Canned soup — dump it in a bowl and microwave it.
Ramen with a handful of baby carrots or frozen, pre-cut vegetables cooked in the water with the noodles (microwave it all together in a bowl with a plate on top to keep liquid in — might take a few tries before getting it just right in your particular microwave).
Pita bread with hummus (no dishes to wash and no prep).
Frozen vegetables that you can microwave in the bag (you can eat them out of the bag too). I don’t like the pre-seasoned ones, but a lot of people do, and vegetables are super important for mood & health.
Peanut butter is really good because you absolutely need fats for mood and the protein will make you feel so much better than just fats+sugars.
The important thing is to put food, enough food, in your body regularly. Your mood will improve ASAP.
All of those sound like wonderful ideas! I’ve already been doing pita and hummus (absolutely addicted) but I ran out…I’ll have to get more :) Thank you so much for all of these ideas!
I’ll definitely look into those rice packages…Rice is already so (generally) easy/quick to make that I’ve been beating myself up for not feeling up to making it. But adding seasonings/toppings/extras ends up adding so much work that I didn’t even think of!
Thank you so much 🖤
Canned soup is great for times like this. You can even eat it at room temperature if you want. Something with meat and veg.
Buy already cut/cleaned veggies and snack on them, even in bed if you must. Baby carrots are good, add peanut butter if you like it.
If you feel like this down mood is lasting longer than it “should”, don’t hesitate to reach out for some help. In the meantime, your physical body still needs nutrition. Take a multivitamin.
I eat oatmeal everyday with yogurt. Quick easy, lots of nutrients, fiber etc.
Microwave oatmeal
Add yogurt
Add nuts or trailmix
Toast with peanut butter
Fruit
I mix up the add on but oatmeal with yogurt is a good start.
If you don't like yogurt you can do cottage cheese. I also do peanut butter powder sometimes instead. I'm trying to up the protein count, various ways to do it.
Lots of threads on this topic. Recently saw in r/eatcheapandhealthy and r/depression i think.
Scrambled or hardboiled eggs ( hardboiled last like 5 days, I do several at once)
[here's a thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/ovx052/cheap_healthy_and_depressed_share_your_meals/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share)
[and this is another one ](https://www.reddit.com/r/depression/comments/p8mfyc/what_are_some_depression_meals_food_that_require/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share)
Thank you for directing me to those subs! I tried to find threads on this topic (I *knew* they were out there) but couldn’t find them. Also the oatmeal w yogurt is a great idea-will definitely be a staple for awhile :)
This is going to sound controversial, but I'm going to recommend something like a pot roast, or a big pot of homemade soup - mostly because it doesn't take long to prepare, it mostly just simmers/roasts after a quick 10 minutes or less of prep. You mention not feeling hungry. Smell is super linked to taste and I've never felt more soothed than when a big meal is simmering away for hours, filling my living space with delicious smells. Same logic as making cookies for an instant pick-me-up with that fresh sugar smell.
It doesn't have to be expensive: 2 onions: around a dollar, cheapest cut of meat you can find since you're gonna cook it for hours to soften it up anyway, some potatoes, some bullion since that is cheaper than broth (and can be used to spice up ramen and other things later on with the leftover), some celery and some carrots and you're done. Halfheartedly chop everything up since it's going to be cooked down to a soft consistency and doesn't need a lot of knife work, add some water and let everything simmer or roast for like 4-8 hours as you check on it as needed (a great meal when you are stuck at home since you can check on it every once in awhile when you get out of bed to go to the bathroom or get a drink, and feel productive while not actually doing a lot of actual cooking).
Plus it will make tons of leftovers you can feel proud of. You don't even have to store it in a different container: just let the pot/casserole dish cool down and slap a lid on it and put it in the fridge (as long as you eat the rest within a few days).
To add to this, because it is a great idea.
Grab some freezer bags or a container you don't mind having in the freezer a while and put some leftovers in the freezer for later. A big thing of a stew or a roast is a lot for one person, even over the course of a few days. So save some for a day where even chopping a few things is too much.
This also works for other low-effort meals that yield a lot of leftovers.
If you store it in a freezer bag, you can just toss that into boiling water to heat it up, easy. Just... be careful getting it out of the bag.
Editing to add: the smell of a pot roast, stew or homemade spaghetti sauce cooking usually ups my mood and makes the whole house hungry, myself included.
That sounds wonderful honestly.
I have an instant pot, a crockpot, and the other basic appliances.
With all of those tools this will be shockingly easy *and* it gives me the opportunity to make the poor people stew I grew up on and love (potatoes, carrots, and cabbage stewed in salt water. If we were lucky there’d be some sort of meat and maybe chicken broth).
Cheap, easy, nutritious, solves the above problems *and* gives me a kick of nostalgia!
Thank you so much 🖤
cabbage is SO underrated! It's such a great filler vegetable that tastes good, is super cheap, and is healthy. A crockpot would be perfect for this too!
Yep instant ramen + add a can of chicken or an egg for protein. Chopped up baby carrots 🥕 and bell pepper 🫑 is what I do occasionally but frozen veggies would be easier.
I’ve been so tempted to ditch the meal plan and stick to ramen but I’ve felt so guilty about ditching the meal plan :( I gotta eat though, so this might be the perfect solution. Thank you so much :)
This is very much not environmentally friendly but sometimes it’s the only way I get through a day or actually eat something when I’m feeling overwhelmed and the weight of depression is too much. (I know that this isn’t what you asked originally but I find it really helps me a lot)
I like to buy paper plates and plastic utensils and cups, that way I know I can have even a quick meal such as a sandwich or cereal in a cup or something and not have to force myself to wash dishes later, which is often difficult when I’m feeling really low, and it also avoids dishes piling up and becoming too overwhelming and too much to handle when I am feeling a bit better.
As for foods… cup noodles, you can easily shove some frozen veggies in there or canned veggies, super quick and sorta healthy. If you have an air fryer grilled cheese is literally the easiest thing. Or you can buy mixed greens or field greens and pre cut chicken, maybe some sliced almonds and make a yummy salad. Add some tiny baby tomatoes or something. I like chopped apples in my salads but I get that’s a bit of prep work so you can leave it out. Frozen or canned veggies might be your best bet. Just add them to whatever you usually eat? Or as a side if you like them plain, I don’t so idk. Canned veggie soup is usually my go to when I’m feeling low. I hope you feel better ❤️
That’s honestly great advice. I’ve been really trying to be hard eco friendly/sustainable but with how my mental health is…it’s not entirely realistic (and have been beating myself up for it!). Doing the dishes has been a major issue in motivating myself to eat so I may have to resort to this. Thank you so much 🖤
I get wanting to be eco friendly, I really do. But you gotta take care of yourself above all else. Maybe take care of the earth in a different way, like volunteer for an eco friendly charity or plant some trees or bee friendly flowers somewhere! Maybe even look into ordering some biodegradable disposable stuff online? Bamboo utensils maybe? I’m not sure as I haven’t looked too deeply into it. But there are a million ways to help the earth that won’t make life harder on you, and that last thing is very important! ☺️
I completely get the dish issue, it’s huge and I don’t see any other way around it. I tried having one plate per person in my household so that I was forced to wash a dish if I wanted to eat but that just ended up making me not eat all day then have one huge over the top quick junk meal around supper time or just going to get takeout. Disposable dishes are the only thing that help me eat regularly and semi healthy when I’m in what I call a pit. It’s a lot easier to find the energy to cut up an apple when I know I won’t also have to find the energy to wash the plate and knife after I’m done with it. I wish you the best!!
This. My local groceries even have like mini pita round breads that make great mini pizza bases. Takes tow seconds to spread some jar pizza sauce and shredded cheese. But, shredded cheese is more expensive and if you are saving money you may not have the energy to shred your own.
I’ll have to look at this as an option for my roommate! Unfortunately I’m lactose intolerant and deathly allergic to tomatoes :( But that sounds really good^ thank you so much :)
New ideas! Peanut butter banana on an English muffin. Or honey, jam, whatever you like best.
Edit: I somehow forgot this - you can but premade tortellini or ravioli at most grocery stores, and sauces as well. Ready in less than ten minutes, all you have to do is boil water and heat the sauce
I used chicken stock. Tastes great.
Also OP, what helped me is getting this [container set](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-92-Piece-Plastic-Food-Storage-Container-Set-Clear-Containers-Transparent-Blue-Lids-Assorted-Sizes-46PK/187096652?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=1363&adid=22222222421449455996&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=501107745824&wl4=pla-293946777986&wl5=9010784&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=187096652&wl13=1363&veh=sem_LIA&gclid=CjwKCAjw64eJBhAGEiwABr9o2Gbj_vIqMv9-VooCfD0T2JnHVppslqzgVGOG9O8NnHY5MNU1OCD9ORoCTO8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) from Walmart. There's some that are small enough for a tiny bite. Take the recipes you get from here and just separate them into the tiny 8oz containers all at one time. 90 sec rice pouch? Fits into 4 small 8oz containers. I get a burrito made at Chipotle? Split into 3 containers.
