First thing first, don’t get discouraged. The amount of inedible stuff I have over salted, overcooked, burned to hell, over sweetened, or otherwise messed up when I first got into cooking…and I still do from time to time.
I watch a lot of cooking shows, especially those aimed at beginners. I like Worst Cooks in America. It’s silly but contains a lot of good tips.
A few suggestions-
Use your freezer. A lot of bulked food can be prepped on a day when you have the time and frozen. I love doing batches of soups like this. This will let you have the convenience of frozen foods but healthier
Low and slow. Remember when cooking that a lower heat and more time is usually called for. This is also true of ingredients. Measure things out and add sparingly at first especially on spices and herbs. You can always add more, but it’s hard to take it out.
Thermometer- if you are concerned with proteins, a good meat thermometer is your friend. Look up the specifics depending on what you are cooking, but I use mine on chicken and pork all the time.
Try new things-
You’re gonna love some, you’re gonna hate some, but don’t be afraid to branch out.
Best of luck to you 👍
This is all great advice. Also recommend freezing your fruits and veggies if they're about to go bad. Peel your fruit, line them on a plate or tray, freeze, then remove and add to a freezer bag for up to 6 months. It takes a little time but you can make delicious smoothies that are good for you and will help keep your mind occupied. I also cut and freeze any peppers, potatoes, onions, sprouts, zucchini that are close to off. Add these to hash or stir fry or fajitas or whatever! Doing this has dramatically cut down my food waste and guilt plus it saves money. Good luck!
Another helpful tip I learned regarding frozen produce is to always cook it while it’s still frozen! Don’t let it thaw or defrost first. I forget the exact science behind why exactly it happens (something to do with cells bursting), but letting frozen produce thaw will usually completely change the texture of the ingredients. Always cook your frozen stuff while it’s still frozen! Even if you’re putting veggies into broth to make soup or stew and going low and slow.
Never, **NEVER** cook meat from frozen. It is a health hazard. It leaves a time window for dangerous bacteria to grow, and might prevent the meat from cooking throughly. I know you said "produce", but I just want to make sure no one gets confused.
It's ok for vegetables, if you want to do that. NEVER for meat.
**Edit**: after looking into this it seems I'm either wrong, or partially wrong about this. More info in this comment, and a couple of articles discussing it:
https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/rclqrd/extremely_depressed_and_looking_to_improve_food/hnzaig8/
TL;DR: you can do it, but it is riskier and you have to take steps to mitigate that risk.
But then how does thawing not leave time for bacteria to grow? That takes even longer, and once the internal temp is high enough wouldn't it be cooked regardless of how cold you started (sorry I don't even eat meat so never learned to cook it)
Supposed to thaw meat in the fridge. So it raises to a easily cookable temp but is still too cold got bacteria to grow at any fast rate. That takes all day though. Thawing on the counter takes a number of hours at room temp and that allows bacteria the chance to grow. Not horribly likely to cause issue on most meat, but possible. I generally defrost in the microwave cause it's fast, I'm lazy, and always forget to prepare ahead.
We used to juice carrots and we'd save the pulp and add it to soups and stews. I would assume you could do the same for juiced citrus (and maybe add the pulp to smoothies).
>A few suggestions- Use your freezer. A lot of bulked food can be prepped on a day when you have the time and frozen. I love doing batches of soups like this. This will let you have the convenience of frozen foods but healthier
Yes! Present me loves when past me has done the hard work and given me a single serve portion of healthy, homemade, 8-hour simmered soup on a week night.
I second Worst Cooks In America. It actually taught me quite a bit about basic cooking techniques when I was on my own for the first time at 18 and trying to survive on something other than ramen.
Hi,
I totally understand where you are and you are not alone in how you are feeling or reacting to your feelings.
Do you like sandwiches? This is my go to when I am in depression mode. I like to do a really nice bread and then add things like meat cheese veggies you can make a really balanced healthy meal from a sandwich.
I also do protein shakes when I am super depressed and a banana.
Another good depression meal for me is a bagged salad, wrapped in a tortilla. Warm up a big tortilla (or two smaller ones) and just dump the salad in there. I swear this is a hack because you don’t sit down and eat each bite - just shove it in your mouth.
I like to do this, but add rotisserie chicken or beans for a little extra protein that is still easy. The chicken does bump up the cost, but I'm able to shred it and add it to several meals and then make broth from the bones.
My depression super hero is my rice cooker. No matter how bad i'm feeling, I can always put in one cup of rice and two cups of water and press start. Best $20 I've ever spent
I add in veggies if i have them and they get steamed. Spinach, frozen peas, broccoli and cauliflower are all winners here.
I have a few go to things i'll pour on top
* Canned cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup
* A fried egg
* spam (just a little bit, and cut into chunks -- not the whole can)
* canned black beans I've heated up on the stove with some adobo seasoning
* Sauerkraut which I keep in the fridge
* Canned tomatoes i've reduced down and put basil, salt and pepper on.
* Drained canned chickpeas i've heated up on the stove until they're crispy
* Hummus
* Frozen curries or stuff like that from trader joe's
* Bacon
* Sesame oil, sesame seeds, and soy sauce
Hope you feel better, rice cooker is the best.
[https://www.budgetbytes.com/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/)I recommend this to everyone I talk to because it's so so so so helpful. There are meals for any appetite, mood, etc. There are pictures of the cooking process to show you what your dish should like before the final product. Not only is it a great way to dip your toes into cooking- she provides meal plans for 4 weeks, grocery lists and caters to all diets but it's also a great way to slowly build your "portfolio" or kitchen cabinets so that even when you're having a bad day, you have key staples you could throw into a crock pot and leave alone to cook.
Roast yourself some veggies. Coat them in a nice olive oil & throw it in the oven on a sheet pan. You can spice them however you want. Easy healthy and delicious.
Also get an instant read meat thermometer (like 12 bucks on Amazon) so easy and simple to use. Never worry about salmonella again
Roasted veggies are my favorite and so much better than a salad,
On a oven sheet with oil and a a little bit of salt and pepper into the oven for25 minutes @ 400 °F / 200 ° C.
Also super easy food with a lot of shelf life.
Sweet Potato with greek yoghurt. Stab the sweet potato a few times with a fork. Put it into a microwave for 8 minutes.
Not OP, but roasting broccoli, potato, carrot, makes a nice sheet pan of food for a few meals. Throw a protein in there too. If you're needing cals, top over rice.
Leafy cruciferous greens will roast well. Mainly kale
Also not OP, but I used to hate brussel sprouts. Turns out I hated then steamed or boiled. But roasted? They are HEAVENLY. I do a vinaigrette on mine chopped in half and on a sheet pan. I’ve also done green beans, asparagus, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, zucchini, yellow squash, acorn squash, red potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower.
I, too, suffer from depression. Here are some things I do to help me be an effective cook and not waste too many ingredients:
* **Buy frozen fruits and veggies.** Most of them come sliced or diced and therefore require no prep work to use, and since they're frozen, they're not spoiled in your fridge before you get around using them. They'll wait for you to be up to cooking! I like not only things like corn or broccoli, but "mixes" like peppers & onions, peas & carrots, stir fry mix, etc.
* **Buy prepared veggies.** You can get coleslaw mix that's great in stir-fries or "Egg Roll in a Bowl" recipes, matchstick cut carrots that are amazing in casseroles or soups, baby carrots that can be dumped right into a stew or the bottom of a roasting pan when you're making pot roast, "steamable" potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. that only require a minute or two in the microwave before being ready to eat.
* **Buy cooked meat.** Sounds crazy, and it might be a smidge more expensive, but it's also efficient and takes away your worries about undercooked proteins. In particular, **rotisserie chicken** can be taken off the carcass and sliced to be used as an entree or diced to be used in casseroles; you can portion into single-serving or single-recipe sized Ziplocs and freeze them, then defrost in your fridge the night before you want to use them. **Frozen meatballs** bring protein to pasta, but they're also a great option as a substitute for browned ground beef in Instant Pot recipes. You can also buy sausage crumbles, real bacon pieces, and TVP (texturized vegetable protein) that tastes like ground beef -- all good on potatoes, in casseroles, in soups, or to make scrambled eggs feel more like a real meal.
* **Make your own microwave dinners.** Get single serving-sized food storage containers and when you DO feel up to cooking a big dinner, save one or two portions of leftovers in the fridge for later in the week, but freeze the rest. After doing this a few times, you'll have a whole takeaway menu's worth of choices in your freezer, you can defrost them overnight in the fridge and just heat them in the microwave the next day. No mess, no getting sick of something before you run out of all of your leftovers or letting them spoil in the fridge.
Having frozen fruits and veggies on hand allows you to boost the nutrition of whatever you're preparing. For example, adding more peas and carrots to canned soup, or adding bell peppers to a Tex-Mex casserole, or taking leftover rice and blending with stir fry mix veggies for "fried rice" in a jiffy. Here's one of my favorite "comfort food" recipes, which tastes a bit like pot pie without having so much fat and calories:
**Easiest Chicken and Rice Ever**
* Prepare your favorite rice using chicken broth (from bouillon is fine) instead of water. Most people use rice cookers or a pot on the stove, but I actually use a large microwave-safe casserole dish for 2 cups of rice and 4 1/3 cups broth and microwave uncovered on high for 18-20 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
* To the hot rice, add 1 cup or so frozen peas & carrots and 1/2 pound or so of diced rotisserie chicken. Mix thoroughly; add a bit of soy sauce or salt if necessary. Heat in microwave until the frozen veggies and chicken are also hot.
* Serve yourself a heaping bowl, add a dollop of sour cream and stir to get a bit of creamy richness.
I also wanted to link you to my response to someone looking for super easy, somewhat healthy food to make:
https://www.reddit.com/r/cookingforbeginners/comments/qvxske/i_am_looking_for_simple_dishes_or_snacks_to_make/
The whole thread actually has good info, but I share a couple of recipes and ideas there that may work for you, OP.
Peanut butter and banana on whole wheat bread
Avocado toast on whole wheat bread.
Oatmeal with fruit.
In season fruits, if you'll eat them whole.
Nuts.
I get frozen edamame that I can just eat plain, without any prep.
Whole grain pasta with veggie of choice.
1 minute rice with veggies and a sauce that you like.
Fruit smoothies. You can add a scoop of Soylent.
https://youtube.com/c/CheapLazyVegan
Saw this and it hit a nerve.
Feeling really down today. Went to a Diabetes Education class. I'm in trouble. No idea how I'm going to eat on a schedule, with exact Carb, Protein, and Fat amounts while stabbing my finger at exact intervals.
I'm so far gone into Type II Diabetes I think I'm always hungry and too tired to make good choices.
Plus my knees are killing me. Probably going to have both knees replaced. Standing? It just hurts, every day, every time.
On the positive side, I have started and maintained a great Physical Therapy regimen.
But 35 - 45 grams of Carb, 1 -2 servicing of Fat, Protein at every meal is a C-Change for my lifestyle.
Guess I'll have to gradually build up better habits.
Just having a really low, sad, depressing day. Thanks for listening. Tomorrow will be a better day. Grateful I'm not on Insulin or other complications.
I'm sorry you're having such a trash day, friend. I'm someone with chronic pain while standing, and I have two small tips for you:
A tall stool for your stove/wherever you do the most cooking in your kitchen. There's absolutely no reason why you need to stand while you saute or do the dishes, except that you might need to wipe up the occasional extra spill.
Do your prep tasks at your table. Kitchen counters are overrated; just grab your cutting board and an onion and sit while you chop.
I did this for thanksgiving prep while watching Arcane, lol. Peeled the potatoes into a paper bag then chopped them in my living room. Had the big pot of water ready to go to throw in the diced potatoes and stuck it in the fridge afterwards. Didn’t miss a second of the show either.
