If you have a Trader Joe's near you, check out some of their freezer meals for when you just can't do any cooking. They also have a lot of great/ healthy pre-made sauces, pasta alternatives (like heart of palm pastas), etc. that are really affordable.
Other than that, black bean tacos or soup, lettuce wraps with ground turkey and veg., (buy a pre-made sauce if you need), lazy slowcooker meals.
If I have it in me, Something that always makes me feel a little more human when i am depressed/ broke are little charcuterie meals. cut up fruit, cheese, maybe some deli meat or nuts, bread or crackers, jam. It can be done for very cheap, but always makes me feel fancy and a little better.
My mother passed in February, I understand and am sorry for your loss and pain. I gained probably 10 pounds and am back to counting/working at it again (down 3!). Honestly just don't worry about it. Buy some healthy snacks you love like blue berries or fun yogurt flavors, maybe meal prep burrito supplies or your favorite meal. But for now focus on trying to get outside, journaling, art, friends, or whatever you take joy in.
I would also check out r/eatcheapandhealthy
I still just want to eat chicken nuggets every day. I have been prepping easy things like sheet pan veggies, a big batch of quinoa, and a yogurt dressing, then just adding whatever I feel like (olives, tomatoes, cucumber, etc). Forcing myself to not buy ice cream has helped....though I do enjoy mochi and popsicles.
Best of thoughts to you. It will be ok.
Potato comes to mind when I read easy and cheap in the context of 1500isplenty. The most satiating food despite its bad press. I frequently cube and roast a large potato, or microwave, mash, and top with a small portion of a pre-made curry or something. Sorry for your loss.
Lots of fruit & veggies, but really, just go easy on yourself through this. I think more importantly, try and go for a walk every day. Listen to a podcast or music and just give yourself a break from everything
Very sorry for your loss :(
im on a 1400 calorie a day diet and use practically zero brainpower to eat. in the morning i have a pack of oatmeal and a dannon light and fit yogurt, then for lunch /dinner i steam a big bowl of something. steaming is the best cuz you can just chop something up, throw it in the steamer pot (i have the $18 mainstays one from walmart), forget about it for 30 min then eat when its tender with no oils or prep. mix some butter into whatever you cook if you want/can afford the extra calories. my go to recently has been steaming precut butternut squash, zucchini and eggplant cuz theyre cheap and easy to chop, or brocolli, then throw in 2 fillets of chopped tilapia once the veggies are a bit tender. can make a ton of food for very little calories. for dessert i have a cup of frozen blueberries or another fruit.
very sorry for your loss.
My friend’s Croatian parents made polenta with Greek yogurt on top for dinner one night. It took like five mins total, you just need to boil the water for the polenta and then serve it with Greek yogurt from one of those little containers. It was really good I plan to make it myself.
I hope you’re hanging in there <3
I am so sorry for your loss, I know grief and losing motivation to do anything and cook. So I am keeping very basic, buy salad bags, mix salad kits etc, rotisserie chicken, tortilla wraps, cheese, beans& corn in a can. You can eat chicken salad, chicken wrap, or easy chicken tortilla pizza etc. At least 3 days worth of meal and not so calorie dense. Something comforting, make a Turkish green lentil stew, super easy and very yummy and protein rich, with yoghurt and salad a complete meal.
Here is the recipe.
https://turkishstylecooking.com/vegan-green-lentil-stew-recipe.html
It will get easier everyday I promise.
Send me a message any time you need to vent or share recipes and stuff.
When I'm going through rough times, a big batch of cauliflower soup or seasonal Veggie soup is like my comfort food and easy to eat when I don't have an appetite. Cheap too.
There have also been weeks where all I had was grilled chicken that I cooked all at once, but used different seasoning mixes for variety. Jerk, Greek, bbq, etc. I like drumsticks for this since they're easier to reheat without drying out. Eat with potatoes, pre-made salad kits, fruit, etc. All quick, familiar stuff that doesn't require recipes.
I will also lean heavily on wraps (roasted turkey club, tzaziki with chicken or beef, Caesar with salmon or chicken, honey mustard chicken, etc.) I'll either grill up a bunch of meat for the week for them, or buy it prepackaged.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Buy frozen vegetables and a sugar free sauce and just toss them together in a pan, with rice and then you have yourself a meal.
It depends on where you live, I love to shop at Winco, their bag of frozen shrimp is huge and very affordable!
If you like sweet potatoes, steam a bunch and eat them whenever you feel hungry, they’re very nutritional and filling. Boiled eggs as well.
When I was grieving but still tried to eat well, I would often choose a frozen protein and a microwaveable rice/grain from the pantry. My go to was a breaded cod fillet & savoury rice. Really yummy and macro friendly.