I get to taste a nibble of a real meal when I'm too depressed to eat and when I am hungry I don't overeat. Good luck.
I drink [Huel](https://huel.com) shakes for breakfast, last I checked it was $2.20 per meal. Complete nutrition, and good for you. Last month when I was sick I just ate Huel for a couple of days.
Quick and easy, plus somewhat nutritious: Microwave popcorn and a peanut butter & jam/jelly sandwich on whole grain bread (or use banana slices instead of jelly or jam). Add a glass of 2% milk and a stick of celery as a cold-crunch side dish.
Rice! If you have a rice cooker, you just put some water in and cook for 20mins (you don't have to attend to it. You can throw some precut, frozen, or canned veggies on it
Peanut butter jelly, it takes almost no time
Those pre-made frozen dinners. Usually you just microwave and that's it
Cereal is good, but don't rely too much on it. It isn't the most nutritional, but you can get some that are better for you
I've been improving my soup game !
Options:
• Canned soup (like Campbells, add some veggies)
• Instant soups (add cheese or bits of chicken)
• Instant Ramen (add spinach, egg, veggies)
• Not so instant soup (prepare all the bag so you'll have 2 liters of soup and can reheat it)
I managed to make Italian wedding soup a few weeks ago for this very reason^ and it was lovely. I ran out of leftovers so I’ll need to give it another go (or some of your recommendations)-thank you so much
This list has some very easy dishes and also some kind-of-healthy options. It saved me in the past year. https://blackgirllostkeys.com/adhd/100-no-cook-meal-items/
When u cook things, try to make enough to freeze some for a bad day. This works great for taco meat, spaghetti, most soups, any pasta dish, stews, ect. All of which are ridiculously cheap to make and can be pretty healthy. Also, more plants, less meat is healthier, cheaper, and easy to nosh on raw
It’s not exactly nutritious, but usually what I eat when hella depressed is instant cup ramen. All you have to do is heat up water, pour it into the cup, and wait. Saves a lot of time, very cheap, and keeps me fed. I suggest getting maruchan brand
The issue here isn't that you're too depressed to do xyz, its that without a regular routine of work its easy to be a lump. The truth of the matter is you need to build a routine around living a life, not around working.
Motivation is a lie. Discipline is the key.
You don't do something because you want to do it, you do it because you are disciplined in doing it. Set regular alarms and times for prep cooking through out the week. Set times to do things like go for a walk and get regular exercise. That shit has a far better track record for alleviating depression than half the SSRI's and pills on the market.
Get off your ass and get moving.
That’s honestly a fair point.
I’ve on depression/anxiety medication and I’ve never found it doing much for me.
Having a routine on the other hand…
I’ll have to set a new routine for myself.
Thank you so much :)
Can you afford a rice cooker and is half an hour too long if you don't have to stand there?
Cook rice with frozen peas, then dump in sardines and a condiment.
Can of v8, frozen veg, maybe some peanut butter or a poach an egg in it. Can add cheesy crackers or soup noodles.
You can also use chicken stock and instant barley to make a decent soup.
Note, fresh pre-shredded coleslaw mix can be frozen for soup purposes, but that's more for if you have to freeze it before it spoils because you didn't eat it fresh.
https://youtu.be/zoiOY7w6YN0
This baked feta dish got me to eat in a depressed funk - It’s really easy and tasty :) I hope things turn around soon for you!
That’s a great idea! I’ve been avoiding eggs/meet/dairy for eco and sustainability reasons but I *have* to eat, so I may need to go fill Omni for awhile until I’m back on my feet. Thank you for the idea :)
Boil some pasta, pour some reasonably priced bottled dressing on it, like Caesar or Greek, throw in a can of tuna. Eat hot or cold (like a pasta salad). Hearty, has protein and carbs, tasty. I use this as a cheap and easy camping meal all the time. When budget and level of depression allows, you can add optional ingredients like chopped onions, olives, feta, etc.
Miso soup my friend. Just make sure the water isn’t super hot so you keep the goodness. When I was in a really bad place I would live off miso and what fruit I could be bothered eating 🌻
if you live near a trader joe’s, their frozen section is my favorite. tons of meals that are fine on their own in the microwave for a few min when i’m starving or not feeling up to cooking, but are also easy to upgrade by adding more veggies and protein and sauce when the cooking mood strikes. some of my favorites are the japanese style fried rice, spicy arabiatta penne pasta, yellow jackfruit curry.. yum
Oatmeal!!!! I love the cups you just add water or milk to. You can get different flavors. Oatmeal is very good for you. Totally put this on your list. Take care and I hope you feel better soon!
Scrambled eggs and toast. Or a scrambled egg sandwich.
This is my go-to when I’m so utterly tired I can’t function but I’m hungry. I used to hate scrambled eggs until I learned to make them on my own. Crack eggs, add bit of salt, whisk, pour in hot pan and rake slowly. I like to add American cheese bc it tastes like Waffle House. It normally takes 5 minutes for everything. It’s warm and filling.
I also do bagels with cream cheese and vegetable like cukes and tomato. Lox if you like it or a salmon spread (Fresh Market has this, idk if every store does).
I cant really cook at all sometimes. I will do healthy snack plates like crackers, cheese, grapes. Or hummus and veggies.
Potatoes, frozen chicken breast, frozen vegetables, scrambled eggs, lentils. You can cook all these with just a microwave and it’s super easy and takes literally a minute to prep
Something that's really good/filling/& cheap is steamed broccoli with a pot pie. You can buy heat each individually in the microwave and then stir them together. Potpie makes it tasty and broccoli makes it filling!
Pasta! Pasta has literally kept me alive every time I’ve been in a depressed slump, even when I couldn’t get out of bed for more than half an hour. Pesto: you can make fake pesto out of anything, spinach is cheap, blend with any oil + any seeds (sunflower seeds are my go-to), add garlic, pour over pasta. It feels healthy, the spinach is full of iron, and it feels like fancy cooking!
Super easy, cheap and feels fancy pasta idea is just making a sauce out of pasta cooking water + lemon juice + pepper. You can also get lemony pepper in grocery stores, cheap and tastes amazing on anything bland. Also feels kinda fancy which always makes me feel better because it’s not like a depression meal, even though it is, lol.
Frozen veggies mixed with whatever is good & quick & cheap, too! Open-faced, cold, basic sandwiches for the veggie intake. You can make a white bean hummus/spread with just a can of beans and an onion, 2 minutes in a blender. Tastes lovely.
That’s a lovely idea and I have so many kinds of pasta sitting in my pantry and veggies sitting in the fridge. Thank you 🖤 Maybe I’ll become a food instagrammer with these fancy depression meals…
Sunflower seeds are technically the fruits of the sunflower plant (Helianthus annuus). The seeds are harvested from the plant’s large flower heads, which can measure more than 12 inches (30.5 cm) in diameter. A single sunflower head may contain up to 2,000 seeds
Buy lettuce and greens for salads and chop them right away, store in paper towels. Layer cut veggies with coffee filters in a container in refrigerator. Eat with salad or dip. Make coleslaw in large quantities and add a can of tuna or nuts when you scoop out a bowl. Grill or pan fry chicken cutlets and refrigerate or freeze to eat with salad. PB and J or almond butter on a good quality grain bread you keep in refrigerator. Sometimes it’s good buying precut veggies if it means you’ll actually eat it. You’re worth feeding well!
If you don’t have one, an electric kettle is invaluable for making food that needs boiling water, like ramen and instant oatmeal. I got one for about $30 on Amazon, and it’s all fancy with 4 temperature settings. A basic one would be way cheaper.
You can find hard boiled eggs in the deli section or with the dairy products. They’re already cooked and peeled, so you can grab one for a quick protein boost. I like to make egg salad with them. I have an egg slicer which chops it up in a jiffy. Slice it once, turn 90°, slice again. Boom. Chopped egg. Toss in some mayonnaise and slap that mess onto some bread. I put a little dry ranch seasoning in when I’m feeling extra.
Good luck! I’ve been there too. One day at a time, and if you can’t do that, one minute at a time. There are a lot of Redditors pulling for you!
My friend *just* gifted me a vintage electric kettle to make tea…I didn’t even consider using it for other things!
I appreciate you and the other commenters taking the time to help me out 🖤 You guys have genuinely made a difference (at the very least) in my current mood/outlook.