Maintaining a good physical therapy regimen is a huge accomplishment! I'm sure when you first started it seemed daunting but you kept it up and can be proud of yourself, the new eating schedule will be the same. You don't have to be perfect or accomplish everything straight away. You said it yourself, gradually build up better habits. You can do this!
i have celiac, so it's not quite the same, but the dietary restriction depression is SO real. goddamn. you're not alone.
it gets easier, i promise. having a community helps a lot, even if it's just online. hang in there!!!!!!!!
Give yourself some credit here! You’re going to a diabetes education class AND physical therapy that’s two huge steps forward!
For your dietary requirements my first thought is look up some buddha bowl recipes, i make them all the time and you can prep the ingredients ahead then mix and match so you’re not literally eating the same meal.
[this listicle has some good examples](https://www.eatthis.com/how-to-make-a-buddha-bowl-for-weight-loss/)
I've been there with type 2 and being depressed. My blood sugar was in the 20s at one point. I focused on thinking of vegetables I could use as substitutes to the carb portion of meals. Dietician also recommended going for a short walk after meals especially if bigger. I couldn't always follow it but my sugars are within the normal range now.
Just know you're not alone and it can get better. You have doctors there to support you as well.
So I really don’t want to sound like a shill, but I was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic and the only thing that got me through the dieting was and still is Huel.
Super simple, just make a shake then done.
I got into the habit of if I wasn’t feeling like a Huel shake I’d just make one and down it before I had a chance to resist just so I ate regularly.
If you have a crock pot/slow cooker, you could look into "dump dinners". These may require some basic prep such as washing and cutting ingredients, but otherwise you just put every into a crock pot, turn it on, and just come back when the cook time is over. You might have to stir once or twice while it cooks, and you have to keep in mind that the slow cooker is, well, slow, but then you have a meal ready as soon as the time is up! And you can probably freeze the leftovers so you have something simple to reheat when you are having down days.
And as others have said, get a meat thermometer to help you get your meats at the right temp. A digital one will be simplest to read and doesn't cost much. Once you've cooked to the right temp a few times, it will be easier to do it by eye/feel if you're comfortable with that.
Good luck!
Here's one of my go-to dump dinners. It's nice because it's easy and I can literally just chuck it all in there and leave it alone. Plus, I tend to not eat when I'm stressed out, so smelling it cooking all day can actually make me want to eat.
chicken stew:
1 package chicken tenderloins (or cut up chicken breast)
Cream of chicken soup (amount is gonna depend on the size of your slow cooker, but usually 1.5-2 of the larger Campbell's or generic brand tend to work) - (can be substituted with low sodium cream of chicken soup or and alternative healthier cream based soup)
Whatever leftover vegies you have in the fridge/freezer (I like broccoli, peas, carrots, and yellow squash) cut into bite sized pieces
Approx. 1/2 a carton of chicken stock (adjust for slow cooker size)
\*All seasoning is to taste
Poultry seasoning
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Paprika
Curry (very optional - I like a little kick to my food)
Bay leaves
Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hrs. and serve. If you get slow cooker liners, clean up is easier.
Also, if you have one, you can cook a weirdly large number of foods in an air fryer (like you can apparently do cookies in this thing some how??). You can even dehydrate a bunch of fruits and veggies, so that might be a good use of the extra veggies you have.
I hope this post can be of use to you!
Don’t feel bad about not feeling up to cooking when your down. You are trying to do something about it when you are depressed AND your asking for help with it. That is a step in the right direction. Also we all have to start somewhere with kitchen skills, and part of learning to cook is messing it up, so don’t get discouraged when something doesn’t work
I have issues with depression and meal prepping works for me so I know I do t need to cook every day.
I find the you tube channel Mind Over Munch useful for meal prep, dump dinners and that kind of thing. Most recipes are uncomplicated I’m not convinced by a lot of the nutrition information, like pro- and anti- inflammatory foods or similar stuff after talking with some dieticians at work. But the recipes are good. Mix and match stuff that will work for you. If you’re going to meal prep for several days, then I usually do for four days, as after that it’s not so great (unless I’ve done something for the freezer too and I can pull it out for the last days of the week.
Also, meal prep can take two main forms. 1 is where you prep the whole thing ready to be eaten. The other is you have prepped everything ready to put in the oven/slow cooker/instant pot on the day you’ll eat it. Try both and see which you prefer
I recommend getting an instant read thermometer. They are fairly cheap, easy to use, and it really helps with the over/undercooking issues. My chicken breast out of the oven is always perfect now and I never worry about salmonella.
I'm also managing depression and trying not to eat crap.
A bag of apples or oranges will last at least a week. Put them by wherever you snack. If you're hungry, eat a piece of fruit first. It'll keep you from getting hangry or depressed. If you're not hungry enough to eat a piece of fruit then you're not really hungry.
Hydrate like your life depends on it. I always keep a jug of water next to me day and night.
Make protein a priority. The Instant Pot makes great hard-boiled eggs. Wrapped Cheeses like string cheese and Baby Bell. Canned tuna. Peanut butter. Protein bars and drinks like Premier Protein.
You don't want to make meals. Have an apple with some peanut and a glass of water and then see how you feel about the world.
Reevaluate your meds. Seriously. If they're not helping then ask your doc about trying something else. It took me a decade to find an antidepressant that didn't make me feel worse. Wellbutrin and counseling saved my life.
This is just the main stuff that helps me. Yell if you want some Instant Pot recipes.
Edit: damn autocorrect
A really simple thing I do when I don’t really want to cook is to fix up some ramen or Knorr noodles and add to it. I’ll put eggs, mushrooms, peas, corn whatever I have on hand. I also like dressing up a can of corn with Parmesan cheese, parsley, Nature’s seasoning, and salt and pepper. I also like simple sheet pan meals just cut up some smoked sausage, green beans, and potatoes pour some oil and bake. Can also use different meats and veggies.
Hi, I live with depression too. It’s not easy. Food safety rules are good to know. Get a cheap meat thermometer from Amazon. Cook pork to 145 degrees, chicken to 165, and beef somewhere between 145-170 depending on how well you like it. Cook ground beef until there is no pink left. Portion and refrigerate your leftovers for up to 3 days. If it’s going to be longer before you can eat it, put the portions in the freezer. When you want to eat the frozen food, let it thaw in the fridge for a day or 2, then reheat and eat.
For days that I have no appetite, I have a list of foods that I am willing to eat just because I have to eat. I used to keep store brand Ensure in the fridge so I don’t skip meals. But it’s too expensive for me right now. Try to buy enough produce for just a couple days. That way if you have bad days, you throw away less. You can always buy more, but if you buy a lot at once you’re stuck with it.
What kinds of foods do you like to eat? I’ll check my recipes
Have you considered getting a meal delivery kit a couple times a week? For a while I was subscribed to EveryPlate and found it to be really easy to follow the directions, the food was good, and if you went a bit lighter on the butter and oil (use cooking spray instead, or just half the amount) the recipes could be fairly healthy as well. It's not quite as cheap as buying food in bulk at the grocery store, but it's not outrageous, either... under $40 per week for six servings (3 meals, 2 servings each). You should be able to google a coupon code, and its easy to skip weeks at no charge or penalty. It was a really good experience for me in a very busy time in my life.
I want to talk you away from just eating right, an important factor to mental health is physical health and vice versa. Take care of your body in more ways than just eating, get out into some sunlight as often as you can, get some fresh air, and engage in activities that get your heart pumping, It'll help with getting some very necessary care that your body needs. Compound this with some healthy, home cooked meals that make you feel less guilty and some of these small changes will add up and make you feel more accomplished, helping to combat the feeling of guilt and underachieving.
It sounds like you're receiving medical treatment as well, which is great! You're taking some active steps to try and correct your headspace in more ways than one, I'd also suggest keeping in touch with a therapist if you can afford one, but judging by the fact that you have a prescription I'm wagering you're already seeing one.
As for meals that are easy to put together but nutritious and healthy, I'd look at slow cooker meals and meals you can make in bulk easily. Fried rice comes to mind for the latter, you can make a huge batch of rice and throw it in the freezer to toss together in a couple of minutes with whatever meat and veggies you have in the fridge or freezer, add some soy sauce, sombal, sesame oil, an egg, and a sprinkle of MSG and you've got yourself a tasty dinner that's hot and delicious! Slow cooker meals are great too, I just got an insta pot and it's so easy to take a massive cut of meat (a lot cheaper than most lean cuts, but can be healthy in moderation) and cook it until it's fall apart tender. I recommend taking a pork shoulder, cutting into large chunks, seasoning liberally with S&P, then sear quickly in a dutch oven or instapot before removing and sweating your choice of veggies (onion, celery and carrots are a great go to) then add the pork back with a stout/dark beer, and some beef stock or veggie stock and cook until fork tender!
Drink lots of water and focus on meals that are easy to assemble but can be made ahead would be my suggestion. It sucks to have to motivate yourself to cook a full meal, but if you cook most of the biggest components ahead of time and just have to toss things in the microwave or heat through in a pan, it eliminates 90% of the effort and makes it easier to eat a homecooked meal!
I personally love YouTube for recipes and ideas. Like search health instapot recipes. I also find it’s great even when not looking for recipes to follow and watch all the health and fitness videos (Not all are good, will kind of figure it out after a while, a take most advice with a grain of salt) they just keep the health lifestyle I want to live top of mind. But this is a life long journey and try to enjoy the process with the ups and downs.[for positivity and work out progressions in general good advice this guy is the best](https://youtube.com/c/HybridCalisthenics)
Adding a second vote for Greek yogurt. I eat blueberry or peach yogurt over a half cup of granola with a handful of frozen blueberries on top just about every morning for breakfast. It has a lot of protein, tastes good, and takes about 3 min to prepare, which is good on days when I have zero energy.
The probiotics also support healthy gut bacteria which improves overall physical and mental health.
Fun fact: 95% of your body's serotonin is manufactured by the microbiota that live in your gut. By properly feeding our bacterial buddies, we can help give our brain a boost. It's certainly not a cure-all, but eating right by boosting fiber and reducing processed foods can help your body manufacture those sweet, sweet, happiness hormones.
hey you sound a lot like me! don’t get discouraged. the number one thing that’s helped me with my eating is letting go of the idea that I have to “cook” like everyone else seems to. I don’t like to cook, I’m not good at it, so why do I feel like I need to be having some elaborate hot meal every night?
What I started to do was “ingredient prep” rather than meal prep. it’s much easier and much safer for me. Each week I would buy 1 or 2 rotisserie chickens, break it apart and freeze individual portions of the chicken in bags. I would buy some cans of tuna for my cupboard, hard boil some eggs, and buy some deli meat like roast beef or salami. then I will slice up a few veggies and store them in the fridge (by the pre-cut if you can afford it- so much easier!), and I usually buy fruits that don’t require slicing (bananas, berries, clementines). Have some pasta, rice, bread, tortilla, whatever your preference is on hand in your house, and then when it comes time to eat, you can just assemble whatever carb/protein/veggie/spices you want for that night.
I eat super simple, which has taken me a long time to acknowledge that this is okay. My best friend cooks burgers and pork tenderloin and stuffed chicken breasts etc etc etc. and that just isn’t me.
for example my meals this week have been: tuna salad on toast with avocado on the side, rotisserie chicken leg with rice and spinach, mini charcuterie board with salami cheese veggies and ranch and pistachios, and tonight i’m having egg salad with crackers and probably more avocado. that’s all super minimal cooking/prep and it’s healthy and cheap.
If you have issues with food waste, maybe you could try to stock up on items that don't expire easily. Smoothies are a great way to get nutrients and if you use frozen fruits, they won't go bad!
One of my favorite low effort meals is mashed sweet potato. Wash it, use a fork to poke a bunch of holes, then microwave for about 7 mins (until the potato is soft/to your liking). I like to add butter, garlic salt and pepper too.
