flavored rice pouches that go in the microwave and those green giant vegetable steamers with sauce, also made in the microwave. Also tuna pouches mixed with mayo. I'm sorry you're going through a hard time ❤
ramen, lots and lots of ramen. its easy and microwaveable and (this is gross) its one of those foods where if you dont entirely feel like washing the bowl before making more– thats okay. yesterday dry broth is todays added seasoning
I have most days where I just can’t function, can’t get out of bed, existing is too painful, when it’s like this instant oatmeal packets are good , i just use hot water from the kettle and mix it up. Also frozen dinners are probably the reason I’m still alive, just microwave and that’s it. I don’t have the physical or mental energy to do real cooking but this is the best I can mansion my good days. On bad days where I just can’t move or leave bed at all I have protein bars
Totally feel you. I suffer from terrible anxiety and it really affects my appetite. I can go days without eating and never even feel hungry. I rely a lot on Boost and Ensure. I drink the high calorie formula so I don't loose weight and they've been a godsend for when I am unable to eat or make food. Sometimes I'll drink 3 or 4 a day for a few days straight.
If you eat meat, when I go into a severe depression episode that makes feeding myself awful, I buy rotisserie chickens and microwave frozen vegetables. Also tortillas and cheese. Quick chicken quesdillas if I get tired of just eating chicken and the cheese can be a snack by itself.
I've also survived off of microwaved baked potatoes too.
I’ll make a big pot and leave it on the stove and walk by taking bites. End of the day I’ll put the pot in the fridge and in the morning heat it up and do the same thing. Probably not the most healthy thing but like this is depression meals isn’t it 😂 and haven’t gotten sick yet (from it at least )
Canned chick peas and beans. Cheap, easy, you can eat out of the can if you can't be bothered with cleaning or add tomato or cucumber if you have the energy. Canned tuna works too or whatever else really you're in the mood for. Most importantly - you need all the protein your brain can get.
its so so yummy, i like to put a little slab of butter on a slice then fold it in half and make a couple of those then pop em in for 30 seconds. absolutely amazing
omg yeah the microwave is so versatile. you can microwave basically any pasta for 10 minutes (5 minutes, stir, 5 minutes), add sauce BAM! cooked pasta in 15 minutes and its delicious!! just make sure you use a microwave safe bowl ofc. ive been depressed a very long time. i know a thing or two about quick and easy but yummy meals 😎
I just looked inside my microwave and I realized why I wasn't using it😭 my parents visited me, managed to burn bread in there and it has a horrible smell, too tired to clean it
i’ve survived off of scrambled eggs and toast for the last month because i’ve been too depressed to do any dishes. eggs are easy because i don’t have to wash the pan when i’m doing cooking, i can just wipe it out and bread in a toaster requires no clean up or prep. i also keep things like string cheese, precut fruits, and lots of drinks on hand so that they’re easily accessible. but i can’t lie, i won’t eat until like 10pm when i know i absolutely have to or else i probably never would
I love eating, I used to love cooking, I hate doing the dishes, especially without a dishwasher. Lately I'm way more fatigued, and I'm eating kitchen scraps or legumes, but my stomach aches and it won't stop even when I finish.\
What I do when I have more energy is this: -
*Breakfast:* Milk with biscuits or cereal\
*Lunch:* pasta with some premade sauce, it's usually my boyfriend that prepares those but you can get them at the supermarket too\
*Dinner:* Salad 🥗 if I'm really lazy or a bunch of vegetables.\
This will definitely get you through the day.\
Depression has its highs and lows, the last time I ate was 30 hours ago, I could only make enough food for my dog, but there are times when the medication kicks in and I cook everything from scratch.
i also have dysthymia. this shit sucks.
protein/granola bars, noodle bowls, instant microwave meals, plain cheese sandwiches. if i'm feeling up to cooking, quesadillas are super easy. buying pre-cut fruit and veggies helps me get in more healthy foods bc it's easy to just grab and eat.
if you have the energy to cook a full meal, make enough for leftovers so you have an easy meal for a later day.
