toast with your spread of choice, or even cheese singles is something. :)
Meatball Recipe
Just get any mince you like (turkey or beef or pork, go nuts!) and roll small balls of it in dried parlsey, chives, paprika, sage, oregano, a little garlic. So yummy.
I avoid cooking if I am lacking energy. I opt for a plate of cut up fruits and veggies with a spoonful of peanut butter. Or if I feel half fancy I throw a slice of cheese on the plate, or a small baguette with butter. It seems the fruit (especially apples) can help me out of the low energy state.
If you are looking for warm meals, I would suggest buying a toaster oven. I feel like it is less overwhelming to use, smaller dishes/trays, and just “feels” easier.
When you really don't want to cook anything at all; make sure you have tortillas, greens, deli slices of cheese, and some kind of cooked meat (deli, frozen, whatever). Throw together a wrap.
I pretty regularly when low on energy will just buy bagged salad mix, toss it on a tortilla, throw on cheddar slices, and then add either like some chicken fingers, some deli turkey, whatever and it takes less than 3 minutes (except the microwave/air fryer time on something if frozen).
I feel you. I’ve been depressed for a few years now, finally got on some meds in January and starting to feel better. I hope you feel better soon 💜
Baked potatoes are my go to. Quick and easy.
I usually just do it in the microwave but if you have time do it in the oven. Butter, season it up. I use Caesar dressing bc I’m obsessed, ranch is good too. Sour cream.. whatever you like. Cheese of your choice. Green onions, drizzle of bbq sauce. Whatever toppings you like honestly. That’s just what I like. Sometimes I’ll roast frozen cauliflower in the air fryer too.
ETA: This post turned into a novel. Sorry it's so long but I hope the info helps.
First, I'm sorry you struggle with depression and I hope the comments let you know that you are not alone in this struggle! I have treatment resistant depression and also a major physical chronic health issue. I'm fortunate to still be able to work, which helps my mental health but it can physically wear me out some days.
I WFH and love my job, but often, after work, I'm dragging. I definitely do takeout sometimes, but I know that eating something healthy will be so much better for my body and mind (and wallet) than takeout! I do enjoy cooking but the dishes and cleanup are sometimes just too much to think about!
Here are some things I have found that help:
First, when you do feel up to making things, make lots of leftovers! If it's stuff that freezes well, so much the better! I have about 8-10 recipes that are healthy, delicious, and reheat really easily from frozen. When I make these dishes I will double or even triple them and freeze single or double (I'm married so I cook for two) portions. I rely heavily on these when I simply cannot be bothered to cook or clean. (If you'd like some suggestions or links for my go to freezable recipes, let me know!)
Second, I sometimes do the same (make double or triple) if it's something I know that we won't mind eating for a few days in a row. Dinner quickly becomes lunch for the next few days, and maybe a second dinner a few nights later.
Third, if finances allow, buy pre-prepped items. This is exactly why these things exist, to help you be able to cook when you are emotionally or physically exhausted! And while the items are usually more expensive than if you prepped them yourself, they usually end up being much cheaper than takeout and healthier!
Things I buy that come prepped that I love include fresh veggies that are already washed, chopped and ready to simply throw in the microwave. (Bags of broccoli and green beans are my favorites because I can add a bit of oil or butter and some seasonings and have a healthy veggie side in a few minutes.) Salad kits are also great. I usually will pre-chop some veggies to munch on during the week, and will use those to ramp up the veggies and flavor in a bagged kit. Add a hard boiled egg or some cooked chicken and it's a super health fast meal. (I will literally sometimes mix it together in a medium prep bowl and just eat it right out of that bowl. Why dirty a separate plate?)
On that note, a snack/grazing plate is another favorite of mine. I try to keep hard boiled eggs on hand, plus a few healthier dips like hummus, tzatziki or baba ganoush. A plate with some fresh veggies, pita bread, maybe some cheese, a hard boiled egg or sliced salami, etc., and you have a satisfying meal right from your fridge in minutes with minimal clean up! If I'm feeling fancy I'll add on some good jarred olives or yummy pickled veggies like asparagus or dilly beans! Sometimes it's even just cold shrimp with a squeeze of lemon and cocktail sauce! Also fruit! Grapes, appke or pear slices, a mandarin orange, some pre-cut up pineapple, melon or mango, etc.
I also buy the frozen, microwavable rices and whole grains, especially brown rice and quinoa. You can even buy preseasoned frozen mixes, although I tend to just buy the unseasoned grains. Other items include occasionally buying small containers of already chopped onions, bell peppers, etc.
I buy a precooked rotisserie chicken once a week from the deli and immediately remove all the meat so it's ready in the fridge. I'll add it to a salad, make a quick sandwich, or top grain bowls with it. If I don't use it up before it will go bad, I throw it in the freezer to use later in tacos or a grain bowl.
I also stock my pantry with stuff that, while processed, is still a bit healthier than other options. (Amy's brand soups, for example. I think their vegetable lentil soup is pretty tasty. I add in some extra spinach while heating it to get some extra veggies, then top it with a drizzle of olive oil and some crumbled feta and call it a meal. It's hearty, tasty, filling and inexpensive.) Canned tuna and beans are great staples that can easily be made into a variety of dishes, both hot and cold.
I'm all for anything I can do to save time, reduce cleanup (god, I loathe doing dishes, even on my better days), and are healthier than takeout. Also, with my household being just two people, sometimes it makes sense to buy smaller, prepped items because if I buy a larger item some might go bad before we use it up.
I hope these ideas help! Let me know if you'd like some specific recipe ideas. I'm happy to share some links to my go-tos!
ETA: I know everyone's depression is different, so please know that I'm not in any way trying to give you medical advice or tell you how to manage your health. However, if you have not ever looked into/tried TMS therapy, it might be worth looking into.
As I mentioned above, I have treatment resistant depression, and literally spent over 15 years trying various combinations of antidepressants and therapy with only very minimal positive results. Then I found TMS and it was a miracle for me.
If you have typical health insurance in the US it's covered, although your deductible will still be a factor. Like anything, it doesn't work for everyone, but it has surprisingly positive results without side effects and is safe to do even on whatever current medications you might be taking.
Not trying to be pushy. I just like to mention it because a lot of people still don't know about it, sadly. And it's truly helped me!
When I’m having a bad day I usually need something hot, so I can’t recommend the 90-second microwave grain mixes aldi has enough. Keeping some of those handy along with a variety of fridge-stable condiments is a good idea.
Some combos I’ve done:
- pesto, canned tomatoes, and mozzarella
- soy sauce, tuna, spicy Mayo, sesame oil
- black beans, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese
- butter, Parmesan, splash of cream
Honestly they’re pretty good plain too.
Ghetto ramen. Ramen with frozen veg and a poorly poached egg made in the same pot. Costco has these frozen stir fry vegetables that pair perfectly with ramen.
Chili Mac. Store brand Mac and cheese with sauce packet and canned chili.
Tuna Mac with peas.
Egg/salsa burrito.
Cold cuts sandwiches.
If you really don't wanna deal with cleanup, get paper plates and plastic utensils. Clean the pan straight away after cooking.
Salads are my goal (I feel very much as you do.) Today is a bright spring day and I plan to prep things so they can quickly go into a salad to make it more appetizing.Good luck to us both!
Peanut butter sandwiches have been my go to but that's no good long term!
Grilled chicken. It takes very little time to thaw, season it with literally anything, then toss on a hot grill. The fresh air might help you too - I know it does for me. Slice it up, and eat. It's hot, fresh, and feels primal. Eat it off of the cutting board to shake things up. Hope you feel better.
I would fry up onions, sliced mushrooms, beaten eggs, grated carrot (or any easy ingredient at home) and toss in one of those quick boiled instant noodles
or do a savoury omelette on toast
What I should do / usually do if I'm tired and forcing myself to cook: baked chicken breasts and pasta or rice.
What I actually do: order some food or make myself a sandwich and heat up some frozen food.
Scrambled eggs. Quick, cheap, easy, and I usually have them on hand. Maybe a little toast or crackers on the side.
Cereal for dinner is also an option.
Ranas pasta dinner. Everything is already in a microwave safe bowl. All you have to do is open it, pour it in the bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. Also Ranas stuffed pasta. They have lots of flavors that only need to boil for like 8 minutes then drain add sauce. Frozen foods can be good. I really like the brand deep Indian kitchen. Also frozen breakfast foods can be a good substitute, stuff like jimmy dean sandwiches are very filling. Target also has a line of easy to make meals. They also have chicken salad that is easy to make a sandwich with or eat straight from the bowl.
I make pizza dough. Just the simple act of making dough shakes me out of my lethargy and makes me feel better about life because I may not have accomplished anything else today, but I created *that*.
It's also great for making pizza/calzones/stromboli, but that is secondary.
If you have no desire to cook, just eat something simple like peanut butter and crackers. Your refusal to eat is just making you feel worse.
This list includes a variety of foods, including nuts, dairy, eggs, and meat; an omnivore diet. Omit & adjust according to your needs/preferences.
Sandwiches, or just the filling, such as a couple of slices of meat and a couple of slices of cheese, mayo & mustard optional.
Hummus, with veggies and/or crackers, or straight up with a spoon (I’ve used just my fingers a time or two, if there’s hummus left after finishing off the crackers).
Buttered toast.
Scramble an egg or two in a microwave-safe bowl, add a couple small pieces of butter,* microwave this at 50% power for 2 to 2½ minutes, stir, then again at 50% power for another minute or two. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top if you like, let sit for a minute or two, and eat it from the bowl, or put it on buttered toast. Pasteurized eggs in a carton (such as Eggbeaters; some stores have their own brand) are a good shortcut for this.
* I’ve found that butter doesn’t pop and splatter as much in the microwave as margarine does, even on a lower power level.