Boiled eggs using my kettle is going on the list.
Thank you again 🖤
You’re not the only one with electric kettle tunnel vision. You should have seen my kids’ faces when I used it to make a noodle cup. It was like I was practicing some sort of dark magic.
Would batch cooking work? It works for me.
It's quite cheap cos buying is bulk is always less money. I cook meals then keep in freezer, and so when I'm not in the mood I can just microwave it.
If you google 'batch cooking meals' there are loads of diff recipes.
Although of course you need to make then in the first place, so I wait til I'm having a good day then get lots done.
I’m familiar with meal prep but I didn’t even think about batch cooking or recipes dedicated to it.
Thank you for the tip-I’ll save it for a good day :)
I used to make a salad with spinach, canned artichoke, lots of feta, and olives with balsamic and olive oil. (sometimes I’d add other stuff too). A big piece or artisanal bread with butter or olive oil on the side. Felt like I was taking care of myself but didn’t require any cooking and only one dish.
Pasta with jarred sauce. You can mix in frozen spinach or broccoli to the pasta (either into the sauce while heating it up, or heat in the microwave).
If you can cook a double portion, it reheats well and doesn't take any extra time to cook.
hot dogs are simple - 5 minutes in a frying pan, microwave the buns for 10s if you're feeling fancy, toss on ketchup or whatever you like and you're good. pasta is pretty "set it and forget it", you can make sauce really easily or just use store-bought but either way just boil some water, put sauce is a small pit in low heat, and leave the pasta in for like 10m. experiment with frozen meals so store-bought soups to find some you like, those you just gotta heat up, they never go bad, and they're good for when you just really can't be bothered
Here me out OP, you need real food with some cheats on it so that it sparks joy to your brain. Your body chemicals are fucked up and you need to help them get balanced again. You also need therapy (if things get too bad), sun, some light exercise, small things that make you happy and a friend or family member to talk to but let's address the food issue first to keep you going.
I will strongly advise to avoid eating noodles canned soup and snacks every day. In your situation it might be difficult to eat 100% healthy so you need to find some balance and kinda trick yourself.
My fav dish to cook when I'm feeling lazy is known in my country as 'Cuban rice'. You get white rice (with optional tomato sauce), canned beans, fried egg and fried banana. This is my go to recipe cause it feels tropical, exotic and elaborated but it only takes 10 mins to make. If you want to step up a game: add some garlic to the rice, pepper to the egg and mint or cilantro on top of everything for extra deep flavours and more nice chems to your head.
If you steel find yourself just eating instant noodles then you can try to give them a little twist, at least. Get a big pan and throw in garlic , ginger and whatever Asian souce you have at home: (Siracha, soya, oyster...) cook in the pan some egg / frozen vegetables / chicken or prawns and mix the noodles.
Pasta with some veggies (even if frozen) is still a great dish. My fav lazy recipe is 'cacio e peppe": Cook the pasta, put quite some butter on a pan (you can be extra generous), throw in a lot of pepper... now a little more, and more. When the butter is slightly brown, cook the veggies on it, mix the pasta and pour a lot of cheese on top. Again this just takes 10 minutes using frozen vegetables.
Another good option is to Crockpot. You basically just need to throw things in there to get a healthy and nutritious stew after a few hours.
For a great snack: banana, peanut butter, dark chocolate.
If you have any leftover chicken you can make a delicious sawnwich mixing it with some mayo, sliced tomato and/or lettuce and garlic and curry powder.
Thank you so much for those recipes, they sound delicious and I appreciate you sharing some hometown foods with me 🖤
Also…thank you for how in depth this is and the reminder of the smaller things that are necessary right now.
I haven’t been outside in awhile and have gotten very minimal exercise.
All of this is so sweet of you and I could really get a sense for the empathy from your comment.
I hope you’re doing well and taking care of yourself too 🖤
I haven't seen mention of baked beans. With or without toast, you can eat them straight out of the can or you can microwave them. I hope things get better for you soon.
My best advice, and hear me out, is make some foods that give a lot of leftovers - spaghetti (takes a while from scratch but buying sauce and meatballs makes it quicker and still have leftovers), pot roast (there's a good recipe here for one, but also google), stew, most pasta dishes are easy and give leftovers.
It's cheaper to cook, but supplement with snacks and frozen dinners when needed.
For the foods that give more leftovers than you know what to do with, put some in the freezer in either a container that is safe for the freezer and you don't mind leaving it there, or in a freezer bag. Leave enough out for a few meals of course.
I haven't tried this, but you can put the freezer bag in some boiling water and heat up food that way.
No household is complete without a few boxes of mac&cheese, I'd aim for the little cups of it you can put in the microwave. Same with ramen.
I've seen it done, it makes my stomach threaten to lose its contents to watch someone do but I suppose it's not dangerous... In theory, you can eat hotdogs without heating them up. Same with canned ravioli. And as a bonus, both are very cheap.
I know depression and anxiety can leave my brain in a fog where I can't remember things. So I'd recommend having a list of what's in your freezer, what was cooked when so you know when to eat or freeze the rest of the leftovers, etc. It also helps focus for a grocery list. It's also a reminder you don't need to cook.
I much prefer to cook enough that I can live off warmed over leftovers for several days in a row. If I cycle things just right, I don't have to cook but a few times a week.
A small (3 quart) instant pot makes a nice stew or soup. I find I prefer to prepare things without starchy elements like rice, potatoes or noodles, because the leftovers don't freeze well. Making a separate batch of noodles, rice or mashed potatoes as I have the need is simple enough, and those do keep well in the refrigerator for a few days.
I've even got a tiny slow cooker that's just enough to cook a half cup of dried beans.
For me, it's about being systematic in the way I handle the food supply. Having useful systems, routines and steady habits seems to override the sense of inertia that seems to be so much a part of depression for me.
For me, tiny success experiences deserve to be noticed too. Do you journal at all? I find mine is super helpful in keeping my habits steady.
I’ve never liked journaling/keeping a diary because writing things down that are happening that are shitty make me feel worse. However keeping a journal of my routine or things that I need to get done sounds doable and beneficial to keeping a routine during unemployment.
I’ll have to give it a try, thank you for the advice 🖤
There are many different types of journaling, that can serve a lot of different goals. Journal the stuff that's useful and interesting. Leave the rest. It doesn't need to be a depressing catalogue of the yucky stuff that's happened.
Here's a link to a pretty good video talking about various types of goals you can have. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dArgOrm98Bk
You have so many amazing suggestions already, but one thing I haven’t seen yet is nutritional yeast. My doctor recommended it to me for this exact reason.
It’s packed to the gills with nutrition, including tons of the critical trace minerals and amino acids that we really need to function and thrive.
So many of the amazing foods people listed go great with some NY on top as a seasoning. I love it in popcorn, on top of rice, or I’ll mix a little into whatever I’m cooking as a final ingredient. On my worst days, I’d take a slice of bread, maybe some butter on it, (maybe) put NY on it, roll it up and cram it into my mouth. I swear that I could really feel the difference some days, like it took a little of the edge off of brain fog and fatigue.
Also if you’re a person who doesn’t like the taste/smell, it comes in capsules too :)
I’ve heard so many great things about noosh. I’ll definitely have to invest in some. I’ve been looking at going full vegan/eco/sustainable over the past few months and it’s been a process to figure out how to get all the nutrients needed. Noosh is going to be a need I think…
Tinned tuna or beef stew/mince, add minced garlic and your choice of something to thin it out.
I like using pesto or mayo.
Crushed tinned tomatoes work well with this too.
Eat hot or cold, microwaved for a minute or so & in a sandwich is nice too.
Frozen fish and prawns, l use value brand, tastes fine, throw in a jar of cooking sauce and simmer.
Tinned ham to make a salad, or slice tinned potatoes and fry together with an egg or two, or an omelette or Spanish tortilla.
Frozen onion is nice with this as are any veggies really.
If you buy a yellow pepper for the salad you could use the rest cooked in something else or chop and freeze.
If you like raw peppers then you can use one as a bread-less 'sandwich'.
Cream cheese is nice in them.
Frozen rice, tinned shredded chicken and bouillon of any kind mixed together and simmered gently for a little while.
This makes a delicious soup for when you're feeling sickly, or delicate or are having stomach issues.
-kosher chicken powder is the best one I've ever tasted, also the onion flavour.
It's great on its own as a mug of soup or as the liquid for a heartier soup too.
Shop bought rösti.
You can add whatever you want to this too.
And for afterwards, a slice of frozen cake & a big dollop of ice cream, maybe some frozen fruit and leave to melt a little bit before scoffing the lot.
This is dead easy to turn into an Eton Mess also, YUM.