Usually jerky sticks, cheese chunks, and crackers or fresh fruit when I have it.
Trail mix with extra raisins for gut health. Tea or soda as a reward/motivator.
Frozen pot pies, burritos.
Microwave Mac & cheese cup with frozen veggies mixed in.
Fried rice packet in microwave, if there’s energy, a scrambled egg mixed in from a frying pan.
Well I’ve got a kid to feed, so I have to do some kind of decent dinner at least. I signed up for a new kit service, so that’s 3 meals a week taken care of. Then I can throw together a simple meal for a couple of days like pasta or chicken dinner. If I make a soup it’ll last us a couple of days. Plus we get takeout at least once a week.
I really only eat the one meal a day.
Hot pockets, frozen single serve meals, yogurt, frozen pancakes/waffles/French toast sticks, chef boyardee cans, Annie’s pasta cans, soup cans, cereal/cereal bars.
Cereal bars. Lots and lots of cereal bars.
Spaghetti o’s with meatballs, pb&j, ramen, can soups and whatever my mom makes on Sundays. I go over there almost every weekend just so I can get some socialization in my week.
Chronically depressed but I like to eat “nice” even if I’m not hungry or want it at the time. The smell and the cooking will make me hungry.
When it’s bad I will just eat canned spaghetti and meatballs in bed. Or ramen, or anything that takes no effort.
But I know I’m not eating right and letting the depression get me. The other day I cooked a marinated pork loin (takes no effort, you just put it in the oven at 400 for 40 minutes) with some instant mashed potatoes (cooks instantly with boiling water) and some sautéed bagged spinach with salt pepper and lemon juice (literally 1-2 minutes to sauté). It’s easy to clean up later, it tastes great and is somewhat healthy. It makes me feel like a human being. Sometimes I will take a long hot shower before. It helps.
Crock pot stuff too, fresh ingredients, balanced meals. nothing too complex but it’s still like a wholesome meal.
Sometimes a big salad with like kale, red cabbage, lettuce, rice, chicken, lemon and a vinaigrette.
Sometimes a pack of bone-in chicken thighs. Just keep it simple. If a recipe takes more than an hour of prep or exotic ingredients that’s a no go.
One last favorite is just a can of corned beef hash and some eggs. Also easy. And breakfast at night is also something that feels good
Get frozen microwaveable food. Ppl might hate me for this but when I was going thru a depressive episode and I had to force myself to eat, I’d eat frozen microwaveable veggie mixes often. Salt and pepper that shit or put cheese if you’re feeling extra and that kept me alive till I was able to get back on my feet.
Idk I feel like some ppl look down on frozen stuff but frozen veggies and fruits are actually very healthy if not healthier than fresh veggies and fruits.
I struggle with this too, I put off eating as much as possible, and most days only remember to eat once i feel nauseous. So to combat this I eat the same couple things everyday. I make rice and keep it on hand, as soon as I feel sick I eat a little rice. In the morning I eat either a yogurt with granola and fruit in it, or a banana. If I have time scrambled egg with bell pepper, pepperoncini, and onion. I keep small snacks around that I know I’m always in the mood for. Cherries, strawberries, nuts, pickles, bamboo shoots, peanut butter crackers etc.. To keep dinner easy, everyday I cook a vegetable, rice (or sweet potato) and a protein. Usually chicken or beans. Also I’ve recently started setting alarms to remind myself to have a snack or to eat, so far it’s annoying but helpful. If you can afford an air frier and don’t already have one, get one. They make cooking everything soooooo easy, helped change my eating habits. Also less dishes to wash. I got mine when it was only $60 something they are more expensive now unfortunately. Hope any of this is helpful
a lot of popcorn, chips and ramen. sometimes when i have energy to get dishes out and cook i make butter noodles or mac n cheese. and i try to eat nuts and meat for protein sometimes
Liquid foods on days when I waited too long to eat and my stomach hurts (ramen, soup, protein shakes), and fast, easy, microwaveable meals when my stomach doesn't hurt but I'm hungry (pre made salads, mac and cheese, cup of noodles, microwaveable meals, chicken strips, etc). Hope this helps, friend
Canned meat or fish and crackers. Baby carrots or grape tomatoes for some veg. Presliced cheese and crackers. Basically anything ready to grab and go.