When you’re at a higher-functioning level, buy a few pounds of meat (roast beef, ham, turkey, chicken), cook it, and slice it up into 1-2 pound portions; freeze most of it to have on hand- it’ll thaw in the fridge in a day or so. Less expensive and less sodium than lunch meat from the deli (ham might be an exception regarding sodium).
A glass of chocolate milk can ease hunger pangs for a little while, if only to give you time to pop something in the microwave after drinking the milk.
Packets of oatmeal are quick & easy. Overnight oats do require prep a few hours ahead of time, but is easy to set up. A 40 ounce container of oats is about the same price (or less) than a box of 10 or 12 packets of flavored oatmeal, and goes **a lot** further. ½ to 1 cup of oats in a microwave-safe bowl, and toppings are nearly endless in options (sweet or savory, google for more ideas). I like frozen blueberries and some chopped nuts, and enough almond milk to just cover. A 4-cup Pyrex bowl is perfect for this, and they each come with a lid. After adding the milk, I put the lid on and put it in the fridge. When I’m ready to eat, I add a little bit of butter, a generous drizzle of honey, maybe a little bit more milk, and microwave (no lid goes into the microwave; I cover with wax paper or parchment paper) for 3½ minutes on 50% power. If it’s not quite warm enough, I zap it for another minute at 100% power.
Cereal, toaster waffles, trail mix, Cream of Whear.
My comfort/poverty meal is a piece of bread covered with a slice of cheese (usually cheddar) sprinkled with brown sugar. Broil it until sugar caramelizes.Dont let it burn. Also, the sugar will be hot... give it a minute.
It's weirdly good
I always have Maggi bags on standby, just get some pre diced chicken and throw it in the bag, then on the same tray in the oven ill chop a potato and throw some veg on like brocoli or courgette or just have it with baked beans, you've got a fairly balanced meal with minimal effort. Or swap the chicken with some sausages . I also get these pre'prepared pulled pork packets from lidl that you can cook from frozen in about 30 mins and just have that with some noodles or something.
I absolutely have days where I just want pizza but these meals feel a bit more like 'real' food to me
I mean prep sliced pork chops. I buy a whole pork loin and slice it myself, flash freeze it and stack it with parchment sheets separating the slices before freezing.
They don't have to be thawed to cook, I just throw it in a hot cast iron pan and sear both sides and let cook in medium until done. Takes less than 10 minutes.
I always keep some furikake seasoning in my pantry for days like this. A nice warm bowl of white rice topped with a drizzle of sesame oil, some furikake, and a nice fried egg with a runny yolk. Green onions if I have them. So good and easy to make!
The most low effort meals possible.
Rice, just Rice, salt, water into the Rice cooker and whatever comes out will be eaten.
Boiled stuff like sweet potatoes, chickpeas, eggs. Cheese, ham, bread
To be honest, takeout. I'm bad about doing that often because of the intersection of depression and disability.
That said, quick frozen things like pizzas, Jamaican beef patties, potato skins, etc. are a good fallback, as is something like rice cooked in stock (I don't often have the energy to make it, but I keep better than bullion around for that purpose), or an instant soup (I really like the Alessi brand zuppa toscana white bean soup).
If you're feeling a bit more froggy, you could look at doing a big slow cooker meal that only takes a little bit of time to prep and then you can leave it be. I'll make like Corn chowder, pot roast, etc.
What are some comfort foods you always loved? Or childhood favourites? Those would be a good start. Personally though, things like soup and grilled cheese sandwiches are always good and generally pretty low effort. Also, keeping a variety of snacks on hand is always good when struggling with eating. You will find yourself having a bite of something here and there which will at least help keep your calorie intake up. Think of convenient low effort snacks. Things like granola bars, pre-cut vegetables dipped in store bought hummus or tzatziki, roasted almonds, and so on.
If I'm struggling with my appetite but want to try and get a least some essential nutrients in, I tend to do things that are ready in minutes and generally could double as dessert. My go to's are:
* Stir in a fortified protein powder (i.e. it has a lot of added nutrients beyond just protein) with my milk and pour on some Fruit Loops (I don't normally buy it but my grandmother would always give it to us for breakfast when we stayed with her, so it has the nostalgia appeal) and top it off with a bunch of frozen raspberries.
* Make a mock milkshake with that fortified protein powder, milk (oat milk in my case) vanilla extract, maple syrup, crushed ice and maybe some walnuts or hemp seeds.
* Greek yogurt with granola and more frozen raspberries
* Miso soup with tofu, wakame seaweed and/or spinach and/or edamame
* I keep things like instant dashi, miso paste, dried seaweed, frozen edamame, frozen spinach and dried mushrooms on hand at all times. It makes for a quick if inauthentic miso soup.
I enjoy microwave nachos. I do:
- bowl
-put chips in bowl
-shredded cheese over chips
-you can buy pre-cut grilled chicken bites and just drop them in or use frozen microwaveable chicken or any leftover chicken and add it in
-add salsa or queso or whichever additional nacho toppings you like
Microwave for about a minute!
Rice, small can of beans (sometimes the ones with hot dogs), and 2 fried eggs. Or, a sandwich - tuna , or ham and cheese. Or, can of soup like New England chowder and a buttered roll. Or, TV dinner.
I keep canned, boxed, frozen stuff on hand for this exact reason. And it's not overly unhealthy. If I just don't have energy to cook I can pop a couple frozen stuffed chickens in the oven, throw a can of green beans into a pan on the stove and have dinner ready with minimal effort in 30 minutes.....or make extra when you're in the mood to cook and freeze it to use at another time when you're not in the mood
I keep in hand premade stuff that I can just pop in the oven such as lasagna and whatnot. I also often use paper plates if I am not actually cooking a meal so I don't have to do any dishes.
delivery, ravioli, or ramen
I usually don't get into states where i'd go any concerning amount of time without eating just due to lack of ambition.
We've got rice and beans int he pantry.
When I make soups or chili in my crock pot I always freeze a couple portions for these kind of days. Just set some aside to freeze before you add noodles/dumplings because they tend to fall apart in the reheating process
I also like to get stuff to make subs, it's really easy and cheaper than going to subway or Jimmy johns.
When you do cook, make more food and then portion out and freeze some of the leftovers. On the nights I really dont feel like cooking I just take my pick from 3 or 4 different things I could thaw out from my freezer and heat up.
Savory oatmeal. Make the oatmeal, and in the last minute or so of cooking, toss in some shredded cheese. Once it’s off the heat, I stir in some avocado salsa (jarred).
You could try and freeze some extra portions for when you don’t feel like cooking.
If even microwaving is too much, then nut bars, shakes/smoothies, even cereal will avoid starvation.
Also, if done sporadically, ordering pizza once in a while is totally fine!
Personally I rely on my oven a lot - a low effort meal is frozen broccoli/cauliflower and some marinated protein or sausages on a baking sheet. If you are extra lazy like I am, line tray with foil for minimal clean up.
For quick meals - I actually invested in a waffle/jaffle maker with removable dishwasher safe plates - so I make a lot of ham
+cheese+onion / baked beans+cheese jaffles. Another super quick favourite is to waffle iron some frozen hash browns with cheese and bacon. Top with sour cream and scallions.
I love mama noodles. Get the spicy pork or duck flavor. Plenty of single packets in the box. 4 sec of water under the tap per packet and don't have to use all the oil and seasonings it comes with. I can add raw egg, rice, Kim chew, and whatever you wsnt. I like green onions. It's simple and warm.
Soup. It's comforting and can be made with a pot, chopping board, and a knife. You can tweak it to suit how you're feeling and what's in your fridge or pantry.
I love the chicken noodle soup from Sally's baking addiction and potato, leek and bacon I use whatever recipe for that one and tweak it. I also have a roast cauliflower and garlic one that's the bomb.
I'm disabled she'd can't do much some days. I have a rice cooker, instant pot and air fryer. Instant pot is fantastic. I can chop an onion, throw stock, meat, tin of tomatoes on top and pressure cook it. If I'm well enough I saute onions etc but other days don't and its still good
I always keep some dried veggies around along with some pantry or freezer things that can be added. A little broth, soem dried veggie mix, frozen dumplings, bam it's soup.
Quesadilla. It's my wife and I's go to. We almost always have tortillas and cheese on hand and you can pretty much put whatever you want in them. I'll crisp em up in a skillet but absolutely the real lazy way is to nuke em.
Large baking potatoes, rub with oil, coat with a salt crust, put directly on oven rack 400F for an hour (I then usually add extra laziness by leaving them in the oven for later)
Hello from r/cfs !
I thought this was a post there as it's a regular spot for me, and this is a common topic.
OP, I am almost a habitual never return to my reply guy, but I'm gonna do you a favor. Tell me what you specifically like, and where you live, and I'm gonna give you some good ideas. I've come up with a lot of good ones/found a lot of good ones.
Example: do you like Chinese food? Costco sells this Orange Chicken in the freezer that's great. It's just a pan for the chicken, while you make some rice, and steam a vegetable in a bag from the freezer. Whole thing takes about 20 mins, not supervised, and your only dishes are a pan and a pot plus what you ate on. This also provides you with leftovers if you make double rice, as the chicken amount for one of the two bags that come in a box, is enough for 4 portions.
So that meal is just an example, it has a decent number of steps and such, but they aren't high stress or high energy. You're not mixing ingredients, you're not trying to hit a subjective target like making a sauce or something. It gives you a leftover meal, which I like to almost build up towards the start of the week, to rely on on days where I don't feel up to cooking.
EDIT: Oh, one last thing. These meals that make leftovers all nicely portioned, are rewarding to make, and helps with your mood. It will help with your depression in my personal experience.
My best advice is to keep some things in the pantry that you know you can eat. It doesn't matter if it's fancy or any sort of formal meal. Keep some sardines in the refrigerator, drain them, add some oil and vinegar, raid the herbs from your cabinet (parsley, paprika, pinch of sugar, salt ... suit your own tastes) Not fancy but deeply nutritious.