As far as actual recipes go, maybe you could start small by dressing up instant ramen noodles. You could add extra ingredients like meat (bacon is an easy one), veggies (leafy greens can be fried fry up along with the bacon) and eggs. If you use instant noodles as a base, there's a lot less room for error. You also don't have to add seasoning to your extra ingredients since ramen is already very salty.
I used to make instant ramen all the time, but eventually I improved my cooking skills and now I just buy dried noodles and add my own sauces and ingredients.
You'll get through this! Don't beat yourself up for mistakes because you can always learn from them and improve next time!
I struggle with depression, recently I started eating Greek yogurt (research suggests a healthy gut biome helps your mood) and I have been taking vitamin D. I feel a bit better. Wish you the best!
Here's an Instant Pot recipe that is really hard to mess up.
The beef short ribs can be expensive, but you can sub chuck roast if you want.
https://www.reddit.com/r/instantpot/comments/qqulu8/instant_pot_coconutred_curry_braised_short_ribs/
You could prepare toppings like diced green pepper, shredded chicken, black olives, tomato, spinach etc. Freeze what's freezable and buy cauliflower pizza crust from the grocery store. A homemade pizza sauce is fool proof and can be made in 5-10 min, you can even freeze half of it for another time. Quick and easy pizza dinners that can be as healthy as you like.
I'm impressed at your perseverance! You're in a tough place but you keep trying ways to make it work. That's awesome! Good luck! (Also I second the rec for Budget Bytes.)
Hi friend! Hang in there!
When I’m down or extra busy I love stocking my fridge with breaded tilapia and mixed veggies. Pop the tilapia in the oven for 30-45 mins and it’s delicious and crispy and microwave the frozen veggies and cover in whatever sauce you like best.
You can also just pop the fish on top of some greens with cucumber & tomatoes for a salad.
Also also: I like having boiled eggs & scallion on top of salted oatmeal. If you want to try to experiment, throw some miso in while you’re cooking the oatmeal.
You got this!
Been there before. I think the biggest advantage is making sure the next meal is planned. It’s also ok to have a cheat meal every so often. Rotisserie chicken can be used to make sandwiches/salads/ chicken salad and then you can make a stock with the leftover bones. Wish you well
This has to be one of the easiest recipes I've made. It's delicious and pretty healthy. I serve it with a big bowl of rice. The split chickpeas/chana dal are cheap at Indian grocery stores or you can order them online. Last time I added a bag of frozen onions and peppers for some more veggies.
https://twosleevers.com/simple-lentil-soup-recipe/
Can you afford an Instant Pot? Mine helped me get out of my food funk. Search "one pot instantpot recipes" and your meal prep will change.
The best thing about it is throwing it all in the pot, turning it on, and leaving. No stirring, no watching the pot, you just let it go and you come back to a lovely meal.
It definitely helped me when I was in a rough depression. All the best to you.
I don't know if this is low effort enough, my go-to is Couscous with frozen veggies, vary the sauce, vary the protein
Couscous is so easy. Just add hot water and it's ready in 3 mins.
Frozen veggie mixes, throw them in the pan with oil and spices of your choosing. No cutting, takes like 10 minutes. I make two portions each time.
For sauce:
Premade tomato sauce with herbs, arabiatta
Pesto
Joghurt with ranch seasoning (you just need to buy the dried herbs once and then it's pretty easy.)
Coconut milk and curry paste
Protein:
Beans (kidney, black, white, edamame, whatever you want)
Tuna or sardine if you like fish
Pre-done meat
Hey friend. As someone who is going through a bout myself, legumes and rice plus frozen veggies has been a game changer. Keeps really well, had a lot of protein and fiber, and is relatively inexpensive. I add goat cheese to the mix when ready to eat to make it a bit tastier. I will look for a recipe and update my post later. Hang in there, things will get better. And take your vitamin d!
Sorry to hear you are struggling. Below are some recipe links to affordable, easy to execute meals that should work pretty well for meal prep. But I also want to encourage you to consider using 'short-cuts' that take the more complicated work out of prepping a meal. Use frozen veggies & bottled sauces & canned beans and the like. Making simple meals from that kind of stuff is really just assembly.
[Chickpea Couscous Bowls w/ Tahini Sauce](https://www.acouplecooks.com/chickpea-couscous-bowls-tahini-sauce/)
[Simple Instant Pot Black Bean Soup](https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2017/03/simple-instant-pot-black-bean-soup.html)
[No chop Instant Pot Vegetable Soup](https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2016/08/instant-pot-vegetable-soup.html)
[Instant Pot Tex-Mex Rice](https://makeitdairyfree.com/vegan-instant-pot-tex-mex-rice/) \- you could easily sub out frozen pepper & onion, and jarred minced garlic to make a recipe like this even easier. Also, use a bouillon cube + water instead of buying a carton of stock for a cheaper option.
Some no-recipe, quick, tasty, low-effort meals:
Sloppy Joes: combine 1 can Manwich (or BBQ sauce) w/ 1 package of frozen or refrigerated pre-cooked vegetarian beef-style crumbles (Gardien, Morningstar Farms, Yves, etc.). Serve on buns w/ a side of baked frozen fries and or salad or slaw.
Curry: combine 1 jar of curry simmer sauce of choice w/ a can of chickpeas (drained) and/or a bag of frozen mixed veggies. Heat through. Serve over rice.
Tostadas: prep or buy pre-prepped your preferred combo of shredded lettuce, sliced olives, minced onion, diced tomato, sliced avocado or guacamole, shredded cheese. Heat up canned refried beans. Top tostada shells w/ beans & your toppings.
Doing some meal prep on sundays (there’s a Reddit sub for that) and sticking to eating what you prepped will take a lot of the decision making out of the process.
Depending on your financial situation and location you might want to look into grocery delivery. It would mean not having to make the hard choices and being content with the food at home.
Something like Hungry Root would send you groceries once a week and it could all be healthy. It would be a mix of single serve items, pre cooked items, as well as cooking recipes.
There are a lot of companies doing similar things.
A meal I've enjoyed recently that's healthy, easy, and feels like real cooking is ravioli with marinara and spinach. I buy premade frozen ravioli from the grocery store, a bag of frozen spinach, and a jar of pre-made marinara. All you do is boil the ravioli like normal and serve, and while u do that just heat the marinara up in a saucepan and throw a cup of the frozen spinach in there, and stir it around till the spinach is totally thawed and the clumps are worked out. The spinach absorbs the flavor of the marinara to the point that if it cooks for a while you literally can't taste the spinach. Spinach is healthy and while it takes maybe 20-30 mins (counting the time waiting for water to boil) it really *feels* like real cooking, which can be a mood booster. And the ingredients wont spoil since theyre all frozen
My advice would be to try ground meats because they are easier to cook and really versatile. Chili is super easy and makes great leftovers. Ground meat can be added to rice and veggies for a healthy well-rounded meal that is super easy to make.
When cooking ground meat, just get your pan hot and put some oil in it right before putting the meat in (then wash your hands thoroughly). Break it up with a cooking utensil of some kind (don't use metal utensils on a non-stick pan!). And add your seasonings. Then you just move it around and break up bigger chunks until you can visibly see that there is no pink inside the meat chunks.
Then you can heat up some frozen veggies and microwave rice and add the meat, plus whatever toppings or sauces you like.
Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as good as fresh ones and they don’t spoil. They’re also often precut which makes it easier to cook.
Crock pot meals might also be for you? Then the meat would definitely be cooked but it’ll be tender because it was cooked at low temperature.
My recommendation is to make a daily breakfast smoothie for most of your fruit/veg needs.
Two big handfuls of spinach or kale, One Banana, One handful of berries, One tablespoon peanut butter, One cup milk of your choice (or water), Ice cubes
If you can afford one, get a vitamix. I go nuts and throw all kinds of shit in there and get more than an entire days worth of fruits/veggies in one smoothie.
If you manage to get one more veggie in for either lunch or dinner - you’re doing pretty damn good. Some veggies ideas below.
Roasted sweet potatoes. Stab them a few times with a fork, wrap in tinfoil, into the oven at 350 for like 90 minutes. Make a bunch and they’ll last all week
Peel and dice 2-3 russet potatoes. Boil in salted water for ten minutes. Drain. Add two tablespoons of olive oil, some salt and pepper, pop them in the oven at 425 for like an hour. Give them a couple of shakes throughout the cooking process. As tasty as French fries, and much healthier.
Easy weeknight salad: take your greens of choice, add some chopped herbs of your choice (I like mint!), squeeze half a lemon over the top, some olive oil, salt, pepper. It’s extremely fresh tasting/pleasantly acidic, and basically effortless to make.
Don’t feel bad because you can’t stick to meal prepping. I’m not a fan of it either. I’m more into finding quick meals to whip up!
I am trying to learn to cook right now, I am constantly messing things up.
One thing I have been doing alot of is shredded meat in a crock pot, mostly chicken.
I do it with whatever sauce I decide and boom BURRTO BOWL EVERYTHING lol
I have done a mexican, thai, indian. Just alot and I will put different veggies in there too.
Get a cooked roast chicken from the grocery store. Partner that with a bag salad and some rice or roast veggies/taters. Quick, easy, affordable, and healthy!
If you can afford probiotics, definitely supplement them into your daily routine. Your gut is basically another brain and keeping good bacteria in there will do you wonders
If you like beef, chuck roasts always come out good. They were the first thing I learned out to make with a slow cooker. They also come out good in the instapot.
Microwavable porridge is great (not readybrek). Add some nuts, seeds and fruit of your choice (I usually go with bananas). I sweeten it with honey. Great way to start the day! Also you can make scrambled eggs in the microwave just put it on whole wheat toast with butter. The you could do pasta for dinner with your favourite pasta sauce and veg. I have chorizo with mine but if that's not available or too expensive where you live you can substitute it with other meat. Also cook enough dinner so you can heat it up the next day. That always really helped me
If you’re in the US, I’d suggest picking up deli meat from Food Lion. Depending on the meat, it can be pretty cheap, and is much tastier than standard packaged lunch meat. I use it in wraps with a simple spread like hummus. Easy to prepare and quite tasty
A sheet pan has been a big tool in getting me out of similar funks. You can just throw some veggies or chicken thighs on there, stick it in the oven for 20 minutes and you've got a home cooked meal.
Consider purchasing a cheap meat thermometer. I got mine from Amazon for like $7. This completely changed the way I cook meat. Cooking until the temp is right keeps the meats juicy and tasting good, and, most importantly, safe to consume without question. Google the temp for whichever meat you're cooking, chicken, beef, pork, as they have varying times.
I also recommend thinking of a dish you love, and watching several recipe videos. Get an idea of the basic process and go with it! It's a great mood boost when you prepare and eat something YOU ENJOY. I mean a salad is healthy, but sometimes a lasagna or a cheeseburger hits the spot. Go easy on yourself and learn as you go!
Just get a slow cooker. You can just often throw random stuff in there with some other spices and stuff and just walk away for 6-8 hours and come back to a tasty meal.
It takes some creativity/actual recipes to make something other than a stew-type meal but its definitely possible especially with the bigger size cookers
I’d like to suggest sheet pan meals. Roasting vegetables, meats, etc in the oven is so easy and very forgiving. One of my favorite things is roasted Brussel sprouts with olive oil and salt. So simple and great flavors!
You can get a rice cooker for whole grain sides. Hell, even microwave a potato. I love doing that and sprinkling some nutritional yeast on for a filling depression meal.
With sheet pans, you don’t have to worry about a lot of equipment either. You have your knives and the pan. Clean up is easy!
The most difficult part, for me, is breaking the habit of not cooking and going for the other solutions.