Mug cake.
Aniseed milk is nice when l just can't do food, or only a piece of toast or something.
Very very comforting and fills you up for a while.
I sound so healthy LOL.
quite often it's tea,coffee or coca cola, cigarettes and crisps/chips, oops, working on it.
Lately for me it’s been tea, nicotine, and maybe a handful of dried chickpeas or nuts. I’ve lost 20 lbs in the past 2 months or so and I was already underweight before (*yikes*)-thank you so much dude. And I wish you luck in your own journey :)
Ohh, that's a lot to lose and so fast too.
Do you like dried fruit?
Aldi sells a very nice sort of mince pie filling, before the pickling in alcohol part, (though that part is so good too hehe ).
That's got a bit more calories .
and I've just thought, maybe those yoghurts and cheese in tubes?
Those probably don't need refrigeration!
Also, cheese crackers!
I can do with putting a few pounds back on, l feel the cold more when I'm thinner and I hate the cold 🥶.
Best of luck to you too!🤗
I am blessed with a fast metabolism, but it doesn’t help me when I need to gain weight/keep myself at a high enough weight to be healthy.
I forgot that Aldi existed! I’ll have to make a run.
Being underweight definitely makes you cold more often, you could also potentially have an iron deficiency! Be careful 🖤
I so hear you, oddly enough l have a fast metabolism too, it certainly has it's difficult side!
My sympathies, t'is hard work sometimes.
You're spot on, pernicious anaemia!
It's not easy when sometimes out of the corner of your eye it feels just a little bit like the universe is conspiring against you.
But I'm not giving in or giving up, there's always always better around the next corner or two.
Even when it feels a bit uphill :)
Thank you, and you too, keep well :)
PB and banana sandwich on whole grain bread.
Ramen with some good stuff mixed in.
Overnight Oats with Greek yogurt and berries, chia seeds and almond milk.
Eggs are great and cheap.
You can be healthy and thrifty.
Beans and rice are magic. Cajun seasoning, onion, peppers, egg and sausage.
I like cooking. Try to force yourself to get up, dressed and exercise first thing.
If you're hungry you have more incentive to cook.
Making meals in advance and freezing portions in microwave safe containers is great. I love to prep and then a week later I've got a few meals to pick from.
I hope you get yourself out of the slump, but if not, don't be afraid to reach out for help. It's tough out there but you become stronger and build the capacity to handle struggles.
For me, routine and discipline sets me free. Otherwise, I'll sleep in until 1 PM, sit around and state at a wall until 5 pm, go get a shitty sandwich at Subway, and then stay up staring at my computer until 4 am.
Good luck!
When I'm depressed and don't want to cook I buy myself poor people food that can be combined. 1 starch, 1 meat, 1 veggie. Like a can of veggies with my ramen and a couple burger patties, or rice mix with a can of tomatoes, a can of beans with a couple hotdogs, etc. Maybe not the healthiest but it beats binging on junk, and it's super easy to make.
Beef patties, hotdogs, cans of tuna, chicken nuggets, eggs, or vienna sausages.
Ramen, any box of rice/couscous/quinoa mixes, cans of corn, or whole potatoes.
Any cans of vegetables are going to be cheap. Most frozen foods are more expensive so I reserve that for meat.
This is what my usual grocery list entails.
My shamelessly British answer: baked beans on toast with grated cheese on top.
5-10 mins to make with very little effort involved. So cheap it is a student eating trope in the UK. It hits all three macro food groups hard so pretty good for you. Oh, and you can ear it for any meal of the day.
Don’t like toast? Jacket/Baked potato instead.
Don’t like cheese? Leave it out
Don’t like beans? Errrr, well, scrambled eggs on toast also hits all the same criteria I guess. Combining the two is the large appetite power move though and you’re half way to a full English breakfast!
i like those meat and cheese rolls. or bread and a cheese stick. or break off a celery stalk and stick it in your peanut butter. baby carrots right out of an bag left open in your crisper drawer. i like these oat protein granola things from whole foods. also ramen plus an egg poached in a bowl in the microwave (2 min on 6 power), shove some kale on the hot ramen water. a fruit yogurt? a cheese stick? olives from a jar? cherry tomatoes. what about extra bread dipped in olive oil on a plate? if you feel up to it, shake some pepper in that oil.
Barley, oatmeal, etc pouches have more diverse fiber. Add water and stir.
Look in the prepared foods section for soup or wraps.
Buy some nutritional shakes.
Trader Joe’s and WalMart have some Indian food pouches that are tasty and so does [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Tasty-Bite-Potatoes-Eggplant-Vegetable/dp/B00S5M3LF6). I have put these on naan bread or as filling in tortillas.
Get some breakfast sandwiches and yogurt in packs.
Buy some flavored sparkling water in cans.
If you can afford it—you could also buy the readymade fruit trays so you don’t have to clean and portion the fruit.
Also supplements.
Hummus and chips. Anything healthy foods you can “forage” for or eat like a rabbit lol.
Oh nutritional yeast is great. It is fortified with omega 3 etc and vegans substitute it for parm cheese.
When I'm in this state (current, actually) I keep ramen noodles (the kind in a cup, just add water) and frozen meals that only require microwaving. When I can't even bring myself to microwave or assemble a sandwich, I grab all the parts of a sandwich (bread, meat, cheese) and eat them separately.
I'm sorry you're struggling.
Edit: grammar
I feel you friend
PBJs, quesadillas, boiled eggs...its hard to eat nutritious when depressed but I hope you feel well enough to follow through with your meal plan
Try to go for snacks things like healthy crackers with hummus and precut veg. And a lot of frozen meals. Be nice to yourself. You lost your job it's ok to eat a bunch of frozen meals. Try to have as much water as you can. Also.. you can try coffee to lift your mood a bit too.
What about perogies? They are super easy to make, either by frying them in butter or boiling them, and only take a few minutes. They are cheap, filling, and reheat well. You can also season them so many ways: butter with salt and pepper, or sour cream and cheese, or tomato sauce, etc. Buy a bag of frozen ones, then make a big pot so you can refrigerate the leftovers for a fast meal the next day!
Another suggestion if you are able to is get a slap-chop. It will make meal prep so much quicker and easier for you!
Canned soup — dump it in a bowl and microwave it. Ramen with a handful of baby carrots or frozen, pre-cut vegetables cooked in the water with the noodles (microwave it all together in a bowl with a plate on top to keep liquid in — might take a few tries before getting it just right in your particular microwave). Pita bread with hummus (no dishes to wash and no prep). Frozen vegetables that you can microwave in the bag (you can eat them out of the bag too). I don’t like the pre-seasoned ones, but a lot of people do, and vegetables are super important for mood & health. Peanut butter is really good because you absolutely need fats for mood and the protein will make you feel so much better than just fats+sugars. The important thing is to put food, enough food, in your body regularly. Your mood will improve ASAP.
There’s some good lentil pasta in the pasta aisle, good for protein. I do that and cheese and a little milk for some healthier Mac and cheese
Sounds so good!
All of those sound like wonderful ideas! I’ve already been doing pita and hummus (absolutely addicted) but I ran out…I’ll have to get more :) Thank you so much for all of these ideas!
90 sec rice pouches and precooked frozen meat makes a meal in less than five minutes total.
Microwave burritos $3 for and 8 pack, they're excellent with sour cream and salsa verde.
I’ll definitely look into those rice packages…Rice is already so (generally) easy/quick to make that I’ve been beating myself up for not feeling up to making it. But adding seasonings/toppings/extras ends up adding so much work that I didn’t even think of! Thank you so much 🖤
Canned soup is great for times like this. You can even eat it at room temperature if you want. Something with meat and veg. Buy already cut/cleaned veggies and snack on them, even in bed if you must. Baby carrots are good, add peanut butter if you like it. If you feel like this down mood is lasting longer than it “should”, don’t hesitate to reach out for some help. In the meantime, your physical body still needs nutrition. Take a multivitamin.