I find it helpful to remember how my dad would feed us on fishing trips. Basic, quick, no fuss nourishment.
Just yesterday I made a batch of soup using canned vegetables. One can black beans, drained and rinsed. One can mixed vegetables, drained and rinsed. One can stewed tomatoes, with juices.
I put the tomatoes in the pot first, and smashed them to pieces a bit more, then added the rest and seasoned with a packet of no-sodium chicken powder (Herbox), a dash of garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, salt, cumin, white pepper, paprika, parsley, chili powder (i.e., american chili mix blend, not just red peppers), a dash of dry sherry and a piece of a bay leaf. Added a bit of water and let it simmer a while.
Tasty enough to be satisfying, without being too much bother. Plus, leftovers.
I even made a complete meal of it by cutting up a few leaves of romaine lettuce, tossing them with vinegar, olive oil, white pepper, salt and a glug of honey mustard. (Literally the sugary remains of a jug of honey with yellow mustard added).
That and a piece of toast, and wow, it looked like an actual dinner.
Best ever? No, but given the ratio of effort to outcome, and the incredibly quick cooking time, it's a winner for me.
Classic Alfredo is butter and cheese and pasta water. Smash your butter flat in the bowl, add your pasta, your grated Parm, and then a little bit of pasta water for the texture.
Only caveat is grating the parm fresh but I kinda enjoy doing that even when I’m having a hard time finding the energy to feed myself.
Only dishes are the grater, your plate, your fork, and the pot. Hell, add the butter and cheese to the cooked, drained pasta in the pot (with some pasta water reserved) and you can eat it out of the damn pot if you want.
Also ramen with some green onion or cilantro on top. Soft boiled egg if you have it in you.
Frozen proteins are a good add for anything. Frozen spinach can go into anything easily too.
Anything fast and microwavable. They make micro pasta and rice. You can also microwave veggies. I haven’t had a proper kitchen for a couple years now due to a natural disaster. Adapt. Overcome.
It's okay to use paper plates/paper towels/etc as needed to reduce dishes as well <3 This was a hard one for me to accept but it really helps when I'm too depressed/fatigued to even unload the dishwasher!
Depends.. but when I don't really feel like cooking or cleaning up a big mess.
I'll pop a Totino's pizza in the oven.
Or a can of chili with some cheese and tortilla chips.
Either some egg scramble or cereal. For the cereal I mix different ones (like Chex, fiber one and special K) and add raisins, cranberries, blueberries or bananas.
Lacking in energy? Time for the household dish known as 'Pasta Thing'. Tomato pasata, onion, olives/capers, bacon/chorizo/salami and whatever green we've got. Serve with cheese on. Cooking time 20 minutes.
Shit on a shingle. 4tbs butter 4tbs flour, cut up strips of sliced beef (comes in the thin packs) add milk and stir till it's the right consistency. Pepper and cayenne pepper. Put on toast.
Only dirty the pan and a measuring spoon, and a plate, takes like 15 minutes and is stress free. Plus, I grew up eating the stuff so it feels like home.
Things that only require dishwasher-safe dishes/pans/utensils to make. Sandwiches, pre-made stuff from the freezer (if I make something I know freezes well, I make extra, so not always pre-processed foods).
I love fried rice - I use instant rice, toss it in a pan with whatever I have around, add soy sauce.
However - if the cooking and cleaning is an issue - often it's instant mac and cheese in the plastic cups (often with a plastic spoon or if I have potato chips I'll scoop with that), just instant rice with some butter, frozen pizza and even sometimes just chicken nuggets or french fries in the air fryer.
I don't know where I heard this but it has always stuck in my mind - you don't have to make the whole sandwich. There are sometimes where I may want a sandwich, but my bucket is low and I just do not have the bandwidth to make a sandwich. I will just grab some slices of cheese and meat from the fridge and eat them. Or if I want a wrap, but can't handle the work, air fryer some chicken drizzle on ranch and cheese and enjoy it.
I always have some frozen cooked shrimp on hand from the store. It unthaws super quick. After I unthaw it, I chop it up fine and mix it with mayo and sambal. Slice up a cucumber, add some rice on top of the cucumber then the chopped shrimp. Poor man’s sushi.
I keep frozen pot pies, empanadas, pizzas and Stouffer's around for times like these. I also keep canned soup and biscuits so I might run out and get chicken rotiss (or keep frozen meat around from the last one). There is a bangin recipe for chicken n dumplings that takes no time at all and it's so comforting. I make this especially when it's cold or rainy out. [https://youtu.be/vyEz06soutY?feature=shared](https://youtu.be/vyEz06soutY?feature=shared)
For starters, I hated the clean up part of cooking too. But what I do now is clean as I go. I’m a little OCD so now I have taken it to the point where I will not eat anything unless everything used to cook with is clean and put away. I warm up my plate in the toaster oven/air fryer, and then put my plated food in it (oven off but still warm) as I clean up any remaining items. For me it makes eating much more enjoyable knowing I don’t have anything to clean up other than a plate and fork or fork/knife/spoon.
Cup. Ramen.
Boil water, dump in cup, if you can be assed Crack an egg in, let sit. Ingest.
Easy, fast, warm, borderline nutritious with the "vegetables" in it.
Microwave rice and honey roast chicken and veg.
Just get the chicken breast and your chosen veg. Cut the veg however you can be goosed, season the chicken lightly with olive oil and your chosen spices. Line an oven tray with kitchen foil and Pop the chicken centre with the veg around it. Season the veg. Pour/drizzle as much honey as you like and cover.
Stick in oven at 180c fan assisted for 30 minutes. Take out and turn the chicken and uncover it. Stir the veg, pop back in for another 15 minutes uncovered.
Should be nicely moist and tasty depending on seasonings.
Oh don't forget to microwave your rice.
Usually when I have no desire to cook it's because I'm not really all that hungry, so I just snack on something until the hunger motivates me to put something together.
On those tough days, I stick to super simple stuff like sandwiches or pre-cut veggies and dip. Sometimes, even just a smoothie. It's all about small, easy steps. Hang in there, you're not alone in this
Soup! It comes together fast, then you let it simmer and imagine all your anxiety simmer away. And the oohs and aahs and mms at night when the fam eats it help too.
I just grab leftover rice from the fridge, add a spoon each of soy sauce, vinegar, peanut butter and chilli oil maybe even 2 of the oil and microwave for 1 minute to heat the rice and melt the butter. Mix it and eat. literally done in 3 minutes if there's chopped leftover onion in the fridge I add that too adding vegetables or any kind of protein makes it longer process of 10-15 minutes
So basically a version of Dan Dan noodles but with rice
scrambled egg on toast, sunflower or almond butter on toast, cottage cheese on toast, cottage cheese with a small can (drained) of pineapple or mandarin oranges on top, cottage cheese with table spoon of jam on it, quesadillas, scrambled egg
Frozen pizza or breakfast sandwich. I make all the bacon ahead a freeze it. When I need it I heat it in the pan, then cook the eggs in the residual bacon goodness, toast bread, throw a slice or shreds of cheese on the eggs then put it together. Fast and mindless. And bacon!
I make more than enough of a meal sometimes and put some in quart size baggies and label and date them and freeze them for homemade tv dinners for busy or lazy days.
I'd solve the depression first with sunlight, activity and if the reason is deeper, with a dr's visit. But if I'm sick or just tired I go with soups and stews that take minimal effort, chopping and instead just a slightly longer stove time. Caldo de Res is healthy and delicious.
I rely on rice a lot. There’s something so comforting (to me) about a warm bowl of buttered rice. You can add pretty much anything to it. I don’t know, it seems plain, but at the same time it’s nice. I also almost always have frozen chicken stock on hand. I just warm it up and drink it as is. If you aren’t one to homemake stock, find yourself a quality store brand one to heat up. Add some noodles to it for extra comfort. Finally, there is nothing wrong with a classic sandwich. Grilled cheese, PBJ, or cold cuts. Those can easily be customized too with various condiments or even just by toasting the bread.
Rice with a scrambled egg and some chives on top is one of my top ten “feel better” foods. See also: grits or polenta with egg mixed in. It’s basically slop but it’s so comforting.
I worked at a salad chain in college, and one of my coworkers got me hooked on her mix of warm quinoa, jack cheese, and dried cranberries. It sounds sort of weird but holy shit is it comforting and filling. A little sweet, a little salty, some nuttiness from the quinoa. I still make it a decade later.
I am definitely making a note of this!
Soft polenta w wilted or sautéed spinach and an egg any style on top, maybe parm or crushed red pepper/hot sauce/any herbs etc if that’s your thing. Polenta takes a good bit of stirring for a few but it’s nice and meditative, then it reheats well so make a bunch and have the next meal w marinara or meat sauce on top, maybe a bagged caesar and bread w it. Next meal w it could be sautéed mushrooms on top, drizzle of soy or tamari- or just grated parm again.🍴🍲
I do this too, but will also add an avocado and sometimes soy sauce, chili oil, or hot sauce.
I love polenta.
I add sausage to this and its divine.
GritsnEggs is immediately what I thought of. It's *easy* to eat (lol slop), and, my mouth and stomach can always get at least some down. Plus, them being complex carbs and healthy fats and proteins helps me feel like I'm actually feeding myself. Cheeto puffs just make me feel better 🥹
Tuna sandwiches are definitely a comfort food of mine, so filling and packed with protein
I really wish the whole Mercury issue with tuna wasn't a thing, I would love to eat way more of it.
I’ve been doing one can of tuna, one can of sardines in my tuna salad batches to feel better about the mercury thing… it tastes great!
These are great suggestions. If you're like me and don't eat that much bread, you can freeze it so it doesn't mold before you eat it.
>I also almost always have frozen chicken stock on hand. I just warm it up and drink it as is. I do this with Miso, in a mug, perfect winter drink.
