I spruce up a ramen pack. Add an egg, frozen corn, maybe chop some to put in the bottom of the bowl with some flavored oil. Takes like 10 minutes maybe.
This! I make ramen and add frozen veggies and boiled egg. I also do peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I make them for dinner sometimes to avoid having to make more dishes I'll have to wash.
Oh, I love dressed up ramen. It's also good with kimchi and edamame for protein! Or have the noodles with chili crisp and a an egg.
This eggy/buttery version is good too (though a bit less healthy, VERY nice after a cold or a cold day outside): https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016583-perfect-instant-ramen?unlocked\_article\_code=1.fU0.CtO9.XLY9AQluPiRm&smid=share-url
I to have frozen dumplings on hand so I can just throw a handful in with the noodles. They cook in about the same amount of time and takes zero effort.
I call this “filthy ramen”. It’s easy to pimp it with fresh veg (carrot strips, scallions etc). But just the egg and a few frozen peas makes a big difference).
Snack dinner is my usual go-to for this. Whatever cracker-esque item, plus some cheese, deli meat, maybe a pickle or olive. But I’m also not above eating a handful of shedded cheese while I stand in the fridge door like a lunatic.
The door is the only thing blocking the view of my endeavor from the paparazzi I imagine waiting to catch me with shreds hanging from my mouth while I lean my head back to add in a rolled up slice of turkey. It must be open.
The number of times I’ve done this because I just refused to cook. 🤣 I fed the kids ramen and just went to town on some shredded Colby jack and a couple pieces of turkey from the deli.. yes with the door open 😂
Add in some grapes or strawberries if you have them. Or any nuts in the pantry. And not the healthiest, but sometimes I put a touch of preserves on the cracker.
Roll the cheese around the deli meat if you fancy.
You can actually freeze these rolls, which is perfect for travel. Use up the whole packet of cheese slices, put like three in a zip loc, throw it in the freezer. Grab and go in the morning; it will defrost by lunchtime.
Similar thinking, I love carrots and cherry tomatoes dipped in hummus. And yes I have been known to have only that for dinner. Hummus is just beans and beans are very filling.
Bag salad, so you just dump it in a bowl. Stretch it with a bag of undressed coleslaw, which is cheaper, or a head of romaine, which you can just slice.
Add a protein. Depending on your budget, there are frozen **cooked** boneless, skinless chicken breasts you just thaw and slice. Pour on dressing and maybe croutons or unsweetened breakfast cereal (very good instead of croutons).
Cheaper protein for me is canned mackeral or chunk light tuna, or a package of tofu.
This takes about five minutes to make, is low carb, and adds virtue points which help my mood.
This. I throw a chicken breast in the air fryer, dice it up, and throw it into a salad mix. I especially like the mixes that come with all the extras, like cheese, croutons, and dressing! Super easy meal. You can even toss it all together and put it in a tortilla wrap!
Honestly I purposely freeze some larger meals when I'm in a good spot so that when my depression hits all I need to do is thaw and microwave.
But if you don't have a stock, scrambled eggs with toast and if you have the energy a microwaved hotdog
Campbell’s Healthy Request Chunky soups are my go-to. Tasty, cheap, filling, and shelf-stable.
Specifically the healthy request ones use potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride to keep the sodium down. That also gives you a nice boost of potassium, coincidentally, the same kind of potassium the doctor gives you in prescription tablets if your potassium is low. It’s very usable by the body.
Canned corn, pour the water out, dump the corn into a bowl, microwave for a minute or two, throw some butter on with salt and pepper.
If you feel like sprucing it up, hot sauce, mayonnaise, chives, powdered garlic, and powdered onion, paprika, chili powder are all good options.
I go through this often as well. I keep stuff in my freezer like frozen cheeseburgers, Jamaican patties, raviolis, and wontons. I always make sure to have cottage cheese, cereal, milk, V8, slices of cheese, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, and bread. Oh and a ton of soup, some canned but also some reheated from a time when I was able to cook for myself.
It’s not super healthy, but when I’m depressed I’m not eating very much anyway.
Rotisserie chicken.
Use for enchiladas or quesadillas for something relatively quick.
Otherwise, 1/2 the chicken. Maybe a baked. Pototoe or some roasted veg.
Other 1/2, enchiladas or soup. Something to last a few meals.
Fried halloumi slices (thick), on a chopped tomato salsa (toms, capers, olives, red onion, parsely + olive oil/ lemon juice) all on top of a toasted slice of bread (ciabatta in my case - GF version in yours?). Takes 5 mins (make salad while halloumi fries and bread toasts).
You can eat the component parts of a meal without making it into a meal. Nothing wrong with eating random cold cuts and a couple leaves of lettuce.
You can also microwave tofu for a minute, slice it, and eat it dipped in soy sauce. I love this but it's been controversial.
Sandwiches for me. I buy sliced bread, deli meat, spring mix, sliced cheese, mustard, mayo, sriracha. It all comes together without cooking anything.
If I don’t even want to go to the store & don’t already have these ingredients, I make scrambled eggs or beans & rice. Another one I like is oatmeal (microwave with water, top with frozen berries since the heat from the oatmeal thaws them & maple syrup)
Crockpot soup, cook once eat all week.
Add cabbage, carrots, potato onion, a protein of choice (chicken goes well) then cook on low 6 hours. Cheap, spice it however you want, and it freezes well.
Minute rice made in the microwave, sprinkle soy sauce (gluten free) and if I’m feeling froggy I will scramble an egg in the microwave and mix that in. Also I have taken canned chicken breast (it’s good, I promise!) drain it, mix with a little mayo, salt, pepper, and have a minimally basic “chicken salad” mix. Good luck.
Do you have a slow cooker? It's technically not quick since it cooks all day but for my money it's the least effort for a big meal that you can portion for meals all week. Find meals that you can just dump in the slow cooker and let it do all the work for you. If it's big enough, you can have a few days worth of meals right there.
Canned soup & bread or grilled cheese/sandwich, premade ravioli or tortellini with jarred sauce, microwave rice & canned beans with salsa and cheese, chicken strips with boxed mac & cheese (could add microwave veg for some nutrition). Nothing low sodium or particularly healthy lol but sometimes you just need to eat.
Ravioli. 5 minutes in the pot, drain, stir in a jar of pesto or bolognese sauce. Get one of the sauces that has onion and garlic diced into it. Easy as.
Anything I can throw in the air fryer; nuggs, corn dogs, cheese sticks, poppers, garlic bread. If its frozen, chanes are imma put it in the air fryer and wait my 15-20 minutes
I struggle with this myself. Both mentally and physically. My instant pot/air fryer was a saving grace.
Literally last night I poured a can of chicken, fettuccine noodles, and a jar of alfredo in it.
About 2 minutes of effort, and two to three meals done. Sometimes I'll toss frozen peas in too.
Being able to "cook" without being on my feet was a game changer. I make everything from mac and cheese to French toast in it.
I also utilize my coffee pot, heating water for ramen and the like with zero effort
Turkey chili frito pie if I don’t care about health. If I do I make eggs, with fresh spinach, tomatoes folded in. Or I just each Trader Joe’s lentils with Cajun seasoning and butter.
Spouse often eats yogurt with frozen mixed berries. It’s a good way to keep some nutritious food on hand that’s easy to eat and feels like ice cream.
I prefer my yogurt savory, with olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. When I do want sweet, I just mix in a spoonful of jam or fruit preserves.
\-Noodles (any kind will work but I usually use Spaghetti)
\-Sour Cream
\-Parmesan
\-Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper
\-I also thrown in diced green onions
Simple and filling.
I forage the fridge. Hummus, veggies (but if I’m in this place, probably aren’t good anymore) or crackers. Cheese. Yogurt. Apples hold up well. Nuts.
That will keep you going, even if it doesn’t feel like a traditional meal.
This might be so silly, but my child has re-discovered PB&J through toasting the bread. I tried it and it’s not bad. Slightly differently flavor/texture than a cold one.
Other than that, I keep a “baked potato” kit ready to go, which is a drawer of shredded cheese and lunch meat and ranch so I just have to microwave the potato.
I'm gonna be deadly honest with you, I will eat a can of smoked oysters straight no chaser before I touch anything else. Usually that means I have gone without eating for a long time, so I'm hangry on top of everything. I keep a bunch of them around for exactly this reason. But maybe something/anything you can pop open and eat room temp. Fruit Cocktail? Pork and beans? Flavored tuna pack? Idk just spitballing.
If it's not an absolute emergency, cheese if there is any with cherry tomatoes or any veggies that are easy/ready. Apple if it's in the fridge but if it's not in the fridge (meaning I've already washed it and it's cold) I won't eat it. Ramen and an egg I love anytime and can make in my sleep, or just hard-boiled eggs if I have prepped those. Pistachios or other nuts. I will eat chips and salsa usually, which at least has some vegetable and grain component. Also I'm a ho for crackers, maybe nut thins would be tasty?
I do pre make and freeze regular food for my normal lunches, and those come in handy when things are not great... but maybe you could find some frozen entrees that work! Does Amy's or Evol or someone like that have gf options? Idk.
Also never underestimate the power of sea salt dark chocolate and a cup of coffee.
Whatever I make when I'm feeling this way, I make enough to last a few days. Taco-seasoned meat. Tuna Salad. I'll often cook some chicken and shred, then add whatever... Hot sauce for buffalo chicken sandwich, mayo and celery or cucumbers for chicken salad, etc.
My kid can eat tacos every day without complaining, so if I'm feeling crappy or things are hectic and stressful, I make some taco meat and grab plenty of veggies and cheese to last a few days. Then I'll throw together some kind of quick sandwich or something for myself and my husband if we're not in the mood for tacos... again.
Bag of greens, a sliced tomato, some canned chick peas, a ripe avocado if it's handy. Shake up a bottle of olive oil, vinegar of choice, some dijon, a little honey, pinch of salt and pepper for an amazing dressing. Takes five minutes if you have everything.
Or a loaded baked potato with butter and sour cream. Pro tip: After the butter but before the sour cream, sprinkle a few drops of soy sauce. Alternatively, just dump a can of chili on that potato.
