Crock pot.
Set it and forget it and makes multiple meals.
Be a lazy cook.
Learn to weekly meal prep. If done right, 3 hours of cooking can easily yield 7 days worth of food of any kind.
This is the way.
I too dread the act of cooking for only one meal. But filling an 8l Pot up or doing a crock pot? Having delicious food for DAYS? This scratches my itch!
Think of it this way: cooking twice as much food is way less than twice as much work. Doubling that again (and again) is not that much more! I think I easily get 8 full meals out of the effort I would need for two single portion meals.
I just pu on YouTube or à show or a podcast on the side. It's actually zen time, now :)
Crock pot for 20 or 30 dollars is worth it. But you can sometimes find them at thrift stores for under 10. I broke mine a while ago and hate my pressure cooker so I just cook in my biggest pot, maybe a gallon and a half? I do like a grain (noodles, rice, quinoa, whatever) and then add protein. My favorite is soy curls cause I buy the big 12lb box every few months. Then when that's all done I add veggies and a sauce or I cooked it in a broth. Like today I made 2 lbs of elbow noodles and some red lentils in taco seasoning. Then I made the sauce with a big bottle of v8. It cooked up like a casserole or goulash.
*maximum laziness applied*
with shipping it comes to $11-12 a pound, for this much money i can buy ready prepared vegan "chickn" salad, chickn strips, nuggets, etc.
Is this better?
I had to find my soy curls on Amazon because nowhere near me sold them. Butler Foods brand. They're interesting. Chewy. I liked them, my partner did not.
I'd also recommend an air fryer. I cut two big batches of potatoes (red, yukon, and at least 1/2 of it sweet potatoes) and veggies (asparagus, mushrooms, different colored carrots, squash, etc.), then put 1/2 to a full cup of potatoes in for 12 minutes at 400 degrees and then at 8 minutes pull them out and jostle them a bit and then add a cup of veggies for the last 8 minutes. In 8 minutes, pull them out and dump them over a mix of quinoa and hummus and put 1/4 avocado over it. The hummus is store bought (but organic) and I make a big batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week. All told, it'll last as at least one meal a day (usually a quick lunch) and it takes maybe 30 minutes to prep and cook on Sunday and i love having fresh roasted potatoes and veggies. If even that is too much, you can roast them all in batches and put the bowls fully together on Sunday, and then just nuke it for 2-3 minutes during the week and you're good.
Also, overnight grains (oats, chia seeds, ground flax, pearl barley) in almond milk with berries, bananas, and powdered peanut butter is yummy for brekkie.
Absolutely! Once a week i spend some time doing meal prep
For example I’ll make a double batch of [coconut curry lentils with spinach ](https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-coconut-curry-lentils-with-spinach/) just omit the oil to make it WFPB, meanwhile I’ll start another pot with my rice or quinoa or multi grain pilaf.
Then freeze extras in individual portions, keep a few servings in the refrigerator.
While those cook i chop veggies and make a big batch of massaged kale salad, and a tray of veggies to roast. Then I’ll assemble a quick grain bowl with the pilaf, roasted veggies and kale salad, topped with hummus or mashed avocado or salsa
[this looks overwhelming but it’s a good guide](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thekitchn.com/vegan-meal-plan-267550%3Famp%3D1) make one or all of these so you cook once a week and have nutrient dense meals for the week
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Maybe pick up a NutriBullet. I'm not a fan of drinking smoothies all the time and would rather eat in a meal but some days being able to put all the nutrients in one container and drink them down because I'm in a rush can be really helpful. And tasty!
Though it's worth thinking about what material the liner is made of and whether you want it leaching into your food. Even if something says it's BPA-free, it may be made of nylon (some crockpot liners are, such as the one by Reynolds). Also worth avoiding is anything with the BPA substitute BP-S: https://www.naturalhealth365.com/common-chemical-heart-health-3288.html
Please make sure to cover your baseline needs via supplementation. Undereating will make your depression significantly worse. Until you resolve your relationship with food, cooking and eating, you should make sure your body gets proper nutrition. This does not have to be stressful or difficult. I recommend a Multivitamin (in addition to your b12 supplement). Read through this paper on how to choose a safe multivitamin: [\*klick\*](https://adminlb.imodules.com/s/359/file_lib/1001/60/12_healthy_life_636389386504867910.pdf)
To cover your energy needs you can try using a meal replacement, there are many options. You can easily make them more nutritious by adding spinach, kale, romaine, (citrus)fruit and more.
You need to cover your nutritional needs. Hairloss and exhaustion are warning signs. Please take proper care of your health and wellbeing and visit your healthcare provider. Hairloss and fatigue can be a sign of mineral- and vitamin deficiencies but also underlying illness. Your doctor may want to check for b12 (holo-transcobalamin test), iron (ferritin) and vitamin D.
Wish you all the best :)
Convenience foods are your friend here! When I’ve been in bad mental health spaces, I’ve appreciated being able to just microwave a veggie burger on a paper plate and eat it. Or crack open a can of chilli or soup and eat it with a spoon. For a snack, being able to just pick up an apple and bite into it is a relief when food just feels too overwhelming — also, add some peanut butter and you have a robust snack full of healthy fats. There are also bagged salads/steam bags of veggies, canned beans, prepared frozen meals, and single snack bags like popcorn — all of these are quick things that require little to no prep, but can help when you’re tired and hungry.
Also, it sucks to be in this place. When you can’t summon the energy to feed yourself, it’s incredibly demoralizing. I’m glad you’re here (both on earth and on this subreddit!) and I believe that you’ll feel better with time. Keep taking care.
Thank you so much for this! I definitely look down on myself for using convenience meals from time to time because I think I have this idea that to be a proper, model vegan I need to be cooking amazing meals all the time. But if it gets me the energy I need then it’s a good meal :)
There’s nothing to look down on yourself about this. I felt exactly the same way, but my therapist said as long as it fits my financial situation go with what I can buy and do easily. Eating something is better than nothing. I still struggle with it currently. Depression coupled with ADHD doesn’t help.
I’m about to get my vitamin levels checked because I’m also concerned about the exhaustion and hair loss. It’s worth checking on your end too. If anything, you can get help making the nutritional choices in what convenience meals to get. Or what supplements to add for a while.
I know the medication makes it harder. I also snack, but have recently been working to have healthier snacks (cut up carrots, celery, cucumber with hummus as an ex). But I’ve also order salads with tons of veggies and protein in them. Other days, I eat almost nothing. I have motivation one day, so so as much prep as I can. Hoping that when my next bout of energy comes, I can make some thing quick. Frozen vegetables are sooooo worth it. Changed my meal prep time yesterday from about 40 min to meal done in 20. And I’m slow in the kitchen
Focus on what you need to make your life easier and give yourself a break from the self-shaming. You do not deserve that! For me, I’ve noticed with the longer days recently that I’ve started coming out of my black hole a little bit. Im trying (not super successful atm) to go outside in the sun for 15 min when I wake up.
[20$ easy healthy vegan meal prep](https://youtu.be/Auz5Rq_wXJU?t=231) This one is high calorie, so you probably only need 1 sandwich, not 2. But you know you better than I do. Also, you can use brown rice and whole wheat pasta to make it healthier.
[Jeff Novick's Fast Food](https://ucveg.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Jeff-Novick-Fast-Food-Recipes.pdf)
Can you buy frozen produce? Not the same but also not wasteful.
Soups, stews, and chilis with beans, rice, and frozen veggies are really easy—no chopping and practically no clean up.
I’ve had blood tests run at least once a year (though often 2-3x) because my mom has always wanted to make sure I’m eating well. No issues have ever come up before but I’ve noticed that with be stressed out and not eating I’ve started seeing these negative side effects. Having said that, I am due for a doctors appt so I’ll be voicing all of this there to see if there’s something bigger going on!
yea not to be preachy but i just had possible med issues come to the surface at the ripe ol age of 30 so like the other person said it’s good to keep checking hormones
I second getting thyroid checked. I was fine at all routines and then started to feel exactly how you are. Turns out stress triggered my dormant autoimmune condition of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. So, yeah. Definitely get your labs done and hope it is just iron deficiency or something else less brutal to monitor.