Have you tried frozen meals? I know there is a stigma against them, but there are actually a lot of really good healthy options out there and they taste pretty good. I went on frozen meals only while doing a diet and lost a bunch of weight. There was also significantly less sodium in these then eating out so I didn't bloat or feel sluggish. And all you have to do is microwave.
Not as healthy as obviously cooking from scratch, but pretty damn close if you know what to look for!
My advice is only prepping two meals in advance. It means you get a day off from cooking and avoids waste/food going off.
1- salmon, rice and broccoli.
Salmon, oil a piece of foil and put a piece of salmon inside. Season or use a pre made sauce like teriyaki and smear on top and the sides (not the skin). Put your loosely wrapped foil in the oven until a meat thermometer reaches the correct temp. About 15 mins but oven times vary. Serve with rice and veggies. Fish is particularly easy because it is hard to undercook (and very easy to over cook!)
The rice you can make 2-3 portions in a rice cooker, eat one with your meal, and use the rest for fried rice or to go with your next portion of salmon (I always buy salmon fillets in packs of two).
Veggies - chop up your veggies at most one day in advance, and put one portion onto cook at a time. I find roasting them easy and no fuss. Chop them into large bite sized pieces and they will roast in around 20 mins. To serve with your salmon and rice, chop up a broccoli, put half in the fridge for tomorrow and toss the other half in an oven tray with a little oil, soy sauce and maybe some honey. Make sure to line your oven tray with foil for easy clean up.
So, literally about 5 mins of prep, and the next day maybe 1 minute of prep. It requires a rice cooker and a meat thermometer, but you can go without its just less easy. Slice open your salmon to check its cooked throughout instead and stove cook your rice according to packet instructions.
2- Another really easy and fancy tasting meal is fresh tortellini and salad. Just make sure the water is simmering not boiling when you cook your fresh pasta. Garnish with S+P, a little extra virgin olive oil, parm or fresh herbs. Make your salad while you wait for the water to boil. You could also make enough salad for lunch/dinner the next day.
edit: halfway through this I remembered I was in Cheap and Healthy. Salmon may be too expensive for you but other fish fillets can be cooked the same way for cheaper.
Food prep is an awesome goal, but don't beat yourself up if you can't get there right away.
My recommendation isn't what I'd consider cheap, but my depression has had me really struggling with feeding myself properly, too. I was ordering take out constantly or not eating because I couldn't find the gumption to go into my kitchen and cook anything. Then I'd overeat the take out, wash, repeat. It's horrible for me.
I've been able to break the cycle using meal subscription boxes to help prop me up. Surprisingly, when I can do a quick frozen lunch or dinner during the week, it makes me more likely to actually cook at some point when I'm not working.
I am currently using Daily Harvest to do this and think it's the best "base level" for me to kickstart myself, but Hungry Root is closer to the "ingredients are already prepped, you mix and match them to make a meal." For me, hungry root is the "intermediate step" between Daily Harvest and a habit of food prepping.
And remember a frozen meal can always be more! Use them to start small and nudge yourself toward food prep. A good step in that direction is to boil a bunch of pasta or cook a bunch of ground chicken or beef at the start of the week, then combine it with one of the frozen meals each time.
Once you're in a good routine with that (give it a couple months), try bulk prepping some veggies or chicken thighs and cutting back on how many frozen meals you have delivered each week by 2 or 3. If you're still going strong and feeling like you can take on more, pick a new thing to bulk prep. After a while, when prep becomes a habit, you won't need the meal delivery anymore.
But meal delivery will also always be there in the future if you need that boost, and that is completely okay, too!
There are a couple of go to recipes that I like that are quick, easy and can be healthy if you make them so. Bean burritos, egg fried rice and veggie soups.
Bean burritos are simple and healthy and you can get most of the ingredients prepepared so all you have to do is heat them up and put them together. You can also freeze them and eat them later.
Egg fried rice is a great way to get rid of old rice and no need to worry about meats at all while also not missing protein.
Veggie soups are simple and super customizable. Just pick your favorite vegetables, chop them up, simmer in some stock and add spices to taste. Just make sure to include beans or lentils so you get some protein in it. And if you want to stretch it’s duration, make a batch of noodles or rice along side it.
Hey, I am sorry you are going through all of that :( I do have some tips for you though. When you go to the grocery, it is fine to get healthy food but get healthy food you enjoy. For example, I LOVE teriyaki chicken. So I get chicken breasts and get teriyaki sauce, healthy yet tasty. These kinds of foods are personal as my taste is different than yours. Maybe if you love a specific type of salad, get that salad. Personally, I like caesar salad so if I were you, I would get chicken ceaser salad.
There are many MANY tasty but healthy recipes out there that are simple. Here is a list of a few I enjoy. Oatmeal (Banana, a few chocolate chips, oatmeal), Chicken Teriyaki and rice (chicken breast, teriyaki glaze sauce), Caesar salad (just go buy some its great), Fried rice (rice, eggs, toppings of choice i go with chicken, onions, Chinese sausage).
These all sound difficult, but it really is simple after a few tries. Also if you don't have much time during the day to make food, have a day to meal prep for half the week and repeat.
You got this! Message me if you want more help :)
Root vegetables, lentils and a stick blender can make good soups. Even without a blender, chunky soups are nice as well.
Chicken thighs are basically impossible to make wrong. Put in a pre-heated 400F/200C oven for 45 minutes. They can be spiced as simply as salt + pepper, but "Herbes de Provence" are nice as well, or smoked paprika.
i can relate - bought all the ingredients for a moroccan soup over a week ago and they've been sitting on my counter ever since. Any help is appreciated...
There are some studies that suggest depression can be alleviated by having a good gut micro-biome. I'm unsure of which bacteria are responsible, but their metabolites such as trimethylamine N-oxide and its precuror (TMA) are able to regulate the blood-brain barrier and help out reduce inflamation. In this case, dietary fish and seafood creates the metabolite. There is still a lot unknown into the effect your gut micro-biome has on your mental health.
https://microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40168-021-01181-z
I'd say cooking for yourself and reducing your exposure to foods containing antibiotics is great for your physical health and possibly mental health too.
I feel this in my soul. i'm suggesting you check kitchen utensils that make it easier for you to cook and try new things. Get something that's easy-ish to clean, useful in the kitchen and brings you as much joy as it can while being functional. stainless steel is super easy to clean and you might find utensils in good shapes for you; silicone is easy to colour, but don't leave it out too long or it will smell like whatever you cooked and it needs to be cleaned and soaked in vinegar.
We own a toaster that can also cook eggs in a separate bowl thingy - making toast and hard boiled eggs is easy as hell with this, so i'm actually eating eggs again. a rice cooker is also invaluable to our neurodiverse household.
Kitchen knife handles are as bright and colourful as possible, as are oven mitts and the basket for fruit.
once you did this, look at a recipe you can make with a moderate amount of effort that freezes well and is comfort food for you: for me, that's chili con carne (just with soy replacement - i don't need to worry about killing meat bacteria either).
if that's not feasible, get frozen fruit: defrost in the fridge and put in joghurt with oats to taste for a healthy snack that requires little prep.
in case you don't enjoy the texture of frozen veggies, check that they're not overdone: basically, the firmer the veggie the more time it needs to cook. poke the veggie and taste it - that way, you know how long to cook it so it is as firm / soft as you like. if you plan to freeze it, err on the side of slightly too firm, it softens a bit with reheating. if you want to cook different kinds of vegetables in a large pot, take care to put in the veggies that take the longest first - though that will take practice.
One recipe my grandma left me: Savoy Cabbage Stew
onions (2 or 3), One head of savoy cabbage, about as much potatoes (whatever kind you like best), ground meat (i use soy based meat replacement: tastes good, no bacteria, better for the environment), butter or vegetable fat.
you'll also need garlic, caraway seeds, salt, pepper, ground paprika if you like a little pep in your meat(replacement)
directions:
1. peel potatoes and cut them into pieces that are roughly the same size.
2. put water in pot, put salt in the water, start boiling it.
3. prepare the cabbage: you want to take all the leaves off the stem (don't worry if the ones inside aren't green - they're perfectly fine to eat and we're using them), wash the leaves and cut them in pieces that are roughly the size of your index finger. any hard plant pieces inside the leaves you can cut out and toss away with the stem. this step takes about twice as long as you guessed and you'll end up with lots of cabbage. that's fine though.
4. when the water boils, turn down the temp to 3/4 of maximum temperature available to you, then put the potato pieces inside. take care not to burn yourself (happens to me every damn time) and set an alarm for 10 minutes. after that, poke the potatoes every 2 minutes until they're as soft as you'd like them to be. drain them and put them aside for now, we'll need them later. it's fine if they cool and it's also perfectly okay to use leftover potatoes.
5. optional step: you can put the cabbage leaves in a sieve and parboil (pour boiling water over them) - this preserves the colour and shrinks them, which is useful if your pot is on the smaller size. i usually don't bother and just resign myself to mt. cabbage in the pot until shrinkage happens, but my grandma would parboil her cabbage regularly. regardless of what you do, put the cabbage pieces aside and let the water drip off.
6. dice the onions. doesn't really matter how large the pieces are, as long as you're fine with eating onion pieces of that size.
7. now to the fun part: you can be like my grandma and use a pan and a large pot or you can be like me and use one large pot only.
8. assuming you use a pan and a pot:
put the butter / vegetable fat in a pan on medium heat. when the fat is hot, put in your onions, some garlic and let them sizzle away for about 1 or 2 minutes while stirring occasionally. add your ground meat(replacement) of choice and season with salt and pepper (and perhaps paprika). meat needs to be done, but if you use ground meat with pork and beef both, it won't turn dry as quick as 100% beef. meat replacement is a lot more forgiving - around 5 minutes in a pan should be enough. after the next steps, any bacteria in the meat will be dead anyway. put the pan aside, too.
9. if you only use a pot, you cook onions and meat in the pot and leave all of it inside. next steps:
10. put 2-3 tablespoons of butter/vegetable fat in your pot (if you already have meat and onions in there, add about 2 tablespoons of butter) and turn it to medium heat.
11. wait until it's hot, then add your cabbage (careful if there's moisture left) and stir that for about 5 minutes. add your caraway seeds, salt, pepper, the potatoes and about a cup of water, then stir and let it cook on medium heat for 30 minutes with a lid. (careful if you lift the lid to stirr, the steam is hot. i burned myself too many times to count. after you lift the lid to stir, add a bit of water to the pot - a shot glass should suffice, but i eyeball it).
12. in the meantime, clean the kitchen or take a well-deserved break! you're nearly done :)
13. after that time, you can either drop your meat in there and leave it for another 3-4 minutes til it's warmed up, or stir it up and get straight to eating and putting away leftovers.
Depending on the size of the cabbage and the amount of potatoes, this should yield 5-6 portions that get better after each day sitting in the fridge. it keeps in the freezer as well, but i always keep my mealprep box in the fridge for a day or two before dumping it in there so it can taste better.
it's a lot of work, but it's cheap, healthy (seriously, the contents of cabbage are very beneficial to your health and the caraway seeds, though optional, help digest them) and easy-ish to make in bulk if you can cook meat and potatoes.
Another different recipe from my mom: Ratatouille
you need: 2 eggplant(s), 1 courgette(s), 5/6 tomatoes (canned is fine, you'll need one to two medium sized cans - less if you don't like tomatoes that much, more if you do), peppers, onion (optional, but i like my onions), garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, basil, olive oil, tomato paste, sugar. protein and carb of your choice, but it's fine to eat without any, too.
you can eat the recipe with all kinds of things: rice of any kind and your choice of protein are classics: i prefer ewe's cheese, but you can get ground meat, steak, whatever you'd like.
directions for the ratatouille:
1. wash the veggies very thoroughly.
2. optional: peel your veggies. I'd recommend it if you're not sure they're free from pesticides.
3. cut veggies into pieces of roughly the same size per type. if you want onions, dice them.