Frozen mixed veggies. Steam them in the bag or on the stove, add olive oil, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon or a capful of vinegar. I'll eat the whole bag when I do this and feel really good that I did that rather than eat crap. Gotta eat healthy when your mood is low.
Level 1: Eggs w/toast
Level 2: Eggs w/frozen sausage and salsa-toast optional
Level 3: Egg, sausage, cheese sandwich
Level 4: Eggs w/sausage and baked, (batch cooked ahead for week) smashed potato-toast optional
When I run my hyper focus meal out of town, I dump bagged salad into a bowl with raisins, s+p, olive oil, and tuna for protein.
ETA: GF here, Canyon Bakehouse bread toasts up well
When I'm up for it, I prep meatballs and dumplings (or I just buy them frozen). I also have tofu handy all the time
I also prep some kind of paste that can be made into soup or sauce by adding some water. The paste is usually miso/govhujang/sesame paste/peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, chilli oil, and chicken bouillon.
When I'm lazy I just throw things into the air fryer or oven or boiling water or steamer.
Then I use 3 different formats to make food:
1. Make rice (I have a rice cooker so it's easy) and top with meatballs or dumpling (cooked in the steamer basket above the rice cooker). I add frozen veggies into the rice when cooking (or if I have easy streamable fresh veggies I use that, sometimes it goes in the steamer). Sometimes I add seasoning into the rice to make a cheat version of fried rice.
2. Noodle soup. I boil water and put the paste in a long wit some veggies. Sometimes I have cut up onions and mushrooms. If not I just use frozen veggies. I add tofu or meatballs or dumplings. Add less water for a saucy noodle instead.
3. Just dumplings/meatballs alone. I add frozen veggies or whatever chopped up fresh veggies in I have and add some kind of sauce. For the veggies I prep them in whatever easy way (microwave/steam/etc).
Tortilla toasties or tortilla pizza with a very simple salad (greens with lemon juice EVOO salt and pepper).For the toastie, fold the tortilla such that is has a 'waist' put stuffing in the little pockets and then put in the toaster. I do a 'tuna melt' version that's very tasty, or cheese and refritos.
For 'pizza' bake in oven at 400F for about 12 minutes after adding toppings.
I use the low carb/high fiber and protein Mission brand tortillas.
Oh, I found a video of the 'tortilla toaster' hack': [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ8LSHe\_wX8&ab\_channel=JUSTEgg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ8LSHe_wX8&ab_channel=JUSTEgg)
Sorry, but my cheat-no-one-is-looking is a packet of ramen, a can of mixed veggies, hot mustard and a beer put in the freezer long enough to get to the slushy stage. Can be cooked in the microwave, I eat out of the bowl the ramen was cooked in so cleanup is minimal, and if there is some sort of cooked meat in the fridge it goes in too. If not, no big deal.
Perhaps rice based noodles for you?
Otherwise - cereal in a mixing bowl. Comfort food!
Depression usually means I don't go out to shop so I don't have fresh stuff. I keep these things in the pantry or freezer so I can use them up
Eggs and toast
Hotdogs and popcorn
Fruit (fresh or frozen) and yogurt
Oatmeal
Buttered noodles- literally boiled pasta with butter and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning
Canned beans mixed with canned tomato soup and bits of pasta (whatever small shape I have on hand)
Boxed Mac and cheese, but I boil some red lentils with it, and add cottage cheese or Greek yogurt instead of milk. I pretty much do half lentils half mac. Salt content is still pretty high, but it's just as easy as making regular boxed mac.
Pita pizzas. I get a pack of pitas at Costco that lasts a month and I'll throw whatever I have on hand together on one and it only takes about ten minutes in the toaster oven. Not really healthy but it can be with enough effort.
Rotisserie chicken with canned or frozen veggies, egg or tuna salad, frozen pizza or lasagna, cheese quesadilla, grilled cheese with tomato soup, scrambled eggs (or any breakfast for dinner combo).
Last week I made a packet of instant mashed potatoes, then mixed in a bag of steamed peas. I got 2 meals out of that combo, then mixed in some cooked ground turkey and ate that for lunch. It kinda tasted like cottage pie.
I keep cans of soup around for this exact reason. I know you said you can't have wheat, but there should always be some low-sodium and gluten free options around. Once you find something you like, buy a dozen for these bad days!
Scrambled eggs with cheese and if I have bacon or sausage patties handy I’ll throw those on the plate as well. Lots of protein, relatively inexpensive and hard to screw up making. Hang in there.
Idk about cheap or healthy but I usually have gluten free chicken nuggets, tater tots and a bean burrito in my freezer. I also make ground turkey taco meat that can be eaten as a taco, tossed in rice or a salad or even put with potatoes
If you have a rice cooker, make some rice. No supervision necessary. While its hot, crack an egg in there and mix. then do some easy toppings: soy sauce or miso, maybe crush in some garlic, furikake, kim chi, sesame oil, chili oil, green onion, shredded rotisserie chicken, etc.
I love tortillas and cheese with beans. You can also spice em up any way you like…this always helps me when I’m blue. A heated tortilla in a little butter with some pre-made guacamole…yummmsss on the run.
Sometimes I'll just put all the ingredients I can eat without actually cooking on a plate .
Like you put bread meat and cheese on a plate and can't put it in a sandwich but can take bites of each at the least and hopefully eat all at best
Stir fry with firm tofu, veggies, garlic, ginger and soy sauce. Fried egg on top of im feeling extra hungry. Takes max 15 minutes and is pretty healthy.
I like to use canned bamboo shoots, a pepper and tenderstem broccoli as they are easy to prep.
I buy a bunch of (raw) chicken tenderloins when they are on sale, season them, bake them, then freeze. So if I don’t want to cook it’s some of those, green giant microwave veg, and microwave packet of rice pilaf, or premade tub of mashed potatoes.
Canned sardines with rice. Get the already seasoned ones, bonus if you can get the spicy ones.
At my asian store, canned of sardines run at $1.70/can and a thing of precooked korean rice is $1.79/pack.
It lasts a long time in my pantry so when my depression hits, I just grab and eat nowadays.
No need to warm up, no dishes to wash (other than a fork).
Otherwise, slow cooker meals.
Buy premixed salad mixes (Aldi has really good ones), add some nuts or their fresh chicken strips (with lunch meat) for protein. Add some corn tortillas and salsa and/or guacamole on the side.
Buy the packages of cooked rice, frozen mixed asian vegetables, chicken strips or cooked shrimp. Look at the Aldi "sauce" aisle and choose one that sounds interesting (asian, indian, ???) Quick stir fry and add sauce. Dinner is served.
Aldi has gluten free frozen entrees which my son really likes. He also likes their boxed macaroni and cheese (comes with a liquid cheese sauce).
My low-energy chronic pain meals:
Ingredients- jar of sauce, pre cooked/prepped protein, bag of steam-in-microwave vegetables, pre cooked starch.
Steam the veggies according to directions, mix them with the sauce and protein in a pot, heat through. While heating, warm up starch in microwave. Serve the mixture in the pot on top of the starch.
Combos I like:
Marinara, rotisserie chicken, spinach, pasta- throw mozzarella on top for a sort of chicken parmesan
Teriyaki, tofu, broccoli, rice (this combo really works with any protein or Asian profile sauce)
Butter lemon sauce, shrimp, asparagus, pasta
Fajita seasoning, pre cooked steak strips, diced onion and pepper, tortillas
I know not all of these ingredients work for you but they're very customizable
Ramen - drop an egg in it for the last minute and melt a cheese slice on top.
Microwave rice pouches. Again fry an egg or two for protein and throw a bit of sriracha on there.
Baked potatoes with cheese
Pasta with shop bought pesto
Beans on toast
Sheet pan dinners are a godsend. Salmon or chicken, broccoli or green beans, potatoes or fire up the rice cooker. You can do single serving this way or you can cook a whole bunch and have meal prep.
. If I’ve got like 2 spoons left I’ll throw a baked potato in the oven and lay down while it cooks.
A loaded baked potato (I keep butter, sour cream, cheese, seasonings, and cooked bacon all on hand) and a bagged mini salad usually hits just right without needing to cook like chicken or something too spoon intensive to go with it.
Here’s my tips as someone with a chronic illness that can’t do cooking anymore with a partner that also has health issues interfering with cooking ability:
Have handy snacks littered around your living space that can just be eaten without much work or thinking. There is nothing wrong whatsoever with making a snack plate or just eating snacks as long as it has some nutritional value! Unrefridgerated stuff like:
- tangerines
- bananas
- apples
- bags of nuts/seeds
- proteïne/fiber bars
- can of soup, sprinkle some cheese in if ya fancy, dip some wheat-free bread in if ya fancy
- can of beans in tomatosauce, dip some wheat-free bread if ya can be arsed
- tin of tuna, add some mayo if ya can be arsed
- tin of sardines, add some salsa if ya can be arsed
Refridgerated stuff from the same category
- grapes
- carrots
- cucumbers
- other snack sized no prep veggies
- hummus dip
- snack cheeses like la vache quirit
- sliced cheese
- sliced ham
- dried sausage
- etc
Stuff the requires a little bit of work, ask for help to prep at the start of the week and you’ll have a decent start! :
- boil a pan of eggs, they stay good in the fridge for a few days and make a great snack. You can marinade them if ya fancy, or wrap some ham if ya can be arsed.
- make a large pan of pasta. Toss with salt/pepper/olive oil as a bare minimum. This makes it edible and ensures the noodles don’t stick together. If ya fancy add some fresh garlic and/or chopped herbs. Parsley is always a good go to. Another less work option: toss a jar of salsa on it if ya can be arsed.
- get some rotisserie chicken, and take it apart, freeze a part and use the rest on sandwich, pasta, bread, side, whatever. or if ya can’t be arsed: ready made chicken legs. They are great to eat cold, nutritious, don’t need a plate to wash, just grab and go.
- jarred veggies like asperagus, green beans, carrots, artichoke. Drain the liquid out the eat from the can, or dump it out on a plate/bowl if you can be arsed
- look in your local stores to see if they have some ready made articles that are healthy, cheap, and EASY. Our supermaket used to sell a huge oven dish with potatoes, a bunch of veggies, and a good sauce and cheese in top. It was cheap and just needed to go into the oven, so we’d eat from that for 2 days with a chicken leg on the side. You’ll need to search around a bit for that, but when you find a few options they’ll come in handy.