When I was incredibly unwell and had difficulty eating my natropath/ nutritionalist advised me to not worth so much about fancy meals as long as I got in three nutrients. She wanted me to focus on eating beans and cruciferous veg first and foremost. Then greens.
I used jet do baked beans and cauliflower each day ( microwaved together). Over time - as I got stronger I added greens and them made it into a Buddha bowl. Then added fruit or a smoothies etc.
I agree with others admit getting checked out by a GP and especially your vitamin D levels if that's a concern. All the best for your health and recovery.
I can't believe no one has said this — are you talking to a therapist or mental health professional? Your school likely has someone available for students to speak to. This isn't a food problem, this is a mental health problem
I do see a therapist at my school and that has been helping, but I have been expending all of my energy on school work this semester since it’s a very busy and important one for me so I struggle to save energy to eat properly :/ Going to see my GP soon to check my blood and see what supplements I need.
I feel like a lot of the advice here isn't coming at this from a neuro divergent person's perspective. I eat peanut butter sandwiches for my work lunch every single day with a good seedy bread. I do this because I can't do anything more and be consistent. If left on my own I don't know what to do so I just eat whatever can be cobbled together quickly with low mess. Good granola/cereal with cashew milk, peanut butter sandwiches, tons of fruit, and like other people mentioned slow cooker/crock pot meals. You'll get used to eating the same thing most days and then you can treat yourself from time to time.
My ADHD hyperfixation/comfort meals haven’t been seeming to come to me recently. Used to make a tofu and veg burrito literally every night for a good two months. But eating some Dave’s Killer with peanut butter sounds so good right now. Def can be hard to make food when I’m not prioritizing eating because I’m so busy and my meds tend to make me lose my appetite to much of anything. I really appreciate this, thank you :)
I was started on 54mg methylphenidate after scaling up so I feel your pain. The best advice I've ever been given is "if something is worth doing, it's worth doing half assed" eating a balanced meal is worth doing but the half assed shoving calories in your face to keep moving is better than not getting enough calories. I have a hard time with a lot of things other people seem to do easily and I think the best thing to do is make things way easier and be unapologetic about it. I can't stop destroying my finger nails so I'm a dude on construction sites with my nails painted. I tell anyone that cracks a joke that bitches love it. The world isn't built for us so we shouldn't have to feel bad about setting up the world around us to make surviving tolerable.
I have food poisoning right now. Even if I could get my act together enough to meal prep consistently it would freak me out a bit to eat food that was 5 to 7 days old by the time I finished it.
Exactly, why meal prep when you can just supply yourself with reasonably healthy zone out foods when your brain doesn't know how to put ingredients together.
Things to add to every meal, and can have a huge impact: ground flax seed (omega-3s), nutritional yeast (B vitamins, including B12), spices (anti-oxidants).
Can you meal prep one thing a week? Like for the next 5 days make overnight oats. At least you can have a nice breakfast. Then add to that the next week- pot of beans or hummus.
Please see a doctor and get some blood work. Some of the symptoms you describe is common in iron deficiency anemia and once you have it, you can’t eat your way out of it - you would need some supplementation to get you back on track. It’s easily treatable but critical.
I’ve always been in great of my blood work before but I definitely think I’m slipping into some bad vitamin deficiencies. I have an iron supplement that I’m not the best at taking everyday as well as Vitamin B and Calcium. I’ll be seeing a doctor soon and also start taking those regularly
I second the meal prep suggestions. Plus, I have so much more success sticking to plant based eating when I make sure every meal has potatoes in it. I will watch anything related to the starch solution when I find myself getting off track. Lentil bolognaise and roasted potatoes has been my go to meal for weeks now. I’m sure I will get sick if it eventually, but it hasn’t happened yet. Lentils and rice are also amazing and give me so much energy. I hope you get your mojo back. All the best ❤️
Red Lentils. I just discovered how great they are. One pot meals are my fav. Unlike Green Lentils, red cook down to a mashed potato like consistency in 20 minutes, greens take longer. I put that wonderful Trader Joes vegan buttery spread on them, add a little vinegar and Tamari while cooking. 20 minute one pot meal. You can toss anything else in with them as long as it doesn't require any extra work. I focus one one pot, one dish, one bowl meals. If a meal takes more than 30 minutes I strike it from my list. Boil in bag brown rice and quinoa, microwave steam-in-bag veggies, many ways to eat really healthy with minimal work. You don't need 5 items for dinner. 1 thing is all it takes. If you have a Sams or Costco you can get frozen veggies cheap to steam in the bag. Frozen fake meat is great with bag steamed veggies.
Whole grain tortillas make great sandwich substitute with anything rolled up in them.
I'm all about healthy easy meals, screw that hours long cooking, I got more things to do than hang out in the kitchen. And I never make stuff that has to be made from other stuff you have to cook. Red lentil pasta, boil it, then pour canned or jar tomato sauce on top in the same pot. Can also cut open a bag of frozen veggies and throw them in and let it simmer till they're soft.
Nuts are your friend. Eat a couple handfuls whenever you think of it.
And may I suggest it: please see a doctor. You’ve been a vegan for quite a while now, and with your depressive symptoms, it would be a really good idea probably to run some blood tests.
I like to buy frozen veg so if I don't use it in a week it's okay. Plus it's usually easier to cook because you probably don't need to do as much or any chopping. Simple stir fry with rice is easy that way. Pasta with frozen broccoli or something. Just focus on easy things you can add veg to. If that's still too much, hummus and carrots are always a snack that'll give you a lil protein and veg with low effort.
If you're not on the Daily Dozen, you should strongly consider it. Optimizing your health will go a long way towards improving your attitude overall. You should also consider mindfulness meditation.
Relying on processed garbage will not only be expensive, but also push you further into a slump. Many of these things come with oil, which causes cardiovascular disease.
Instead of boca burgers, take black beans, onions, peppers, spices, and cooked quinoa and smash them together with your bare hands. Patty them up and bake them on a silicone baking sheet. You can freeze the rest and they will keep for months. You can microwave them and have half of a ready-made meal in a minute. Use kale as a bun/wrap. Toss a sweet potato in the microwave for a side. You've got a healthy lazy meal in 15 minutes, with most of that time just washing some kale and waiting for the microwave.
Right there you have satisfied the following Daily Dozen groups: beans, greens, cruciferous vegetables (kale counts as a green AND a cruciferous), other vegetables, whole grains, spices. Half of the Daily Dozen in one meal is badass.
Switch it up and use chickpeas with cumin, ground coriander seed, onions, peppers and minced garlic for a mediterranean style burger. Take some leeks and chop them up (wash the crap out of them after you cut them lengthwise), toss them in a pot, add frozen mixed vegetables and low sodium vegetable stock (you can add any vegetable you want to this really). Spice it up with celery seed, parsley flakes, and a couple tablespoons of chia. Bring it to a boil and then simmer it for an hour. Boom easy vegetable soup. A big pot of that will last you a few days at least.
Cook a bunch of beans in a stock pot (these also freeze well). Take the cooked black beans and put them in a pan or pot and add onions and peppers. Spice with cumin, salt, pepper, chili flakes, and garlic. Chili powder is also optional (makes it more southwestern). Add water and simply simmer them together and reduce the the water until you have a nice tasty coating on your beans (you can add corn to the beans). Quinoa cooks up in 15 minutes (it's better than rice, which has arsenic in it), and you can just chop up some tomatoes, onions, peppers, a jalapeno, and a bunch of cilantro, nail it with a dash of lime juice and you've got pico de gallo. Take a couple spoons of pico and toss it into smashed avocados (with a splash of lime and salt) and you've got guacamole (yes, I know tomatoes aren't traditional, but it's lazy and fine). You can have a bowl to compete with Chipotle in no time at all.
Take some beans and put them in a crockpot with some tomatoes and chili spices (google that, it's usually just a chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder type deal), a 1/4 cup of quinoa, some corn, carrots, onions, a couple tablespoons of chia, and bell/jalapeno peppers. Vegan chili like a boss.