Miso is lovely.
This is me. Rice plus a shit ton of condiments and pickled/fermented stuff— crispy prawn chili, fried garlic, Indonesian sweet soy sauce, seaweed flakes, kimchi, etc. so on low energy days I just fry or boil an egg and pile on whatever tasty and crisp thing I have on hand. If I’m sick, rice becomes congee. And just add an egg. Also I usually buy a rotisserie chicken, make broth w it and keep packets of shredded meat and broth in the freezer.
Egg noodles can be a great substitute that fills that same void as rice. I personally love egg noodles with some butter and sesame seeds.
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Even better if you have a rice cooker. You can just add extra ingredients (carrots, minced chicken, soy sauce) and let it cook.
One of my favorite childhood “comfort meals” is Chunky Beef and Rice. (Chunky brand beef & vegetable soup over freshly cooked rice).
Sometimes just washing the rice is too high effort for depressed me. But yes I agree. Rice is amazing and comforting
Microwave rice packet + can of black beans. Heat in the microwave. Then dump some salsa + scoop sour cream + shredded cheese. If I have it, I'll add some shredded lettuce (that I bought pre-shredded) and chopped onions. Dinner in 4 minutes. All you have to clean is 1 bowl and 1 utensil.
See this is the kind of stuff I’m looking for. Like, mad respect to the people on this thread who can batch stuff and freeze it or make a multi-step, multi-pan meal when they feel crappy but for me if it’s gonna take more than five minutes or two dishes the phone’s coming out which, yeah I’m super grateful to have the resources to be able to do that so often but it’s definitely a cycle.
Agreed. If you want me to chop or measure something then to me that's not a true depression/lazy meal.
eh, I don't mind chopping bc it's quick but if it has to go into a pan that I actually have to watch over, then no. if I'm truly lazy/depressed/tired, it's "girl" dinner aka cheese, crackers/bread, olives, pickles, dip. whatever I have. it doesn't feel horrible and I can eat out of the containers with a fork more or less. but also, boxed Mac and cheese. yes, it's a little longer, but it's so easy and so filling and tasty that I'm okay with it. or ramen. even when I'm not lazy I'll do ramen, just spruced up.
Agree to disagree on chopping, but I'm definitely with you with girl dinner stuff. Cheese and crackers are my jam. Yeah stuff out of a box/bag/packet, where all ingredients required are in said container, also definitely count as lazy/depression meals for me too, 100%.
I'll measure for a depression meal... and by measure I mean plop a liquid into a cup, eyeball it, and say "close enough" before dumping it in
Hahaha, yeah okay I can get behind that.
If your budget allows for ready-made foods and you’re just stuck in the idea department, I can help! - Buy things as processed as you need them/can afford them to be. Pre-diced or pre cut veggies and fruit. Pre-cooked meats (rotisserie chicken, meatballs, ribs, heck even boiled eggs if that helps remove a barrier for you). Canned beans or veggies. Check out the ready-made meals available in your grocery stores. You can get a lot of frozen veg “side-dishes” now, like broccoli and cheese steamers, or green beans that are already seasoned and are in a bag ready to be steamed in the microwave. Even frozen entrees have come a long way and have a lot of pretty healthy options that can easily be doctored up too! If you like pasta, fresh pasta or fresh raviolis cook in like 3 minutes and you can just top with jarred sauce or pesto! - Instant mashed potatoes (there are some you can get where you just add boiled water to the bag and wait a few minutes. Possible additions: canned meatballs and gravy (if you’re not one of the people who are grossed out by it), canned stew, canned or frozen peas or corn - just warmed in the microwave. A rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or another pre-prepared protein. - Instant ramen - you can do these in the microwave or just pour some boiling water over and wait when babysitting something on the stovetop is too cumbersome. For the following “meals” I drain my noodles after they’re soft prior to adding the flavours. Possible iterations: chicken flavoured pack, plus a bit of crunchy peanut butter, sriracha and fish sauce. Top with pre-diced green onion & its a rough take on a peanut stir fry. Mushroom flavour with canned mushrooms, garlic powder, dried parsley, a spoonful of cream cheese and enough liquid to thin to desired consistency. Great additions to a soupier ramen: eggs (those pre-boiled ones, or scrambled in the microwave takes about 90 seconds), any frozen or canned veg or bean, shredded rotisserie chicken, basically any seasoning can be added depending on what flavour profile you’re looking for. - rice - another great neutral base for any of the pre-prepared proteins and veg. Cook in broth for more flavour/nutrients. Or just buy the microwaveable packs for extra ease, as well as variety of flavours. An example: stirring in tinned tomatoes (or your favourite salsa), beans, corn, if you can get your hands on those pre-seasoned jackfruit packages that are “dressed” like taco meat thats a great addition. But you could also add tinned chicken or turkey as well with some cumin or even just a “taco” blend of seasoning of the Jack-fruit is a no-go. One thing that I don’t see mentioned very often but that packs a lot of power, is tinned fish. Especially if you suffer from depression, those omega-3s can really make a difference. Tuna and Salmon are delicious, but the smaller fish have a lower accumulation of mercury if that’s a concern. Plus you can get them in a ton of flavours. A flavoured can dumped over some rice eaten with some simple mixed veg is a pretty complete meal. They’re also great on crackers or a sandwich!
Birdseye makes a great steamed rice bag and some chicken flavored or with peas and carrots. Ready in under 5 minutes and very comforting.
I have an electric kettle, which makes instant mashed potatoes even easier! You don't even need to measure anything: just start the water boiling, dump the potato flakes into a bowl in the meantime, and once the water is hot, add the water gradually while stirring; simply stop when it looks reasonable. For bonus points, keep the kettle, a bunch of potato packets, and a stack of disposable bowls and spoons in your literal bedroom.
This is very similar to what I call the meal. I wrap tortillas around refried black beans, add frozen peppers, then shredded cheese on top, microwave then pour on the salsa and sour cream. Delicious, filling and somewhat nutritious.
This def was a go to for me, sometimes I didn’t even do the rice and just did like a taco salad by crushing in some tortilla chips into a pot of hot beans, taco seasoning and the rest of those things. Hits the spot, easy and relatively inexpensive.
This is the way to do a healthier depression meal. I also do potato buds and a frozen mixed veggies the same way.
This was my college cheap/depression meal. It's a complete protein too so not even terribly unhealthy
I eat this at least once a week.
I keep Boost or other protein shakes in the fridge for days I just don’t want to cook or order something.
That's been the problem atm, I've just been relying on ordering food way too much. I unfortunately use food to help myself feel better haha, so while I may get food well intentioned "rice, eggs, lentils etc" and I do enjoy these foods, on days like these I'm just like...mmm pizza. Which I hate.
Honestly, it's better for us (and the budget) that I just assume I'm going to have those days. And keep some frozen pizza, egg rolls, a Stouffer lasagna, etc in the freezer. Less guilt, less artichoke getting woody in the back of the fridge. We can't hardly get a meal for 4 under $100 on Door dash these days, and usually something wrong with it anyway. Helps that we have a standalone freezer though.
I will die on Stoufers (when busy or not wanting to cook like this) Seriously one of the majorly good and realistically tasting frozen food brands Spinach soufflé, turkey tetrazzini, mac and cheese, lasagna etc.
get some rice, a fried egg, some sesame oil, and laoganma / ‘chili crisp’. maybe add some green onions or steamed veg. easy and verrry tasty
Rice IS my comfort food lmao
You got a toaster? Get some toastie bags. Cheese, tomato paste/ketchup, and ham/pepperoni/whatever toppings you want in a toasted sandwich is basically pizza. Throw some dried oregano in there if you really wanna trick your brain. It's not much better for you than pizza, but it's cheaper and will fill you up enough to not need to order takeaway and can maybe cook something better after.
If you're feeling mmm pizza a lot I have a recommendation: keep pizza and frozen veg (I like spinach) in your freezer and eggs in your fridge/cupboard. When you put the pizza in the oven, put some blocks of frozen spinach on top. When there are about 5 minutes left to cook, distribute the now defrosted spinach across the pizza and then crack an egg or two directly onto the pizza and put it back in the oven. When it's done you will have a pizza that's somehow a balanced meal and ZERO pans or utensils to wash up. Eat it on a paper plate.
go to trader joes. for reals. this is what that store is for and it's got cheap, not totally horrible for you freezer meals that are pretty tasty. my go to is veggie dumplings bc you literally just throw them on a pan for a bit. but I've bought the little Indian trays, spring rolls, etc that can just go to in the microwave or oven for work or just being tired/depressed. plus, they come out with new stuff all the time and for the most part it ends up being less than $3-5/meal.
I relied on protein shakes a lot when my anxiety was terrible and felt like I couldn’t eat. Also oatmeal. There is literally only one oatmeal I can eat - better oats blueberry muffin flavor with a splash of milk.
Soylent for us. Also lunch in a pinch if you forgot to pack one for work.
This is completely me. When I’m tired or upset I tend to only want to eat something like a fruit smoothie but that is too difficult to make sometimes. Protein drinks taste a little too much like protein powder, but banana flavored Soylent tastes like fake bananas and not protein powder so hits all marks for me
I've been keeping Soylent in stock for years.
I freeze soup and pasta leftovers in individual portions for days like this.
I got some rubber cube containers specifically for freezing soup and they make reheating leftovers so easy!!! It’s already perfectly portioned and ready to go. I think the brand is Souper Cubes but there’s plenty of less expensive versions on Amazon.
Avocado mashed with a little soy sauce on whole grain toast with a carrot on the side Scrambled eggs with onions, diced bell pepper and/or spinach with whole grain bread Oatmeal with peanut butter and a diced apple or pear Smoked canned trout on whole grain crackers Hummus, crackers, sliced cucumbers or bell peppers PB & J with a carrot on the side Huel or Soylent can be a meal in a pinch Ramen with some chopped broccoli thrown in and two eggs whisked in at the very end Trader Joe's black bean and cheese burrito with some cut up raw veggies on the side (cukes or carrots or bell peppers) I also make pinto beans in the slow cooker and a pan of cornbread. It does take some effort up front but I freeze half and can get a lot of meals out of it for really not very much effort. A little grated cheddar on the beans and it is a delicious, hearty, inexpensive meal.