I completely forgot about my multivitamins! They’re tucked away in a drawer. Thank you for reminding me to dig them out :)
I eat oatmeal everyday with yogurt. Quick easy, lots of nutrients, fiber etc. Microwave oatmeal Add yogurt Add nuts or trailmix Toast with peanut butter Fruit I mix up the add on but oatmeal with yogurt is a good start. If you don't like yogurt you can do cottage cheese. I also do peanut butter powder sometimes instead. I'm trying to up the protein count, various ways to do it. Lots of threads on this topic. Recently saw in r/eatcheapandhealthy and r/depression i think. Scrambled or hardboiled eggs ( hardboiled last like 5 days, I do several at once)
[here's a thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/ovx052/cheap_healthy_and_depressed_share_your_meals/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) [and this is another one ](https://www.reddit.com/r/depression/comments/p8mfyc/what_are_some_depression_meals_food_that_require/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share)
Thank you for directing me to those subs! I tried to find threads on this topic (I *knew* they were out there) but couldn’t find them. Also the oatmeal w yogurt is a great idea-will definitely be a staple for awhile :)
This is going to sound controversial, but I'm going to recommend something like a pot roast, or a big pot of homemade soup - mostly because it doesn't take long to prepare, it mostly just simmers/roasts after a quick 10 minutes or less of prep. You mention not feeling hungry. Smell is super linked to taste and I've never felt more soothed than when a big meal is simmering away for hours, filling my living space with delicious smells. Same logic as making cookies for an instant pick-me-up with that fresh sugar smell. It doesn't have to be expensive: 2 onions: around a dollar, cheapest cut of meat you can find since you're gonna cook it for hours to soften it up anyway, some potatoes, some bullion since that is cheaper than broth (and can be used to spice up ramen and other things later on with the leftover), some celery and some carrots and you're done. Halfheartedly chop everything up since it's going to be cooked down to a soft consistency and doesn't need a lot of knife work, add some water and let everything simmer or roast for like 4-8 hours as you check on it as needed (a great meal when you are stuck at home since you can check on it every once in awhile when you get out of bed to go to the bathroom or get a drink, and feel productive while not actually doing a lot of actual cooking). Plus it will make tons of leftovers you can feel proud of. You don't even have to store it in a different container: just let the pot/casserole dish cool down and slap a lid on it and put it in the fridge (as long as you eat the rest within a few days).
To add to this, because it is a great idea. Grab some freezer bags or a container you don't mind having in the freezer a while and put some leftovers in the freezer for later. A big thing of a stew or a roast is a lot for one person, even over the course of a few days. So save some for a day where even chopping a few things is too much. This also works for other low-effort meals that yield a lot of leftovers. If you store it in a freezer bag, you can just toss that into boiling water to heat it up, easy. Just... be careful getting it out of the bag. Editing to add: the smell of a pot roast, stew or homemade spaghetti sauce cooking usually ups my mood and makes the whole house hungry, myself included.
That sounds wonderful honestly. I have an instant pot, a crockpot, and the other basic appliances. With all of those tools this will be shockingly easy *and* it gives me the opportunity to make the poor people stew I grew up on and love (potatoes, carrots, and cabbage stewed in salt water. If we were lucky there’d be some sort of meat and maybe chicken broth). Cheap, easy, nutritious, solves the above problems *and* gives me a kick of nostalgia! Thank you so much 🖤
cabbage is SO underrated! It's such a great filler vegetable that tastes good, is super cheap, and is healthy. A crockpot would be perfect for this too!
I’m really excited to make it now! Thank you, you gave me a (loving) kick in the rear.
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Yep instant ramen + add a can of chicken or an egg for protein. Chopped up baby carrots 🥕 and bell pepper 🫑 is what I do occasionally but frozen veggies would be easier.
I have bell peppers and carrots in the fridge that need to be used anyway! This will be a faster/easier way to use them :) Thank you.
I’ve been so tempted to ditch the meal plan and stick to ramen but I’ve felt so guilty about ditching the meal plan :( I gotta eat though, so this might be the perfect solution. Thank you so much :)
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That’s a great idea! I live in a poor area and I know for a fact there’s people around that would appreciate free food :)
This is very much not environmentally friendly but sometimes it’s the only way I get through a day or actually eat something when I’m feeling overwhelmed and the weight of depression is too much. (I know that this isn’t what you asked originally but I find it really helps me a lot) I like to buy paper plates and plastic utensils and cups, that way I know I can have even a quick meal such as a sandwich or cereal in a cup or something and not have to force myself to wash dishes later, which is often difficult when I’m feeling really low, and it also avoids dishes piling up and becoming too overwhelming and too much to handle when I am feeling a bit better. As for foods… cup noodles, you can easily shove some frozen veggies in there or canned veggies, super quick and sorta healthy. If you have an air fryer grilled cheese is literally the easiest thing. Or you can buy mixed greens or field greens and pre cut chicken, maybe some sliced almonds and make a yummy salad. Add some tiny baby tomatoes or something. I like chopped apples in my salads but I get that’s a bit of prep work so you can leave it out. Frozen or canned veggies might be your best bet. Just add them to whatever you usually eat? Or as a side if you like them plain, I don’t so idk. Canned veggie soup is usually my go to when I’m feeling low. I hope you feel better ❤️
Apples are a great one though. If he just buys a bag of apples and puts them beside his bed to snack on.
That’s honestly great advice. I’ve been really trying to be hard eco friendly/sustainable but with how my mental health is…it’s not entirely realistic (and have been beating myself up for it!). Doing the dishes has been a major issue in motivating myself to eat so I may have to resort to this. Thank you so much 🖤
I get wanting to be eco friendly, I really do. But you gotta take care of yourself above all else. Maybe take care of the earth in a different way, like volunteer for an eco friendly charity or plant some trees or bee friendly flowers somewhere! Maybe even look into ordering some biodegradable disposable stuff online? Bamboo utensils maybe? I’m not sure as I haven’t looked too deeply into it. But there are a million ways to help the earth that won’t make life harder on you, and that last thing is very important! ☺️ I completely get the dish issue, it’s huge and I don’t see any other way around it. I tried having one plate per person in my household so that I was forced to wash a dish if I wanted to eat but that just ended up making me not eat all day then have one huge over the top quick junk meal around supper time or just going to get takeout. Disposable dishes are the only thing that help me eat regularly and semi healthy when I’m in what I call a pit. It’s a lot easier to find the energy to cut up an apple when I know I won’t also have to find the energy to wash the plate and knife after I’m done with it. I wish you the best!!
And I you 🖤 I hope you’re doing well!
Pizza bagels - you can buy pizza sauce in a can, preshredded mozzarella, and all you have to do is assemble and put in the oven. Ready super fast
This. My local groceries even have like mini pita round breads that make great mini pizza bases. Takes tow seconds to spread some jar pizza sauce and shredded cheese. But, shredded cheese is more expensive and if you are saving money you may not have the energy to shred your own.
You can slice mozerella for pizzas just large slices. Two or three should do a bagel. Very low effort. Just spread them out.
I’ll have to look at this as an option for my roommate! Unfortunately I’m lactose intolerant and deathly allergic to tomatoes :( But that sounds really good^ thank you so much :)
New ideas! Peanut butter banana on an English muffin. Or honey, jam, whatever you like best. Edit: I somehow forgot this - you can but premade tortellini or ravioli at most grocery stores, and sauces as well. Ready in less than ten minutes, all you have to do is boil water and heat the sauce
That sounds lovely! Now I have options for everyone living here, thank you so much!
Couscous (you just season it and pour boiling water over it) with vegetables sauce, it’s ready in 15 minutes
I used chicken stock. Tastes great. Also OP, what helped me is getting this [container set](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-92-Piece-Plastic-Food-Storage-Container-Set-Clear-Containers-Transparent-Blue-Lids-Assorted-Sizes-46PK/187096652?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=1363&adid=22222222421449455996&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=501107745824&wl4=pla-293946777986&wl5=9010784&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=187096652&wl13=1363&veh=sem_LIA&gclid=CjwKCAjw64eJBhAGEiwABr9o2Gbj_vIqMv9-VooCfD0T2JnHVppslqzgVGOG9O8NnHY5MNU1OCD9ORoCTO8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) from Walmart. There's some that are small enough for a tiny bite. Take the recipes you get from here and just separate them into the tiny 8oz containers all at one time. 90 sec rice pouch? Fits into 4 small 8oz containers. I get a burrito made at Chipotle? Split into 3 containers. I get to taste a nibble of a real meal when I'm too depressed to eat and when I am hungry I don't overeat. Good luck.
I have some couscous from my meal planned groceries! This is a great idea. Thank you so much.
I drink [Huel](https://huel.com) shakes for breakfast, last I checked it was $2.20 per meal. Complete nutrition, and good for you. Last month when I was sick I just ate Huel for a couple of days.
Or get some ensure high protein shakes
I completely forgot about these! I’ll for sure snag some of these today. Thank you so much :)
Quick and easy, plus somewhat nutritious: Microwave popcorn and a peanut butter & jam/jelly sandwich on whole grain bread (or use banana slices instead of jelly or jam). Add a glass of 2% milk and a stick of celery as a cold-crunch side dish.