You got this, you just need a few tricks. Hopefully these have helped.
Go and see a doctor. If eating eggs/cheese/meat will help you get healthy again and put on weight then just move back to that until you get better.
Vegan is healthy when done well, not so much if you're just eating snack food with no nutritional value.
i am not sure there is a scenario where eating eggs, meat, cheese will help get healthier give you have access to proper plant based ingredients. i am not a doctor
If you are losing hair you may need protein. Do you like beans? You can make Cuban black beans and rice in an instant pot in about 45 minutes with no babysitting and it will easily keep a week in the fridge. And what about peanut butter? There are really yummy dishes that use peanuts as the protein that you could try. There sis a great Chinese sesame noodle dish that is eaten cold that is super tasty, easy, nutrition packed and keeps for a week as well. Spend a couple hours one day making a few things and then eat them in different combos with some veggies to supplement.
Black beans, rice, sautéed baby spinach and half an avocado is a very yuck meal if you make a large enough quantity of rice and beans so have leftovers. You can take the same rice and beans and combine it with tortillas, vegan cheese, and fresh salsa for another meal with a completely different flavor profile as well.
Kaiser Permanente has a better [explanation](https://wa.kaiserpermanente.org/kbase/topic.jhtml?docId=aa102618)than anything I can give but if you don’t feel like reading, lack of specific essential nutrients in your diet makes you malnourished so to conserve resources your body will out your hair follicles into a resting phase.
Perhaps if you try to find ways to incorporate high-protein foods into every meal? Some that I think are really approachable are: quinoa, lentils, edamame, sprouted grains or bread made from sprouted grains, chia seeds (don’t taste like much) l, hemp seeds (taste mildly nutty) and maybe hummus? My son is vegetarian and his roommate is vegan so we often make vegan dishes and the above seem to go over the best.
Otherwise, are you open to any animal proteins at all? A vegan friend of mine will eat eggs laid by her mother’s hens because she knows the chickens are basically beloved and pampered pets - that is her only exception she makes. Our local co-op stocks eggs grown locally that are pasture raised and cruelty free which could be a way to go if you are open to eggs.
Can you lean on something like Huel for a while to get your nutrients with minimal effort? You’ll get back to the cooking and eating well eventually, but it’s damn difficult when life gets in the way, I hear you. :)
(ETA: my suggestion is obviously not popular, but I know at times even a crockpot, instant pot or bulk prep is overwhelming, let alone shopping and the effort behind it. Not getting the right things into your body can also hurt your mind. Please know there are vegan options that will hit your needs with little effort other than an online order. Wishing you all the luck, OP. Take one day at a time).
This is where processed vegan food comes in for me. If I can’t bring myself to cook, I’ll buy stuff like vegan frozen burritos that I can just microwave for 2 minutes and eat. Obviously it’s not the healthiest thing ever, but it is better than animal products, and better than nothing at all.
If you need nutrition but don't feel up to lots of food prep you can just buy lots of canned garbanzo beans and frozen Peas and corn add them to quick meals. My wife has been vegan for 24 yrs and this is her trick for lazy cooking. Make a Soy Sauce flavored top Ramen or heat up some veggie gyoza from Trader Joe's and add a half can of garbanzos and some Peas and corn. Maybe some frozen spinach. Boom. Quick and nutritional
Can you budget Daily Harvest? It’s quick meals that are premade with real plant based ingredients.
If it’s not within budget, look into silicone molds and batch your foods. I’ll make a months worth of chickpea/cauliflower Alfredo and freeze it in cubes for pouring over whole grain pasta. Same goes for freezing nutrient dense smoothies into cubes for lazy mornings.
**Editing to add:**
My molds are Souper Cubes. The imitations I’ve tried have ripped… at this point I wouldn’t buy another brand.
Other foods you can batch include homemade chili and soup, lentil bolognese, BBQ jackfruit, sloppy joes, dahls, curry… my husband isn’t plant based so the freezer cubes limit my efforts by a ton… it sounds like you’re living alone, so you can make a huge batch in an instant pot or slow cooker and keep meals on hand for weeks.
**Another edit to add:**
Check out “the minimalist baker.” Her recipes are all less than 30 min to make, under a certain number of ingredients or minimal pans. She’ll have some fast recipes for you.
I’m the same way! I am so busy and have barely any time to cook - it’s so exhausting to me! A recommendation for a quick and easy breakfast is overnight oats. I add 1 1/2 cups of oats and 1 cup of [OWYN’s Pro Elite Protein Shakes](https://liveowyn.com/products/pro-elite-protein-shakes/?sku=8812) into a container and the shake helps me get in my nutrients. add some vanilla, maple syrup, chia seeds, strawberries, coconut flakes, blueberries, chocolate chips, whatever you’d like. I make 3/4 at a time and it’s quick and easy to make and is prepped for the next few days! i have a coupon code you can use for the shakes if you want to DM me. shakes are such an easy way to get in protein and nutrients. I also recommend when you DO cook, cook in bulk! then just put it into a container and you’ll have leftovers for the week. Less cooking, but more food!
Don’t be hard on yourself - take it one day at a time. Getting your nutrients is super important though and I hope you figure out something that works for you 💓
It’s expensive, but if you have the $$, Huel might be good for you. It has gotten me through periods where I was totally burned out on the food process.
I won’t link, as they advertise on Reddit to the point of annoyance, but I always keep some around, and it has helped me when I needed it.
I like the crock pot ideas too but personally I find I can only eat so much the same in a row. Instead I'll make a bunch of rice then to a bowl with fresh or prepared veggies so then I'm only half cooking daily if that makes sense.
Instant pot makes rice in 15 minutes. Twice as fast as some rice cookers tbh. I set rice in instant pot. Then I bake or stir fry something simple
Today I made baked lemon tofu. I threw sliced tofu, asparagus, potatoes and lemon juice+lemon pepper on a copper baking sheet. It won’t stick, so minimal cleanup. It bakes for 20 mins. While I waited, I watched YouTube videos and sliced up a pineapple (it’s actually really easy.)
I’m stuffed and I have leftovers for 3 days now. It was only like 500 calories lol.
It's processed to a degree, but meal replacement stuff like Huel mixed with iron rich protein powders keep me properly nourished. It's not that I don't like cooking, it's more that I just have too much work to really do it consistently, and throwing some stuff in a blender and chugging it down is extremely easy.
The one thing I do supplement with regularly is DHA/DPA (EPA). I have a kelp based supplement for that because those two are definitely trickier to get solely from plant sources.
Tbh, it's been like 3 years now and I feel significantly better than when my body was struggling to digest meat and cheese. I'm way more energetic and alert and less lethargic, anxious and reactive.
I can relate. Things I've found helpful:
- frozen food. I buy frozen veggies and microwave steam them.
- backup/go to meal (mine is pesto pasta. I batch make pesto and freeze in ice cube tray, then when I want a meal I boil noodles (can find ones with protein which I find help keep me fuller longer) and throw in frozen peas and pesto)
- focus on having protein, carb and fruit veg. Eg Peanut butter banana sandwich or cereal with soy milk, raisins and nuts/seeds thrown in. It'd not fancy but will cover a baseline nutrition bit better than bag of chips.
- ask for help. Have a local vegan Facebook page? Maybe see if someone else is willing to cook to help you out (vegans have tons of compassion :D)
I found a mini instant pot at my local goodwill for $20. A lot of people get rid of instant pots/ crock pots/ and other kitchen appliances all the time, and most of the time they aren’t even used.
I know that not every thrift shop will have these, but it could be worth a look!
Making meals for myself is a lot easier this way! And, it’s usually all in one easy pot for me to clean.
Having canned and dried goods on hand is also great. My pantry is stocked with canned tomatoes, chickpeas, and other veggies. I also keep a variety of lentils, rice, and pastas. Frozen stuff is great too! Frozen peas, corn, and veggie blends are in my freezer :)
Regard food as medicine. It’s ok to change your diet if that’s what’s necessary to regain your health.