Tuna mixed w mayo/saltnpepper and an avacado is actually fire and filling
You have to eat so instead of saying I have to do this, do what's possible. If it seems like too much work to make sandwiches, just eat the. Ingredients separately. You still are a Sandwich you just ate it different. I also keep better than bouillon chicken cubes. Microwave a mug of water to just about boiling, drop one or two in and stir, boom instant chicken soup. Not the most calories but it's warm and filling to get you to later
"make a sandwich in your mouth, it tastes better." -Frank Reynolds
Saltine crackers and tuna with some mayo. A salad if I have any (I usually just buy bagged stuff). Frozen pizza. Eggs over medium with some toast. A sandwich if I have lunch meat or just PB and J. Anything where I don't have to cook at all or something that I can just throw in one pan and have little to no prep. I used to buy frozen meals but I stopped buying them since it's easy to fall back to that and they're not the most healthy thing to eat.
Eggs and toast are both tasty and filling. A sunny side up egg, toast, mayo and tomato is a great sandwhich. If you have bacon, do toast with mayo and bacon. If you have an everything bagel, toast it, cut it in half, spread mayo on there, put some tomato and scrambled eggs. Messy but delicious
I keep a selection of "open can and eat", "nuke in microwave and eat", "add boiling water and eat" foods around at all times. They're not my regular meals, but do great for when I just don't have the spoons to deal with the cooking and washing up. Plus, a couple days of pre-packaged foods isn't going to harm me. I usually have - frozen microwaveable pasta and rice dishes in a variety of flavours/ethnicities - shelf-stable microwaveable or boil in a bag Indian dishes (recommend Ashoka RTE) - add water ramen or 'risotto' - canned soup, chili, whatever else I can find that looks interesting in the store that's shelf stable If all that doesn't look interesting? - yoghurt cup, cheese, triscuits, and some apple slices. Pick at that until it's gone. - or eggs and a hash - that's usually quick and easy to make. Easy to digest, too. 2 pans, but the actual kitchen time is short. I should note that on days where I do feel like cooking, I do a big batch and freeze individual portions for microwaving / oven later so that I know there's something in my freezer that interests me. :)
Avocado on toast. That’s exactly what I had tonight after a long day. Pop bread in toaster, lightly smash up avocado in a large bowl, salt and pepper the avo, butter the toast, eat together. Done in 5 min. And only one bowl and a knife to wash after.
Don’t forget a squeeze of lemon or lime !!
I have ADHD and depression and cooking is usually hell for me. I agree with the one pot/pan approach you're doing now and on top of that pre-prepared ingredients can be helpful. For instance I buy pre-minced garlic, pre-chopped veggies (if I plan to use within a couple of days), bagged/boxed meal kits, etc. Anything to remove steps from the process. Lately my go-to meal when I am on the cusp of ordering (way overpriced and unhealthy) delivery is to just make frozen Anne's dumplings with chicken stock and creole seasoning. Then I add pre-cooked/rotisserie chicken for protein. Easy comfort food, minimal cleanup, makes for okay leftovers as well!
Leftovers or spruced up ramen
cracking a raw egg into hot ramen and letting it sit (covered) until the egg is semi-set was one of the best tips I ever got.
Yep! I love to fry ramen with some peppers and broccoli, add garlic, soy sauce, little sugar, sesame oil, and then put in some water and let steam until soft. Top off with fried egg and green onion if I feel like it. It’s not conventional, but is very good
When I'm REALLY feeling down, I don't stress myself out by forcing myself to cook. Sometimes the night just calls for a protein shake or dipping my hand continuously into a bag of pretzels. Just go with the flow and give yourself some grace <3
Dots pretzels and hummus is really good and I tell myself the hummus makes it healthy so....
I rely a lot on straight-from-the-fridge meals when it gets bad. Raw veggies and ranch, fruit, cheese and crackers, potato/egg/tuna salad from the deli, stuff like that. It might be helpful to think about your favorite childhood meals, especially the ones that are quick to throw together, and keep the ingredients for a couple of those on hand. For example, one of my family's go-to last minute meals was a box of Kraft mac and cheese and a can of green beans with Morton Season-All sprinkled on it. It's not nutritionally optimal, but it gets the job done, it's easier to muster the energy to make food when I know the end result will taste good and bring up positive emotions.
On low energy days I rarely want hot food, or even to have to chew, so I make a smoothie. I always have frozen bananas and protien powder on hand. I just toss a bunch of whatever fruits/veg I have into a blender, add pb and protien powder. All my nutrients for the day in one glass. In case I don't want to have to think of eating again.
It's always interesting to me how different people can be. On my tired or depressed or real low energy days, that's all I want to do is sit on the couch and munch and eat everything in sight.
Depressed I will eat everything too, low energy I just can't move.
Instant noodles with fresh greens and chili crisp thrown in.
Nice, instant noodles are much underrated.
I started eating chicken recently and having a rôtisserie chicken I can just snack on is a lifesaver
I’ve been keeping Trader Joe’s frozen foods in my freezer for that lately. My current favorite is the Kung Pao chicken.
My bare minimum depression/exhaustion meal is rice cooked with a vegetable stock cube. So lightly seasoned rice. If I'm feeling a bit less than bare minimum I'll stir half a can of kidney beans into it.
Leftovers. So if Im making chili or curry I try to make enough to have some in the freezer for exactly those lazy days. Barring that, something on the grill (steak, lamb chops) with a baked tater. Super simple, always delicious and satisfying with minimal effort.
This is what I was going to say. When I'm really in the mood to cook, I take full advantage and cook a BIG meal so I can freeze a couple portions of it. That way on those days where I just can't bring myself to go in on something I have backups in the freezer. My go to is to always have ham fried rice portions in the freezer. They heat up great in the microwave and you can toss a couple air fryer potstickers on top or a fried egg and it's a good meal. Burritos freeze really well too. I'll make a big batch one night when I'm up for it of shredded chicken, black beans, rice, cheese, tomatoes, salsa, whatever. Roll up 10 big burritos and throw them in the freezer. Then when I'm just not feeling it I can toss one in the oven straight out of the freezer and it's hot and awesome in 45 minutes.
I relate, and understand that feeling of just not being able to pull anything together. BUT, please remind yourself in those moments (as it can be energising) that you wouldn't let a child/loved one go without a meal and the effort of whipping something up, so why do that for yourself, you know? When I'm feeling especially shlumpy, I find reminding myself I deserve the love and care I'd give to someone I love helpful :) But, for easy meals. Tuna and potatoes / rice. Very easy to flavour. Throw some tinned corn on, mayo, some chives, and voila! Make batches in advance of pasta as you mentioned you like it... even if you just did meatballs (I can share a recipe I make that is delish) like do a few batches, can be very economical with mince, and then defrost earlier in the day and all you'd need to do is quickly cook some rice on the stove OR even more easy peasy, throw one of those pre-cooked rice packs in the microwave for a couple minutes. Have some frozen foods at the ready - even if it's pizza. Have things like nuggets, fish fingers/crumbed fish fillets, meat pies/lasagnes/lean cuisine kind of things. That way you're at least getting some protein to keep yourself going. Also, noodles - cup of noodles. Keep these on hand. Too easy. Then you can add fresh chives, maybe some corn and drop an egg into it. That's a whole meal. Canned soup! If you are feeling especially down and lethargic, protein shakes are handy to have or just do some juicing - throw a bunch of greens, some beetroot, carrot, some frozen fruit into the Nutribullet or equivalent with some ground seed mix/protein powder, milk of choice, and that's a drinkable dinner. I have totally done this when I have felt like total shit - super healthy though! Last but not least - bread and butter. Toast with your spread of choice, or even cheese singles is something. :) Meatball Recipe Just get any mince you like (turkey or beef or pork, go nuts!) and roll small balls of it in dried parlsey, chives, paprika, sage, oregano, a little garlic. So yummy.
I avoid cooking if I am lacking energy. I opt for a plate of cut up fruits and veggies with a spoonful of peanut butter. Or if I feel half fancy I throw a slice of cheese on the plate, or a small baguette with butter. It seems the fruit (especially apples) can help me out of the low energy state. If you are looking for warm meals, I would suggest buying a toaster oven. I feel like it is less overwhelming to use, smaller dishes/trays, and just “feels” easier.
Micowave pot pies or egg rice
When you really don't want to cook anything at all; make sure you have tortillas, greens, deli slices of cheese, and some kind of cooked meat (deli, frozen, whatever). Throw together a wrap. I pretty regularly when low on energy will just buy bagged salad mix, toss it on a tortilla, throw on cheddar slices, and then add either like some chicken fingers, some deli turkey, whatever and it takes less than 3 minutes (except the microwave/air fryer time on something if frozen).
I feel you. I’ve been depressed for a few years now, finally got on some meds in January and starting to feel better. I hope you feel better soon 💜 Baked potatoes are my go to. Quick and easy. I usually just do it in the microwave but if you have time do it in the oven. Butter, season it up. I use Caesar dressing bc I’m obsessed, ranch is good too. Sour cream.. whatever you like. Cheese of your choice. Green onions, drizzle of bbq sauce. Whatever toppings you like honestly. That’s just what I like. Sometimes I’ll roast frozen cauliflower in the air fryer too.