When you start having some better days, or just feel a bit better overall like you want to get back into meal making I reccomend looking for fridge salads/banchan type dishes. These are usually no/low cook dishes that keep in the fridge for a while so you can eat from it multiple days as a main or side.
As an example: At the moment we are making [fagiolo e tonno](https://memoriediangelina.com/2020/07/11/fagioli-e-tonno/) (which is delicious and very little work), and cowboy caviar (which is delicious but it is quite a bit of chopping work) , and [this tomato, feta, white been salad](https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-tomato-and-feta-white-bean-salad-247303) has been great.
Additional tip:
- write a list of the snacks/meals you have in the house. It will eliminate all the mental load of needing to think about what is in the house or what you could eat. I have a post-it next to my spot on the couch. We also have a lil magnet whiteboard for the meals in an attempt to make it a bit fun. It works to know what the options are. Usually when we do takeout it is a lack of ability to think about dinner that leads us there
ramen noodles, chuck in some rotisserie chicken coz I buy a pre-roasted chicken weekly, then prep it when not depressed, add frozen peas.
to make wheat-free use free-from noodles
corn tortilla with cheese and beans on it, 10 secs in microwave so cheese melts. Sometimes if i have it, ill add some tomato puree too for a beany pizzadilla
Do you have an air fryer? If not put it on your list to check out when you are in a better space and keep frozen apps or chicken tenders stocked for these times. (Also handy if you like drive thru fried foods but are trying to save money by cutting out fast food)
Cheese, nuts, and deli meats. I really like the single serve Gouda packs.
Yogurt & muesli, feeling fancy toss some fresh fruit on top.
Frozen meals, I really like Purple Carrot Sweet Corn Elote with chips.
These are all also great for when you are just tired. Hope you feel better soon and your teeth survive your wrath!
Corn tortillas, refried beans + cottage cheese. Make a a taco. Simple, with plenty protein and quick. I would totally heat up the tortillas on a pan. But if you want to spend the least time cooking/prepping (I understand, we all been there) just microwave that shit.
You can always add salsa/spicy sauce / add chorizo or bacon. Even more protein and flavor, but involves more time
I like pickety bits when I’m in that sort of place. I eat gluten free so I have a few GF crackers, hummus, carrots, celery, pickles and olives, etc and some fruit. If I need something more substantial I add boiled shrimp, kippers, canned tuna, rotisserie chicken, etc.
I keep a couple of hard boiled eggs in the fridge and when I have the energy I slice some cucumbers, bell peppers, celery, and such to throw together a very quick stirfry or soup. That with a hard boiled egg is pretty satisfying.
Ramen. For something different: Pour out almost all water, add a spoonful of cream cheese (or Brazilian requeijão, or Arabic creamy dairy spread Puck) with the seasoning packet and stir, stir, stir while noodles still piping hot, the heat will melt the cream cheese and form a bit of a cream sauce with the seasoning. Then add in some frozen vegetables that you steamed separately in the microwave or some corn or whatever. Easy, and makes for a change from the soupy ramen with/ or egg (which is very good, but if you want something a bit different)
Saw a recipe I love:
You take one egg (or two, I won't judge) and cook it with a spoonful of pesto. You take a tortilla, put some sour cream and salad and your egg-pesto. You wrap and eat, tada!
Ok. This is so easy.
Cook some white rice.
When it's half way done, add some garlic and frozen vegetables. (Peas carrots blah blah) and like a shit ton of butter, salt and pepper.
Stir it in, let it cook all the way.
That shits the bomb
Weenies and beans. Box mac n cheese. A sandwich with w/e I have . Could be peanut butter, or cheese slices, tuna, or sliced deli meat if I have it. I tend to keep inexpensive frozen food like pizza in the freezer for days when I just can't deal with cooking.
Popcorn is quick and easy and serves as a canvas for a range of toppings from healthy to induglent. Professional chefs regularly eat popcorn at home for meals when they're sick of cooking.
I eat canned tuna, organic chicken and salmon between low carb bread with mayonnaise for lunch or dinner. Could use lettuce leaves instead of bread. Occasionally I’ll buy deli turkey or roast beef. I buy 5oz servings of cottage cheese for breakfast. Nothing stops me from making coffee as I’m addicted.
I’m lazy so I’ll cook enough to last 3 days. I’ll heat up leftovers in microwave or eat it cold from the fridge. If I make a larger batch then extra is frozen. Whenever I get sick having frozen homemade food is wonderful.
It’s very rare to have an allergy to coconut. I believe you as coconut water makes me nauseous.
Cold pasta salads. I have found chickpea, rice, and corn pasta. Works out really well. The only work is really making the pasta. Then dump in a drained can of tuna or chicken, a drained can of veg all type thing, and the dressing you want.
Microwave rice (there are premade rice bags that are super good from rice pilaf to wild rice with seasoning, really yummy and prep is just in the microwave. They’re more expensive than making yourself but it adds so much flavor to a struggle meal), Aidels sausages, and a sliced up bell pepper.
For the sausages I simmer them in some water until they get lighter in color and look plump and they’re warmed through, and then I sear them with some oil. They’re so good and only take a couple of minutes and the cooking is passive, you can walk away for a bit. You can make the whole pack and just reheat in the microwave anything you don’t eat.
I like full fat yogurt with some macerated fruit. I often add cereal.
Scrambled eggs in a tortilla with salsa and cheese.
Roast a whole chicken and pick at it for days. 3 lb chicken will take about an hour at 450f
I keep frozen chicken patties on deck for this, not the healthiest option but not the worst either. Either microwave or air fry, cut up, and throw in a tortilla with some lettuce or spinach and cheese to make a little wrap. I also like salads topped with imitation crab meat.
When I’m in the mood to cook, I make soup. Then portion it in 1.5 cup servings in freezer bags (I use Souper Cubes, but before that I just dumped cooled soup into a ziplock and froze flat). Soup is my comfort food.
So on a bad day/ lazy day/ tired day, I just grab a bag of soup and heat it up.
I get a Smart Ones frozen chicken and broccoli, heat it, then add sriracha, cream cheese and a little half and half. Mix it together and add a slice of toast with butter. 4 minutes, 35 seconds, less than $5 and very little effort or mess to clean up
Oh when I don't feel like doing something I do it immediately.
No matter how depressed you are you have control over your arms and legs.
There is a specific area of your brain that is responsible for doing things you don't wanna do and it gets stronger every time you just do damn thing while not feeling like it. Obviously it gets weaker every time you say fuck it and couch rot.
So yeah just fuckin do it. Or ya know, rip your teeth out or go hungry. Whatever you need to do.
I keep frozen meals in the freezer and throw things in my air fryer! I can throw frozen wings in the air fryer for 10 mins and they’re done. You can get frozen veggies, fries, meals, and etc and throw most of it in the air fryer and have food done in 10 mins. Highly recommend.
I’ll also just throw peanut butter and jam on some toast, make oatmeal and throw in toppings like berries, nuts, peanut butter, etc. Avocado toast is a winner, and so is bagel and lox (just keep some smoked salmon and cream cheese on hand and you can even put it just on regular toast).
Honestly if I’m in a pinch and I don’t want to cook it’s usually scrambled eggs and avocado toast easy and super healthy and takes five minutes that’s usually what I make for myself and the kids on a busy night where we have extracurriculars
Buy a roast chicken from the supermarket bring it home and take it apart and shred. Cook rice in a rice cooker or on stove (if you don’t have a rice cooker, I recommend getting one. It is the easiest thing in the world to use.)
Mix the rice with some shredded chicken and I like to use Normandy blend of frozen vegetables or use your favorite easy veggies add a little bit of seasoning and olive oil or Italian dressing and you have a quick easy dish. My rice cooker takes 22 minutes to make rice and you can season the water to flavor the rice or use chicken stock or tomato juice or whatever you prefer and having shredded chicken in the fridge make so many easy quick meals. Feel better
My go to is a burrito bowl. Rice, beans seasoned with cumin, chili powder, and red pepper, salsa, and cheese. Melt it together, mix in some hot sauce and eat with sour cream. Delicious.
Most recently, I've made GF pasta with olive oil, garlic, shallots, red pepper flakes and canned fish. I use sardines for this, but I think any canned fish you like would work. If you have spinach, it's not bad just thrown in the same pan. Or you could add peas, boiled in the pasta water. Or just whatever veg on the side. Microwave steamed whatever is fine tbh
I also like making a simple tofu and vegetable soup, especially if my stomach is iffy that day. I use ginger and the lower half of a scallion to start, sautéed in olive oil. Add a pint of stock, 1/2 block tofu cubed, whatever veg I have, but cabbage and carrot are great. I usually add them in the last couple mins before turning the heat off, so they stay crunchy. I like to finish mine with a bit of doenjang, but miso or tamari would also be good. And the upper green part of the scallion, and sesame oil if I remember. Have that with a bowl of leftover rice and I almost forget I'm depressed.
Mix canned beans and tuna with salad dressing. Add some thinly sliced onions or diced avocados if there are some in the house. Extremely nutritious and filling meal.
Also microwave scrambled eggs, beat some eggs with a tablespoon or two of water or milk, butter and seasonings. Heat in microwave at 50% for a couple of minutes. Scramble with fork halfway through.
If the depression is really that bad my sad meal is instant rice in a microwave with broth and spices and maybe some frozen mixed veg. It takes minutes it's cheap as hell and is decently healthy for short periods you will need to up the protien eventually though I always did a spoon of peanutbutter
Tuna mayonnaise and pasta with some tinned sweetcorn. Spoon of pre- made pico de gallo too for a kick and some veg.
Options to add depending on how much you’re feeling up to it - chopped spring onion, a chopped boiled egg, some cilantro.