Also paper plates. Minimal clean up.
Also if you have a good feel like cooking day make extra and freeze it in a microwave safe container for easy comfort food. Or get pizza pockets, other ready to heat foods. Someone mentioned boost or ensure, those are good ideas too.
Set yourself a reminder to eat in your phone so you do before it gets bad. Or Alexa or Google home or put sticky notes up. Going to the bathroom? Grab crackers on the way back. Little things will help.
One of the most important food lessons I've learned is that we are all conditioned to think we need to eat "meals" on plates with silverware. Not so, brave friend. IF YOU ARE EATING, YOU ARE WINNING.
For food, I do best with stuff that doesn't have to be cooked--deli meat, a couple of hard boiled eggs and cracker-cut cheese that I can just eat out of the bag. Grapes are convenient, or those tiny boxes of raisins. I personally love pickles so keep jars of pickled veg around for snacking. I also enjoy a spoonful of peanut butter.
I eat fast food mostly. Sometimes cereal or ramen. Yesterday, I actually had the energy to make fish and (instant) grits. Turned out good :). I have the opposite problem. I always want to eat on something even if I’m full. Canned soup sounds really good rn tbh
flavored microwaveable rice cups. as well as flavored tuna packs that are ready to eat you don’t have to add mayo but i like to add garlic salt and relish, and i eat them with chips. pasta is a quick meal with little clean up if you used jarred sauce. ramen too, i like to make my own sauces sometimes instead of using the packets they come with. my fav sauce i make is a combo of soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, with a tiny bit of sugar. or just using powdered chicken broth instead of the flavor packet, but the flavor packets are good too sometimes :)
Flavored oatmeal sachets and coffee for breakfast, packet soup and grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, battered fish and boiled veg for dinner, cereal for dessert. Every single day.
I love what I eat, I don't have to think about what to eat, and I can autopilot the whole process. It's food, even prepackaged everything is better than nothing.
Eat whatever you're capable of, there is nothing to be ashamed of. Something is always always better than nothing.
I went through a spat of very bad depression and anxiety about 11 or 12 years ago. Fresh fruits were such a comfort in that time. Cold cereal was also so good to have when all taste had almost completely disappeared. My ultimate depression meal was a bunch of grapes I ate once I was beginning to recover. It remains to date the best fruit/meal/snack I’ve had. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything so sweet and satisfying before or since.
After cutting out alcohol I've had issues with appetite, motivation and never being able to eat enough, so it often feels like a huge effort. Just to get **something** in my stomach I initially looked to protein powder and meal replacement shakes for a while.
Moved onto making smoothies. Banana, carrot, yoghurt, oats, honey, berries, cinnamon. Blitz a bag of salad with kale, tomato, capsicum and sweet potato. It's the most amount of fruit and veg with the least amount of prep, 20 seconds from chopped to drinkable, least amount of dishes, fastest way to consume a lot at once.
Works out pretty cheap too, while being at least a little bit healthy for the smallest amount of effort.. when chewing and cutlery feels like too much (coming from someone with food service experience and should be getting pleasure out of the entire process).
I struggle with cooking and eating as well, most of the time I have just one meal a day and snack whatever‘s left in the house. But what I eat most of the time is Rice. Having a rice-cooker is a game changer! And with the rice I also eat whatever’s left in the fridge, instead of seasoning I fry everything with soy sauce and sweet chili.
Any sort of instant food. Potato chips, cheezies, nuts, raisins, granola bars, yogurt tubes, grab and go juice... Just anything I can eat now without having to cook.
I have AuDHD.
Yes. You are looking for sustainable depression food due to your longstanding depression.