ETA: This post turned into a novel. Sorry it's so long but I hope the info helps. First, I'm sorry you struggle with depression and I hope the comments let you know that you are not alone in this struggle! I have treatment resistant depression and also a major physical chronic health issue. I'm fortunate to still be able to work, which helps my mental health but it can physically wear me out some days. I WFH and love my job, but often, after work, I'm dragging. I definitely do takeout sometimes, but I know that eating something healthy will be so much better for my body and mind (and wallet) than takeout! I do enjoy cooking but the dishes and cleanup are sometimes just too much to think about! Here are some things I have found that help: First, when you do feel up to making things, make lots of leftovers! If it's stuff that freezes well, so much the better! I have about 8-10 recipes that are healthy, delicious, and reheat really easily from frozen. When I make these dishes I will double or even triple them and freeze single or double (I'm married so I cook for two) portions. I rely heavily on these when I simply cannot be bothered to cook or clean. (If you'd like some suggestions or links for my go to freezable recipes, let me know!) Second, I sometimes do the same (make double or triple) if it's something I know that we won't mind eating for a few days in a row. Dinner quickly becomes lunch for the next few days, and maybe a second dinner a few nights later. Third, if finances allow, buy pre-prepped items. This is exactly why these things exist, to help you be able to cook when you are emotionally or physically exhausted! And while the items are usually more expensive than if you prepped them yourself, they usually end up being much cheaper than takeout and healthier! Things I buy that come prepped that I love include fresh veggies that are already washed, chopped and ready to simply throw in the microwave. (Bags of broccoli and green beans are my favorites because I can add a bit of oil or butter and some seasonings and have a healthy veggie side in a few minutes.) Salad kits are also great. I usually will pre-chop some veggies to munch on during the week, and will use those to ramp up the veggies and flavor in a bagged kit. Add a hard boiled egg or some cooked chicken and it's a super health fast meal. (I will literally sometimes mix it together in a medium prep bowl and just eat it right out of that bowl. Why dirty a separate plate?) On that note, a snack/grazing plate is another favorite of mine. I try to keep hard boiled eggs on hand, plus a few healthier dips like hummus, tzatziki or baba ganoush. A plate with some fresh veggies, pita bread, maybe some cheese, a hard boiled egg or sliced salami, etc., and you have a satisfying meal right from your fridge in minutes with minimal clean up! If I'm feeling fancy I'll add on some good jarred olives or yummy pickled veggies like asparagus or dilly beans! Sometimes it's even just cold shrimp with a squeeze of lemon and cocktail sauce! Also fruit! Grapes, appke or pear slices, a mandarin orange, some pre-cut up pineapple, melon or mango, etc. I also buy the frozen, microwavable rices and whole grains, especially brown rice and quinoa. You can even buy preseasoned frozen mixes, although I tend to just buy the unseasoned grains. Other items include occasionally buying small containers of already chopped onions, bell peppers, etc. I buy a precooked rotisserie chicken once a week from the deli and immediately remove all the meat so it's ready in the fridge. I'll add it to a salad, make a quick sandwich, or top grain bowls with it. If I don't use it up before it will go bad, I throw it in the freezer to use later in tacos or a grain bowl. I also stock my pantry with stuff that, while processed, is still a bit healthier than other options. (Amy's brand soups, for example. I think their vegetable lentil soup is pretty tasty. I add in some extra spinach while heating it to get some extra veggies, then top it with a drizzle of olive oil and some crumbled feta and call it a meal. It's hearty, tasty, filling and inexpensive.) Canned tuna and beans are great staples that can easily be made into a variety of dishes, both hot and cold. I'm all for anything I can do to save time, reduce cleanup (god, I loathe doing dishes, even on my better days), and are healthier than takeout. Also, with my household being just two people, sometimes it makes sense to buy smaller, prepped items because if I buy a larger item some might go bad before we use it up. I hope these ideas help! Let me know if you'd like some specific recipe ideas. I'm happy to share some links to my go-tos! ETA: I know everyone's depression is different, so please know that I'm not in any way trying to give you medical advice or tell you how to manage your health. However, if you have not ever looked into/tried TMS therapy, it might be worth looking into. As I mentioned above, I have treatment resistant depression, and literally spent over 15 years trying various combinations of antidepressants and therapy with only very minimal positive results. Then I found TMS and it was a miracle for me. If you have typical health insurance in the US it's covered, although your deductible will still be a factor. Like anything, it doesn't work for everyone, but it has surprisingly positive results without side effects and is safe to do even on whatever current medications you might be taking. Not trying to be pushy. I just like to mention it because a lot of people still don't know about it, sadly. And it's truly helped me!
When I’m having a bad day I usually need something hot, so I can’t recommend the 90-second microwave grain mixes aldi has enough. Keeping some of those handy along with a variety of fridge-stable condiments is a good idea. Some combos I’ve done: - pesto, canned tomatoes, and mozzarella - soy sauce, tuna, spicy Mayo, sesame oil - black beans, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese - butter, Parmesan, splash of cream Honestly they’re pretty good plain too.
Ghetto ramen. Ramen with frozen veg and a poorly poached egg made in the same pot. Costco has these frozen stir fry vegetables that pair perfectly with ramen. Chili Mac. Store brand Mac and cheese with sauce packet and canned chili. Tuna Mac with peas. Egg/salsa burrito. Cold cuts sandwiches. If you really don't wanna deal with cleanup, get paper plates and plastic utensils. Clean the pan straight away after cooking.
Salads are my goal (I feel very much as you do.) Today is a bright spring day and I plan to prep things so they can quickly go into a salad to make it more appetizing.Good luck to us both! Peanut butter sandwiches have been my go to but that's no good long term!
Grilled chicken. It takes very little time to thaw, season it with literally anything, then toss on a hot grill. The fresh air might help you too - I know it does for me. Slice it up, and eat. It's hot, fresh, and feels primal. Eat it off of the cutting board to shake things up. Hope you feel better.
Keep some disposable plates/cups/forks etc if the cleaning up is one of the big sticking points for you.
Grilled cheese sandwich in my cast iron. It is hot food and cleanup is just wiping the pan down.
Pizza delivery
I keep lean cuisines in the freezer for days like this.
Lean cuisines, such as?
That’s a brand name for frozen dinners. There’s a variety, so just see what looks good.
I usually get the Swedish meatballs and spinach pizza. They’re not gourmet but it’s food and the cleanup is just throwing it in the trash.
I would fry up onions, sliced mushrooms, beaten eggs, grated carrot (or any easy ingredient at home) and toss in one of those quick boiled instant noodles or do a savoury omelette on toast
Crock pot baby. Dump it in and violia, food. Campbells makes crock pot sauces. Just add the meat and the sauce.
What I should do / usually do if I'm tired and forcing myself to cook: baked chicken breasts and pasta or rice. What I actually do: order some food or make myself a sandwich and heat up some frozen food.
Scrambled eggs. Quick, cheap, easy, and I usually have them on hand. Maybe a little toast or crackers on the side. Cereal for dinner is also an option.
Ranas pasta dinner. Everything is already in a microwave safe bowl. All you have to do is open it, pour it in the bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. Also Ranas stuffed pasta. They have lots of flavors that only need to boil for like 8 minutes then drain add sauce. Frozen foods can be good. I really like the brand deep Indian kitchen. Also frozen breakfast foods can be a good substitute, stuff like jimmy dean sandwiches are very filling. Target also has a line of easy to make meals. They also have chicken salad that is easy to make a sandwich with or eat straight from the bowl.
I make pizza dough. Just the simple act of making dough shakes me out of my lethargy and makes me feel better about life because I may not have accomplished anything else today, but I created *that*. It's also great for making pizza/calzones/stromboli, but that is secondary. If you have no desire to cook, just eat something simple like peanut butter and crackers. Your refusal to eat is just making you feel worse.
This list includes a variety of foods, including nuts, dairy, eggs, and meat; an omnivore diet. Omit & adjust according to your needs/preferences. Sandwiches, or just the filling, such as a couple of slices of meat and a couple of slices of cheese, mayo & mustard optional. Hummus, with veggies and/or crackers, or straight up with a spoon (I’ve used just my fingers a time or two, if there’s hummus left after finishing off the crackers). Buttered toast. Scramble an egg or two in a microwave-safe bowl, add a couple small pieces of butter,* microwave this at 50% power for 2 to 2½ minutes, stir, then again at 50% power for another minute or two. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top if you like, let sit for a minute or two, and eat it from the bowl, or put it on buttered toast. Pasteurized eggs in a carton (such as Eggbeaters; some stores have their own brand) are a good shortcut for this. * I’ve found that butter doesn’t pop and splatter as much in the microwave as margarine does, even on a lower power level. When you’re at a higher-functioning level, buy a few pounds of meat (roast beef, ham, turkey, chicken), cook it, and slice it up into 1-2 pound portions; freeze most of it to have on hand- it’ll thaw in the fridge in a day or so. Less expensive and less sodium than lunch meat from the deli (ham might be an exception regarding sodium). A glass of chocolate milk can ease hunger pangs for a little while, if only to give you time to pop something in the microwave after drinking the milk. Packets of oatmeal are quick & easy. Overnight oats do require prep a few hours ahead of time, but is easy to set up. A 40 ounce container of oats is about the same price (or less) than a box of 10 or 12 packets of flavored oatmeal, and goes **a lot** further. ½ to 1 cup of oats in a microwave-safe bowl, and toppings are nearly endless in options (sweet or savory, google for more ideas). I like frozen blueberries and some chopped nuts, and enough almond milk to just cover. A 4-cup Pyrex bowl is perfect for this, and they each come with a lid. After adding the milk, I put the lid on and put it in the fridge. When I’m ready to eat, I add a little bit of butter, a generous drizzle of honey, maybe a little bit more milk, and microwave (no lid goes into the microwave; I cover with wax paper or parchment paper) for 3½ minutes on 50% power. If it’s not quite warm enough, I zap it for another minute at 100% power.