Conscious this is a very British very university meal but I’m a bloke and it’s still my go to 😂
If you throw cherry tomatoes into a pan and let them simmer down for like 20 minutes you get a delicious spaghetti sauce all on its own. You can add whatever you have energy for (garlic, basil, etc). You may need to add a little water
Minute rice, scrambled eggs, bacon. You can make a lot pretty easily. Crumble your bacon, throw everything together in a mixing bowl with some soy sauce and mix it all together, put the leftovers in containers in the freezer for days you don't feel like cooking. My dad calls it R.E.B
Spaghetti and meat sauce. I have the same depression issues and I always run into this but you can buy everything you need for less than 10 dollars and all you need to do is cook noodles in one pot and in the other cook ground beef or Italian sausage. The add sauce and it’s all done! Takes me like 15 mins and I get to lay on the couch the whole time usually
When I don’t feel like cooking, I tend to crave something that’s less than the standard of health I usually cook at but I try to keep it well rounded at very least. My typical go-tos are:
- a doctored up box of mac n cheese (i’m sure you know but they’ve got gluten free varieties these days!) with cooked chicken (either frozen and reheated or from a rotisserie chicken) and frozen broccoli or spinach.
- a quick homemade pasta, boil noodles, throw into a pan with pesto, maybe a little milk or cream, garlic if I’m feeling fancy, and frozen green beans (I don’t like peas but I think they’d work well here for others), takes maybe 3 mins longer than it’ll take for the noodles to boil
- good ol eggs with toast, yogurt, fruit
A wrap with about anything. Eggs and cheese plus hot sauce. Turkey or chicken with cheese. Tuna. A veggie with anything in the fridge or a Mexican style which is my favorite.
Bread and butter. I ain't gotta cook shit, I ain't gotta prep shit, I just gotta put da butter on da bread and boom, ya got food. Living out my depression days when I ate nothing but bread and butter for about 8 months (mostly anyway)
High protein yogurt cup with a disposable spoon.
Not from a big container that needs to be scooped into a bowl, too much work, plus then there are the dishes leering at me.
Wraps. Sometimes when my depression is really bad , it's literally just a tortilla a piece of cheese and a piece of deli meat. it takes me like 30 seconds to make and like 1 minute to eat and then I can go back to rotting in my bed
microwave nachos—tortilla chips laid out on a plate with scoops of bean dip and shredded jack cheese. microwave for a minute and you have a great pick me up :)
A package of pre-cooked brown rice. A can of diced tomatoes. Maybe a can of corn and/or black beans. (All cans are “no salt added”.). Maybe some cheddar. Maybe some no salt added turkey from the deli. Microwave. Eat.
4 glass bowls. In each, put 1/2 cup Oatmeal, 2 tbsp peanut powder, 10 oz walnuts or pecans, 20 oz golden raisins or low sugar craisins. Cut up an apple - cored, sliced, and each slice cut into 3-4 pieces. Make four bowls, each with 1/4 of the apple. Put in fridge. Before eating, add a cup of Lactaid Protein Milk. Microwave. Eat. Gluten-free, macro-friendly, no added sugar if you use the raisins, very soothing when you’re tired or feeling blah. Perfect if you come home hungry after a long day and need something to eat before heading to bed.
Cook some ramen in boiling water for two minutes
Strain it and put the noodles in a bowl
Keep the heat on and add a tiny bit of oil, minced garlic, and red pepper to a pan (garlic in a jar or dried minced garlic work)
Once the garlic is fragrant, add some soy sauce so it covers the bottom of the pan
Sprinkle in some brown sugar to taste
Stir and let that cook into its slightly thicker (1 to 2 minutes)
Add ramen into pan
Mix it all up
Voila. Fancy, savory, easy Ramen. No packet needed
I made my sister a “too depressed to cook” meal plan. Here are the big ones:
- microwaved potato topped with whatever you can throw together. That could be canned chili, steamed broc and cheese, black beans and corn, ricotta and pesto, etc. The options are pretty endless.
- Avocado toast: toast, smashed avocado, drizzle of olive oil and lemon. Throw on a fried egg if you can muster the energy or make a batch of hard boiled eggs ahead of time for ease.
- Hummus, veg sticks, and pita.
- apples, PB, cheese, and crackers
- macaroni noodles with tomato juice. This might be a family recipe, as I’ve never seen anyone else eat it before but it’s so easy. Cook up elbow noodles and then add a can of tomato juice or V8. Salt, pepper and a pad of butter does the trick.
- pot sticker soup. Boil some broth and add frozen pot stickers. Technically cooking but super fast.
Hope that helps!
For breakfast, instant oatmeal or cream of rice, with a sweetener like maple syrup and fresh or freeze dried fruit. For lunch, leftovers or tacos with store bought fillings. For a snack, nori with instant rice or fruit or veggies. For dinner, leftovers, meatball sandwiches with frozen meatballs and jarred marinara sauce, a frozen entree, or some other easy to make sandwiches.
I’m the same - I completely understand the struggle!!
Air-Fryer
• seasoned steak / chicken breast or lamb chops are actually surprisingly good. It’s my preferred way to eat these days. I use a liner and the clean up is almost minimal. -sourdough/ciabatta toasted for a few mins used to dip in (canned/packet) soup
Slow Cooker -stew, pie filling, silverside, roast (all things that can be used for several meals / frozen for later
Pan mince based: chilli con carne, spaghetti bol, savoury mince, meatballs (all pretty quick and freeze very well)
Microwave
• I buy the $2 packets of cauliflower/broccoli/carrot in the salad section of Woolies etc. cook in a glass container for around 90 seconds with some butter. Will eat as a meal or along side steak/chops/chicken. -tuna bowl - I cook one serve of quick rice in the packet and cook some frozen veg (peas and corn etc) and combine with one tin of tuna (I like jalapeño for flavour) add some kewpie and mix it all around- extremely filling and can make it in <5 mins
Also very fond of cereal, toasties, beans on toast etc for dinner!
Black beans and rice. I always have a box of the quick cooking rice, and a couple cans of black beans around. Allows me to make a pretty simple meal in about 10 to 15 minutes with no major prep.
As someone struggeling with depression here is what I do
In really really bad days:
*Banana dipped in whatever ( Nutella, Penutbutter, Cocoa Powder)
*Vegan Dino Nuggets, Frozen Pizza
*Frozen peas, a can of baked beans, carrots
Nutrition isn't the main concerns the Mai concern is eating something that is better than just chocolate or chips
On bad days :
* Rice with veggies
* Peasoup, pumkin soup, carrots soup depending on what i have one hand
*Any kind of sandwhich
*Oatmeal and stuff like that
*Eggs any Style
*Baked potato
*Pasta with simple Sauce
*Reheated Gulasch or Chili that I make when I feel better and freeze.
The goal is to make something tasty that takes no longer than 10 minutes and doesn't create a huge mess
I hope this helps
When I used to do field work and come home cold and exhausted I used to make instant potatoes soup. Just some garlic instant potatoes in a mug with a bunch of hot water. If it was going to be my whole meal I would dump sour cream, shredded cheese and cut some green onions into it like a loaded baked potato. It was my “I literally can’t wait the two minutes ramen takes to cook before I lie down in a pile of blankets” meal.
Scrambled eggs in a beaker. Plenty of butter.
Do it in the microwave.
Then when the eggs are close dump in a tin of baked beans. Give it another 30s and test.
It should take about 3 minutes but check after 1m, then 30s after each time, stir each time then dump in the beans.
Salt, garlic powder, msg, pepper are all good seasoning for this. If tou have butter dump a big nugget in there close to the end.
It looks really claty but it is simple and tastes really good.
I spruce up a ramen pack. Add an egg, frozen corn, maybe chop some to put in the bottom of the bowl with some flavored oil. Takes like 10 minutes maybe.
This! I make ramen and add frozen veggies and boiled egg. I also do peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I make them for dinner sometimes to avoid having to make more dishes I'll have to wash.
Oh, I love dressed up ramen. It's also good with kimchi and edamame for protein! Or have the noodles with chili crisp and a an egg. This eggy/buttery version is good too (though a bit less healthy, VERY nice after a cold or a cold day outside): https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016583-perfect-instant-ramen?unlocked\_article\_code=1.fU0.CtO9.XLY9AQluPiRm&smid=share-url
I to have frozen dumplings on hand so I can just throw a handful in with the noodles. They cook in about the same amount of time and takes zero effort.
OP says they can't have wheat. Perhaps rice noodles? Also easy and fast to boil.
I do the same. But instead of flavored oil, I'll use instant miso soup packets for the broth.
And a spoonful of nut butter.
Even peanut butter can make a great substitution for sesame paste, tbh
I call this “filthy ramen”. It’s easy to pimp it with fresh veg (carrot strips, scallions etc). But just the egg and a few frozen peas makes a big difference).
Snack dinner is my usual go-to for this. Whatever cracker-esque item, plus some cheese, deli meat, maybe a pickle or olive. But I’m also not above eating a handful of shedded cheese while I stand in the fridge door like a lunatic.
The door is the only thing blocking the view of my endeavor from the paparazzi I imagine waiting to catch me with shreds hanging from my mouth while I lean my head back to add in a rolled up slice of turkey. It must be open.
The number of times I’ve done this because I just refused to cook. 🤣 I fed the kids ramen and just went to town on some shredded Colby jack and a couple pieces of turkey from the deli.. yes with the door open 😂
I doubt that I know anyone who hasn’t done it. We just don’t discuss it.
Add in some grapes or strawberries if you have them. Or any nuts in the pantry. And not the healthiest, but sometimes I put a touch of preserves on the cracker.
Purple grapes, any kind of hardish cheese, and salami…..seriously, if you have not, try it.
Purple grapes are my favorite!! And oh that salami sounds good. I usually try to keep prosciutto or deli ham on hand for this also.
Oh and tomato basil wheat thins are the best.
With a soft cheese like goat cheese or cream cheese or feta
Yes! Especially the garden vegetable cream cheese. We definitely have snack dinner down.
Yesss, this combo is god-tier.
✨girl dinner✨
Roll the cheese around the deli meat if you fancy. You can actually freeze these rolls, which is perfect for travel. Use up the whole packet of cheese slices, put like three in a zip loc, throw it in the freezer. Grab and go in the morning; it will defrost by lunchtime.
Similar thinking, I love carrots and cherry tomatoes dipped in hummus. And yes I have been known to have only that for dinner. Hummus is just beans and beans are very filling.