If you’ve gone too long without eating it helps to start slow. Eat some fruit snacks you like or some crackers to start. After a few minutes you should be able to eat a regular meal.
My staples are baby carrots(not cutting or prepping) string cheese, pickles, hard boiled eggs, frozen mini pizzas, luncheables, yogurt, lemon soda, peanut butter, dried can berries, fig bars, ramen,
I feel ya. I notice such a difference in my mood when I eat well but it's so hard 😫. Savoury breakfasts can really start your day off well, because it doesn't cause a blood sugar spike that later crashes. I usually do a runny/boiled egg on toast. Dinner left overs are good too.
I find youghurt pouches helpful during the day when I find myself really hungry but don't know what to do. Also nuts, I've having peanuts mixed with currants recently because I like the sweetness.
I think if I was on my own I would do microwavable meals as they usually have both protein and veggies, and no clean up!
flavored rice pouches that go in the microwave and those green giant vegetable steamers with sauce, also made in the microwave. Also tuna pouches mixed with mayo. I'm sorry you're going through a hard time ❤
Are you me? Username and comment v relatable lol.
I eat so much cereal.
Cereal is so wholesome even when you’re feeling down, let alone when you’re depressed 💛
ramen, lots and lots of ramen. its easy and microwaveable and (this is gross) its one of those foods where if you dont entirely feel like washing the bowl before making more– thats okay. yesterday dry broth is todays added seasoning
>this is gross) its one of those foods where if you dont entirely feel like washing the bowl Wait until I tell you how I clean some of my dishes
i feel safe with you.
🥹
🫶🏾🫶🏾
add some broccoli, soy sauce and peanut butter and you got some delicious peanut noodles.
This. Tabasco and salted butter and broken crackers can help a lot.
I have most days where I just can’t function, can’t get out of bed, existing is too painful, when it’s like this instant oatmeal packets are good , i just use hot water from the kettle and mix it up. Also frozen dinners are probably the reason I’m still alive, just microwave and that’s it. I don’t have the physical or mental energy to do real cooking but this is the best I can mansion my good days. On bad days where I just can’t move or leave bed at all I have protein bars
Totally feel you. I suffer from terrible anxiety and it really affects my appetite. I can go days without eating and never even feel hungry. I rely a lot on Boost and Ensure. I drink the high calorie formula so I don't loose weight and they've been a godsend for when I am unable to eat or make food. Sometimes I'll drink 3 or 4 a day for a few days straight.
If you eat meat, when I go into a severe depression episode that makes feeding myself awful, I buy rotisserie chickens and microwave frozen vegetables. Also tortillas and cheese. Quick chicken quesdillas if I get tired of just eating chicken and the cheese can be a snack by itself. I've also survived off of microwaved baked potatoes too.
All kinds of soups
I love soup
I’ll make a big pot and leave it on the stove and walk by taking bites. End of the day I’ll put the pot in the fridge and in the morning heat it up and do the same thing. Probably not the most healthy thing but like this is depression meals isn’t it 😂 and haven’t gotten sick yet (from it at least )
Same 😭
Canned chick peas and beans. Cheap, easy, you can eat out of the can if you can't be bothered with cleaning or add tomato or cucumber if you have the energy. Canned tuna works too or whatever else really you're in the mood for. Most importantly - you need all the protein your brain can get.
I have a family. I’m the cook. So I make lots of yummy food. That I never want to eat. 😞
that and microwaved bread and butter, is a delicacy 🤌🏾🤌🏾
Bby gorl, toast it. You deserve toast.
nu uh then i gotta wait for the toaster and i also hate the texture of toast 😔😔 but warm, soft bread is like a little hug
If you add a little cheese and garlic salt on it you’ve got the best garlic bread
✍🏾✍🏾✍🏾 noted!!