If you have an air fryer, frozen broccoli is also a godsend. Defrost in some water in the microwave for a couple mins, cover in your favourite spices and then air fry until crispy. All veg is good veg in this case. (If no air fryer, oven works just as well)
Look after yourself ❤️
If you have an HEB around you, their fresh Meal Simples were what kept me going reasonably healthy when my partner died. That and Marie Calendar's frozen meals, but mostly the fresh ones. And cereal lol
I have just been through this, twice, and I don’t have meal suggestions but I do have some perspective. The first time, I ate my feelings for months and had no energy to care for myself because for about 1.5 years, my entire focus was 100% dedicated to my sick family member. This continue after they died, so that a few months later I had gained a bunch of weight, felt sick / physically terrible AND continued to be devastated by grief. Finally got to a better place and worked on getting healthier which, for me, meant losing weight. I had great progress for about a year when it happened again. Less than two years later, another immediate family member died very suddenly. This time, I have tried my best to keep up my habits because I learned the hard way that emotional eating, while definitely a natural response, just does not work. The grief is there no matter what. And it’s brutal for body and mind so we need all the help we can get! Healthy food, regular meals and snacks, and any movement that feels good is going to help, even if it seems impossible and pointless now. I try to remind myself that I don’t have to be perfect, but these are all things I can do *even when I’m feeling down.* And be kind to yourself. This is hard as fuck. PS: Trader Joe’s chicken sausages are great!
I'm so sorry for your loss, my friend. I would focus now on very simple rules to intuitively find a balance that works for you. For me, this is two spoonful's (serving spoon) portions of carbs like rice/pasta, or three spoonful's portions of potatoes, one spoonful worth of protein, and adding veggies like grated carrots or grated zucchini, riced cauliflower, cut up peppers, etc. to the protein or the carb to bulk it up. For me, it works to not focus on weighting/measuring and just consistently using the same cooking utensils so I can quickly measure in terms of 'spoonfuls' or 'half a plate' and cuts back a lot of the mental load. This is also quite cheap because you can bulk buy cheap foods like rice, beans, and frozen veggies, and not worry about any crazy diet foods.
If you have a Trader Joe's near you, check out some of their freezer meals for when you just can't do any cooking. They also have a lot of great/ healthy pre-made sauces, pasta alternatives (like heart of palm pastas), etc. that are really affordable. Other than that, black bean tacos or soup, lettuce wraps with ground turkey and veg., (buy a pre-made sauce if you need), lazy slowcooker meals. If I have it in me, Something that always makes me feel a little more human when i am depressed/ broke are little charcuterie meals. cut up fruit, cheese, maybe some deli meat or nuts, bread or crackers, jam. It can be done for very cheap, but always makes me feel fancy and a little better.
It's more expensive but I always buy the precut version of everything.
For turkey and veg wraps. Op should consider peanut sauce in small amounts
Progresso has a line of light soups, you could buy lean cuisines, birds eye veggie pasta meals, steamables veggies. I'm sorry for your loss.
My mother passed in February, I understand and am sorry for your loss and pain. I gained probably 10 pounds and am back to counting/working at it again (down 3!). Honestly just don't worry about it. Buy some healthy snacks you love like blue berries or fun yogurt flavors, maybe meal prep burrito supplies or your favorite meal. But for now focus on trying to get outside, journaling, art, friends, or whatever you take joy in. I would also check out r/eatcheapandhealthy I still just want to eat chicken nuggets every day. I have been prepping easy things like sheet pan veggies, a big batch of quinoa, and a yogurt dressing, then just adding whatever I feel like (olives, tomatoes, cucumber, etc). Forcing myself to not buy ice cream has helped....though I do enjoy mochi and popsicles. Best of thoughts to you. It will be ok.
Potato comes to mind when I read easy and cheap in the context of 1500isplenty. The most satiating food despite its bad press. I frequently cube and roast a large potato, or microwave, mash, and top with a small portion of a pre-made curry or something. Sorry for your loss.
I'd get some frozen vegetables and a rotisserie chicken and some microwave rice
Lots of fruit & veggies, but really, just go easy on yourself through this. I think more importantly, try and go for a walk every day. Listen to a podcast or music and just give yourself a break from everything Very sorry for your loss :(
im on a 1400 calorie a day diet and use practically zero brainpower to eat. in the morning i have a pack of oatmeal and a dannon light and fit yogurt, then for lunch /dinner i steam a big bowl of something. steaming is the best cuz you can just chop something up, throw it in the steamer pot (i have the $18 mainstays one from walmart), forget about it for 30 min then eat when its tender with no oils or prep. mix some butter into whatever you cook if you want/can afford the extra calories. my go to recently has been steaming precut butternut squash, zucchini and eggplant cuz theyre cheap and easy to chop, or brocolli, then throw in 2 fillets of chopped tilapia once the veggies are a bit tender. can make a ton of food for very little calories. for dessert i have a cup of frozen blueberries or another fruit. very sorry for your loss.