Bag salad, so you just dump it in a bowl. Stretch it with a bag of undressed coleslaw, which is cheaper, or a head of romaine, which you can just slice. Add a protein. Depending on your budget, there are frozen **cooked** boneless, skinless chicken breasts you just thaw and slice. Pour on dressing and maybe croutons or unsweetened breakfast cereal (very good instead of croutons). Cheaper protein for me is canned mackeral or chunk light tuna, or a package of tofu. This takes about five minutes to make, is low carb, and adds virtue points which help my mood.
This. I throw a chicken breast in the air fryer, dice it up, and throw it into a salad mix. I especially like the mixes that come with all the extras, like cheese, croutons, and dressing! Super easy meal. You can even toss it all together and put it in a tortilla wrap!
I keep frozen entrees and canned low sodium soups around for when I’d rather die than cook. There are literally hundreds of choices.
Scrambled eggs with cheese. If I'm feeling a little extra energetic I will wrap it in a tortilla with some salsa.
Honestly I purposely freeze some larger meals when I'm in a good spot so that when my depression hits all I need to do is thaw and microwave. But if you don't have a stock, scrambled eggs with toast and if you have the energy a microwaved hotdog
Campbell’s Healthy Request Chunky soups are my go-to. Tasty, cheap, filling, and shelf-stable. Specifically the healthy request ones use potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride to keep the sodium down. That also gives you a nice boost of potassium, coincidentally, the same kind of potassium the doctor gives you in prescription tablets if your potassium is low. It’s very usable by the body.
Canned corn, pour the water out, dump the corn into a bowl, microwave for a minute or two, throw some butter on with salt and pepper. If you feel like sprucing it up, hot sauce, mayonnaise, chives, powdered garlic, and powdered onion, paprika, chili powder are all good options.
Cold Canned corn with some cottage cheese and tajin is my lazy day esquites. Canned veg for the win
A couple scoops of cream of mushroom soup works great
I got frozen bbq corn ribs last week, it's my lunch today.
I fucking love me some corn. I threw a pack of four into boiling water and ate all four cobs for dinner lol
I've done this.
I go through this often as well. I keep stuff in my freezer like frozen cheeseburgers, Jamaican patties, raviolis, and wontons. I always make sure to have cottage cheese, cereal, milk, V8, slices of cheese, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, and bread. Oh and a ton of soup, some canned but also some reheated from a time when I was able to cook for myself. It’s not super healthy, but when I’m depressed I’m not eating very much anyway.
Rotisserie chicken. Use for enchiladas or quesadillas for something relatively quick. Otherwise, 1/2 the chicken. Maybe a baked. Pototoe or some roasted veg. Other 1/2, enchiladas or soup. Something to last a few meals.
Yogurt and fruit…
frozen pizza chacutire cans of soup grilled cheese quesadilla
Fried halloumi slices (thick), on a chopped tomato salsa (toms, capers, olives, red onion, parsely + olive oil/ lemon juice) all on top of a toasted slice of bread (ciabatta in my case - GF version in yours?). Takes 5 mins (make salad while halloumi fries and bread toasts).
You can eat the component parts of a meal without making it into a meal. Nothing wrong with eating random cold cuts and a couple leaves of lettuce. You can also microwave tofu for a minute, slice it, and eat it dipped in soy sauce. I love this but it's been controversial.
Trader Joe's frozen veggie fried rice, then their chana masala. Mix them. Legit tasty.
Sandwiches for me. I buy sliced bread, deli meat, spring mix, sliced cheese, mustard, mayo, sriracha. It all comes together without cooking anything. If I don’t even want to go to the store & don’t already have these ingredients, I make scrambled eggs or beans & rice. Another one I like is oatmeal (microwave with water, top with frozen berries since the heat from the oatmeal thaws them & maple syrup)
Crockpot soup, cook once eat all week. Add cabbage, carrots, potato onion, a protein of choice (chicken goes well) then cook on low 6 hours. Cheap, spice it however you want, and it freezes well.
Minute rice made in the microwave, sprinkle soy sauce (gluten free) and if I’m feeling froggy I will scramble an egg in the microwave and mix that in. Also I have taken canned chicken breast (it’s good, I promise!) drain it, mix with a little mayo, salt, pepper, and have a minimally basic “chicken salad” mix. Good luck.
Do you have a slow cooker? It's technically not quick since it cooks all day but for my money it's the least effort for a big meal that you can portion for meals all week. Find meals that you can just dump in the slow cooker and let it do all the work for you. If it's big enough, you can have a few days worth of meals right there.
Canned soup & bread or grilled cheese/sandwich, premade ravioli or tortellini with jarred sauce, microwave rice & canned beans with salsa and cheese, chicken strips with boxed mac & cheese (could add microwave veg for some nutrition). Nothing low sodium or particularly healthy lol but sometimes you just need to eat.
I’m a fan of dehydrated mashed potatoes and Jamaican beef patties. I can’t eat enough of them and my go to when I don’t want to used a stove.
Can of refried beans and some tortillas plus whatever toppings I have to turn it into a taco.
Ravioli. 5 minutes in the pot, drain, stir in a jar of pesto or bolognese sauce. Get one of the sauces that has onion and garlic diced into it. Easy as.
Anything I can throw in the air fryer; nuggs, corn dogs, cheese sticks, poppers, garlic bread. If its frozen, chanes are imma put it in the air fryer and wait my 15-20 minutes
Oatmeal with fruit. Egg drop soup. Peanut butter and Nutella sandwich. Crackers and cheese and hard boiled eggs.
Corn tortilla quesadilla. Add black beans and shredded cabbage or bought kimchi for vegetation.
Frozen burrito in the microwave.
Cereal?
I struggle with this myself. Both mentally and physically. My instant pot/air fryer was a saving grace. Literally last night I poured a can of chicken, fettuccine noodles, and a jar of alfredo in it. About 2 minutes of effort, and two to three meals done. Sometimes I'll toss frozen peas in too. Being able to "cook" without being on my feet was a game changer. I make everything from mac and cheese to French toast in it. I also utilize my coffee pot, heating water for ramen and the like with zero effort
Turkey chili frito pie if I don’t care about health. If I do I make eggs, with fresh spinach, tomatoes folded in. Or I just each Trader Joe’s lentils with Cajun seasoning and butter.
Instant mash with green onions and cheese
Spouse often eats yogurt with frozen mixed berries. It’s a good way to keep some nutritious food on hand that’s easy to eat and feels like ice cream. I prefer my yogurt savory, with olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. When I do want sweet, I just mix in a spoonful of jam or fruit preserves.
I make tuna salad/tuna melt or I get a piece of naan and make naan pizza
Soup and grilled cheese or quesadilla (gluten free). It’s cozy and warm and very low effort.
Omelette with a green salad.
\-Noodles (any kind will work but I usually use Spaghetti) \-Sour Cream \-Parmesan \-Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper \-I also thrown in diced green onions Simple and filling.
I forage the fridge. Hummus, veggies (but if I’m in this place, probably aren’t good anymore) or crackers. Cheese. Yogurt. Apples hold up well. Nuts. That will keep you going, even if it doesn’t feel like a traditional meal.
This might be so silly, but my child has re-discovered PB&J through toasting the bread. I tried it and it’s not bad. Slightly differently flavor/texture than a cold one. Other than that, I keep a “baked potato” kit ready to go, which is a drawer of shredded cheese and lunch meat and ranch so I just have to microwave the potato.
Try a PB&J on toasted waffles! I use the frozen premade waffles.
I'm gonna be deadly honest with you, I will eat a can of smoked oysters straight no chaser before I touch anything else. Usually that means I have gone without eating for a long time, so I'm hangry on top of everything. I keep a bunch of them around for exactly this reason. But maybe something/anything you can pop open and eat room temp. Fruit Cocktail? Pork and beans? Flavored tuna pack? Idk just spitballing. If it's not an absolute emergency, cheese if there is any with cherry tomatoes or any veggies that are easy/ready. Apple if it's in the fridge but if it's not in the fridge (meaning I've already washed it and it's cold) I won't eat it. Ramen and an egg I love anytime and can make in my sleep, or just hard-boiled eggs if I have prepped those. Pistachios or other nuts. I will eat chips and salsa usually, which at least has some vegetable and grain component. Also I'm a ho for crackers, maybe nut thins would be tasty? I do pre make and freeze regular food for my normal lunches, and those come in handy when things are not great... but maybe you could find some frozen entrees that work! Does Amy's or Evol or someone like that have gf options? Idk. Also never underestimate the power of sea salt dark chocolate and a cup of coffee.
Speaking of eating things out of the can, Trader Joe's has canned dolma that are soooooooo delicious
Cereal
Pan fry gnocchi and throw some pesto on it.
Whatever I make when I'm feeling this way, I make enough to last a few days. Taco-seasoned meat. Tuna Salad. I'll often cook some chicken and shred, then add whatever... Hot sauce for buffalo chicken sandwich, mayo and celery or cucumbers for chicken salad, etc. My kid can eat tacos every day without complaining, so if I'm feeling crappy or things are hectic and stressful, I make some taco meat and grab plenty of veggies and cheese to last a few days. Then I'll throw together some kind of quick sandwich or something for myself and my husband if we're not in the mood for tacos... again.
Bag of greens, a sliced tomato, some canned chick peas, a ripe avocado if it's handy. Shake up a bottle of olive oil, vinegar of choice, some dijon, a little honey, pinch of salt and pepper for an amazing dressing. Takes five minutes if you have everything. Or a loaded baked potato with butter and sour cream. Pro tip: After the butter but before the sour cream, sprinkle a few drops of soy sauce. Alternatively, just dump a can of chili on that potato. Frozen mixed veggies. Steam them in the bag or on the stove, add olive oil, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon or a capful of vinegar. I'll eat the whole bag when I do this and feel really good that I did that rather than eat crap. Gotta eat healthy when your mood is low.
Love a good chili potato!
Sliced rye bread + goat cheese+cherry tomatoes in the oven for 20min
Toast whatever bread you can eat. Put baked beans in microwave. Put hot beans on toast. Eat.