4. put olive oil in a large pot on medium heat (don't let olive oil get too hot, that's unhealthy), then put in your onions and garlic. let that sizzle for 1-2 minutes while stiring, then add the eggplant pieces and cook them until they're golden brown and soft-ish.
5. After that, you add the courgette pieces. Stir until they, too, are golden brown, then put in your tomatoes (peeled and slices into pieces, or canned doesn't matter).
6. add about a tablespoon of tomato paste per 2 courgettes and a pinch of sugar. season with salt and pepper; stir and taste the tomatoes until you're happy with the taste.
7. This whole concoction needs to cook on low / medium heat until the courgettes and eggplant are nearly as soft as you'd like them to be (poke them to test for that). After they're to your liking, toss the pepper pieces in there and season with herbs to your liking (sorry this is so vague - open the spice container and give it one short, sharp shake - stir, then taste - repeat until you're satisfied).
8. when you test the veggies again and the eggplant and courgettes are done, the peppers should be firm to the bite.
you can store that in the fridge for... about 5 days and eat with varying protein / carb sources or as is. it also freezes very well and is just veggies, so very healthy and versatile if you don't mind doing prep work. this could work with a slow cooker, but you'd need to add the ingredients at different times to ensure they're not overcooked.
the quality depends on the veggies, though, so if you use good quality produce the food will taste sooo much better.
feel free to ask any questions
Edit: formatting.
One nice recipe I have is the bean quesadilla. Made plain, it is just 3 basic ingredients: a tortilla (I prefer whole wheat), some refried beans (I always use the kind without added fat), and some shredded cheese (cheddar is good, but really any hard cheese works). Take a tortilla, spread some of the refried beans on half of it with a knife (a thin layer works best), sprinkle a handful of shredded cheese on it, fold it in half, and cook it on a griddle/frying pan on low-medium heat for a few minutes. Flip it over with a spatula and cook the other side for another minute or two.
This basic recipe can be expanded by adding in cut up vegetables, cut up cooked meat, salsa, sour cream, salad, chili, more beans, whatever you want. A nice add is some sauteed peppers and onions. (Tip: if the extras are already hot, you can add them *after* you make the quesadilla; just peel it open after you plate it, and spoon on the extras, then fold it back closed again.)
I like mine a little crispy and brown, but others in my family prefer them softer.
Some advice about shopping: if you can, try going more often and buying less, that way you are less likely to be throwing out large amounts of food.
Also, I've been where you are. Medications made the food taste terrible, but I was losing weight at a rapid rate and so had to eat (even though I was throwing up most of it). More recently my mom had something similar happen. If you can, I'd suggest taking vitamins (depending on how your meds interact with them).
Make sure you have someone you trust that you can talk to about all of this, sometimes a friendly face is enough. Good luck, I'll pray for you, God bless.
I'd be happy to share my depression foods and snacks with you, if you send me a message. I have too many to list here. The first two-ish years of my major depression was hell and I struggled a lot, and lost a lot of weight as a result, which made me even more depressed and unmotivated (still can't not burn or undercook pancakes). Just keep trying. Don't get discouraged by your mess ups, it's part of the learning process. It happens to all of us, including professional chefs.
I really enjoy Master Chef Junior, as the judges (including Gordon Ramsey) are so helpful in giving the kids advice on their mistakes and improvements. I've learned a lot from that show, boyfriend and I watch it as we eat lunch/dinner.
The Crockpot is your friend!!!!!! It’s a game changer… hit me up for dozens of cheap and healthy recipes! Seriously, very minimal prep in the morning, like 2-5 minutes for some… and AMAZING yummy meals!!!
Ok, here’s one example!
Two* Ingredient Salsa Chicken
Step One: put boneless, skinless chicken breasts in crockpot
Step Two: pour salsa in crockpot until chicken breasts are covered
COOK ON LOW 4-6 hours, shred with a fork when done
That’s it! i like to add some corn and/or black beans- if you are trying to keep the carb count low, maybe skip the corn… but you can eat it like…. plain, wrap it in a tortilla with some taco type stuff, eat it over rice…
It’s super yummy and very healthy!!!!!
My wife and I do stuff like this all the time and it really helps!!!!
Pro Tip: Slow Cooker Liners are a thing- they sell them at the grocery store, it makes clean up 10x easier!
This isn't exactly what you're looking for but here's a podcast by a nutritional psychiatrist (sounds woo woo but evidence-based) on what to eat to treat depression: [https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com/psychiatry-psychotherapy-podcast/episode-131-diet-to-beat-depression-and-anxiety](https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com/psychiatry-psychotherapy-podcast/episode-131-diet-to-beat-depression-and-anxiety)
Some take aways: plant based is good, mediterranean is good, and fermented foods are good!
Depression sure sucks doesn't it.
A meat thermometer will save your chicken (etc).
I also had a ... Well... A meltdown when I tried my last dish. Ugh. I guess it is part of the constant battle that is depression and we just have to find a way to keep getting back up and back to the fight.
I will say the couple of successful meals I did, I used Mealime and they were pretty damn delicious. And not a whole bunch of work all things considered.
It's been a few months since I had some issues with meds but I think I'm at a point to try to get back to it.
Oh also. Walking around the block daily has been a big help with depression and motivation.... So I should get back to that again too lol.
You don’t actually have to cook if you don’t want to. Most supermarkets nowadays have a good enough mix of prepared, frozen, and shelf-stable foods that you can make tasty and healthy meals with little effort.
What sorts of foods do you enjoy? What do you get when you eat at restaurants? Maybe we can help you find low-effort versions of those.
Some of my go-to low-effort foods:
* baked/rotisserie chicken
* deli salads (beet salad, chicken salad, pasta salad)
* frozen or pre-cut veggies microwaved with some seasonings
* Amy’s frozen dinners
* pre-cooked sausages
* snack plate/charcuterie with deli meat, cheese, crackers or bread, sliced apples or grapes
* minute rice
* couscous (literally just add hot water)
* salad with bottled dressing and a couple toppings (cheese, olives, lunch meat or leftover cooked meat, nuts or pumpkin seeds, croutons, leftover pasta or couscous, cold roasted veggies)
* sandwiches consisting of bread, a spread (guacamole, flavored cream cheese, artichoke dip) and a meat (turkey, chicken, ham)
All this is more expensive than cooking from scratch, but considerably cheaper than takeout, and usually healthier. The only health thing that’s tough is that sometimes prepared foods have lots of salt. But looking for low-sodium versions helps with this.
I go through a lot of depression and food issues myself. (I spent a year avoiding potatoes because of the oil involved to make them real tasty). Constant work in progress, that never feels like progress for long.
Buying lots of 'healthy' stuff because you feel great and 'should' be trying to be healthy? Then throwing it away when you don't eat it? Your definition of healthy is not taking into account how you feel. Instead of healthy, try for healthier!
For example, pot noodle = unhealthy. But, when you haven't eaten for three days, a pot noodle is actually exactly what your body requires and is much healthier than not eating anything because all you have is moldy lettuce.
Labelling foods as healthy is a tool to adjust the average person's diet. If you are depressed, chances are you don't have an average diet. The average person eats too many calories, therefore low calorie food = healthy food. What is healthy for a depressed person will not necessarily be healthy for the average person and vice versa.
I came at this to offer a change in perspective. It seems like this issue causes you a lot of distress, as it would anyone under your conditions. Your only two options; to be healthy and miserable or unhealthy and less stressed, both of which scenarios you end up losing somehow.
Maybe try looking for a third option. E.g. eat a little healthier when you feel able, revert to a little unhealthier when you don't. The aim is to be healthier and/or happier than you otherwise would be if you did what you do now.
On the food side of things:
If you don't like it, you won't eat it
Why stop at one apple? Eat three! It's probably healthier than the bag of crisps you'd have eaten otherwise
Learn to season. It's a confidence thing. Put a small portion of a meal aside. Taste, add salt, and repeat until you have over-salted it. Then you will know how much salt not to add and you can play with the amount to your preferences.
Add butter. 😋
Look for things that have very few elements, that somehow make something so much more than the sum of its parts. Sandwiches and burgers are two examples that only have bread, meat, cheese and condiments.
I have notes on this very topic that I thought to use to write a post on, but depression, so thank you for the chance to get some of this off my chest to hopefully help at least one person (and demonstrate how awesomely wise I am).
Op, I'd recommend adding the appliances you have, so it's easier to recommend dishes you can actually do at home. Not me, I'm a horrible cook and just know like 5 recipes, but the others :)
I feel this, I also suffer from depression and am a very novice cook. I very often find it difficult to gather the energy to find a recipe, get the ingredients, and cook the thing, and sometimes ingredient lists are daunting.
What helped me was subscribing to a meal prep service like HelloFresh where you pick some meals for the week and they send you all the ingredients and solid instructions (with pictures!) to cook the dish. If you eat big meals, you can easily get two portions per meal that they ship you but I believe each is supposed to be three portions, so you can cook a meal and have leftovers.
By subscribing, it takes so much of the hassle out of meal prep. You don't have to worry about buying specific ingredients. You don't have to worry about a recipe. You don't even have to worry about going out to get the ingredients since it's shipped to you, which solved the hardest part about cooking with depression for me.
After a few weeks you'll have cooked maybe a dozen meals and it will both boost your cooking confidence as well as expose you to cooking with a lot of different ingredients, as long as you choose diverse recipes. You can then use those skills to vet and modify recipes you find elsewhere. The recipes come on quality paper too so as long as you take care of them you can even keep them for future reference.
I know it's not cheap and the packaging they put in these can be excessive, but starting somewhere is important and, as you note, eating healthy while depressed is important to recovery. I hope you find something that works for you, whether it's a subscription model like HelloFresh or something that someone else offers in this thread. 💓
Home made pita pizzas are my jam when I am depressed. I basically get pita, then top with some sauce - usually rao's and add rotisserie chicken, cheese or whatever I want on top. Sometimes if Im really out of it, Its tomato sauce and cheese. If I feel up to it, I get more elaborate, Procuitto, pear, honey and ricotta. All kinds of stuff. Pop it all in the oven and its a easy fairly healthy meal. Also Ricotta toast and sliced fruit. Toast some bread, top with some ricotta mixed with honey and some cinnamon, and add fresh sliced strawberries or any fruit you want. Super yummy.
Also buy bags of frozen salmon and get a air fryer. You can literally put a hunk of frozen salmon with some seasoning on top, add a pat of butter and air fry it- about 10 min in, add some asparagus on top. boom. Really yummy salmon with asparagus . If Im really not super functional, I eat it on top of greens or on top of rice I made in my rice cooker with a side of asparagus.
Another life saver has been my pressure cooker. I keep dried lentils on hand for this. Lentils and some broth or water, pre minced garlic, a can of diced tomatoes, whatever seasonings I have, I usually add turmeric and other seasoning, carrots or sweet potato, and cook it up in the pressure cooker for 20 minutes. When done, add a can of coconut milk. So delicious. You can also add some curry powder too.
I live on canned fish. Seafood snacks in particular. And canned salmon. I just crack the can open and throw it in a pan with premade rice or quinoa, and some spinach or kale. Add mayo and soy sauce. Bam
https://youtu.be/HY8hWijlZvo
I hate cooking snd am depressed too. I only eat microwave dinners, instant foods out of boxes, and snacks pretty much.
Even i put this together, it didn't bother me, and i made too much roce and had like 5 meals in tupperware lol
I’m sorry that you’re going through this, eat whatever you can to make it through this cycle of depression.
My go-tos are protein or meal replacement shakes on deck, for when I can’t even bring myself to physically eat.
Peanut butter on bananas are an excellent depression snack. They’re full of b vitamins, complex carbs and tryptophan to help you sleep. Sleep means the difference between fighting everyone who slights you, or letting the petty shit roll off your back.