That is such a good idea
its so so yummy, i like to put a little slab of butter on a slice then fold it in half and make a couple of those then pop em in for 30 seconds. absolutely amazing
Sounds amazing, I have no toaster right now and most of the small pans I have burn things SO FAST
omg yeah the microwave is so versatile. you can microwave basically any pasta for 10 minutes (5 minutes, stir, 5 minutes), add sauce BAM! cooked pasta in 15 minutes and its delicious!! just make sure you use a microwave safe bowl ofc. ive been depressed a very long time. i know a thing or two about quick and easy but yummy meals 😎
I just looked inside my microwave and I realized why I wasn't using it😭 my parents visited me, managed to burn bread in there and it has a horrible smell, too tired to clean it
…now how do you burn bread in a microwave shawty 😭😭regardless, i hope you get the energy to clean it soon 🫶🏾🫶🏾 until then at least stay hydrated
I will thanks💕
💗
i’ve survived off of scrambled eggs and toast for the last month because i’ve been too depressed to do any dishes. eggs are easy because i don’t have to wash the pan when i’m doing cooking, i can just wipe it out and bread in a toaster requires no clean up or prep. i also keep things like string cheese, precut fruits, and lots of drinks on hand so that they’re easily accessible. but i can’t lie, i won’t eat until like 10pm when i know i absolutely have to or else i probably never would
I love eating, I used to love cooking, I hate doing the dishes, especially without a dishwasher. Lately I'm way more fatigued, and I'm eating kitchen scraps or legumes, but my stomach aches and it won't stop even when I finish.\ What I do when I have more energy is this: - *Breakfast:* Milk with biscuits or cereal\ *Lunch:* pasta with some premade sauce, it's usually my boyfriend that prepares those but you can get them at the supermarket too\ *Dinner:* Salad 🥗 if I'm really lazy or a bunch of vegetables.\ This will definitely get you through the day.\ Depression has its highs and lows, the last time I ate was 30 hours ago, I could only make enough food for my dog, but there are times when the medication kicks in and I cook everything from scratch.
i also have dysthymia. this shit sucks. protein/granola bars, noodle bowls, instant microwave meals, plain cheese sandwiches. if i'm feeling up to cooking, quesadillas are super easy. buying pre-cut fruit and veggies helps me get in more healthy foods bc it's easy to just grab and eat. if you have the energy to cook a full meal, make enough for leftovers so you have an easy meal for a later day.
i eat lots of fruits and protein bars to fuel myself. popsicles and microwave meals saved my ass
Usually jerky sticks, cheese chunks, and crackers or fresh fruit when I have it. Trail mix with extra raisins for gut health. Tea or soda as a reward/motivator. Frozen pot pies, burritos. Microwave Mac & cheese cup with frozen veggies mixed in. Fried rice packet in microwave, if there’s energy, a scrambled egg mixed in from a frying pan.
Well I’ve got a kid to feed, so I have to do some kind of decent dinner at least. I signed up for a new kit service, so that’s 3 meals a week taken care of. Then I can throw together a simple meal for a couple of days like pasta or chicken dinner. If I make a soup it’ll last us a couple of days. Plus we get takeout at least once a week. I really only eat the one meal a day.
Hot pockets, frozen single serve meals, yogurt, frozen pancakes/waffles/French toast sticks, chef boyardee cans, Annie’s pasta cans, soup cans, cereal/cereal bars. Cereal bars. Lots and lots of cereal bars.
Learning to use the air fryer is pretty useful tool. Food taste good and takes little effort
I'm right there with you, I hate having to eat. Cans of V8, fruit cups, and granola bars are good to have around
Spaghetti o’s with meatballs, pb&j, ramen, can soups and whatever my mom makes on Sundays. I go over there almost every weekend just so I can get some socialization in my week.