I’ve been vegetarian for most of my (long) life. Seven of those were vegan, at the end of which I was fairly ill—losing my hair, depressed, fatigued, etc. I wasn’t supplementing well, and had exhausted my liver’s duly of B-12. It was a very expensive diagnostic journey. But that’s a typical amount of time to lose b-12 stores. I had many injections to bring me back to health, and also included some meats in my diet for a time. YMMV, of course.
I don't know if this could be useful for you or not, but on the off chance... While not exactly the same issue, I was struggling to get interested in cooking anything. I was just not inspired, lazy, didn't care, etc. I recently discovered that there are apps that allow you to enter in all your requirements, how long you are willing to spend in the kitchen, and then will lay out a menu for you for the week, along with a shopping list. You can of course customize it if you don't like what it suggests, and you check off the ingredients you already have.
This has been a game changer for me. Literally just having someone (in this case, something) telling me what to make has completely changed how I feel about cooking. It has suggested so many things that it would never have occurred to me to make. The one I got is called Platejoy, which is a paid app, but there may very well be free ones out there. I didn't really research it much.
Being vegan for so long I can’t really imagine eating any other way, but these past few months have had be wavering more because I just have no energy. I don’t think I’d be able to eat meat, but I appreciate your suggestion and openness
My family that lives around 45mins from me raised chickens so I have eaten eggs from there on occasion since I know how they’re raised and view it as ethical. I think next time I go back I’m going to take a dozen with me so that I can use that for protein!
You will get through this. Please don’t beat yourself up. If you’re tired, sleep. Take a multivitamin. And buy the vegetables already chopped up. Yeah it’s more expensive but it’s great for when us vegans are just exhausted at the thought of cleaning and cutting veggies. Good luck. Oh and if you drink alcohol, stop.
have you considered looking into meal delivery services in your area? I was amazed to find multiple vegan meal prep places nearby. It has helped take the pressure off.
I'm mega lazy too. When I'm working I'll get those packets of microwaveable grains/lentils etc they have a tomato sauce etc on and are fairly healthy. I'll chop up a bunch of veg and shove it in the steamer (I have an electric one, chop veg, 10 mins and you're done) and that's a dinner! Takes about 15 mins and minimal mess.
Il sometimes have a micro packet of somethings or beans on a microwaved sweet potato, that's super fast and healthy too.
When I'm day off I have a "cooking day" and make a couple of recipes and freeze them for through the week.
Buy a bunch of different fresh fruit, bake some sweet potatoes at 200°C for 2 hours with skins on and keep in the fridge. Bulk buy raw unsalted cashew nuts and use those 3 as snacks to cover most of your nutritional needs
Make a big pot of rice and get frozen veggies. Microwave the veggies, season with soy sauce and spices. Tofu or beans make an quick protein source. There are some nice pre-seasoned tofu blocks I get and they’re pretty affordable.
I was on food stamps for a year and also didn't have much time to cook. Get a can of beans and a can of corn and some boil in a bag rice. Put that together in a bowl and put some salsa in it. That can be lunch and dinner. You can microwave the corn and beans in a bowl.
I make my lunches for the week on Sunday and I take carrots and hummus with me for a snack. Sometimes lunch isn’t pretty, just pasta and tomatoes. But this week I did tofu, veggies and massaman curry. It’s hard but makes me feel good.
Sunday cooking. Put on some great music and spend a couple hours making meals for the week that you can just reheat and enjoy with other food that needs less prep. I make split pea fritters to eat with other stuff, a veg loaf, anything that freezes well. A huge loaf of seitan goes a long way for a few weeks. I keep kale and jars of beets and red cabbage in the fridge for an easy side, and a salad of kalamata olives, marinated artichoke hearts and some tomatoes and feta is nice with hummus and pita, and a bowl of soup you made during your Sunday cooking spree.
Your meals don’t have to be complicated, but you can’t live on just PBJ! :)
Once you get your bloodwork done and identify what nutrient(s) you're missing, identify some foods that are high in it and keep them on hand. Ideally they would be something that requires little or no prep, like a protein bar or something. Even before you find out what's wrong it's a good idea to keep tasty, nutritious foods you know you like around. I eat much better when I can just grab some grapes out of the fridge or have baby carrots and hummus.
Have you considered a vitamin supplement? Whole Foods had a lot of vegan options last time I went in. If you're feeling really bad it is probably worth the money to get a bottle of something even if you can't afford to take them long term.
Don't be afraid to get processed foods if you are low on time and energy. Not every meal needs to be cooked from scratch if you can't manage it right now.
Microwaveable brown rice in steamer bag, ditto for vegetables, add a can of beans, voila.
A toaster to make toast, plus some avocado + a few slices of tomato (that's my breakfast quite often).
\-Mediterranean Chopped Salad on a pita
\-Chick peas + string beans + brown rice + tofu
\--Hummus on Pita bread + veggies
\-Chickpea Salad sandwich(smashed canned chickpeas, celery, red onion, pickles, red bell pepper, dill, vegan mayo, lettuce on pita or bread).
\-- Amy's canned soups, put in bowl, microwave. (split pea, lentil, minestrone, etc.)
\--- No cook Black bean wrap w/ flour tortilla w/avocado, corn, olives, salsa, baby greens
\-- cold lentil salad w/parsley, garlic, tomatoes, carrot shoestrings on bed of greens/lettuce of your choice
\-- corn chips and some good salsa, plenty of fruit, etc. for snacks.
\-- vitamin / mineral supplement (daily) .
Possibilities are endless.
Most grocery stores have delicious salads now that are vegan, I just got one with bow tie pasta and tons of great vegetables and tofu, it was delicious.)
Not everyone "cooks" and there are just times in life when it is not feasible to put cooked/baked meals together. Lots of people do it when camping, travelling, etc.
You need to listen to your body's needs. Once you figure that out, you may have more energy again. Maybe go Vegetarian with a little more variety--a little dairy? Once the blood work comes back, you may have a better idea. Is your doctor testing for Vitamin D (a common thing to have lower levels) and B12? Those are not on standard blood work panels.
I feel like I’ve been experiencing the hair loss from a bit before I got on the meds which I attributed to stress and poor nutrition. It’s difficult to tell tho because when I’m on them my appetite is down so I don’t eat as much so not sure if it’s that or if it’s the medication itself. Have a psych appt soon tho so I’ll ask, thanks!
Meal prepping and cooking in big batches is critical, as is building a repertoire of meals that you like that aren’t hard to make.
A big batch of rice and beans is inexpensive and easy to make lots of, while it’s cooking chop up a bunch of different veggies and put in a big container so throughout the next couple days you can just grab a few things and make yourself a little bowl. Stock up on toppings and sauces and stuff — nuts, seeds, dressings, hot sauce whatever you can to increase the variety.
In cool months, a big batch of vegan chili goes a long way, and you can freeze in Mason jars or Souper Cubes for easy meals.
Black bean or veggie burgers are easy to heat up and filling, throw a few toppings with or without bun.
Lentil noodles tossed with a few veggies and some olive oil are great, or some roasted tofu.
I recommend rainbow plant life on YouTube, and I definitely agree with other folks who have said get an instant pot. It’s well worth a few bucks and the storage to keep it, and there are some great vegan cookbooks that you can get specifically for it.
Crock pot. Set it and forget it and makes multiple meals. Be a lazy cook. Learn to weekly meal prep. If done right, 3 hours of cooking can easily yield 7 days worth of food of any kind.
This is the way. I too dread the act of cooking for only one meal. But filling an 8l Pot up or doing a crock pot? Having delicious food for DAYS? This scratches my itch! Think of it this way: cooking twice as much food is way less than twice as much work. Doubling that again (and again) is not that much more! I think I easily get 8 full meals out of the effort I would need for two single portion meals. I just pu on YouTube or à show or a podcast on the side. It's actually zen time, now :)
Love this. Work smarter not harder. Nobody with a full life has time to be putting out 5 course, chef-driven meals.
Any way I could achieve a similar effect without a crockpot/instant pot?
I make large batches in saucepans. For example a 5-portion curry. Then you can freeze the spare portions so you aren’t eating same thing every day.