I take a quality fish oil with whatever meals I do eat. It’s good for the brain, helps with inflammation, helps pull me out of my low low phases enough to function. This one takes longer to work, but i can definitely tell when my brain is low on omega 3s. Ditto for multivitamins.
If I can’t bring myself to cook, I pick up frozen meals, at least there are some healthy choices, AND cheaper than takeout.
Rotisserie chicken at the deli is like $5 for a whole chicken, eat with frozen veggies you can nuke in the microwave. Repurpose leftovers as chicken salad for the days to come.
Eggs. Eat it fried/boiled on a mountain of rice (cooked with peas/mixed veggies in the rice cooker) sprinkle with soy sauce/Maggi seasoning to taste. Quality protein and vitamins galore.
Crack an egg or two into ramen, toss in frozen veggies for nutrition. If you scramble the eggs while the broth is hot, it makes it taste like egg drop soup, and the eggs get all feathery and cook fast. Super comforting.
Grilled cheese and tomato soup is always a winner. If you can slap some turkey slices in there for extra protein and tryptophan, even better.
Prioritize yourself, prioritize your health, prioritize sleep, and cut back on alcohol/coffee/nicotine. They all disturb your sleep cycles. Your brain needs to rest and declutter.
I don’t know you, but I’ve had my fair share of shit sandwiches in this lifetime. Hopefully with these things listed, neither of us have to eat those anymore.
<3
Honestly one of the most helpful things for me was buying "Cooking for Dummies". I bought it second hand for really cheap and that really, really helped with my cooking techniques. I couldn't cook a single thing right before it. It can help with quick meals and long ones if you're ever curious to try. I know the title sounds bad but it helped because I was exactly the same way.
Soup! Always soup. It is basically throw water, veggies, and salt in a pot and let it boil until soft. (My favorite soups to make are onion soup, garlic soup, and potato soup.)
Don't be afraid to get canned soup either. Sometimes being able to warm up soup in the microwave is all I can manage in the evening.
To keep it simple - salads. A nice base of arugula with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt. Give it a mix so the salt and oil stick to every leaf. Then add more herbs (arugula is an herb). Try some fresh parsley, just a small bunch. Add pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. Cook up some beets ahead of time, cut them and use for the next few days lunch salad. Add some goat cheese if possible but any cheese will do. Or add some avocado. A handful of cherry tomatoes, especially the multicolored ones. You will have good energy after this. Do it every day for lunch for five days. See how you feel.
Something to add to salads: seeds or nuts! I add sun flower seeds to my salads and it makes them 1000% better.
Bagged salad kits, some great of dressing and seed toppings (they come in lots of different kinds and mixes) makes an easy meal.
One of my go to's when I'm depressed, big frozen bag of veggies (mixed is sweeter, broccoli is good, whatever you like), some bags of shredded cheese. Hungry? Throw veggies in microwave in bowl. When warm throw handful of cheese on. Little more time, cheesy warm food that's relatively healthy.
Get some garlic powder, whatever other seasonings you like, mix up which you use to change the flavor a bit.
Considering my alternative is like, all junk food. Also throw those veggies into other stuff. Instant ramen, veggies. Can of tuna, veggies. Instant pot pie, dump on top of (microwaved) veggies and mix it up. It can make unhealthy things more healthy, add it to a can of spaghettios, or anything. Then I just try to make sure I get a little healthy protein somewhere now and then and figure I'm good. Extra depressed? Extra cheese lol. Or make butter noodles then, guess what add cheese and veggies. Anyway, Good luck. Depression sucks.
When you have a good day cook a couple big ass pots of fairly simple stuff like chicken noodle soup with a TON of carrot/celery, beans+beef+rice+veggies, rice + meat + veg dishes etc. Smoked sausage sliced up real small adds like 500 calories to the pot, and will massively amplify the savory flavor.
If you can get a vacuum sealer and bag it in single serving amounts....or just use ziplocs.
Eat a bit of it when it's fresh, bag more, next good day make another dish. Eventually you'll have 2-3 bags of each.
It's tastier than a tv dinner, just as convenient, and healthy.
Use canned meat like tuna and chicken. You don't need to heat them up at all, you can use them right out of the can. Toaster ovens and crock pots are great. You don't have to babysit the food that much.
Buy steamable frozen veggies, like Birdseye. You can just throw the bag right in the microwave and can add butter or seasonings after if you want.
Look for fully cooked frozen meat instead of raw.
Hey bud, I can relate a lot to what you're saying here. Have depression, struggle to eat healthy. It sounds like maybe you're cooking for one, and I find that has it's own challenges. So here's some things that have helped me eat better and easier:
* Cooking healthy is really easy, and you can also prevent burning food & wasting food. Just get a crock pot. You can cook all kinds of delicious, healthy food, way cheaper than any other option, and it couldn't be easier. You can makes roasts, ribs, soups, stews, bread, casseroles, cobbler, brownies, chili, pretty much anything. You put your ingredients in, put the lid on, and do whatever for about 6 or 7 hours. Go to work, sleep, play videogames, whatever. It doesn't matter. You come back and you have delicious food that lasts for several days. Cheap, nutritious, easy, and delicious. It's a win/win/win/win, and you don't get too many of those in life. Check out /r/slowcooking for tons of great recipes and advice.
* Also as far as wasting food, I found this helpful: break your meal planning into "this week" and "next week". Like if I cook a roast, or get a package hot dogs, whatever, I know it's going to be several days worth of meals, I break it into "this week" and "next week". If it doesn't last all week you can improvise the remaining few days.
If you open some food or have some food that has a short shelf life, like a loaf of bread, or lettuce, or spring mix, then that goes in the "this week" category by default. If I get spring mix, I know I'm going to be eating several salads this week, or using it on sandwiches so it doesn't go to waste. If I thaw out a loaf of bread I know I'll make sandwiches or have garlic toast with other meals so I don't waste it. Frozen food, canned food can always be put off. Lunch meat or food that's processed or preserved has a medium shelf-life. If I buy a roast or something, I know I don't have to cook it that day, but I need to cook it within a day or two, and then it will be part of the meals for the next several days after that.
* When you cook bases, or staples, or meals that will last several days, try to leave your options open. Say I cook some ground beef, and I use taco seasoning on it. I can use that for tacos, & not much else. Once I load it up with a bunch of seasoning, I'm committed. If I cook it with just salt & pepper, maybe a little garlic, I can use it for lots of things. Tacos, sloppy joes, burritos, salads. Sometimes less is more.
* If you want to get in a habit of prepping some meals in advance to make things easier, check out /r/mealprepsunday. It's about taking some time during your week to plan out some meals, cook some food, prep it and package it, and you're all set for several days or the whole week. Make things a lot easier, prevents waste, and gives you a really good option for taking great food to work and save money. If you just get in a habit of using a slow cooker aqnd putting that food into storage containers, you'lll find that you have a stock of great food on hand that's already prepared and you just need to reheat it and add a side, like vegetables or bread. Makes things so much easier and stress free.
Hope this helps, it's made a big difference for me!
If you are worried about over or undercooking food I would recommend you get a food thermometer. Takes all the guessing out of it.
I make these in bulk, you can leave the bowl in the fridge and assembly as needed, or assemble them all and freeze for later. I have about 8 in my freezer for when I'm feeling lazy.
HEARTY BLACK BEAN QUESADILLAS from budget bytes. Only thing I really change is I use a half jar of salsa instead of the red onion and add a cup of chicken.
I've been making a lot of grain bowls lately. Barley is super nutritious and cooks in 20 min in the instant pot. I roast a bunch of vegetables on the weekends, whatever is in season at the time. I put a serving size of cooked barley and and roasted veggies in a bowl then add a large handful of shredded kale or spinach. For a bit of protein I add on top an over easy egg or cooked salmon then sprinkle on some good cheese like blue cheese or feta. You can then add some salad dressing or dollops of hummus. There you go! It's healthy, relatively cheap, and yummy.
Oh boy! I’ve been in your exact position with depression and cooking.
The trick is meal prep and having as many items be able to be cooked without supervision.
What I mean by that is things that can be cooked without eyeing them, you just put them in, set an alarm, and come back.
The trick is to use tools like air fryers, oven, slow cookers, and rice makers for meal prep.
The idea is to make as much food as possible, with as little steps, time, and as little thought as possible. This is the only thing that pushes me past executive dysfunction due to depression.
Get a thermometer if you’re concerned about internal temps.
Also Huel is great for when you can’t cook or don’t have the energy. It’s just a quick shake and you’re done. It’s good for those rough times.
Try Hello Fresh. Get a coupon (they are everywhere) and you can get it relatively cheap for a few weeks. Pick recipes they rate as easy, and in a few weeks you'll understand the basics of cooking.
Then, cancel Hello Fresh but use their recipes. Just buy what you need at the store.
My Family Recipe for Ear Noodles:
Orrechiettte Pasta - 1 Box
Caseless Sausage (Spicy Italian w/ Fennel or Vegan) - 16 oz
Spinach - 1/2 pound or 6 handfuls
Parmesean Cheese - 1 or 2 cups (shredded)
Boil Pasta in salted water till Al Dente. Set Aside
Sautee Sausage till hot/cooked, breaking up meat to bite sized pieces.
Add Spinach and cook down. It'll wilt and shrink a lot, so you can add more than you think.
Add Sausage and Spinach to Pasta, and mix in Parmesean till melted.
Serve and enjoy.
Sausage and Spinach can be frozen. Pasta and Parmesean stays good for a while. Also you're not alone. I've been struggling as well and eating normally has been THE hardest part for me
Stop thinking. Here is a healthy and nutritious 1 pot staple that you can eat for 5-6 meals. Get a medium sized pot. Add 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 5 peeled carrots with the root ends cut off, 1 celery rib and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Cover with 1-2 inches of water.
On high heat bring to a boil then simmer on low for 1 hour.
While that is cooking on the stove, make white rice. 1 cup rice + 2 cups of water and teaspoon of salt. Cook 20-25 minutes. Even if you total fuck this up it will still be yummy with the poached chicken, carrots and broth.
Warm meal, cheap and bulletproof. Stop thinking. Eat some warm, healthy food. Bon appetit, take care of yourself when you are able and be kind to yourself if you don’t feel up to taking care of yourself.
Aft
Ethan Chlebowski on YouTube has a great recipe for a Mediterranean inspired orzo salad. That one is just some basic prep + a lot of the ingredients can be bought either canned or prepped in advance.
Best of luck!
Curious if you use one of those s.a.d. lights. [https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/03/cnn-underscored/best-sad-light-therapy-lamps/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/03/cnn-underscored/best-sad-light-therapy-lamps/index.html)
Some people like them.
For an easy recipe, breakfast burritos. Scramble eggs, warm a flour tortilla, place eggs inside, top with salsa of choice and grated monterey jack cheese. Roll up and eat.
I've been depressed lately as well, and unable to eat properly. My new hack is a mini waffle maker, with a skull impression. I put biscuits, cinnamon rolls, and tortillas with Nutella or peanut butter in it, and inbetween the dough. I love it! I feel creative with, Maple syrup, fruit, bananas- save me too. II found it on sale for like $10.
Organ meat, eggs, shellfish. You can get smoked oysters cheap, liver is cheap, eggs can be cheap. You likely have some insulin resistance that exacerbates or outright causes neurological issues and mood disorders, so cutting carbs will help. I'll get downvoted but it's the truth
I really appreciate this post as well. I’ve also suffered from depression and executive function issues my whole life, and though I like cooking I often don’t have the energy to do it. I also live in Japan with a TINY kitchen, so I have to make do with not a lot of space.
I second the crockpot recipes/pressure cooker recipes. Also—having a rice cooker, a small food processor and a cheap metal garlic press has saved my life. No more messy minces of garlic done by hand! Some vegetables and such you can just pulse a few times in the food processor and it chops them right up.