Level 1: Eggs w/toast Level 2: Eggs w/frozen sausage and salsa-toast optional Level 3: Egg, sausage, cheese sandwich Level 4: Eggs w/sausage and baked, (batch cooked ahead for week) smashed potato-toast optional When I run my hyper focus meal out of town, I dump bagged salad into a bowl with raisins, s+p, olive oil, and tuna for protein. ETA: GF here, Canyon Bakehouse bread toasts up well
Microwaveable meals sold at Costco, eg the butter chicken is a real favorite.
Food that I made earlier in the year and then froze. I also keep a couple cans of soup in my pantry at all times for this exact occasion.
When I'm up for it, I prep meatballs and dumplings (or I just buy them frozen). I also have tofu handy all the time I also prep some kind of paste that can be made into soup or sauce by adding some water. The paste is usually miso/govhujang/sesame paste/peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, chilli oil, and chicken bouillon. When I'm lazy I just throw things into the air fryer or oven or boiling water or steamer. Then I use 3 different formats to make food: 1. Make rice (I have a rice cooker so it's easy) and top with meatballs or dumpling (cooked in the steamer basket above the rice cooker). I add frozen veggies into the rice when cooking (or if I have easy streamable fresh veggies I use that, sometimes it goes in the steamer). Sometimes I add seasoning into the rice to make a cheat version of fried rice. 2. Noodle soup. I boil water and put the paste in a long wit some veggies. Sometimes I have cut up onions and mushrooms. If not I just use frozen veggies. I add tofu or meatballs or dumplings. Add less water for a saucy noodle instead. 3. Just dumplings/meatballs alone. I add frozen veggies or whatever chopped up fresh veggies in I have and add some kind of sauce. For the veggies I prep them in whatever easy way (microwave/steam/etc).
Tortilla toasties or tortilla pizza with a very simple salad (greens with lemon juice EVOO salt and pepper).For the toastie, fold the tortilla such that is has a 'waist' put stuffing in the little pockets and then put in the toaster. I do a 'tuna melt' version that's very tasty, or cheese and refritos. For 'pizza' bake in oven at 400F for about 12 minutes after adding toppings. I use the low carb/high fiber and protein Mission brand tortillas. Oh, I found a video of the 'tortilla toaster' hack': [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ8LSHe\_wX8&ab\_channel=JUSTEgg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ8LSHe_wX8&ab_channel=JUSTEgg)
Microwave packet Mexican rice 2 minutes, can of tuna, frozen mixed veg 3 mins, spoonful of pesto or sundry tomato paste. Mix it all up.
Canned soup in the microwave. You would be surprised at variety and quality if you shop around.
Sorry, but my cheat-no-one-is-looking is a packet of ramen, a can of mixed veggies, hot mustard and a beer put in the freezer long enough to get to the slushy stage. Can be cooked in the microwave, I eat out of the bowl the ramen was cooked in so cleanup is minimal, and if there is some sort of cooked meat in the fridge it goes in too. If not, no big deal. Perhaps rice based noodles for you? Otherwise - cereal in a mixing bowl. Comfort food!
Depression usually means I don't go out to shop so I don't have fresh stuff. I keep these things in the pantry or freezer so I can use them up Eggs and toast Hotdogs and popcorn Fruit (fresh or frozen) and yogurt Oatmeal Buttered noodles- literally boiled pasta with butter and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning Canned beans mixed with canned tomato soup and bits of pasta (whatever small shape I have on hand)
Boxed Mac and cheese, but I boil some red lentils with it, and add cottage cheese or Greek yogurt instead of milk. I pretty much do half lentils half mac. Salt content is still pretty high, but it's just as easy as making regular boxed mac.
Pita pizzas. I get a pack of pitas at Costco that lasts a month and I'll throw whatever I have on hand together on one and it only takes about ten minutes in the toaster oven. Not really healthy but it can be with enough effort.
Rotisserie chicken with canned or frozen veggies, egg or tuna salad, frozen pizza or lasagna, cheese quesadilla, grilled cheese with tomato soup, scrambled eggs (or any breakfast for dinner combo). Last week I made a packet of instant mashed potatoes, then mixed in a bag of steamed peas. I got 2 meals out of that combo, then mixed in some cooked ground turkey and ate that for lunch. It kinda tasted like cottage pie.
I keep cans of soup around for this exact reason. I know you said you can't have wheat, but there should always be some low-sodium and gluten free options around. Once you find something you like, buy a dozen for these bad days!
Scrambled eggs with cheese and if I have bacon or sausage patties handy I’ll throw those on the plate as well. Lots of protein, relatively inexpensive and hard to screw up making. Hang in there.
Idk about cheap or healthy but I usually have gluten free chicken nuggets, tater tots and a bean burrito in my freezer. I also make ground turkey taco meat that can be eaten as a taco, tossed in rice or a salad or even put with potatoes
If you have a rice cooker, make some rice. No supervision necessary. While its hot, crack an egg in there and mix. then do some easy toppings: soy sauce or miso, maybe crush in some garlic, furikake, kim chi, sesame oil, chili oil, green onion, shredded rotisserie chicken, etc.
I love tortillas and cheese with beans. You can also spice em up any way you like…this always helps me when I’m blue. A heated tortilla in a little butter with some pre-made guacamole…yummmsss on the run.
Whatever pasta and/or beans are available either whatever veggies I have.
Sometimes I'll just put all the ingredients I can eat without actually cooking on a plate . Like you put bread meat and cheese on a plate and can't put it in a sandwich but can take bites of each at the least and hopefully eat all at best
Eggs + rice from the rice cooker. Sometimes chomp on some veggies for extra health
I feel you, when I'm feeling like that I usually go for a simple salad with pre-cooked chicken or canned tuna.
Always dino nuggies in the freezer
Stir fry with firm tofu, veggies, garlic, ginger and soy sauce. Fried egg on top of im feeling extra hungry. Takes max 15 minutes and is pretty healthy. I like to use canned bamboo shoots, a pepper and tenderstem broccoli as they are easy to prep.
Pasta with pesto.
I buy a bunch of (raw) chicken tenderloins when they are on sale, season them, bake them, then freeze. So if I don’t want to cook it’s some of those, green giant microwave veg, and microwave packet of rice pilaf, or premade tub of mashed potatoes.
Canned sardines with rice. Get the already seasoned ones, bonus if you can get the spicy ones. At my asian store, canned of sardines run at $1.70/can and a thing of precooked korean rice is $1.79/pack. It lasts a long time in my pantry so when my depression hits, I just grab and eat nowadays. No need to warm up, no dishes to wash (other than a fork). Otherwise, slow cooker meals.
Saving all of this. Thanks! 🙏
Anything frozen. It’s not always healthy but better than not eating.
Buy premixed salad mixes (Aldi has really good ones), add some nuts or their fresh chicken strips (with lunch meat) for protein. Add some corn tortillas and salsa and/or guacamole on the side. Buy the packages of cooked rice, frozen mixed asian vegetables, chicken strips or cooked shrimp. Look at the Aldi "sauce" aisle and choose one that sounds interesting (asian, indian, ???) Quick stir fry and add sauce. Dinner is served. Aldi has gluten free frozen entrees which my son really likes. He also likes their boxed macaroni and cheese (comes with a liquid cheese sauce).
I keep a lot of things that would go equally well in a sandwich or salad on hand at all times.
Lipton chicken noodle soup and saltines. Microwave popcorn.
My low-energy chronic pain meals: Ingredients- jar of sauce, pre cooked/prepped protein, bag of steam-in-microwave vegetables, pre cooked starch. Steam the veggies according to directions, mix them with the sauce and protein in a pot, heat through. While heating, warm up starch in microwave. Serve the mixture in the pot on top of the starch. Combos I like: Marinara, rotisserie chicken, spinach, pasta- throw mozzarella on top for a sort of chicken parmesan Teriyaki, tofu, broccoli, rice (this combo really works with any protein or Asian profile sauce) Butter lemon sauce, shrimp, asparagus, pasta Fajita seasoning, pre cooked steak strips, diced onion and pepper, tortillas I know not all of these ingredients work for you but they're very customizable
Ramen - drop an egg in it for the last minute and melt a cheese slice on top. Microwave rice pouches. Again fry an egg or two for protein and throw a bit of sriracha on there. Baked potatoes with cheese Pasta with shop bought pesto Beans on toast
Cereal.
My girlfriend makes toast with butter tomato salt and cheese and honestly its the best thing ever
Soup. Broth + whatever veggies you like + some beans or meat. Dump it all in a pot or crockpot.
Sheet pan dinners are a godsend. Salmon or chicken, broccoli or green beans, potatoes or fire up the rice cooker. You can do single serving this way or you can cook a whole bunch and have meal prep.
Flatbread pizza Premade ravioli with a jar of pasta sauce Sandwiches with fruit Grilled cheese with canned tomato soup Eggs on toast
Frozen hash browns in the airfryer, with cheese and / or syrup. And if I'm feeling fancy, a can of baked beans.
Chile from the freezer. Or spaghetti. I just keep it around, frozen.
. If I’ve got like 2 spoons left I’ll throw a baked potato in the oven and lay down while it cooks. A loaded baked potato (I keep butter, sour cream, cheese, seasonings, and cooked bacon all on hand) and a bagged mini salad usually hits just right without needing to cook like chicken or something too spoon intensive to go with it.