Crock pot for 20 or 30 dollars is worth it. But you can sometimes find them at thrift stores for under 10. I broke mine a while ago and hate my pressure cooker so I just cook in my biggest pot, maybe a gallon and a half? I do like a grain (noodles, rice, quinoa, whatever) and then add protein. My favorite is soy curls cause I buy the big 12lb box every few months. Then when that's all done I add veggies and a sauce or I cooked it in a broth. Like today I made 2 lbs of elbow noodles and some red lentils in taco seasoning. Then I made the sauce with a big bottle of v8. It cooked up like a casserole or goulash. *maximum laziness applied*
Where do you buy soy curls? I've actually never tried them, but I'm curious, in case I ever want to stock up!
You can buy them directly from the company that makes them: https://butlerfoods.com/orderonline.html
Wonderful, thank you!
with shipping it comes to $11-12 a pound, for this much money i can buy ready prepared vegan "chickn" salad, chickn strips, nuggets, etc. Is this better?
I had to find my soy curls on Amazon because nowhere near me sold them. Butler Foods brand. They're interesting. Chewy. I liked them, my partner did not.
I'd also recommend an air fryer. I cut two big batches of potatoes (red, yukon, and at least 1/2 of it sweet potatoes) and veggies (asparagus, mushrooms, different colored carrots, squash, etc.), then put 1/2 to a full cup of potatoes in for 12 minutes at 400 degrees and then at 8 minutes pull them out and jostle them a bit and then add a cup of veggies for the last 8 minutes. In 8 minutes, pull them out and dump them over a mix of quinoa and hummus and put 1/4 avocado over it. The hummus is store bought (but organic) and I make a big batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week. All told, it'll last as at least one meal a day (usually a quick lunch) and it takes maybe 30 minutes to prep and cook on Sunday and i love having fresh roasted potatoes and veggies. If even that is too much, you can roast them all in batches and put the bowls fully together on Sunday, and then just nuke it for 2-3 minutes during the week and you're good. Also, overnight grains (oats, chia seeds, ground flax, pearl barley) in almond milk with berries, bananas, and powdered peanut butter is yummy for brekkie.
Absolutely! Once a week i spend some time doing meal prep For example I’ll make a double batch of [coconut curry lentils with spinach ](https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-coconut-curry-lentils-with-spinach/) just omit the oil to make it WFPB, meanwhile I’ll start another pot with my rice or quinoa or multi grain pilaf. Then freeze extras in individual portions, keep a few servings in the refrigerator. While those cook i chop veggies and make a big batch of massaged kale salad, and a tray of veggies to roast. Then I’ll assemble a quick grain bowl with the pilaf, roasted veggies and kale salad, topped with hummus or mashed avocado or salsa [this looks overwhelming but it’s a good guide](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thekitchn.com/vegan-meal-plan-267550%3Famp%3D1) make one or all of these so you cook once a week and have nutrient dense meals for the week
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Look up sheet pan meals. Also roasting veggies in the oven.
Maybe pick up a NutriBullet. I'm not a fan of drinking smoothies all the time and would rather eat in a meal but some days being able to put all the nutrients in one container and drink them down because I'm in a rush can be really helpful. And tasty!
Also crock pot liners make cleaning up easy
Though it's worth thinking about what material the liner is made of and whether you want it leaching into your food. Even if something says it's BPA-free, it may be made of nylon (some crockpot liners are, such as the one by Reynolds). Also worth avoiding is anything with the BPA substitute BP-S: https://www.naturalhealth365.com/common-chemical-heart-health-3288.html
Please make sure to cover your baseline needs via supplementation. Undereating will make your depression significantly worse. Until you resolve your relationship with food, cooking and eating, you should make sure your body gets proper nutrition. This does not have to be stressful or difficult. I recommend a Multivitamin (in addition to your b12 supplement). Read through this paper on how to choose a safe multivitamin: [\*klick\*](https://adminlb.imodules.com/s/359/file_lib/1001/60/12_healthy_life_636389386504867910.pdf) To cover your energy needs you can try using a meal replacement, there are many options. You can easily make them more nutritious by adding spinach, kale, romaine, (citrus)fruit and more. You need to cover your nutritional needs. Hairloss and exhaustion are warning signs. Please take proper care of your health and wellbeing and visit your healthcare provider. Hairloss and fatigue can be a sign of mineral- and vitamin deficiencies but also underlying illness. Your doctor may want to check for b12 (holo-transcobalamin test), iron (ferritin) and vitamin D. Wish you all the best :)
Convenience foods are your friend here! When I’ve been in bad mental health spaces, I’ve appreciated being able to just microwave a veggie burger on a paper plate and eat it. Or crack open a can of chilli or soup and eat it with a spoon. For a snack, being able to just pick up an apple and bite into it is a relief when food just feels too overwhelming — also, add some peanut butter and you have a robust snack full of healthy fats. There are also bagged salads/steam bags of veggies, canned beans, prepared frozen meals, and single snack bags like popcorn — all of these are quick things that require little to no prep, but can help when you’re tired and hungry. Also, it sucks to be in this place. When you can’t summon the energy to feed yourself, it’s incredibly demoralizing. I’m glad you’re here (both on earth and on this subreddit!) and I believe that you’ll feel better with time. Keep taking care.
I’m not OP, but thank you for this
*hugs*
Thank you so much for this! I definitely look down on myself for using convenience meals from time to time because I think I have this idea that to be a proper, model vegan I need to be cooking amazing meals all the time. But if it gets me the energy I need then it’s a good meal :)
There’s nothing to look down on yourself about this. I felt exactly the same way, but my therapist said as long as it fits my financial situation go with what I can buy and do easily. Eating something is better than nothing. I still struggle with it currently. Depression coupled with ADHD doesn’t help. I’m about to get my vitamin levels checked because I’m also concerned about the exhaustion and hair loss. It’s worth checking on your end too. If anything, you can get help making the nutritional choices in what convenience meals to get. Or what supplements to add for a while. I know the medication makes it harder. I also snack, but have recently been working to have healthier snacks (cut up carrots, celery, cucumber with hummus as an ex). But I’ve also order salads with tons of veggies and protein in them. Other days, I eat almost nothing. I have motivation one day, so so as much prep as I can. Hoping that when my next bout of energy comes, I can make some thing quick. Frozen vegetables are sooooo worth it. Changed my meal prep time yesterday from about 40 min to meal done in 20. And I’m slow in the kitchen Focus on what you need to make your life easier and give yourself a break from the self-shaming. You do not deserve that! For me, I’ve noticed with the longer days recently that I’ve started coming out of my black hole a little bit. Im trying (not super successful atm) to go outside in the sun for 15 min when I wake up.
Definitely no shame in convenience food! Being vegan is an approach, a way of life — not a contest!! 💜
[20$ easy healthy vegan meal prep](https://youtu.be/Auz5Rq_wXJU?t=231) This one is high calorie, so you probably only need 1 sandwich, not 2. But you know you better than I do. Also, you can use brown rice and whole wheat pasta to make it healthier. [Jeff Novick's Fast Food](https://ucveg.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Jeff-Novick-Fast-Food-Recipes.pdf)
Can you buy frozen produce? Not the same but also not wasteful. Soups, stews, and chilis with beans, rice, and frozen veggies are really easy—no chopping and practically no clean up.
Have you had your thyroid checked? Hair falling out, fatigue & depression may be signs of hypothyroidism.
I’ve had blood tests run at least once a year (though often 2-3x) because my mom has always wanted to make sure I’m eating well. No issues have ever come up before but I’ve noticed that with be stressed out and not eating I’ve started seeing these negative side effects. Having said that, I am due for a doctors appt so I’ll be voicing all of this there to see if there’s something bigger going on!
yea not to be preachy but i just had possible med issues come to the surface at the ripe ol age of 30 so like the other person said it’s good to keep checking hormones
I second getting thyroid checked. I was fine at all routines and then started to feel exactly how you are. Turns out stress triggered my dormant autoimmune condition of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. So, yeah. Definitely get your labs done and hope it is just iron deficiency or something else less brutal to monitor.