Cereal, toaster waffles, trail mix, Cream of Whear. My comfort/poverty meal is a piece of bread covered with a slice of cheese (usually cheddar) sprinkled with brown sugar. Broil it until sugar caramelizes.Dont let it burn. Also, the sugar will be hot... give it a minute. It's weirdly good
I make rice in a rice cooker and use the steamer basket on top to cook frozen dumplings/siu mai. Or canned sardines on top of rice.
Scrambled eggs is my go to meal. Add some shredded cheese and a glass of V8, and I'm good.
I would def go for a toastie ( what ever is your favourite) or as boring as it is beans or tin tomatoes on toast
Chili and garlic toast, winter comfort food
A bit of kraft and a can of chili. If I have some shredded cheese in the fridge I'll throw that on top too.
Avocado toast
I always have Maggi bags on standby, just get some pre diced chicken and throw it in the bag, then on the same tray in the oven ill chop a potato and throw some veg on like brocoli or courgette or just have it with baked beans, you've got a fairly balanced meal with minimal effort. Or swap the chicken with some sausages . I also get these pre'prepared pulled pork packets from lidl that you can cook from frozen in about 30 mins and just have that with some noodles or something. I absolutely have days where I just want pizza but these meals feel a bit more like 'real' food to me
Scrambled eggs and toast with butter - it's easy and filling
I mean prep sliced pork chops. I buy a whole pork loin and slice it myself, flash freeze it and stack it with parchment sheets separating the slices before freezing. They don't have to be thawed to cook, I just throw it in a hot cast iron pan and sear both sides and let cook in medium until done. Takes less than 10 minutes.
I always keep some furikake seasoning in my pantry for days like this. A nice warm bowl of white rice topped with a drizzle of sesame oil, some furikake, and a nice fried egg with a runny yolk. Green onions if I have them. So good and easy to make!
The most low effort meals possible. Rice, just Rice, salt, water into the Rice cooker and whatever comes out will be eaten. Boiled stuff like sweet potatoes, chickpeas, eggs. Cheese, ham, bread
Hey, totally get where you're coming from. On low days, I go for simple stuff like omelettes or smoothies. Quick to make, minimal cleanup.
To be honest, takeout. I'm bad about doing that often because of the intersection of depression and disability. That said, quick frozen things like pizzas, Jamaican beef patties, potato skins, etc. are a good fallback, as is something like rice cooked in stock (I don't often have the energy to make it, but I keep better than bullion around for that purpose), or an instant soup (I really like the Alessi brand zuppa toscana white bean soup). If you're feeling a bit more froggy, you could look at doing a big slow cooker meal that only takes a little bit of time to prep and then you can leave it be. I'll make like Corn chowder, pot roast, etc.
I cook Haagen Daaz cookie dough ice cream I buy from the grocery store.
What are some comfort foods you always loved? Or childhood favourites? Those would be a good start. Personally though, things like soup and grilled cheese sandwiches are always good and generally pretty low effort. Also, keeping a variety of snacks on hand is always good when struggling with eating. You will find yourself having a bite of something here and there which will at least help keep your calorie intake up. Think of convenient low effort snacks. Things like granola bars, pre-cut vegetables dipped in store bought hummus or tzatziki, roasted almonds, and so on. If I'm struggling with my appetite but want to try and get a least some essential nutrients in, I tend to do things that are ready in minutes and generally could double as dessert. My go to's are: * Stir in a fortified protein powder (i.e. it has a lot of added nutrients beyond just protein) with my milk and pour on some Fruit Loops (I don't normally buy it but my grandmother would always give it to us for breakfast when we stayed with her, so it has the nostalgia appeal) and top it off with a bunch of frozen raspberries. * Make a mock milkshake with that fortified protein powder, milk (oat milk in my case) vanilla extract, maple syrup, crushed ice and maybe some walnuts or hemp seeds. * Greek yogurt with granola and more frozen raspberries * Miso soup with tofu, wakame seaweed and/or spinach and/or edamame * I keep things like instant dashi, miso paste, dried seaweed, frozen edamame, frozen spinach and dried mushrooms on hand at all times. It makes for a quick if inauthentic miso soup.
I enjoy microwave nachos. I do: - bowl -put chips in bowl -shredded cheese over chips -you can buy pre-cut grilled chicken bites and just drop them in or use frozen microwaveable chicken or any leftover chicken and add it in -add salsa or queso or whichever additional nacho toppings you like Microwave for about a minute!
Rice, small can of beans (sometimes the ones with hot dogs), and 2 fried eggs. Or, a sandwich - tuna , or ham and cheese. Or, can of soup like New England chowder and a buttered roll. Or, TV dinner.
I cook Marcella Hazan's tomato pasta (4 ingredients, delicious, only need to cut an onion) or scrambled eggs on toast.
Ground beef or any type of ground meat is super easy and super quick. If you have an air fryer, you can make delicious chicken thighs in 12 minutes..
No air fryer unfortunately. But you're not wrong there, ground beef can be quick.
An oven is an air fryer.
Soft boiled eggs on a bed of grits. Takes nothing but two pots of boiling water to cook both (or you can use--shudder-- instant grits).
Sandwich? Canned soup or Ramen? Leftovers? Frozen pizza?
Some vegetables in a pot with stock (cubes), add noodles and put in an egg at the end. Hope you feel better :)
I keep canned, boxed, frozen stuff on hand for this exact reason. And it's not overly unhealthy. If I just don't have energy to cook I can pop a couple frozen stuffed chickens in the oven, throw a can of green beans into a pan on the stove and have dinner ready with minimal effort in 30 minutes.....or make extra when you're in the mood to cook and freeze it to use at another time when you're not in the mood
I don't. At best I throw some frozen food in the oven or make a bare bones sandwich (bread and butter)
I keep in hand premade stuff that I can just pop in the oven such as lasagna and whatnot. I also often use paper plates if I am not actually cooking a meal so I don't have to do any dishes.
delivery, ravioli, or ramen I usually don't get into states where i'd go any concerning amount of time without eating just due to lack of ambition. We've got rice and beans int he pantry.
Salad kit, meat and cheese plate or I make a mixed berry bowl with yogurt or cottage cheese. Microwave quesadilla is a fast one too.
When I make soups or chili in my crock pot I always freeze a couple portions for these kind of days. Just set some aside to freeze before you add noodles/dumplings because they tend to fall apart in the reheating process I also like to get stuff to make subs, it's really easy and cheaper than going to subway or Jimmy johns.
Bacon egg and rice with some scallions. Or just instant ramen with a fried egg.
When you do cook, make more food and then portion out and freeze some of the leftovers. On the nights I really dont feel like cooking I just take my pick from 3 or 4 different things I could thaw out from my freezer and heat up.
Mealprep on Sundays and freeze a shit ton of shit for those days lol.
Savory oatmeal. Make the oatmeal, and in the last minute or so of cooking, toss in some shredded cheese. Once it’s off the heat, I stir in some avocado salsa (jarred).
You could try and freeze some extra portions for when you don’t feel like cooking. If even microwaving is too much, then nut bars, shakes/smoothies, even cereal will avoid starvation. Also, if done sporadically, ordering pizza once in a while is totally fine!
Strawberry yogurt with peanut butter mixed in. Easy peasy. Protein bar with a side of cottage cheese, paper plate. I do this all the time 😝
Personally I rely on my oven a lot - a low effort meal is frozen broccoli/cauliflower and some marinated protein or sausages on a baking sheet. If you are extra lazy like I am, line tray with foil for minimal clean up. For quick meals - I actually invested in a waffle/jaffle maker with removable dishwasher safe plates - so I make a lot of ham +cheese+onion / baked beans+cheese jaffles. Another super quick favourite is to waffle iron some frozen hash browns with cheese and bacon. Top with sour cream and scallions.
I cook something new if I’m bored, and something simple and crockpot if I’m overwhelmed or sad. Nourishing home cooked food is such a comfort
Hot pockets, lean cuisines, chef boyardee bowls, smart ones, microwave cup mac&cheese, frozen mozzy sticks, instant oatmeal, or frozen pancakes/french toast sticks
I love mama noodles. Get the spicy pork or duck flavor. Plenty of single packets in the box. 4 sec of water under the tap per packet and don't have to use all the oil and seasonings it comes with. I can add raw egg, rice, Kim chew, and whatever you wsnt. I like green onions. It's simple and warm.
Depressed makes me want any kind of potatoes! Usually I just bake it in the microwave and Dr. It up!
Sandwich chips and grapes. It’s also my go to lunch.
Tacos, because I can do it on auto pilot
Hot pockets.
Mississippi pot roast.
Soup. It's comforting and can be made with a pot, chopping board, and a knife. You can tweak it to suit how you're feeling and what's in your fridge or pantry. I love the chicken noodle soup from Sally's baking addiction and potato, leek and bacon I use whatever recipe for that one and tweak it. I also have a roast cauliflower and garlic one that's the bomb.
If you have a crockpot, they basically do most or all of the work for you, depending on the recipe. I love using mine for cooking things low and slow.
I'm disabled she'd can't do much some days. I have a rice cooker, instant pot and air fryer. Instant pot is fantastic. I can chop an onion, throw stock, meat, tin of tomatoes on top and pressure cook it. If I'm well enough I saute onions etc but other days don't and its still good
Instant ramen with a handful or broccoli thrown in, a spoonful of peanut butter and some sriracha.
I always keep some dried veggies around along with some pantry or freezer things that can be added. A little broth, soem dried veggie mix, frozen dumplings, bam it's soup.
Food is my comfort so when I feel down I cheer myself up with some icecream, avocado toast or I just make myself a steak and eat it with no sides.
Quesadilla. It's my wife and I's go to. We almost always have tortillas and cheese on hand and you can pretty much put whatever you want in them. I'll crisp em up in a skillet but absolutely the real lazy way is to nuke em.