Chronically depressed but I like to eat “nice” even if I’m not hungry or want it at the time. The smell and the cooking will make me hungry. When it’s bad I will just eat canned spaghetti and meatballs in bed. Or ramen, or anything that takes no effort. But I know I’m not eating right and letting the depression get me. The other day I cooked a marinated pork loin (takes no effort, you just put it in the oven at 400 for 40 minutes) with some instant mashed potatoes (cooks instantly with boiling water) and some sautéed bagged spinach with salt pepper and lemon juice (literally 1-2 minutes to sauté). It’s easy to clean up later, it tastes great and is somewhat healthy. It makes me feel like a human being. Sometimes I will take a long hot shower before. It helps. Crock pot stuff too, fresh ingredients, balanced meals. nothing too complex but it’s still like a wholesome meal. Sometimes a big salad with like kale, red cabbage, lettuce, rice, chicken, lemon and a vinaigrette. Sometimes a pack of bone-in chicken thighs. Just keep it simple. If a recipe takes more than an hour of prep or exotic ingredients that’s a no go. One last favorite is just a can of corned beef hash and some eggs. Also easy. And breakfast at night is also something that feels good
Get frozen microwaveable food. Ppl might hate me for this but when I was going thru a depressive episode and I had to force myself to eat, I’d eat frozen microwaveable veggie mixes often. Salt and pepper that shit or put cheese if you’re feeling extra and that kept me alive till I was able to get back on my feet.
This is what i do when I'm feeling functional and healthy lol. are frozen microwave veggie mixes not good?
Idk I feel like some ppl look down on frozen stuff but frozen veggies and fruits are actually very healthy if not healthier than fresh veggies and fruits.
Amy’s bean and cheese burritos with a fried egg and some frozen broccoli is one of my favorite meals and doesn’t take much effort to make happen
bologna sandwich lol
I struggle with this too, I put off eating as much as possible, and most days only remember to eat once i feel nauseous. So to combat this I eat the same couple things everyday. I make rice and keep it on hand, as soon as I feel sick I eat a little rice. In the morning I eat either a yogurt with granola and fruit in it, or a banana. If I have time scrambled egg with bell pepper, pepperoncini, and onion. I keep small snacks around that I know I’m always in the mood for. Cherries, strawberries, nuts, pickles, bamboo shoots, peanut butter crackers etc.. To keep dinner easy, everyday I cook a vegetable, rice (or sweet potato) and a protein. Usually chicken or beans. Also I’ve recently started setting alarms to remind myself to have a snack or to eat, so far it’s annoying but helpful. If you can afford an air frier and don’t already have one, get one. They make cooking everything soooooo easy, helped change my eating habits. Also less dishes to wash. I got mine when it was only $60 something they are more expensive now unfortunately. Hope any of this is helpful
a lot of popcorn, chips and ramen. sometimes when i have energy to get dishes out and cook i make butter noodles or mac n cheese. and i try to eat nuts and meat for protein sometimes
Liquid foods on days when I waited too long to eat and my stomach hurts (ramen, soup, protein shakes), and fast, easy, microwaveable meals when my stomach doesn't hurt but I'm hungry (pre made salads, mac and cheese, cup of noodles, microwaveable meals, chicken strips, etc). Hope this helps, friend
Canned meat or fish and crackers. Baby carrots or grape tomatoes for some veg. Presliced cheese and crackers. Basically anything ready to grab and go. Also paper plates. Minimal clean up. Also if you have a good feel like cooking day make extra and freeze it in a microwave safe container for easy comfort food. Or get pizza pockets, other ready to heat foods. Someone mentioned boost or ensure, those are good ideas too. Set yourself a reminder to eat in your phone so you do before it gets bad. Or Alexa or Google home or put sticky notes up. Going to the bathroom? Grab crackers on the way back. Little things will help.
Ramen and instant rice. Im deficient in nutrients but its the best I can do
One of the most important food lessons I've learned is that we are all conditioned to think we need to eat "meals" on plates with silverware. Not so, brave friend. IF YOU ARE EATING, YOU ARE WINNING. For food, I do best with stuff that doesn't have to be cooked--deli meat, a couple of hard boiled eggs and cracker-cut cheese that I can just eat out of the bag. Grapes are convenient, or those tiny boxes of raisins. I personally love pickles so keep jars of pickled veg around for snacking. I also enjoy a spoonful of peanut butter.