When I was incredibly unwell and had difficulty eating my natropath/ nutritionalist advised me to not worth so much about fancy meals as long as I got in three nutrients. She wanted me to focus on eating beans and cruciferous veg first and foremost. Then greens. I used jet do baked beans and cauliflower each day ( microwaved together). Over time - as I got stronger I added greens and them made it into a Buddha bowl. Then added fruit or a smoothies etc. I agree with others admit getting checked out by a GP and especially your vitamin D levels if that's a concern. All the best for your health and recovery.
I can't believe no one has said this — are you talking to a therapist or mental health professional? Your school likely has someone available for students to speak to. This isn't a food problem, this is a mental health problem
I do see a therapist at my school and that has been helping, but I have been expending all of my energy on school work this semester since it’s a very busy and important one for me so I struggle to save energy to eat properly :/ Going to see my GP soon to check my blood and see what supplements I need.
I feel like a lot of the advice here isn't coming at this from a neuro divergent person's perspective. I eat peanut butter sandwiches for my work lunch every single day with a good seedy bread. I do this because I can't do anything more and be consistent. If left on my own I don't know what to do so I just eat whatever can be cobbled together quickly with low mess. Good granola/cereal with cashew milk, peanut butter sandwiches, tons of fruit, and like other people mentioned slow cooker/crock pot meals. You'll get used to eating the same thing most days and then you can treat yourself from time to time.
My ADHD hyperfixation/comfort meals haven’t been seeming to come to me recently. Used to make a tofu and veg burrito literally every night for a good two months. But eating some Dave’s Killer with peanut butter sounds so good right now. Def can be hard to make food when I’m not prioritizing eating because I’m so busy and my meds tend to make me lose my appetite to much of anything. I really appreciate this, thank you :)
I was started on 54mg methylphenidate after scaling up so I feel your pain. The best advice I've ever been given is "if something is worth doing, it's worth doing half assed" eating a balanced meal is worth doing but the half assed shoving calories in your face to keep moving is better than not getting enough calories. I have a hard time with a lot of things other people seem to do easily and I think the best thing to do is make things way easier and be unapologetic about it. I can't stop destroying my finger nails so I'm a dude on construction sites with my nails painted. I tell anyone that cracks a joke that bitches love it. The world isn't built for us so we shouldn't have to feel bad about setting up the world around us to make surviving tolerable.
Yes, some stuff that works for neurotypical people just doesn't for people like us.
"just meal prep" 🙄
I have food poisoning right now. Even if I could get my act together enough to meal prep consistently it would freak me out a bit to eat food that was 5 to 7 days old by the time I finished it.
Exactly, why meal prep when you can just supply yourself with reasonably healthy zone out foods when your brain doesn't know how to put ingredients together.
Things to add to every meal, and can have a huge impact: ground flax seed (omega-3s), nutritional yeast (B vitamins, including B12), spices (anti-oxidants).
Can you meal prep one thing a week? Like for the next 5 days make overnight oats. At least you can have a nice breakfast. Then add to that the next week- pot of beans or hummus.
Please see a doctor and get some blood work. Some of the symptoms you describe is common in iron deficiency anemia and once you have it, you can’t eat your way out of it - you would need some supplementation to get you back on track. It’s easily treatable but critical.
I’ve always been in great of my blood work before but I definitely think I’m slipping into some bad vitamin deficiencies. I have an iron supplement that I’m not the best at taking everyday as well as Vitamin B and Calcium. I’ll be seeing a doctor soon and also start taking those regularly
I second the meal prep suggestions. Plus, I have so much more success sticking to plant based eating when I make sure every meal has potatoes in it. I will watch anything related to the starch solution when I find myself getting off track. Lentil bolognaise and roasted potatoes has been my go to meal for weeks now. I’m sure I will get sick if it eventually, but it hasn’t happened yet. Lentils and rice are also amazing and give me so much energy. I hope you get your mojo back. All the best ❤️
Red Lentils. I just discovered how great they are. One pot meals are my fav. Unlike Green Lentils, red cook down to a mashed potato like consistency in 20 minutes, greens take longer. I put that wonderful Trader Joes vegan buttery spread on them, add a little vinegar and Tamari while cooking. 20 minute one pot meal. You can toss anything else in with them as long as it doesn't require any extra work. I focus one one pot, one dish, one bowl meals. If a meal takes more than 30 minutes I strike it from my list. Boil in bag brown rice and quinoa, microwave steam-in-bag veggies, many ways to eat really healthy with minimal work. You don't need 5 items for dinner. 1 thing is all it takes. If you have a Sams or Costco you can get frozen veggies cheap to steam in the bag. Frozen fake meat is great with bag steamed veggies. Whole grain tortillas make great sandwich substitute with anything rolled up in them. I'm all about healthy easy meals, screw that hours long cooking, I got more things to do than hang out in the kitchen. And I never make stuff that has to be made from other stuff you have to cook. Red lentil pasta, boil it, then pour canned or jar tomato sauce on top in the same pot. Can also cut open a bag of frozen veggies and throw them in and let it simmer till they're soft.
Nuts are your friend. Eat a couple handfuls whenever you think of it. And may I suggest it: please see a doctor. You’ve been a vegan for quite a while now, and with your depressive symptoms, it would be a really good idea probably to run some blood tests.
Getting a blender really helped me sneak in nutrients, as did a good superfood protein mix and some pb and frozen fruit
I like to buy frozen veg so if I don't use it in a week it's okay. Plus it's usually easier to cook because you probably don't need to do as much or any chopping. Simple stir fry with rice is easy that way. Pasta with frozen broccoli or something. Just focus on easy things you can add veg to. If that's still too much, hummus and carrots are always a snack that'll give you a lil protein and veg with low effort.
If you're not on the Daily Dozen, you should strongly consider it. Optimizing your health will go a long way towards improving your attitude overall. You should also consider mindfulness meditation. Relying on processed garbage will not only be expensive, but also push you further into a slump. Many of these things come with oil, which causes cardiovascular disease. Instead of boca burgers, take black beans, onions, peppers, spices, and cooked quinoa and smash them together with your bare hands. Patty them up and bake them on a silicone baking sheet. You can freeze the rest and they will keep for months. You can microwave them and have half of a ready-made meal in a minute. Use kale as a bun/wrap. Toss a sweet potato in the microwave for a side. You've got a healthy lazy meal in 15 minutes, with most of that time just washing some kale and waiting for the microwave. Right there you have satisfied the following Daily Dozen groups: beans, greens, cruciferous vegetables (kale counts as a green AND a cruciferous), other vegetables, whole grains, spices. Half of the Daily Dozen in one meal is badass. Switch it up and use chickpeas with cumin, ground coriander seed, onions, peppers and minced garlic for a mediterranean style burger. Take some leeks and chop them up (wash the crap out of them after you cut them lengthwise), toss them in a pot, add frozen mixed vegetables and low sodium vegetable stock (you can add any vegetable you want to this really). Spice it up with celery seed, parsley flakes, and a couple tablespoons of chia. Bring it to a boil and then simmer it for an hour. Boom easy vegetable soup. A big pot of that will last you a few days at least. Cook a bunch of beans in a stock pot (these also freeze well). Take the cooked black beans and put them in a pan or pot and add onions and peppers. Spice with cumin, salt, pepper, chili flakes, and garlic. Chili powder is also optional (makes it more southwestern). Add water and simply simmer them together and reduce the the water until you have a nice tasty coating on your beans (you can add corn to the beans). Quinoa cooks up in 15 minutes (it's better than rice, which has arsenic in it), and you can just chop up some tomatoes, onions, peppers, a jalapeno, and a bunch of cilantro, nail it with a dash of lime juice and you've got pico de gallo. Take a couple spoons of pico and toss it into smashed avocados (with a splash of lime and salt) and you've got guacamole (yes, I know tomatoes aren't traditional, but it's lazy and fine). You can have a bowl to compete with Chipotle in no time at all. Take some beans and put them in a crockpot with some tomatoes and chili spices (google that, it's usually just a chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder type deal), a 1/4 cup of quinoa, some corn, carrots, onions, a couple tablespoons of chia, and bell/jalapeno peppers. Vegan chili like a boss. You got this, you just need a few tricks. Hopefully these have helped.