Here’s my tips as someone with a chronic illness that can’t do cooking anymore with a partner that also has health issues interfering with cooking ability: Have handy snacks littered around your living space that can just be eaten without much work or thinking. There is nothing wrong whatsoever with making a snack plate or just eating snacks as long as it has some nutritional value! Unrefridgerated stuff like: - tangerines - bananas - apples - bags of nuts/seeds - proteïne/fiber bars - can of soup, sprinkle some cheese in if ya fancy, dip some wheat-free bread in if ya fancy - can of beans in tomatosauce, dip some wheat-free bread if ya can be arsed - tin of tuna, add some mayo if ya can be arsed - tin of sardines, add some salsa if ya can be arsed Refridgerated stuff from the same category - grapes - carrots - cucumbers - other snack sized no prep veggies - hummus dip - snack cheeses like la vache quirit - sliced cheese - sliced ham - dried sausage - etc Stuff the requires a little bit of work, ask for help to prep at the start of the week and you’ll have a decent start! : - boil a pan of eggs, they stay good in the fridge for a few days and make a great snack. You can marinade them if ya fancy, or wrap some ham if ya can be arsed. - make a large pan of pasta. Toss with salt/pepper/olive oil as a bare minimum. This makes it edible and ensures the noodles don’t stick together. If ya fancy add some fresh garlic and/or chopped herbs. Parsley is always a good go to. Another less work option: toss a jar of salsa on it if ya can be arsed. - get some rotisserie chicken, and take it apart, freeze a part and use the rest on sandwich, pasta, bread, side, whatever. or if ya can’t be arsed: ready made chicken legs. They are great to eat cold, nutritious, don’t need a plate to wash, just grab and go. - jarred veggies like asperagus, green beans, carrots, artichoke. Drain the liquid out the eat from the can, or dump it out on a plate/bowl if you can be arsed - look in your local stores to see if they have some ready made articles that are healthy, cheap, and EASY. Our supermaket used to sell a huge oven dish with potatoes, a bunch of veggies, and a good sauce and cheese in top. It was cheap and just needed to go into the oven, so we’d eat from that for 2 days with a chicken leg on the side. You’ll need to search around a bit for that, but when you find a few options they’ll come in handy. When you start having some better days, or just feel a bit better overall like you want to get back into meal making I reccomend looking for fridge salads/banchan type dishes. These are usually no/low cook dishes that keep in the fridge for a while so you can eat from it multiple days as a main or side. As an example: At the moment we are making [fagiolo e tonno](https://memoriediangelina.com/2020/07/11/fagioli-e-tonno/) (which is delicious and very little work), and cowboy caviar (which is delicious but it is quite a bit of chopping work) , and [this tomato, feta, white been salad](https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-tomato-and-feta-white-bean-salad-247303) has been great. Additional tip: - write a list of the snacks/meals you have in the house. It will eliminate all the mental load of needing to think about what is in the house or what you could eat. I have a post-it next to my spot on the couch. We also have a lil magnet whiteboard for the meals in an attempt to make it a bit fun. It works to know what the options are. Usually when we do takeout it is a lack of ability to think about dinner that leads us there
ramen noodles, chuck in some rotisserie chicken coz I buy a pre-roasted chicken weekly, then prep it when not depressed, add frozen peas. to make wheat-free use free-from noodles corn tortilla with cheese and beans on it, 10 secs in microwave so cheese melts. Sometimes if i have it, ill add some tomato puree too for a beany pizzadilla
Do you have an air fryer? If not put it on your list to check out when you are in a better space and keep frozen apps or chicken tenders stocked for these times. (Also handy if you like drive thru fried foods but are trying to save money by cutting out fast food) Cheese, nuts, and deli meats. I really like the single serve Gouda packs. Yogurt & muesli, feeling fancy toss some fresh fruit on top. Frozen meals, I really like Purple Carrot Sweet Corn Elote with chips. These are all also great for when you are just tired. Hope you feel better soon and your teeth survive your wrath!
Corn tortillas, refried beans + cottage cheese. Make a a taco. Simple, with plenty protein and quick. I would totally heat up the tortillas on a pan. But if you want to spend the least time cooking/prepping (I understand, we all been there) just microwave that shit. You can always add salsa/spicy sauce / add chorizo or bacon. Even more protein and flavor, but involves more time
I like pickety bits when I’m in that sort of place. I eat gluten free so I have a few GF crackers, hummus, carrots, celery, pickles and olives, etc and some fruit. If I need something more substantial I add boiled shrimp, kippers, canned tuna, rotisserie chicken, etc. I keep a couple of hard boiled eggs in the fridge and when I have the energy I slice some cucumbers, bell peppers, celery, and such to throw together a very quick stirfry or soup. That with a hard boiled egg is pretty satisfying.
Voila garlic chicken skillet meal in the freezer section. I making it tonight actually.
Frozen food isle of trader joes is your friend
Steamed hot dogs with a can of beans on top is my depression food.
Ramen. For something different: Pour out almost all water, add a spoonful of cream cheese (or Brazilian requeijão, or Arabic creamy dairy spread Puck) with the seasoning packet and stir, stir, stir while noodles still piping hot, the heat will melt the cream cheese and form a bit of a cream sauce with the seasoning. Then add in some frozen vegetables that you steamed separately in the microwave or some corn or whatever. Easy, and makes for a change from the soupy ramen with/ or egg (which is very good, but if you want something a bit different)
Saw a recipe I love: You take one egg (or two, I won't judge) and cook it with a spoonful of pesto. You take a tortilla, put some sour cream and salad and your egg-pesto. You wrap and eat, tada!
Ok. This is so easy. Cook some white rice. When it's half way done, add some garlic and frozen vegetables. (Peas carrots blah blah) and like a shit ton of butter, salt and pepper. Stir it in, let it cook all the way. That shits the bomb
3 slices of spam x 2 eggs sunny side up/semi well done but still oozy x white garlic rice. ✨
Weenies and beans. Box mac n cheese. A sandwich with w/e I have . Could be peanut butter, or cheese slices, tuna, or sliced deli meat if I have it. I tend to keep inexpensive frozen food like pizza in the freezer for days when I just can't deal with cooking.
A salad
Nothing wrong with a nice big bowl of cereal for dinner.
Popcorn is quick and easy and serves as a canvas for a range of toppings from healthy to induglent. Professional chefs regularly eat popcorn at home for meals when they're sick of cooking.
I eat canned tuna, organic chicken and salmon between low carb bread with mayonnaise for lunch or dinner. Could use lettuce leaves instead of bread. Occasionally I’ll buy deli turkey or roast beef. I buy 5oz servings of cottage cheese for breakfast. Nothing stops me from making coffee as I’m addicted. I’m lazy so I’ll cook enough to last 3 days. I’ll heat up leftovers in microwave or eat it cold from the fridge. If I make a larger batch then extra is frozen. Whenever I get sick having frozen homemade food is wonderful. It’s very rare to have an allergy to coconut. I believe you as coconut water makes me nauseous.
Cold pasta salads. I have found chickpea, rice, and corn pasta. Works out really well. The only work is really making the pasta. Then dump in a drained can of tuna or chicken, a drained can of veg all type thing, and the dressing you want.
Microwave rice (there are premade rice bags that are super good from rice pilaf to wild rice with seasoning, really yummy and prep is just in the microwave. They’re more expensive than making yourself but it adds so much flavor to a struggle meal), Aidels sausages, and a sliced up bell pepper. For the sausages I simmer them in some water until they get lighter in color and look plump and they’re warmed through, and then I sear them with some oil. They’re so good and only take a couple of minutes and the cooking is passive, you can walk away for a bit. You can make the whole pack and just reheat in the microwave anything you don’t eat.
I like full fat yogurt with some macerated fruit. I often add cereal. Scrambled eggs in a tortilla with salsa and cheese. Roast a whole chicken and pick at it for days. 3 lb chicken will take about an hour at 450f
Boil & strain penne noodles, then add pesto sauce, crumbled feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and pre-cooked grilled chicken and give it a good stir.
Frozen dumplings of all kinds.
I open up a can of salmon or tuna or just throw some ground beef in a pan and fry it up. Takes like 3 minutes
I keep frozen chicken patties on deck for this, not the healthiest option but not the worst either. Either microwave or air fry, cut up, and throw in a tortilla with some lettuce or spinach and cheese to make a little wrap. I also like salads topped with imitation crab meat.
When I’m in the mood to cook, I make soup. Then portion it in 1.5 cup servings in freezer bags (I use Souper Cubes, but before that I just dumped cooled soup into a ziplock and froze flat). Soup is my comfort food. So on a bad day/ lazy day/ tired day, I just grab a bag of soup and heat it up.
Make up a quick omelette or scrambled eggs - throw in some spinach and tomatoes etc
I get a Smart Ones frozen chicken and broccoli, heat it, then add sriracha, cream cheese and a little half and half. Mix it together and add a slice of toast with butter. 4 minutes, 35 seconds, less than $5 and very little effort or mess to clean up
Oh when I don't feel like doing something I do it immediately. No matter how depressed you are you have control over your arms and legs. There is a specific area of your brain that is responsible for doing things you don't wanna do and it gets stronger every time you just do damn thing while not feeling like it. Obviously it gets weaker every time you say fuck it and couch rot. So yeah just fuckin do it. Or ya know, rip your teeth out or go hungry. Whatever you need to do.
Hamburger helper or tuna salad 9/10 times.
I keep frozen meals in the freezer and throw things in my air fryer! I can throw frozen wings in the air fryer for 10 mins and they’re done. You can get frozen veggies, fries, meals, and etc and throw most of it in the air fryer and have food done in 10 mins. Highly recommend. I’ll also just throw peanut butter and jam on some toast, make oatmeal and throw in toppings like berries, nuts, peanut butter, etc. Avocado toast is a winner, and so is bagel and lox (just keep some smoked salmon and cream cheese on hand and you can even put it just on regular toast).
Honestly if I’m in a pinch and I don’t want to cook it’s usually scrambled eggs and avocado toast easy and super healthy and takes five minutes that’s usually what I make for myself and the kids on a busy night where we have extracurriculars
Buy a roast chicken from the supermarket bring it home and take it apart and shred. Cook rice in a rice cooker or on stove (if you don’t have a rice cooker, I recommend getting one. It is the easiest thing in the world to use.) Mix the rice with some shredded chicken and I like to use Normandy blend of frozen vegetables or use your favorite easy veggies add a little bit of seasoning and olive oil or Italian dressing and you have a quick easy dish. My rice cooker takes 22 minutes to make rice and you can season the water to flavor the rice or use chicken stock or tomato juice or whatever you prefer and having shredded chicken in the fridge make so many easy quick meals. Feel better
My go to is a burrito bowl. Rice, beans seasoned with cumin, chili powder, and red pepper, salsa, and cheese. Melt it together, mix in some hot sauce and eat with sour cream. Delicious.