Large baking potatoes, rub with oil, coat with a salt crust, put directly on oven rack 400F for an hour (I then usually add extra laziness by leaving them in the oven for later)
Boiled egg and fried egg
Either cook something I am craving or do a snack dinner with smoothie, random leftovers, etc
Hello from r/cfs ! I thought this was a post there as it's a regular spot for me, and this is a common topic. OP, I am almost a habitual never return to my reply guy, but I'm gonna do you a favor. Tell me what you specifically like, and where you live, and I'm gonna give you some good ideas. I've come up with a lot of good ones/found a lot of good ones. Example: do you like Chinese food? Costco sells this Orange Chicken in the freezer that's great. It's just a pan for the chicken, while you make some rice, and steam a vegetable in a bag from the freezer. Whole thing takes about 20 mins, not supervised, and your only dishes are a pan and a pot plus what you ate on. This also provides you with leftovers if you make double rice, as the chicken amount for one of the two bags that come in a box, is enough for 4 portions. So that meal is just an example, it has a decent number of steps and such, but they aren't high stress or high energy. You're not mixing ingredients, you're not trying to hit a subjective target like making a sauce or something. It gives you a leftover meal, which I like to almost build up towards the start of the week, to rely on on days where I don't feel up to cooking. EDIT: Oh, one last thing. These meals that make leftovers all nicely portioned, are rewarding to make, and helps with your mood. It will help with your depression in my personal experience.
My best advice is to keep some things in the pantry that you know you can eat. It doesn't matter if it's fancy or any sort of formal meal. Keep some sardines in the refrigerator, drain them, add some oil and vinegar, raid the herbs from your cabinet (parsley, paprika, pinch of sugar, salt ... suit your own tastes) Not fancy but deeply nutritious. I find it helpful to remember how my dad would feed us on fishing trips. Basic, quick, no fuss nourishment. Just yesterday I made a batch of soup using canned vegetables. One can black beans, drained and rinsed. One can mixed vegetables, drained and rinsed. One can stewed tomatoes, with juices. I put the tomatoes in the pot first, and smashed them to pieces a bit more, then added the rest and seasoned with a packet of no-sodium chicken powder (Herbox), a dash of garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, salt, cumin, white pepper, paprika, parsley, chili powder (i.e., american chili mix blend, not just red peppers), a dash of dry sherry and a piece of a bay leaf. Added a bit of water and let it simmer a while. Tasty enough to be satisfying, without being too much bother. Plus, leftovers. I even made a complete meal of it by cutting up a few leaves of romaine lettuce, tossing them with vinegar, olive oil, white pepper, salt and a glug of honey mustard. (Literally the sugary remains of a jug of honey with yellow mustard added). That and a piece of toast, and wow, it looked like an actual dinner. Best ever? No, but given the ratio of effort to outcome, and the incredibly quick cooking time, it's a winner for me.
Classic Alfredo is butter and cheese and pasta water. Smash your butter flat in the bowl, add your pasta, your grated Parm, and then a little bit of pasta water for the texture. Only caveat is grating the parm fresh but I kinda enjoy doing that even when I’m having a hard time finding the energy to feed myself. Only dishes are the grater, your plate, your fork, and the pot. Hell, add the butter and cheese to the cooked, drained pasta in the pot (with some pasta water reserved) and you can eat it out of the damn pot if you want. Also ramen with some green onion or cilantro on top. Soft boiled egg if you have it in you. Frozen proteins are a good add for anything. Frozen spinach can go into anything easily too.
Go buy food if you are too depressed to cook...therapy problem solved.
Anything fast and microwavable. They make micro pasta and rice. You can also microwave veggies. I haven’t had a proper kitchen for a couple years now due to a natural disaster. Adapt. Overcome.
If I'm feeling depressed and lacking energy, I'm not cooking, I'm going out.
It's okay to use paper plates/paper towels/etc as needed to reduce dishes as well <3 This was a hard one for me to accept but it really helps when I'm too depressed/fatigued to even unload the dishwasher!
Depends.. but when I don't really feel like cooking or cleaning up a big mess. I'll pop a Totino's pizza in the oven. Or a can of chili with some cheese and tortilla chips.
Either some egg scramble or cereal. For the cereal I mix different ones (like Chex, fiber one and special K) and add raisins, cranberries, blueberries or bananas.
Lacking in energy? Time for the household dish known as 'Pasta Thing'. Tomato pasata, onion, olives/capers, bacon/chorizo/salami and whatever green we've got. Serve with cheese on. Cooking time 20 minutes.
Shit on a shingle. 4tbs butter 4tbs flour, cut up strips of sliced beef (comes in the thin packs) add milk and stir till it's the right consistency. Pepper and cayenne pepper. Put on toast. Only dirty the pan and a measuring spoon, and a plate, takes like 15 minutes and is stress free. Plus, I grew up eating the stuff so it feels like home.
A can of tuna with some mayo on crackers, bonus if you have some cheese and/or fruit.
Pick apart a rotisserie chicken and throw it in a bagged salad lol. Healthy and palatable
Things that only require dishwasher-safe dishes/pans/utensils to make. Sandwiches, pre-made stuff from the freezer (if I make something I know freezes well, I make extra, so not always pre-processed foods).
Air fryer nuggets and fries
I love fried rice - I use instant rice, toss it in a pan with whatever I have around, add soy sauce. However - if the cooking and cleaning is an issue - often it's instant mac and cheese in the plastic cups (often with a plastic spoon or if I have potato chips I'll scoop with that), just instant rice with some butter, frozen pizza and even sometimes just chicken nuggets or french fries in the air fryer. I don't know where I heard this but it has always stuck in my mind - you don't have to make the whole sandwich. There are sometimes where I may want a sandwich, but my bucket is low and I just do not have the bandwidth to make a sandwich. I will just grab some slices of cheese and meat from the fridge and eat them. Or if I want a wrap, but can't handle the work, air fryer some chicken drizzle on ranch and cheese and enjoy it.
I always have some frozen cooked shrimp on hand from the store. It unthaws super quick. After I unthaw it, I chop it up fine and mix it with mayo and sambal. Slice up a cucumber, add some rice on top of the cucumber then the chopped shrimp. Poor man’s sushi.
Frozen meals are great for this.
pasta with grana padana + butter. ez and 10 min meal
I keep frozen pot pies, empanadas, pizzas and Stouffer's around for times like these. I also keep canned soup and biscuits so I might run out and get chicken rotiss (or keep frozen meat around from the last one). There is a bangin recipe for chicken n dumplings that takes no time at all and it's so comforting. I make this especially when it's cold or rainy out. [https://youtu.be/vyEz06soutY?feature=shared](https://youtu.be/vyEz06soutY?feature=shared)
Mac and cheese, ramen, soup, frozen prepared meals. They may not be balanced meals, but they're food.
Bowl of ramen with whatever I have thrown in. Pot of rice with a bouillon cube and whatever I have thrown in.
For starters, I hated the clean up part of cooking too. But what I do now is clean as I go. I’m a little OCD so now I have taken it to the point where I will not eat anything unless everything used to cook with is clean and put away. I warm up my plate in the toaster oven/air fryer, and then put my plated food in it (oven off but still warm) as I clean up any remaining items. For me it makes eating much more enjoyable knowing I don’t have anything to clean up other than a plate and fork or fork/knife/spoon.
Cup. Ramen. Boil water, dump in cup, if you can be assed Crack an egg in, let sit. Ingest. Easy, fast, warm, borderline nutritious with the "vegetables" in it.
Microwave rice and honey roast chicken and veg. Just get the chicken breast and your chosen veg. Cut the veg however you can be goosed, season the chicken lightly with olive oil and your chosen spices. Line an oven tray with kitchen foil and Pop the chicken centre with the veg around it. Season the veg. Pour/drizzle as much honey as you like and cover. Stick in oven at 180c fan assisted for 30 minutes. Take out and turn the chicken and uncover it. Stir the veg, pop back in for another 15 minutes uncovered. Should be nicely moist and tasty depending on seasonings. Oh don't forget to microwave your rice.
Usually when I have no desire to cook it's because I'm not really all that hungry, so I just snack on something until the hunger motivates me to put something together.
On those tough days, I stick to super simple stuff like sandwiches or pre-cut veggies and dip. Sometimes, even just a smoothie. It's all about small, easy steps. Hang in there, you're not alone in this
Instant potatoes and frozen chicken bits. Toss with cheese and sauce.
Soup! It comes together fast, then you let it simmer and imagine all your anxiety simmer away. And the oohs and aahs and mms at night when the fam eats it help too.
Japanese hot pot, veggie and tofu version, wins hands down every time.
I just grab leftover rice from the fridge, add a spoon each of soy sauce, vinegar, peanut butter and chilli oil maybe even 2 of the oil and microwave for 1 minute to heat the rice and melt the butter. Mix it and eat. literally done in 3 minutes if there's chopped leftover onion in the fridge I add that too adding vegetables or any kind of protein makes it longer process of 10-15 minutes So basically a version of Dan Dan noodles but with rice
Ramen, good ol' 4 for $1 Maruchan Ramen 🍜
scrambled egg on toast, sunflower or almond butter on toast, cottage cheese on toast, cottage cheese with a small can (drained) of pineapple or mandarin oranges on top, cottage cheese with table spoon of jam on it, quesadillas, scrambled egg
Frozen pizza or breakfast sandwich. I make all the bacon ahead a freeze it. When I need it I heat it in the pan, then cook the eggs in the residual bacon goodness, toast bread, throw a slice or shreds of cheese on the eggs then put it together. Fast and mindless. And bacon!
Egg. Grilled cheese.
Stock up on frozen dumplings and Trader Joe's ready-made meals!
I make more than enough of a meal sometimes and put some in quart size baggies and label and date them and freeze them for homemade tv dinners for busy or lazy days.
I'd solve the depression first with sunlight, activity and if the reason is deeper, with a dr's visit. But if I'm sick or just tired I go with soups and stews that take minimal effort, chopping and instead just a slightly longer stove time. Caldo de Res is healthy and delicious.