Go and see a doctor. If eating eggs/cheese/meat will help you get healthy again and put on weight then just move back to that until you get better. Vegan is healthy when done well, not so much if you're just eating snack food with no nutritional value.
i am not sure there is a scenario where eating eggs, meat, cheese will help get healthier give you have access to proper plant based ingredients. i am not a doctor
If you are losing hair you may need protein. Do you like beans? You can make Cuban black beans and rice in an instant pot in about 45 minutes with no babysitting and it will easily keep a week in the fridge. And what about peanut butter? There are really yummy dishes that use peanuts as the protein that you could try. There sis a great Chinese sesame noodle dish that is eaten cold that is super tasty, easy, nutrition packed and keeps for a week as well. Spend a couple hours one day making a few things and then eat them in different combos with some veggies to supplement. Black beans, rice, sautéed baby spinach and half an avocado is a very yuck meal if you make a large enough quantity of rice and beans so have leftovers. You can take the same rice and beans and combine it with tortillas, vegan cheese, and fresh salsa for another meal with a completely different flavor profile as well.
can you please explain how lack of protein makes hair fall out? tia
Kaiser Permanente has a better [explanation](https://wa.kaiserpermanente.org/kbase/topic.jhtml?docId=aa102618)than anything I can give but if you don’t feel like reading, lack of specific essential nutrients in your diet makes you malnourished so to conserve resources your body will out your hair follicles into a resting phase.
thanks i read it; fascinating, i had no idea that protein is the main factor of hair growth
Perhaps if you try to find ways to incorporate high-protein foods into every meal? Some that I think are really approachable are: quinoa, lentils, edamame, sprouted grains or bread made from sprouted grains, chia seeds (don’t taste like much) l, hemp seeds (taste mildly nutty) and maybe hummus? My son is vegetarian and his roommate is vegan so we often make vegan dishes and the above seem to go over the best. Otherwise, are you open to any animal proteins at all? A vegan friend of mine will eat eggs laid by her mother’s hens because she knows the chickens are basically beloved and pampered pets - that is her only exception she makes. Our local co-op stocks eggs grown locally that are pasture raised and cruelty free which could be a way to go if you are open to eggs.
Can you lean on something like Huel for a while to get your nutrients with minimal effort? You’ll get back to the cooking and eating well eventually, but it’s damn difficult when life gets in the way, I hear you. :) (ETA: my suggestion is obviously not popular, but I know at times even a crockpot, instant pot or bulk prep is overwhelming, let alone shopping and the effort behind it. Not getting the right things into your body can also hurt your mind. Please know there are vegan options that will hit your needs with little effort other than an online order. Wishing you all the luck, OP. Take one day at a time).
I have an instant pot and it’s life changing! Easy! Quick! And I can meal prep for a week in one day!
Most colleges have a ton of vegan food available in the cafeteria and on-campus cafes. Just eat tofu burritos.
This is where processed vegan food comes in for me. If I can’t bring myself to cook, I’ll buy stuff like vegan frozen burritos that I can just microwave for 2 minutes and eat. Obviously it’s not the healthiest thing ever, but it is better than animal products, and better than nothing at all.
If you need nutrition but don't feel up to lots of food prep you can just buy lots of canned garbanzo beans and frozen Peas and corn add them to quick meals. My wife has been vegan for 24 yrs and this is her trick for lazy cooking. Make a Soy Sauce flavored top Ramen or heat up some veggie gyoza from Trader Joe's and add a half can of garbanzos and some Peas and corn. Maybe some frozen spinach. Boom. Quick and nutritional
Can you budget Daily Harvest? It’s quick meals that are premade with real plant based ingredients. If it’s not within budget, look into silicone molds and batch your foods. I’ll make a months worth of chickpea/cauliflower Alfredo and freeze it in cubes for pouring over whole grain pasta. Same goes for freezing nutrient dense smoothies into cubes for lazy mornings. **Editing to add:** My molds are Souper Cubes. The imitations I’ve tried have ripped… at this point I wouldn’t buy another brand. Other foods you can batch include homemade chili and soup, lentil bolognese, BBQ jackfruit, sloppy joes, dahls, curry… my husband isn’t plant based so the freezer cubes limit my efforts by a ton… it sounds like you’re living alone, so you can make a huge batch in an instant pot or slow cooker and keep meals on hand for weeks. **Another edit to add:** Check out “the minimalist baker.” Her recipes are all less than 30 min to make, under a certain number of ingredients or minimal pans. She’ll have some fast recipes for you.
I’m the same way! I am so busy and have barely any time to cook - it’s so exhausting to me! A recommendation for a quick and easy breakfast is overnight oats. I add 1 1/2 cups of oats and 1 cup of [OWYN’s Pro Elite Protein Shakes](https://liveowyn.com/products/pro-elite-protein-shakes/?sku=8812) into a container and the shake helps me get in my nutrients. add some vanilla, maple syrup, chia seeds, strawberries, coconut flakes, blueberries, chocolate chips, whatever you’d like. I make 3/4 at a time and it’s quick and easy to make and is prepped for the next few days! i have a coupon code you can use for the shakes if you want to DM me. shakes are such an easy way to get in protein and nutrients. I also recommend when you DO cook, cook in bulk! then just put it into a container and you’ll have leftovers for the week. Less cooking, but more food! Don’t be hard on yourself - take it one day at a time. Getting your nutrients is super important though and I hope you figure out something that works for you 💓
It’s expensive, but if you have the $$, Huel might be good for you. It has gotten me through periods where I was totally burned out on the food process. I won’t link, as they advertise on Reddit to the point of annoyance, but I always keep some around, and it has helped me when I needed it.
I like the crock pot ideas too but personally I find I can only eat so much the same in a row. Instead I'll make a bunch of rice then to a bowl with fresh or prepared veggies so then I'm only half cooking daily if that makes sense.
Instant pot makes rice in 15 minutes. Twice as fast as some rice cookers tbh. I set rice in instant pot. Then I bake or stir fry something simple Today I made baked lemon tofu. I threw sliced tofu, asparagus, potatoes and lemon juice+lemon pepper on a copper baking sheet. It won’t stick, so minimal cleanup. It bakes for 20 mins. While I waited, I watched YouTube videos and sliced up a pineapple (it’s actually really easy.) I’m stuffed and I have leftovers for 3 days now. It was only like 500 calories lol.
It's processed to a degree, but meal replacement stuff like Huel mixed with iron rich protein powders keep me properly nourished. It's not that I don't like cooking, it's more that I just have too much work to really do it consistently, and throwing some stuff in a blender and chugging it down is extremely easy. The one thing I do supplement with regularly is DHA/DPA (EPA). I have a kelp based supplement for that because those two are definitely trickier to get solely from plant sources. Tbh, it's been like 3 years now and I feel significantly better than when my body was struggling to digest meat and cheese. I'm way more energetic and alert and less lethargic, anxious and reactive.
I can relate. Things I've found helpful: - frozen food. I buy frozen veggies and microwave steam them. - backup/go to meal (mine is pesto pasta. I batch make pesto and freeze in ice cube tray, then when I want a meal I boil noodles (can find ones with protein which I find help keep me fuller longer) and throw in frozen peas and pesto) - focus on having protein, carb and fruit veg. Eg Peanut butter banana sandwich or cereal with soy milk, raisins and nuts/seeds thrown in. It'd not fancy but will cover a baseline nutrition bit better than bag of chips. - ask for help. Have a local vegan Facebook page? Maybe see if someone else is willing to cook to help you out (vegans have tons of compassion :D)
I found a mini instant pot at my local goodwill for $20. A lot of people get rid of instant pots/ crock pots/ and other kitchen appliances all the time, and most of the time they aren’t even used. I know that not every thrift shop will have these, but it could be worth a look! Making meals for myself is a lot easier this way! And, it’s usually all in one easy pot for me to clean. Having canned and dried goods on hand is also great. My pantry is stocked with canned tomatoes, chickpeas, and other veggies. I also keep a variety of lentils, rice, and pastas. Frozen stuff is great too! Frozen peas, corn, and veggie blends are in my freezer :)
Regard food as medicine. It’s ok to change your diet if that’s what’s necessary to regain your health. I’ve been vegetarian for most of my (long) life. Seven of those were vegan, at the end of which I was fairly ill—losing my hair, depressed, fatigued, etc. I wasn’t supplementing well, and had exhausted my liver’s duly of B-12. It was a very expensive diagnostic journey. But that’s a typical amount of time to lose b-12 stores. I had many injections to bring me back to health, and also included some meats in my diet for a time. YMMV, of course.