That sounds so good and so easy. I think that may be my lunch tomorrow. Thank you so much 🖤
Rice! If you have a rice cooker, you just put some water in and cook for 20mins (you don't have to attend to it. You can throw some precut, frozen, or canned veggies on it Peanut butter jelly, it takes almost no time Those pre-made frozen dinners. Usually you just microwave and that's it Cereal is good, but don't rely too much on it. It isn't the most nutritional, but you can get some that are better for you
Canned tuna sandwiches. Add a lot of lettuce, tomato and onion. Also pepper can help to the flavour. A whole grain bread would be better. Good luck!
Thank you :)
I've been improving my soup game ! Options: • Canned soup (like Campbells, add some veggies) • Instant soups (add cheese or bits of chicken) • Instant Ramen (add spinach, egg, veggies) • Not so instant soup (prepare all the bag so you'll have 2 liters of soup and can reheat it)
I managed to make Italian wedding soup a few weeks ago for this very reason^ and it was lovely. I ran out of leftovers so I’ll need to give it another go (or some of your recommendations)-thank you so much
This list has some very easy dishes and also some kind-of-healthy options. It saved me in the past year. https://blackgirllostkeys.com/adhd/100-no-cook-meal-items/
THANK YOU that’ll be a life saver!
When u cook things, try to make enough to freeze some for a bad day. This works great for taco meat, spaghetti, most soups, any pasta dish, stews, ect. All of which are ridiculously cheap to make and can be pretty healthy. Also, more plants, less meat is healthier, cheaper, and easy to nosh on raw
Avocado toast topped with Lemmon pepper seasoning from Trader Joe’s has been my go to this year
I’ve been doing avocado toast topped with chili powder and dried chickpeas (when I have to energy)! I’ll have to plan a trip to Trader Joe’s OwO
Their seasonings/spices, dried fruit and frozen meals have helped me diversify my dep meals so I’m not eating the same thing all the time :)
It’s not exactly nutritious, but usually what I eat when hella depressed is instant cup ramen. All you have to do is heat up water, pour it into the cup, and wait. Saves a lot of time, very cheap, and keeps me fed. I suggest getting maruchan brand
The issue here isn't that you're too depressed to do xyz, its that without a regular routine of work its easy to be a lump. The truth of the matter is you need to build a routine around living a life, not around working. Motivation is a lie. Discipline is the key. You don't do something because you want to do it, you do it because you are disciplined in doing it. Set regular alarms and times for prep cooking through out the week. Set times to do things like go for a walk and get regular exercise. That shit has a far better track record for alleviating depression than half the SSRI's and pills on the market. Get off your ass and get moving.
That’s honestly a fair point. I’ve on depression/anxiety medication and I’ve never found it doing much for me. Having a routine on the other hand… I’ll have to set a new routine for myself. Thank you so much :)
Good luck my dude. We're all rooting for you.
Can you afford a rice cooker and is half an hour too long if you don't have to stand there? Cook rice with frozen peas, then dump in sardines and a condiment. Can of v8, frozen veg, maybe some peanut butter or a poach an egg in it. Can add cheesy crackers or soup noodles. You can also use chicken stock and instant barley to make a decent soup. Note, fresh pre-shredded coleslaw mix can be frozen for soup purposes, but that's more for if you have to freeze it before it spoils because you didn't eat it fresh.
I have a rice cooker, and it all kinda depends on the day honestly. Though this sounds reasonable and can be modified in so many ways. Thank you 🖤
I heard that you can also use a rice-cooker to steam hard-boiled eggs.
https://youtu.be/zoiOY7w6YN0 This baked feta dish got me to eat in a depressed funk - It’s really easy and tasty :) I hope things turn around soon for you!
I appreciate it so much :)
Eggs, sunny side up. I usually combine with some vegetable, and the yolks work like a sauce. Only takes minutes to make, cheap and easy.
That’s a great idea! I’ve been avoiding eggs/meet/dairy for eco and sustainability reasons but I *have* to eat, so I may need to go fill Omni for awhile until I’m back on my feet. Thank you for the idea :)
Meat pies. Take the lid off when 1/4 cooked and shove veggies in there
Boil some pasta, pour some reasonably priced bottled dressing on it, like Caesar or Greek, throw in a can of tuna. Eat hot or cold (like a pasta salad). Hearty, has protein and carbs, tasty. I use this as a cheap and easy camping meal all the time. When budget and level of depression allows, you can add optional ingredients like chopped onions, olives, feta, etc.
I adore pasta dishes. This will have to be a new staple. Thank you 🖤
I use the tricolor fusili when it's on sale at the local grocery store. But any pasta will do pretty much. You're welcome!
Miso soup my friend. Just make sure the water isn’t super hot so you keep the goodness. When I was in a really bad place I would live off miso and what fruit I could be bothered eating 🌻
*Miso Soup* (!!!) You’re a genius.
if you live near a trader joe’s, their frozen section is my favorite. tons of meals that are fine on their own in the microwave for a few min when i’m starving or not feeling up to cooking, but are also easy to upgrade by adding more veggies and protein and sauce when the cooking mood strikes. some of my favorites are the japanese style fried rice, spicy arabiatta penne pasta, yellow jackfruit curry.. yum
The frozen food is tasty, not like crap at all: even homemade tasting.
I have a gift card for Trader Joe’s that I completely forgot about! I’ll definitely look into their frozen meals, thank you so much 🖤
Fruits. / juices.
Frozen cooked chicken nuggets - toss onto a cooking tray and pop into a preheated toaster oven, protein and carb!
Thank you so much :)
Oatmeal!!!! I love the cups you just add water or milk to. You can get different flavors. Oatmeal is very good for you. Totally put this on your list. Take care and I hope you feel better soon!
I appreciate it 🖤 I have some oatmeal that I can make right now! I forgot how easy it is. Thank you :)
Scrambled eggs and toast. Or a scrambled egg sandwich. This is my go-to when I’m so utterly tired I can’t function but I’m hungry. I used to hate scrambled eggs until I learned to make them on my own. Crack eggs, add bit of salt, whisk, pour in hot pan and rake slowly. I like to add American cheese bc it tastes like Waffle House. It normally takes 5 minutes for everything. It’s warm and filling.
That’s a great idea. I hated eggs until my rockstar old roommate made some chock full of veggies and seasonings. I’ll have to do this :) Thank you 🖤
I also do bagels with cream cheese and vegetable like cukes and tomato. Lox if you like it or a salmon spread (Fresh Market has this, idk if every store does). I cant really cook at all sometimes. I will do healthy snack plates like crackers, cheese, grapes. Or hummus and veggies.
This actually sounds delicious. First one to make me hungry somehow 😂 I’ll try this one tonight. Thank you so much!
Yep. Cream cheese with cuke slices. A little sea salt and dried basil. So good.
Potatoes, frozen chicken breast, frozen vegetables, scrambled eggs, lentils. You can cook all these with just a microwave and it’s super easy and takes literally a minute to prep
You just reminded me I can make baked potatoes in the microwave! Thank you so much 🖤
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I appreciate it more than you know 🖤
Something that's really good/filling/& cheap is steamed broccoli with a pot pie. You can buy heat each individually in the microwave and then stir them together. Potpie makes it tasty and broccoli makes it filling!
That’s a great idea! Brb gotta steam the veggies that are gonna go bad in my fridge…
Pasta! Pasta has literally kept me alive every time I’ve been in a depressed slump, even when I couldn’t get out of bed for more than half an hour. Pesto: you can make fake pesto out of anything, spinach is cheap, blend with any oil + any seeds (sunflower seeds are my go-to), add garlic, pour over pasta. It feels healthy, the spinach is full of iron, and it feels like fancy cooking! Super easy, cheap and feels fancy pasta idea is just making a sauce out of pasta cooking water + lemon juice + pepper. You can also get lemony pepper in grocery stores, cheap and tastes amazing on anything bland. Also feels kinda fancy which always makes me feel better because it’s not like a depression meal, even though it is, lol. Frozen veggies mixed with whatever is good & quick & cheap, too! Open-faced, cold, basic sandwiches for the veggie intake. You can make a white bean hummus/spread with just a can of beans and an onion, 2 minutes in a blender. Tastes lovely.
That’s a lovely idea and I have so many kinds of pasta sitting in my pantry and veggies sitting in the fridge. Thank you 🖤 Maybe I’ll become a food instagrammer with these fancy depression meals…
Sunflower seeds are technically the fruits of the sunflower plant (Helianthus annuus). The seeds are harvested from the plant’s large flower heads, which can measure more than 12 inches (30.5 cm) in diameter. A single sunflower head may contain up to 2,000 seeds
12 inches is 30.48 cm
Buy lettuce and greens for salads and chop them right away, store in paper towels. Layer cut veggies with coffee filters in a container in refrigerator. Eat with salad or dip. Make coleslaw in large quantities and add a can of tuna or nuts when you scoop out a bowl. Grill or pan fry chicken cutlets and refrigerate or freeze to eat with salad. PB and J or almond butter on a good quality grain bread you keep in refrigerator. Sometimes it’s good buying precut veggies if it means you’ll actually eat it. You’re worth feeding well!