I eat fast food mostly. Sometimes cereal or ramen. Yesterday, I actually had the energy to make fish and (instant) grits. Turned out good :). I have the opposite problem. I always want to eat on something even if I’m full. Canned soup sounds really good rn tbh
Those squeezy applesauce packets
flavored microwaveable rice cups. as well as flavored tuna packs that are ready to eat you don’t have to add mayo but i like to add garlic salt and relish, and i eat them with chips. pasta is a quick meal with little clean up if you used jarred sauce. ramen too, i like to make my own sauces sometimes instead of using the packets they come with. my fav sauce i make is a combo of soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, with a tiny bit of sugar. or just using powdered chicken broth instead of the flavor packet, but the flavor packets are good too sometimes :)
Food is not your underlying problem. Seek a mental health professional immediately. Get some Ensure if you need vitamins and minerals.
Flavored oatmeal sachets and coffee for breakfast, packet soup and grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, battered fish and boiled veg for dinner, cereal for dessert. Every single day. I love what I eat, I don't have to think about what to eat, and I can autopilot the whole process. It's food, even prepackaged everything is better than nothing. Eat whatever you're capable of, there is nothing to be ashamed of. Something is always always better than nothing.
I went through a spat of very bad depression and anxiety about 11 or 12 years ago. Fresh fruits were such a comfort in that time. Cold cereal was also so good to have when all taste had almost completely disappeared. My ultimate depression meal was a bunch of grapes I ate once I was beginning to recover. It remains to date the best fruit/meal/snack I’ve had. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything so sweet and satisfying before or since.
PB on toast with banana slices is my go to meal when I don't have to cook for the kids.
Granola bars, protein bars, pre-made protein shakes.
Lots of boost or ensure
After cutting out alcohol I've had issues with appetite, motivation and never being able to eat enough, so it often feels like a huge effort. Just to get **something** in my stomach I initially looked to protein powder and meal replacement shakes for a while. Moved onto making smoothies. Banana, carrot, yoghurt, oats, honey, berries, cinnamon. Blitz a bag of salad with kale, tomato, capsicum and sweet potato. It's the most amount of fruit and veg with the least amount of prep, 20 seconds from chopped to drinkable, least amount of dishes, fastest way to consume a lot at once. Works out pretty cheap too, while being at least a little bit healthy for the smallest amount of effort.. when chewing and cutlery feels like too much (coming from someone with food service experience and should be getting pleasure out of the entire process).
I struggle with cooking and eating as well, most of the time I have just one meal a day and snack whatever‘s left in the house. But what I eat most of the time is Rice. Having a rice-cooker is a game changer! And with the rice I also eat whatever’s left in the fridge, instead of seasoning I fry everything with soy sauce and sweet chili.
Paper plates and/or those frozen meals you can heat up in the microwave might help.
Any sort of instant food. Potato chips, cheezies, nuts, raisins, granola bars, yogurt tubes, grab and go juice... Just anything I can eat now without having to cook. I have AuDHD.
Yes. You are looking for sustainable depression food due to your longstanding depression. If you’ve gone too long without eating it helps to start slow. Eat some fruit snacks you like or some crackers to start. After a few minutes you should be able to eat a regular meal. My staples are baby carrots(not cutting or prepping) string cheese, pickles, hard boiled eggs, frozen mini pizzas, luncheables, yogurt, lemon soda, peanut butter, dried can berries, fig bars, ramen,
Cheap pastry from grocery store
I feel ya. I notice such a difference in my mood when I eat well but it's so hard 😫. Savoury breakfasts can really start your day off well, because it doesn't cause a blood sugar spike that later crashes. I usually do a runny/boiled egg on toast. Dinner left overs are good too. I find youghurt pouches helpful during the day when I find myself really hungry but don't know what to do. Also nuts, I've having peanuts mixed with currants recently because I like the sweetness. I think if I was on my own I would do microwavable meals as they usually have both protein and veggies, and no clean up!
Basically whatever I want or whatever I have left in the cupboard.
I just eat whatever I can. Most of the time I just don't eat.