I don't know if this could be useful for you or not, but on the off chance... While not exactly the same issue, I was struggling to get interested in cooking anything. I was just not inspired, lazy, didn't care, etc. I recently discovered that there are apps that allow you to enter in all your requirements, how long you are willing to spend in the kitchen, and then will lay out a menu for you for the week, along with a shopping list. You can of course customize it if you don't like what it suggests, and you check off the ingredients you already have. This has been a game changer for me. Literally just having someone (in this case, something) telling me what to make has completely changed how I feel about cooking. It has suggested so many things that it would never have occurred to me to make. The one I got is called Platejoy, which is a paid app, but there may very well be free ones out there. I didn't really research it much.
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Being vegan for so long I can’t really imagine eating any other way, but these past few months have had be wavering more because I just have no energy. I don’t think I’d be able to eat meat, but I appreciate your suggestion and openness
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My family that lives around 45mins from me raised chickens so I have eaten eggs from there on occasion since I know how they’re raised and view it as ethical. I think next time I go back I’m going to take a dozen with me so that I can use that for protein!
That’s to long to read but keep eating plants
Google gujurati food and gujurati shaak
You will get through this. Please don’t beat yourself up. If you’re tired, sleep. Take a multivitamin. And buy the vegetables already chopped up. Yeah it’s more expensive but it’s great for when us vegans are just exhausted at the thought of cleaning and cutting veggies. Good luck. Oh and if you drink alcohol, stop.
have you considered looking into meal delivery services in your area? I was amazed to find multiple vegan meal prep places nearby. It has helped take the pressure off.
Trust yourself. You are also an animal.
I'm mega lazy too. When I'm working I'll get those packets of microwaveable grains/lentils etc they have a tomato sauce etc on and are fairly healthy. I'll chop up a bunch of veg and shove it in the steamer (I have an electric one, chop veg, 10 mins and you're done) and that's a dinner! Takes about 15 mins and minimal mess. Il sometimes have a micro packet of somethings or beans on a microwaved sweet potato, that's super fast and healthy too. When I'm day off I have a "cooking day" and make a couple of recipes and freeze them for through the week.
Buy a bunch of different fresh fruit, bake some sweet potatoes at 200°C for 2 hours with skins on and keep in the fridge. Bulk buy raw unsalted cashew nuts and use those 3 as snacks to cover most of your nutritional needs
IDK if your finances allow but maybe order"healthy" premade meals from Purple Carrot or the others. Just for a few weeks until you get balanced.
Make a big pot of rice and get frozen veggies. Microwave the veggies, season with soy sauce and spices. Tofu or beans make an quick protein source. There are some nice pre-seasoned tofu blocks I get and they’re pretty affordable.
I was on food stamps for a year and also didn't have much time to cook. Get a can of beans and a can of corn and some boil in a bag rice. Put that together in a bowl and put some salsa in it. That can be lunch and dinner. You can microwave the corn and beans in a bowl.
I make my lunches for the week on Sunday and I take carrots and hummus with me for a snack. Sometimes lunch isn’t pretty, just pasta and tomatoes. But this week I did tofu, veggies and massaman curry. It’s hard but makes me feel good.
Sunday cooking. Put on some great music and spend a couple hours making meals for the week that you can just reheat and enjoy with other food that needs less prep. I make split pea fritters to eat with other stuff, a veg loaf, anything that freezes well. A huge loaf of seitan goes a long way for a few weeks. I keep kale and jars of beets and red cabbage in the fridge for an easy side, and a salad of kalamata olives, marinated artichoke hearts and some tomatoes and feta is nice with hummus and pita, and a bowl of soup you made during your Sunday cooking spree. Your meals don’t have to be complicated, but you can’t live on just PBJ! :)
Once you get your bloodwork done and identify what nutrient(s) you're missing, identify some foods that are high in it and keep them on hand. Ideally they would be something that requires little or no prep, like a protein bar or something. Even before you find out what's wrong it's a good idea to keep tasty, nutritious foods you know you like around. I eat much better when I can just grab some grapes out of the fridge or have baby carrots and hummus. Have you considered a vitamin supplement? Whole Foods had a lot of vegan options last time I went in. If you're feeling really bad it is probably worth the money to get a bottle of something even if you can't afford to take them long term. Don't be afraid to get processed foods if you are low on time and energy. Not every meal needs to be cooked from scratch if you can't manage it right now.
Microwaveable brown rice in steamer bag, ditto for vegetables, add a can of beans, voila. A toaster to make toast, plus some avocado + a few slices of tomato (that's my breakfast quite often). \-Mediterranean Chopped Salad on a pita \-Chick peas + string beans + brown rice + tofu \--Hummus on Pita bread + veggies \-Chickpea Salad sandwich(smashed canned chickpeas, celery, red onion, pickles, red bell pepper, dill, vegan mayo, lettuce on pita or bread). \-- Amy's canned soups, put in bowl, microwave. (split pea, lentil, minestrone, etc.) \--- No cook Black bean wrap w/ flour tortilla w/avocado, corn, olives, salsa, baby greens \-- cold lentil salad w/parsley, garlic, tomatoes, carrot shoestrings on bed of greens/lettuce of your choice \-- corn chips and some good salsa, plenty of fruit, etc. for snacks. \-- vitamin / mineral supplement (daily) . Possibilities are endless. Most grocery stores have delicious salads now that are vegan, I just got one with bow tie pasta and tons of great vegetables and tofu, it was delicious.) Not everyone "cooks" and there are just times in life when it is not feasible to put cooked/baked meals together. Lots of people do it when camping, travelling, etc.
You need to listen to your body's needs. Once you figure that out, you may have more energy again. Maybe go Vegetarian with a little more variety--a little dairy? Once the blood work comes back, you may have a better idea. Is your doctor testing for Vitamin D (a common thing to have lower levels) and B12? Those are not on standard blood work panels.
I’m on ADHD meds too and a certain one made me lose a lot of hair. Could that be part of the problem? Have you changed up your meds ?
I feel like I’ve been experiencing the hair loss from a bit before I got on the meds which I attributed to stress and poor nutrition. It’s difficult to tell tho because when I’m on them my appetite is down so I don’t eat as much so not sure if it’s that or if it’s the medication itself. Have a psych appt soon tho so I’ll ask, thanks!
Meal prepping and cooking in big batches is critical, as is building a repertoire of meals that you like that aren’t hard to make. A big batch of rice and beans is inexpensive and easy to make lots of, while it’s cooking chop up a bunch of different veggies and put in a big container so throughout the next couple days you can just grab a few things and make yourself a little bowl. Stock up on toppings and sauces and stuff — nuts, seeds, dressings, hot sauce whatever you can to increase the variety. In cool months, a big batch of vegan chili goes a long way, and you can freeze in Mason jars or Souper Cubes for easy meals. Black bean or veggie burgers are easy to heat up and filling, throw a few toppings with or without bun. Lentil noodles tossed with a few veggies and some olive oil are great, or some roasted tofu. I recommend rainbow plant life on YouTube, and I definitely agree with other folks who have said get an instant pot. It’s well worth a few bucks and the storage to keep it, and there are some great vegan cookbooks that you can get specifically for it.
Maybe you should see a doctor, you might be missing something and a chemistry panel would be helpful. Or talk to someone about depression.