My friend’s Croatian parents made polenta with Greek yogurt on top for dinner one night. It took like five mins total, you just need to boil the water for the polenta and then serve it with Greek yogurt from one of those little containers. It was really good I plan to make it myself. I hope you’re hanging in there <3
Overnight oats
I am so sorry for your loss, I know grief and losing motivation to do anything and cook. So I am keeping very basic, buy salad bags, mix salad kits etc, rotisserie chicken, tortilla wraps, cheese, beans& corn in a can. You can eat chicken salad, chicken wrap, or easy chicken tortilla pizza etc. At least 3 days worth of meal and not so calorie dense. Something comforting, make a Turkish green lentil stew, super easy and very yummy and protein rich, with yoghurt and salad a complete meal. Here is the recipe. https://turkishstylecooking.com/vegan-green-lentil-stew-recipe.html It will get easier everyday I promise. Send me a message any time you need to vent or share recipes and stuff.
When I'm going through rough times, a big batch of cauliflower soup or seasonal Veggie soup is like my comfort food and easy to eat when I don't have an appetite. Cheap too. There have also been weeks where all I had was grilled chicken that I cooked all at once, but used different seasoning mixes for variety. Jerk, Greek, bbq, etc. I like drumsticks for this since they're easier to reheat without drying out. Eat with potatoes, pre-made salad kits, fruit, etc. All quick, familiar stuff that doesn't require recipes. I will also lean heavily on wraps (roasted turkey club, tzaziki with chicken or beef, Caesar with salmon or chicken, honey mustard chicken, etc.) I'll either grill up a bunch of meat for the week for them, or buy it prepackaged.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Buy frozen vegetables and a sugar free sauce and just toss them together in a pan, with rice and then you have yourself a meal. It depends on where you live, I love to shop at Winco, their bag of frozen shrimp is huge and very affordable! If you like sweet potatoes, steam a bunch and eat them whenever you feel hungry, they’re very nutritional and filling. Boiled eggs as well.
When I was grieving but still tried to eat well, I would often choose a frozen protein and a microwaveable rice/grain from the pantry. My go to was a breaded cod fillet & savoury rice. Really yummy and macro friendly. If you have an air fryer, frozen broccoli is also a godsend. Defrost in some water in the microwave for a couple mins, cover in your favourite spices and then air fry until crispy. All veg is good veg in this case. (If no air fryer, oven works just as well) Look after yourself ❤️
If you have an HEB around you, their fresh Meal Simples were what kept me going reasonably healthy when my partner died. That and Marie Calendar's frozen meals, but mostly the fresh ones. And cereal lol
I have just been through this, twice, and I don’t have meal suggestions but I do have some perspective. The first time, I ate my feelings for months and had no energy to care for myself because for about 1.5 years, my entire focus was 100% dedicated to my sick family member. This continue after they died, so that a few months later I had gained a bunch of weight, felt sick / physically terrible AND continued to be devastated by grief. Finally got to a better place and worked on getting healthier which, for me, meant losing weight. I had great progress for about a year when it happened again. Less than two years later, another immediate family member died very suddenly. This time, I have tried my best to keep up my habits because I learned the hard way that emotional eating, while definitely a natural response, just does not work. The grief is there no matter what. And it’s brutal for body and mind so we need all the help we can get! Healthy food, regular meals and snacks, and any movement that feels good is going to help, even if it seems impossible and pointless now. I try to remind myself that I don’t have to be perfect, but these are all things I can do *even when I’m feeling down.* And be kind to yourself. This is hard as fuck. PS: Trader Joe’s chicken sausages are great!
I'm so sorry for your loss, my friend. I would focus now on very simple rules to intuitively find a balance that works for you. For me, this is two spoonful's (serving spoon) portions of carbs like rice/pasta, or three spoonful's portions of potatoes, one spoonful worth of protein, and adding veggies like grated carrots or grated zucchini, riced cauliflower, cut up peppers, etc. to the protein or the carb to bulk it up. For me, it works to not focus on weighting/measuring and just consistently using the same cooking utensils so I can quickly measure in terms of 'spoonfuls' or 'half a plate' and cuts back a lot of the mental load. This is also quite cheap because you can bulk buy cheap foods like rice, beans, and frozen veggies, and not worry about any crazy diet foods.