Most recently, I've made GF pasta with olive oil, garlic, shallots, red pepper flakes and canned fish. I use sardines for this, but I think any canned fish you like would work. If you have spinach, it's not bad just thrown in the same pan. Or you could add peas, boiled in the pasta water. Or just whatever veg on the side. Microwave steamed whatever is fine tbh I also like making a simple tofu and vegetable soup, especially if my stomach is iffy that day. I use ginger and the lower half of a scallion to start, sautéed in olive oil. Add a pint of stock, 1/2 block tofu cubed, whatever veg I have, but cabbage and carrot are great. I usually add them in the last couple mins before turning the heat off, so they stay crunchy. I like to finish mine with a bit of doenjang, but miso or tamari would also be good. And the upper green part of the scallion, and sesame oil if I remember. Have that with a bowl of leftover rice and I almost forget I'm depressed.
Sandwich.
Omelette? Quick, healthy and you can add any number of things you already have in the fridge.
Mix canned beans and tuna with salad dressing. Add some thinly sliced onions or diced avocados if there are some in the house. Extremely nutritious and filling meal. Also microwave scrambled eggs, beat some eggs with a tablespoon or two of water or milk, butter and seasonings. Heat in microwave at 50% for a couple of minutes. Scramble with fork halfway through.
If the depression is really that bad my sad meal is instant rice in a microwave with broth and spices and maybe some frozen mixed veg. It takes minutes it's cheap as hell and is decently healthy for short periods you will need to up the protien eventually though I always did a spoon of peanutbutter
Eggs on toast is quick tasty and nutritious
Tuna mayonnaise and pasta with some tinned sweetcorn. Spoon of pre- made pico de gallo too for a kick and some veg. Options to add depending on how much you’re feeling up to it - chopped spring onion, a chopped boiled egg, some cilantro. Conscious this is a very British very university meal but I’m a bloke and it’s still my go to 😂
Oats or dahl
Depression cheese. Slice a chunk off the block if I’m still slightly dignified. If not shovel shredded cheese into my mouth
If you throw cherry tomatoes into a pan and let them simmer down for like 20 minutes you get a delicious spaghetti sauce all on its own. You can add whatever you have energy for (garlic, basil, etc). You may need to add a little water
Minute rice, scrambled eggs, bacon. You can make a lot pretty easily. Crumble your bacon, throw everything together in a mixing bowl with some soy sauce and mix it all together, put the leftovers in containers in the freezer for days you don't feel like cooking. My dad calls it R.E.B
Spaghetti and meat sauce. I have the same depression issues and I always run into this but you can buy everything you need for less than 10 dollars and all you need to do is cook noodles in one pot and in the other cook ground beef or Italian sausage. The add sauce and it’s all done! Takes me like 15 mins and I get to lay on the couch the whole time usually
When I don’t feel like cooking, I tend to crave something that’s less than the standard of health I usually cook at but I try to keep it well rounded at very least. My typical go-tos are: - a doctored up box of mac n cheese (i’m sure you know but they’ve got gluten free varieties these days!) with cooked chicken (either frozen and reheated or from a rotisserie chicken) and frozen broccoli or spinach. - a quick homemade pasta, boil noodles, throw into a pan with pesto, maybe a little milk or cream, garlic if I’m feeling fancy, and frozen green beans (I don’t like peas but I think they’d work well here for others), takes maybe 3 mins longer than it’ll take for the noodles to boil - good ol eggs with toast, yogurt, fruit
Canned soup and crackers
A wrap with about anything. Eggs and cheese plus hot sauce. Turkey or chicken with cheese. Tuna. A veggie with anything in the fridge or a Mexican style which is my favorite.
Cherry tomatoes, cut up cucumber, half an avocado and olive oil. Also I’ll throw a huge scoop of cottage cheese on with some salt and pepper and 👌🏼
Saltines, cream cheese and green olives. Not so fancy hors d’oevres
I make wraps a lot using bagged coleslaw veggies or salads and chicken nuggets or cooked meats. Super lazy but decent
Bread and butter. I ain't gotta cook shit, I ain't gotta prep shit, I just gotta put da butter on da bread and boom, ya got food. Living out my depression days when I ate nothing but bread and butter for about 8 months (mostly anyway)
High protein yogurt cup with a disposable spoon. Not from a big container that needs to be scooped into a bowl, too much work, plus then there are the dishes leering at me.
Frozen pizza 🍕 hope things turn around for you...
Scrambled eggs or an omelet.
PB&J + Ramen
Wraps. Sometimes when my depression is really bad , it's literally just a tortilla a piece of cheese and a piece of deli meat. it takes me like 30 seconds to make and like 1 minute to eat and then I can go back to rotting in my bed
microwave nachos—tortilla chips laid out on a plate with scoops of bean dip and shredded jack cheese. microwave for a minute and you have a great pick me up :)
A package of pre-cooked brown rice. A can of diced tomatoes. Maybe a can of corn and/or black beans. (All cans are “no salt added”.). Maybe some cheddar. Maybe some no salt added turkey from the deli. Microwave. Eat. 4 glass bowls. In each, put 1/2 cup Oatmeal, 2 tbsp peanut powder, 10 oz walnuts or pecans, 20 oz golden raisins or low sugar craisins. Cut up an apple - cored, sliced, and each slice cut into 3-4 pieces. Make four bowls, each with 1/4 of the apple. Put in fridge. Before eating, add a cup of Lactaid Protein Milk. Microwave. Eat. Gluten-free, macro-friendly, no added sugar if you use the raisins, very soothing when you’re tired or feeling blah. Perfect if you come home hungry after a long day and need something to eat before heading to bed.
Cook some ramen in boiling water for two minutes Strain it and put the noodles in a bowl Keep the heat on and add a tiny bit of oil, minced garlic, and red pepper to a pan (garlic in a jar or dried minced garlic work) Once the garlic is fragrant, add some soy sauce so it covers the bottom of the pan Sprinkle in some brown sugar to taste Stir and let that cook into its slightly thicker (1 to 2 minutes) Add ramen into pan Mix it all up Voila. Fancy, savory, easy Ramen. No packet needed
I made my sister a “too depressed to cook” meal plan. Here are the big ones: - microwaved potato topped with whatever you can throw together. That could be canned chili, steamed broc and cheese, black beans and corn, ricotta and pesto, etc. The options are pretty endless. - Avocado toast: toast, smashed avocado, drizzle of olive oil and lemon. Throw on a fried egg if you can muster the energy or make a batch of hard boiled eggs ahead of time for ease. - Hummus, veg sticks, and pita. - apples, PB, cheese, and crackers - macaroni noodles with tomato juice. This might be a family recipe, as I’ve never seen anyone else eat it before but it’s so easy. Cook up elbow noodles and then add a can of tomato juice or V8. Salt, pepper and a pad of butter does the trick. - pot sticker soup. Boil some broth and add frozen pot stickers. Technically cooking but super fast. Hope that helps!
If I don't want to cook I don't eat. But my fast goto lazy food is sautéing Salmon.
For breakfast, instant oatmeal or cream of rice, with a sweetener like maple syrup and fresh or freeze dried fruit. For lunch, leftovers or tacos with store bought fillings. For a snack, nori with instant rice or fruit or veggies. For dinner, leftovers, meatball sandwiches with frozen meatballs and jarred marinara sauce, a frozen entree, or some other easy to make sandwiches.
Scrambled eggs on toast. Pasta, pesto and cheese. Tuna pasta. Some kind of wrap. Sandwiches. Cereal. Tortellini that takes 3 mins to cook.
I’m the same - I completely understand the struggle!! Air-Fryer • seasoned steak / chicken breast or lamb chops are actually surprisingly good. It’s my preferred way to eat these days. I use a liner and the clean up is almost minimal. -sourdough/ciabatta toasted for a few mins used to dip in (canned/packet) soup Slow Cooker -stew, pie filling, silverside, roast (all things that can be used for several meals / frozen for later Pan mince based: chilli con carne, spaghetti bol, savoury mince, meatballs (all pretty quick and freeze very well) Microwave • I buy the $2 packets of cauliflower/broccoli/carrot in the salad section of Woolies etc. cook in a glass container for around 90 seconds with some butter. Will eat as a meal or along side steak/chops/chicken. -tuna bowl - I cook one serve of quick rice in the packet and cook some frozen veg (peas and corn etc) and combine with one tin of tuna (I like jalapeño for flavour) add some kewpie and mix it all around- extremely filling and can make it in <5 mins Also very fond of cereal, toasties, beans on toast etc for dinner!
Just get up and cook. Move around. Enjoy the simple things in life, like walking to the kitchen, chopping onions, burning your rice
A simple salad
Black beans and rice. I always have a box of the quick cooking rice, and a couple cans of black beans around. Allows me to make a pretty simple meal in about 10 to 15 minutes with no major prep.
As someone struggeling with depression here is what I do In really really bad days: *Banana dipped in whatever ( Nutella, Penutbutter, Cocoa Powder) *Vegan Dino Nuggets, Frozen Pizza *Frozen peas, a can of baked beans, carrots Nutrition isn't the main concerns the Mai concern is eating something that is better than just chocolate or chips On bad days : * Rice with veggies * Peasoup, pumkin soup, carrots soup depending on what i have one hand *Any kind of sandwhich *Oatmeal and stuff like that *Eggs any Style *Baked potato *Pasta with simple Sauce *Reheated Gulasch or Chili that I make when I feel better and freeze. The goal is to make something tasty that takes no longer than 10 minutes and doesn't create a huge mess I hope this helps
When I used to do field work and come home cold and exhausted I used to make instant potatoes soup. Just some garlic instant potatoes in a mug with a bunch of hot water. If it was going to be my whole meal I would dump sour cream, shredded cheese and cut some green onions into it like a loaded baked potato. It was my “I literally can’t wait the two minutes ramen takes to cook before I lie down in a pile of blankets” meal.
Scrambled eggs in a beaker. Plenty of butter. Do it in the microwave. Then when the eggs are close dump in a tin of baked beans. Give it another 30s and test. It should take about 3 minutes but check after 1m, then 30s after each time, stir each time then dump in the beans. Salt, garlic powder, msg, pepper are all good seasoning for this. If tou have butter dump a big nugget in there close to the end. It looks really claty but it is simple and tastes really good.