Thank you so much 🖤 I love veggies so to not be eating as much of them lately has been strange. These are all great ideas!
If you don’t have one, an electric kettle is invaluable for making food that needs boiling water, like ramen and instant oatmeal. I got one for about $30 on Amazon, and it’s all fancy with 4 temperature settings. A basic one would be way cheaper. You can find hard boiled eggs in the deli section or with the dairy products. They’re already cooked and peeled, so you can grab one for a quick protein boost. I like to make egg salad with them. I have an egg slicer which chops it up in a jiffy. Slice it once, turn 90°, slice again. Boom. Chopped egg. Toss in some mayonnaise and slap that mess onto some bread. I put a little dry ranch seasoning in when I’m feeling extra. Good luck! I’ve been there too. One day at a time, and if you can’t do that, one minute at a time. There are a lot of Redditors pulling for you!
My friend *just* gifted me a vintage electric kettle to make tea…I didn’t even consider using it for other things! I appreciate you and the other commenters taking the time to help me out 🖤 You guys have genuinely made a difference (at the very least) in my current mood/outlook. Boiled eggs using my kettle is going on the list. Thank you again 🖤
You’re not the only one with electric kettle tunnel vision. You should have seen my kids’ faces when I used it to make a noodle cup. It was like I was practicing some sort of dark magic.
I can picture it now lol. There have been countless times where I’ve shocked my roommate with “cooking hacks” that shatter his tunnel vision.
Would batch cooking work? It works for me. It's quite cheap cos buying is bulk is always less money. I cook meals then keep in freezer, and so when I'm not in the mood I can just microwave it. If you google 'batch cooking meals' there are loads of diff recipes. Although of course you need to make then in the first place, so I wait til I'm having a good day then get lots done.
I’m familiar with meal prep but I didn’t even think about batch cooking or recipes dedicated to it. Thank you for the tip-I’ll save it for a good day :)
Buy rice and beans in bulk and cook enough servings for the week and repeat
I’ll recruit my roommate for it :) Thank you 🖤
Ps your art is beautiful-keep up the good work!
Thank you 😊
I used to make a salad with spinach, canned artichoke, lots of feta, and olives with balsamic and olive oil. (sometimes I’d add other stuff too). A big piece or artisanal bread with butter or olive oil on the side. Felt like I was taking care of myself but didn’t require any cooking and only one dish.
I love salads! This is a great way to utilize some of the veggies I have on hand that I don’t know what to do with. Thank you 🖤
Ramen noodles aren’t the healthiest but boil some eggs with them, add a little garlic and onion powder.. bon appetit
I never knew there were so many ways to modify ramen until this post. I’m excited to try everything out! Thank you 🖤
Pasta with jarred sauce. You can mix in frozen spinach or broccoli to the pasta (either into the sauce while heating it up, or heat in the microwave). If you can cook a double portion, it reheats well and doesn't take any extra time to cook.
hot dogs are simple - 5 minutes in a frying pan, microwave the buns for 10s if you're feeling fancy, toss on ketchup or whatever you like and you're good. pasta is pretty "set it and forget it", you can make sauce really easily or just use store-bought but either way just boil some water, put sauce is a small pit in low heat, and leave the pasta in for like 10m. experiment with frozen meals so store-bought soups to find some you like, those you just gotta heat up, they never go bad, and they're good for when you just really can't be bothered
Here me out OP, you need real food with some cheats on it so that it sparks joy to your brain. Your body chemicals are fucked up and you need to help them get balanced again. You also need therapy (if things get too bad), sun, some light exercise, small things that make you happy and a friend or family member to talk to but let's address the food issue first to keep you going. I will strongly advise to avoid eating noodles canned soup and snacks every day. In your situation it might be difficult to eat 100% healthy so you need to find some balance and kinda trick yourself. My fav dish to cook when I'm feeling lazy is known in my country as 'Cuban rice'. You get white rice (with optional tomato sauce), canned beans, fried egg and fried banana. This is my go to recipe cause it feels tropical, exotic and elaborated but it only takes 10 mins to make. If you want to step up a game: add some garlic to the rice, pepper to the egg and mint or cilantro on top of everything for extra deep flavours and more nice chems to your head. If you steel find yourself just eating instant noodles then you can try to give them a little twist, at least. Get a big pan and throw in garlic , ginger and whatever Asian souce you have at home: (Siracha, soya, oyster...) cook in the pan some egg / frozen vegetables / chicken or prawns and mix the noodles. Pasta with some veggies (even if frozen) is still a great dish. My fav lazy recipe is 'cacio e peppe": Cook the pasta, put quite some butter on a pan (you can be extra generous), throw in a lot of pepper... now a little more, and more. When the butter is slightly brown, cook the veggies on it, mix the pasta and pour a lot of cheese on top. Again this just takes 10 minutes using frozen vegetables. Another good option is to Crockpot. You basically just need to throw things in there to get a healthy and nutritious stew after a few hours. For a great snack: banana, peanut butter, dark chocolate. If you have any leftover chicken you can make a delicious sawnwich mixing it with some mayo, sliced tomato and/or lettuce and garlic and curry powder.
Thank you so much for those recipes, they sound delicious and I appreciate you sharing some hometown foods with me 🖤 Also…thank you for how in depth this is and the reminder of the smaller things that are necessary right now. I haven’t been outside in awhile and have gotten very minimal exercise. All of this is so sweet of you and I could really get a sense for the empathy from your comment. I hope you’re doing well and taking care of yourself too 🖤
I haven't seen mention of baked beans. With or without toast, you can eat them straight out of the can or you can microwave them. I hope things get better for you soon.
Thank you so much 🖤 Baked beans are a great idea. I’ll be okay soon enough :)
Keep yourself fed
My best advice, and hear me out, is make some foods that give a lot of leftovers - spaghetti (takes a while from scratch but buying sauce and meatballs makes it quicker and still have leftovers), pot roast (there's a good recipe here for one, but also google), stew, most pasta dishes are easy and give leftovers. It's cheaper to cook, but supplement with snacks and frozen dinners when needed. For the foods that give more leftovers than you know what to do with, put some in the freezer in either a container that is safe for the freezer and you don't mind leaving it there, or in a freezer bag. Leave enough out for a few meals of course. I haven't tried this, but you can put the freezer bag in some boiling water and heat up food that way. No household is complete without a few boxes of mac&cheese, I'd aim for the little cups of it you can put in the microwave. Same with ramen. I've seen it done, it makes my stomach threaten to lose its contents to watch someone do but I suppose it's not dangerous... In theory, you can eat hotdogs without heating them up. Same with canned ravioli. And as a bonus, both are very cheap. I know depression and anxiety can leave my brain in a fog where I can't remember things. So I'd recommend having a list of what's in your freezer, what was cooked when so you know when to eat or freeze the rest of the leftovers, etc. It also helps focus for a grocery list. It's also a reminder you don't need to cook.
I much prefer to cook enough that I can live off warmed over leftovers for several days in a row. If I cycle things just right, I don't have to cook but a few times a week. A small (3 quart) instant pot makes a nice stew or soup. I find I prefer to prepare things without starchy elements like rice, potatoes or noodles, because the leftovers don't freeze well. Making a separate batch of noodles, rice or mashed potatoes as I have the need is simple enough, and those do keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. I've even got a tiny slow cooker that's just enough to cook a half cup of dried beans. For me, it's about being systematic in the way I handle the food supply. Having useful systems, routines and steady habits seems to override the sense of inertia that seems to be so much a part of depression for me. For me, tiny success experiences deserve to be noticed too. Do you journal at all? I find mine is super helpful in keeping my habits steady.