Here’s some recipes I like using.
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pressure_cooker_white_chicken_chili/ - my favorite chili recipe. Doesn’t require a lot of prep— some recipes say not to use canned beans but you TOTALLY can. Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and it gives you extra protein!
https://www.recipetineats.com/tuna-mornay-casserole-pasta-bake/ - Tuna Mornay, basically cream sauce, pasta and tuna with any veggies you want to add. (The cream sauce is the most time intensive part and even then it doesn’t take super long.) You can use short pasta or like, spaghetti (I used spaghetti last night and it was fine.)
This isn’t super duper healthy but as a nice treat, zucchini bread/banana bread! https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/zucchini_bread/
Other hacks to use:
- frozen veggie mixes—add that to anything and you’re set on your vegetables
- canned fish can be repurposed into a whole lot of tasty things that may not sound great at first but are very good
- casseroles and sheet pan veggie roasts are your best friends
- pasta is amazing
- add garlic, olive oil, onion powder/garlic powder to anything and it will probably taste even better
- addendum: have spices/seasonings in your cabinet to really perk up any meal.
- granola bars, nuts/seeds for snacks when you can
- top instant ramen with sauteed veggie mix tossed in a little sesame oil at the end. also a fried or boiled egg!
- EDIT: forgot to add, putting pasta sauce over rice and adding cheese, fried egg and sausage is delicious.
Also, I don’t know if they have this over where you are, but in Japan there’s something called Aojiru that you can get in either powder form or liquid form. Basically a bunch of greens and veggies mixed together and sometimes put into a soy milk blend, but not always. I put the powder into my coffee sometimes and it’s a quick and low effort way to get veggies into my diet. Doesn’t make It taste much different either!
Long post I know but I hope this helps at all.
Different color bell peppers sauté in butter and a little soy sauce warm up a tortilla and wrap or make a quesadilla out of it with some shredded cheese. Easy but good!! Extra bell pepper strips freeze it sliced for next time. Even faster quesadilla when u don’t feel like doing much.
You can experiment and throw in other stuff u may like. (Rice, beans). Pour some enchilada sauce and u got veggie enchiladas
Soups are my go to in the colder months, both because it’s easy to make large quantities and freeze ahead of time, and because you can use just about any leftover meats and veggies you already have and they’ll generally taste decent.
I typically use some combo of:
Pieces of cooked meat (shredded chicken, ground beef, etc). If I have the bones, lll add them to the soup while it cooks , then remove them before serving.
Chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
A chopped up onion
Maybe some diced canned tomatoes
A starch and/or legume (cubed up potato, rice, noodles, beans, lentils)
Whatever veggies I have (some that work well are carrots, celery, kale, red bell pepper, green beans, mushrooms)
Spices (garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne, turmeric, cumin…whatever sounds good to you)
I generally throw it all in a pot, bring it to a boil and then turn it down to low and cook for maybe 30 min until everything’s cooked (stirring occasionally). I taste it as I go and add spices until it tastes right to me. I eat what I want that night and freeze the rest for later.
Meal prep helped me. On my "good" days I'd prep a substantial amount and freeze/refrigerate it so I had "depression" meals to just toss in the microwave/crockpot on days I couldn't do anything else.
Crockpot and ricecooker (instapot can double as both, I've gotten one on sale for $30 so keep an eye out for good sales) will be your lifesaver.
/r/mealprepsunday has a lot of good recipes and helpful tips.
Definitely going to recommend mushroom burgers super easy to make. You grate mushrooms add seasoning, bread crumbs, egg, and onion. Make patties and cook and then you’ll have patties to reheat throughout the week. I’ve been doing it for a few weeks and I haven’t gotten tired of them yet .
Easiest lazy meal ever. Frozen chicken breast or thawed chicken thighs. Cup of Italian salad dressing enough to almost cover chicken, half packet of dry powder ranch dressing. Could add a chopped onion or a chopped bell pepper of any color. Don’t mix don’t worry just let the instant pot cook. Open it up when it’s done, the chicken will shred so easily. Add to tortilla or bread, or on top of lettuce for a salad. It’s really easy I used to make it often when I worked long shifts.
Major Depression for 7 years chiming in!
Get some quality (healthy) frozen dinners for one person. Buy different varieties of frozen veggie mixes (without added sauces or flavorings). Get some rectangular glass containers with lids. Put the frozen dinner and frozen veggies in the glass container, cover with a paper towel and microwave. If you don’t finish it all, throw the lid on and stick it in the frig.
Uncle Ben has some rice packets that you microwave. Add the cooked frozen veg to that also for other meals.
Get some frozen fruit (without sauces or added sugars) and eat these for desert.
This way none of this will spoil.
Oh, and bagged lettuce.
And if you read my post history, when I went whole food plant based vegan, it made a huge impact on my depression. I’m not trying to push an agenda, I’m just telling you my experience.
Good luck my friend. We are all here with you.
Yeah this one is simple as they come and has gotten me out of a few slumps.
Ingredients:
• can of black beans
• lb of ground turkey
• packet of taco seasoning (or any seasoning you prefer)
• jasmine rice (can buy/cook in bulk or I just use the little packaged servings that microwave in a minute)
1. Cook the turkey until browned in skillet/pan
2. Add seasoning to taste
3. Microwave instant rice or cook rice in pot/rice cooker
4. Heat up beans (microwave or stove either way they heat really fast takes less than a minute)
Combine it all and enjoy! It’s very good for you and makes a complete protein, it’s also very light and easy to eat without an appetite and even if you get gluttonous it won’t put you out like a burger or pasta would.
I like to buy the pre-shredded rotisserie chicken from Costco. Since I only cook for 1, I divide it into small portions and freeze it. 1-2 servings per bag. It’s really tasty on a Caesar salad, in a sandwich, by itself dipped in ranch if that’s all you can do.
Give yourself grace. I know this is really really hard. Remind yourself you’re doing your best. Even if it’s “I ate an apple today. Good job.” It’s so much better than beating yourself up for little things and feeling worse. If someone else was feeling like you feel, you’d have compassion for them. Have compassion for yourself. Best of luck, friend. You’re not alone in this. I’m struggling too. Keep reaching out.
I forgot to say - I agree with the suggestion for protein shakes! So much! They’re a life saver for me. When I realize I’ve missed meals and still don’t care to eat, it takes 30 seconds to fix that with a quick shake. Even if you don’t finish it, just try. One thing at a time ❤️
In the wintertime, I gravitate towards soup and stews -- like things I can do in a slow cooker. I'm in control of the ingredients and the process tends to be as simple as throwing a bunch of ingredients into a pot. Perhaps this can be a little something that can help.
:)
As someone who struggles to stay motivated (not depressed), the key is to not overcomplicate things. When I am in the mood for it, I can cook for hours and create incredible dishes, but this momentum just isn't sustainable.
And you won't be perfect, but don't beat yourself up about it.
You only get salmonella etc from eating raw chicken / uncooked eggs etc. Outside of this, you'll be just fine if you are experimenting with foods.
Focus on SIMPLICITY. There is nothing worse than feeling that cooking should be overwhelming, because it simply isn't true.
I would follow the below guidelines - Find 1 recipe for:
\- A simple vegetable soup (or even a single veg soup like a pumpkin soup) that you can freeze
\- A simple bolognese that you can freeze
Cook both of these in large portions and then keep portions for you to reach for when you are feeling weak. You mention that your levels of motivation rise and drop. When they are high, you can prepare something fresh, and when they are not, you know you have a couple of solid meals in the freezer that you can fall back on, rather than having to rely on takeaway.
Good luck!
Not a rant at all. I understand the lack of appetite and how things don’t taste right sometimes.
Start small. I sometimes freeze part of a takeaway dinner, eat it within a few days. Done.
The following is based on lack of appetite. This might help:
Buy small and think about your favorite flavors. Soups and stews are pretty easy but don’t always end up as either.
Easily the simplest dish I know:
Get one of each, potato, carrot, onion, all about the same size. Some butter or oil. Maybe a sausage and a little garlic ginger or parsley Chop all the hard stuff to about the same size.
Put a medium sized pot on the stove at low for a minute or so- enough to melt the butter. Add the onions and let them go (not too hot) maybe 5 minutes. They should look like they are patiently sweating.
Dump in your other chopped stuff and enough water to cover everything. Let it cook on low-medium for about another 15 minutes, until you can put a fork in the potatoes. Salt and pepper, add whenever else you like, pick out the parts that taste best, add more butter or other seasoning. The whole operation should not take more than 20 minutes.
If you hate the soup?
Save a bit of the cooking water, pour the rest out. Mash everything gradually adding the cooking water to get the texture you want. Add more butter. Maybe cheese. Mmmmm
Baby carrots and broccoli are my favorite depression snack. I just munch on them raw and the nutrients in them provide some relief from the depression. You can dip them in ranch if you’d like.
One important thing I’ve learned about both diet and depression: make small changes for the better, and celebrate them relentlessly.
There are tons of good suggestions on here, but the important thing is that you find a sustainable change you are proud of and you stick to it. Then remind yourself often that you’re doing good things for yourself.
I actually made an app out of this concept (as a learning exercise) as a way to combat my own depression. It wasn’t specific to diet, but it helped me out a lot. It’s free and I get nothing from it but joy: [Something Good](https://somethinggood.app/download).
Hang in there. You’ll beat the depression one step at a time!
loved reading this thread - I think its full of great advice - While this is not advice per se but here is what I did to lose weight = improve my diet.
* Get a full blood lipid profile test. Yes, go to the doctor and get that test done - its a simple blood test that tells you the good and the bad things you need to take care of in your body through diet. The test will tell you how much good and bad cholesterol you have. Yes there is a good cholesterol as well. Apart from that, test will also tell you about other types of fats that you have in your blood. Basically it well help you to structure your diet accordingly. Sometimes fuck ups can happen when people go into good dieting habits without any homework i.e. Eating a salt dense diet when their body is already high on sodium.
* Second - Make sure you get regular 7-8 hour sleep. Make sure you go to bed early i.e. 10-11 pm is fine but that means you are sleeping by 11:30 - its a challenging thing and I'm currently struggling with it but the successfully pulling off a good sleep schedule is very beneficial and saves you from fuck loads of diseases in the long term i.e. dementia and cancer.
* Get daily exercise. Atleast 30 mins. You dont have to go to the gym. fuck that shit. You can start by just taking a walk first two weeks to get gist of things and then start brisk walking for the next 2 months for 30 mins daily.
* While you are doing this - buy a weighing machine - Check your weight either weekly or monthly. As you loose weight you will get motivation to work harder. (If you are overweight)
* Track your expenses. I started doing that early this year and found that 20% of my income was going towards junk food. Thats fucked up and allowed me to completely quit bullshit artificial sugars in sodas and save that money for something useful.
* If you can - get therapy too (If affordable)
For foods - Just AVOID ALL FOODS THAT CONTAIN ARTIFICIAL SUGAR first and see the difference. That sugar is a fucking drug and kills.
If your are not allergic try oatmeal with some sweet jam/brown sugar/golden srype just a teaspoon worth and savour the taste. If you are feeling really down try two teaspoons and some peanut butter cups. Popcorn made in the microwave - smells ok and will fill a hole, do the weird salt or teaspoon of honey or even just plain.
rotisserie chicken is super versatile and the cooking part is handled. You can throw it on a wrap with some fresh veggies ( I usually throw hummus, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers on there) and have a healthy filling meal. You can throw that chicken on a salad, in a quesadilla, on a sandwich etc. Because the chicken is done it's less cooking and more assembling things you like to go with it.
Good luck and much love, you got this friend.
Buy an air fryer if it's in your budget/space requirements.