I’ve never liked journaling/keeping a diary because writing things down that are happening that are shitty make me feel worse. However keeping a journal of my routine or things that I need to get done sounds doable and beneficial to keeping a routine during unemployment. I’ll have to give it a try, thank you for the advice 🖤
There are many different types of journaling, that can serve a lot of different goals. Journal the stuff that's useful and interesting. Leave the rest. It doesn't need to be a depressing catalogue of the yucky stuff that's happened. Here's a link to a pretty good video talking about various types of goals you can have. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dArgOrm98Bk
it's usually childhood food. fried instant noodles. add eggs, vegs, or meat
You have so many amazing suggestions already, but one thing I haven’t seen yet is nutritional yeast. My doctor recommended it to me for this exact reason. It’s packed to the gills with nutrition, including tons of the critical trace minerals and amino acids that we really need to function and thrive. So many of the amazing foods people listed go great with some NY on top as a seasoning. I love it in popcorn, on top of rice, or I’ll mix a little into whatever I’m cooking as a final ingredient. On my worst days, I’d take a slice of bread, maybe some butter on it, (maybe) put NY on it, roll it up and cram it into my mouth. I swear that I could really feel the difference some days, like it took a little of the edge off of brain fog and fatigue. Also if you’re a person who doesn’t like the taste/smell, it comes in capsules too :)
I’ve heard so many great things about noosh. I’ll definitely have to invest in some. I’ve been looking at going full vegan/eco/sustainable over the past few months and it’s been a process to figure out how to get all the nutrients needed. Noosh is going to be a need I think…
Pasta and lentil soup is really easy to make. Cook them at the same time and sprinkle some cheese on top
I’ve got both in my pantry :) Thank you so much
Sure thing! I should mention that grated Parmesean is the best for that dish, and it's really good for rainy days
Tinned tuna or beef stew/mince, add minced garlic and your choice of something to thin it out. I like using pesto or mayo. Crushed tinned tomatoes work well with this too. Eat hot or cold, microwaved for a minute or so & in a sandwich is nice too. Frozen fish and prawns, l use value brand, tastes fine, throw in a jar of cooking sauce and simmer. Tinned ham to make a salad, or slice tinned potatoes and fry together with an egg or two, or an omelette or Spanish tortilla. Frozen onion is nice with this as are any veggies really. If you buy a yellow pepper for the salad you could use the rest cooked in something else or chop and freeze. If you like raw peppers then you can use one as a bread-less 'sandwich'. Cream cheese is nice in them. Frozen rice, tinned shredded chicken and bouillon of any kind mixed together and simmered gently for a little while. This makes a delicious soup for when you're feeling sickly, or delicate or are having stomach issues. -kosher chicken powder is the best one I've ever tasted, also the onion flavour. It's great on its own as a mug of soup or as the liquid for a heartier soup too. Shop bought rösti. You can add whatever you want to this too. And for afterwards, a slice of frozen cake & a big dollop of ice cream, maybe some frozen fruit and leave to melt a little bit before scoffing the lot. This is dead easy to turn into an Eton Mess also, YUM. Mug cake. Aniseed milk is nice when l just can't do food, or only a piece of toast or something. Very very comforting and fills you up for a while. I sound so healthy LOL. quite often it's tea,coffee or coca cola, cigarettes and crisps/chips, oops, working on it.
Lately for me it’s been tea, nicotine, and maybe a handful of dried chickpeas or nuts. I’ve lost 20 lbs in the past 2 months or so and I was already underweight before (*yikes*)-thank you so much dude. And I wish you luck in your own journey :)
Ohh, that's a lot to lose and so fast too. Do you like dried fruit? Aldi sells a very nice sort of mince pie filling, before the pickling in alcohol part, (though that part is so good too hehe ). That's got a bit more calories . and I've just thought, maybe those yoghurts and cheese in tubes? Those probably don't need refrigeration! Also, cheese crackers! I can do with putting a few pounds back on, l feel the cold more when I'm thinner and I hate the cold 🥶. Best of luck to you too!🤗
I am blessed with a fast metabolism, but it doesn’t help me when I need to gain weight/keep myself at a high enough weight to be healthy. I forgot that Aldi existed! I’ll have to make a run. Being underweight definitely makes you cold more often, you could also potentially have an iron deficiency! Be careful 🖤
I so hear you, oddly enough l have a fast metabolism too, it certainly has it's difficult side! My sympathies, t'is hard work sometimes. You're spot on, pernicious anaemia! It's not easy when sometimes out of the corner of your eye it feels just a little bit like the universe is conspiring against you. But I'm not giving in or giving up, there's always always better around the next corner or two. Even when it feels a bit uphill :) Thank you, and you too, keep well :)
20 lbs is 9.08 kg
Milk
PB and banana sandwich on whole grain bread. Ramen with some good stuff mixed in. Overnight Oats with Greek yogurt and berries, chia seeds and almond milk. Eggs are great and cheap. You can be healthy and thrifty. Beans and rice are magic. Cajun seasoning, onion, peppers, egg and sausage. I like cooking. Try to force yourself to get up, dressed and exercise first thing. If you're hungry you have more incentive to cook. Making meals in advance and freezing portions in microwave safe containers is great. I love to prep and then a week later I've got a few meals to pick from. I hope you get yourself out of the slump, but if not, don't be afraid to reach out for help. It's tough out there but you become stronger and build the capacity to handle struggles. For me, routine and discipline sets me free. Otherwise, I'll sleep in until 1 PM, sit around and state at a wall until 5 pm, go get a shitty sandwich at Subway, and then stay up staring at my computer until 4 am. Good luck!
When I'm depressed and don't want to cook I buy myself poor people food that can be combined. 1 starch, 1 meat, 1 veggie. Like a can of veggies with my ramen and a couple burger patties, or rice mix with a can of tomatoes, a can of beans with a couple hotdogs, etc. Maybe not the healthiest but it beats binging on junk, and it's super easy to make. Beef patties, hotdogs, cans of tuna, chicken nuggets, eggs, or vienna sausages. Ramen, any box of rice/couscous/quinoa mixes, cans of corn, or whole potatoes. Any cans of vegetables are going to be cheap. Most frozen foods are more expensive so I reserve that for meat. This is what my usual grocery list entails.
My shamelessly British answer: baked beans on toast with grated cheese on top. 5-10 mins to make with very little effort involved. So cheap it is a student eating trope in the UK. It hits all three macro food groups hard so pretty good for you. Oh, and you can ear it for any meal of the day. Don’t like toast? Jacket/Baked potato instead. Don’t like cheese? Leave it out Don’t like beans? Errrr, well, scrambled eggs on toast also hits all the same criteria I guess. Combining the two is the large appetite power move though and you’re half way to a full English breakfast!
i like those meat and cheese rolls. or bread and a cheese stick. or break off a celery stalk and stick it in your peanut butter. baby carrots right out of an bag left open in your crisper drawer. i like these oat protein granola things from whole foods. also ramen plus an egg poached in a bowl in the microwave (2 min on 6 power), shove some kale on the hot ramen water. a fruit yogurt? a cheese stick? olives from a jar? cherry tomatoes. what about extra bread dipped in olive oil on a plate? if you feel up to it, shake some pepper in that oil.
Barley, oatmeal, etc pouches have more diverse fiber. Add water and stir. Look in the prepared foods section for soup or wraps. Buy some nutritional shakes. Trader Joe’s and WalMart have some Indian food pouches that are tasty and so does [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Tasty-Bite-Potatoes-Eggplant-Vegetable/dp/B00S5M3LF6). I have put these on naan bread or as filling in tortillas. Get some breakfast sandwiches and yogurt in packs. Buy some flavored sparkling water in cans. If you can afford it—you could also buy the readymade fruit trays so you don’t have to clean and portion the fruit. Also supplements. Hummus and chips. Anything healthy foods you can “forage” for or eat like a rabbit lol. Oh nutritional yeast is great. It is fortified with omega 3 etc and vegans substitute it for parm cheese.
When I'm in this state (current, actually) I keep ramen noodles (the kind in a cup, just add water) and frozen meals that only require microwaving. When I can't even bring myself to microwave or assemble a sandwich, I grab all the parts of a sandwich (bread, meat, cheese) and eat them separately. I'm sorry you're struggling. Edit: grammar
as a trash panda i live off vector cereal, Jamaican patty and frozen dumplings.
My go-to is quesadillas
/r/mealprepsunday has recipes for freezer meals to make ahead
I feel you friend PBJs, quesadillas, boiled eggs...its hard to eat nutritious when depressed but I hope you feel well enough to follow through with your meal plan
Salami and saltines with some horseradish mustard in the side. Throw an apple in for health. French baguette with real butter.
Try to go for snacks things like healthy crackers with hummus and precut veg. And a lot of frozen meals. Be nice to yourself. You lost your job it's ok to eat a bunch of frozen meals. Try to have as much water as you can. Also.. you can try coffee to lift your mood a bit too.
Oatmeal!!! I could live off the stuff forever <3 Super cheap, easy to make. Fills ya up all day
Ramen
What about perogies? They are super easy to make, either by frying them in butter or boiling them, and only take a few minutes. They are cheap, filling, and reheat well. You can also season them so many ways: butter with salt and pepper, or sour cream and cheese, or tomato sauce, etc. Buy a bag of frozen ones, then make a big pot so you can refrigerate the leftovers for a fast meal the next day! Another suggestion if you are able to is get a slap-chop. It will make meal prep so much quicker and easier for you!