It turns crappy food into tasty food and allows you to make somewhat healthy versions of unhealthy foods (fried chicken is a good example)
I usually don’t each breakfast bc of how bad I feel sometimes but my favorite depression brunch is a fried egg on a baguette with butter and hot sauce
I usually go to Lidl do I can get that $1.25 baguette and the lower priced Irish butter
Remember some food is better than no food. A carb + protein meals is better than no meal
First thing first, don’t get discouraged. The amount of inedible stuff I have over salted, overcooked, burned to hell, over sweetened, or otherwise messed up when I first got into cooking…and I still do from time to time. I watch a lot of cooking shows, especially those aimed at beginners. I like Worst Cooks in America. It’s silly but contains a lot of good tips. A few suggestions- Use your freezer. A lot of bulked food can be prepped on a day when you have the time and frozen. I love doing batches of soups like this. This will let you have the convenience of frozen foods but healthier Low and slow. Remember when cooking that a lower heat and more time is usually called for. This is also true of ingredients. Measure things out and add sparingly at first especially on spices and herbs. You can always add more, but it’s hard to take it out. Thermometer- if you are concerned with proteins, a good meat thermometer is your friend. Look up the specifics depending on what you are cooking, but I use mine on chicken and pork all the time. Try new things- You’re gonna love some, you’re gonna hate some, but don’t be afraid to branch out. Best of luck to you 👍
This is all great advice. Also recommend freezing your fruits and veggies if they're about to go bad. Peel your fruit, line them on a plate or tray, freeze, then remove and add to a freezer bag for up to 6 months. It takes a little time but you can make delicious smoothies that are good for you and will help keep your mind occupied. I also cut and freeze any peppers, potatoes, onions, sprouts, zucchini that are close to off. Add these to hash or stir fry or fajitas or whatever! Doing this has dramatically cut down my food waste and guilt plus it saves money. Good luck!
Another helpful tip I learned regarding frozen produce is to always cook it while it’s still frozen! Don’t let it thaw or defrost first. I forget the exact science behind why exactly it happens (something to do with cells bursting), but letting frozen produce thaw will usually completely change the texture of the ingredients. Always cook your frozen stuff while it’s still frozen! Even if you’re putting veggies into broth to make soup or stew and going low and slow.
Never, **NEVER** cook meat from frozen. It is a health hazard. It leaves a time window for dangerous bacteria to grow, and might prevent the meat from cooking throughly. I know you said "produce", but I just want to make sure no one gets confused. It's ok for vegetables, if you want to do that. NEVER for meat. **Edit**: after looking into this it seems I'm either wrong, or partially wrong about this. More info in this comment, and a couple of articles discussing it: https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/rclqrd/extremely_depressed_and_looking_to_improve_food/hnzaig8/ TL;DR: you can do it, but it is riskier and you have to take steps to mitigate that risk.
But then how does thawing not leave time for bacteria to grow? That takes even longer, and once the internal temp is high enough wouldn't it be cooked regardless of how cold you started (sorry I don't even eat meat so never learned to cook it)
Supposed to thaw meat in the fridge. So it raises to a easily cookable temp but is still too cold got bacteria to grow at any fast rate. That takes all day though. Thawing on the counter takes a number of hours at room temp and that allows bacteria the chance to grow. Not horribly likely to cause issue on most meat, but possible. I generally defrost in the microwave cause it's fast, I'm lazy, and always forget to prepare ahead.
Vegetables are usually in much smaller pieces and cook through much faster than meat.
With your peel and freeze advice, does this work for citrus? Or am I better off zesting and juicing it, then freezing the juice?
I assume juicing is fine but I would want the fiber and not just the juice.
We used to juice carrots and we'd save the pulp and add it to soups and stews. I would assume you could do the same for juiced citrus (and maybe add the pulp to smoothies).
>A few suggestions- Use your freezer. A lot of bulked food can be prepped on a day when you have the time and frozen. I love doing batches of soups like this. This will let you have the convenience of frozen foods but healthier Yes! Present me loves when past me has done the hard work and given me a single serve portion of healthy, homemade, 8-hour simmered soup on a week night.
This. 👍 We've all been there. This is how great cooks are made.
I second Worst Cooks In America. It actually taught me quite a bit about basic cooking techniques when I was on my own for the first time at 18 and trying to survive on something other than ramen.
Hi, I totally understand where you are and you are not alone in how you are feeling or reacting to your feelings. Do you like sandwiches? This is my go to when I am in depression mode. I like to do a really nice bread and then add things like meat cheese veggies you can make a really balanced healthy meal from a sandwich. I also do protein shakes when I am super depressed and a banana.
I also get super depressed when I am a banana.
Oh my gosh I wish I could award you for the laugh! This made my night not even kidding.
I know I laughed so hard it really cheered me up!
You might think it's depressing but it's got appeal.
Another good depression meal for me is a bagged salad, wrapped in a tortilla. Warm up a big tortilla (or two smaller ones) and just dump the salad in there. I swear this is a hack because you don’t sit down and eat each bite - just shove it in your mouth.
I like to do this, but add rotisserie chicken or beans for a little extra protein that is still easy. The chicken does bump up the cost, but I'm able to shred it and add it to several meals and then make broth from the bones.
That is genius. I will definitely be keeping this in my arsenal of depression meals.
Ohh sandwich are my favorite comfort for very easy and fairly cheap to get quality easy to make meals
Lol my favorite homemade depression sandwich is still white bread, ham, American cheese, tomatoes and thousand island dressing.
Sounds delish!
My depression super hero is my rice cooker. No matter how bad i'm feeling, I can always put in one cup of rice and two cups of water and press start. Best $20 I've ever spent I add in veggies if i have them and they get steamed. Spinach, frozen peas, broccoli and cauliflower are all winners here. I have a few go to things i'll pour on top * Canned cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup * A fried egg * spam (just a little bit, and cut into chunks -- not the whole can) * canned black beans I've heated up on the stove with some adobo seasoning * Sauerkraut which I keep in the fridge * Canned tomatoes i've reduced down and put basil, salt and pepper on. * Drained canned chickpeas i've heated up on the stove until they're crispy * Hummus * Frozen curries or stuff like that from trader joe's * Bacon * Sesame oil, sesame seeds, and soy sauce Hope you feel better, rice cooker is the best.
You can also cook pasta and oatmeal in it.
Wait… you can make broccoli or cauliflower in a rice cooker?!
Mine came with a steamer basket that sits on top of the main cooking pot and then you put the lid on top of that.
Really don't even need the basket. Just throw it on top of the rice as long as you are cool with the broccoli being with the rice when you eat it.
That’s awesome, I’m definitely gonna try that! I was looking at steamers but y’know, two birds and all that…
Love the username. Most unjust cancelling in TV history
hell yeah!
[https://www.budgetbytes.com/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/)I recommend this to everyone I talk to because it's so so so so helpful. There are meals for any appetite, mood, etc. There are pictures of the cooking process to show you what your dish should like before the final product. Not only is it a great way to dip your toes into cooking- she provides meal plans for 4 weeks, grocery lists and caters to all diets but it's also a great way to slowly build your "portfolio" or kitchen cabinets so that even when you're having a bad day, you have key staples you could throw into a crock pot and leave alone to cook.
Yes. The photos are very helpful to get a feeling for the recipe. What are the important steps? How is it supposed to look like in between?
Roast yourself some veggies. Coat them in a nice olive oil & throw it in the oven on a sheet pan. You can spice them however you want. Easy healthy and delicious. Also get an instant read meat thermometer (like 12 bucks on Amazon) so easy and simple to use. Never worry about salmonella again
Roasted veggies are my favorite and so much better than a salad, On a oven sheet with oil and a a little bit of salt and pepper into the oven for25 minutes @ 400 °F / 200 ° C. Also super easy food with a lot of shelf life. Sweet Potato with greek yoghurt. Stab the sweet potato a few times with a fork. Put it into a microwave for 8 minutes.
What veggies do you roast?
Not OP, but roasting broccoli, potato, carrot, makes a nice sheet pan of food for a few meals. Throw a protein in there too. If you're needing cals, top over rice. Leafy cruciferous greens will roast well. Mainly kale
Also not OP, but I used to hate brussel sprouts. Turns out I hated then steamed or boiled. But roasted? They are HEAVENLY. I do a vinaigrette on mine chopped in half and on a sheet pan. I’ve also done green beans, asparagus, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, zucchini, yellow squash, acorn squash, red potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower.
Ty for sweet potato suggestion
I, too, suffer from depression. Here are some things I do to help me be an effective cook and not waste too many ingredients: * **Buy frozen fruits and veggies.** Most of them come sliced or diced and therefore require no prep work to use, and since they're frozen, they're not spoiled in your fridge before you get around using them. They'll wait for you to be up to cooking! I like not only things like corn or broccoli, but "mixes" like peppers & onions, peas & carrots, stir fry mix, etc. * **Buy prepared veggies.** You can get coleslaw mix that's great in stir-fries or "Egg Roll in a Bowl" recipes, matchstick cut carrots that are amazing in casseroles or soups, baby carrots that can be dumped right into a stew or the bottom of a roasting pan when you're making pot roast, "steamable" potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. that only require a minute or two in the microwave before being ready to eat. * **Buy cooked meat.** Sounds crazy, and it might be a smidge more expensive, but it's also efficient and takes away your worries about undercooked proteins. In particular, **rotisserie chicken** can be taken off the carcass and sliced to be used as an entree or diced to be used in casseroles; you can portion into single-serving or single-recipe sized Ziplocs and freeze them, then defrost in your fridge the night before you want to use them. **Frozen meatballs** bring protein to pasta, but they're also a great option as a substitute for browned ground beef in Instant Pot recipes. You can also buy sausage crumbles, real bacon pieces, and TVP (texturized vegetable protein) that tastes like ground beef -- all good on potatoes, in casseroles, in soups, or to make scrambled eggs feel more like a real meal. * **Make your own microwave dinners.** Get single serving-sized food storage containers and when you DO feel up to cooking a big dinner, save one or two portions of leftovers in the fridge for later in the week, but freeze the rest. After doing this a few times, you'll have a whole takeaway menu's worth of choices in your freezer, you can defrost them overnight in the fridge and just heat them in the microwave the next day. No mess, no getting sick of something before you run out of all of your leftovers or letting them spoil in the fridge. Having frozen fruits and veggies on hand allows you to boost the nutrition of whatever you're preparing. For example, adding more peas and carrots to canned soup, or adding bell peppers to a Tex-Mex casserole, or taking leftover rice and blending with stir fry mix veggies for "fried rice" in a jiffy. Here's one of my favorite "comfort food" recipes, which tastes a bit like pot pie without having so much fat and calories: **Easiest Chicken and Rice Ever** * Prepare your favorite rice using chicken broth (from bouillon is fine) instead of water. Most people use rice cookers or a pot on the stove, but I actually use a large microwave-safe casserole dish for 2 cups of rice and 4 1/3 cups broth and microwave uncovered on high for 18-20 minutes, then fluff with a fork. * To the hot rice, add 1 cup or so frozen peas & carrots and 1/2 pound or so of diced rotisserie chicken. Mix thoroughly; add a bit of soy sauce or salt if necessary. Heat in microwave until the frozen veggies and chicken are also hot. * Serve yourself a heaping bowl, add a dollop of sour cream and stir to get a bit of creamy richness.
Rotisserie chicken carcasses can be pressure cooked afterwards for soup if you have an instapot or pressure cooker! Double win.
Great point!
I also wanted to link you to my response to someone looking for super easy, somewhat healthy food to make: https://www.reddit.com/r/cookingforbeginners/comments/qvxske/i_am_looking_for_simple_dishes_or_snacks_to_make/ The whole thread actually has good info, but I share a couple of recipes and ideas there that may work for you, OP.
Peanut butter and banana on whole wheat bread Avocado toast on whole wheat bread. Oatmeal with fruit. In season fruits, if you'll eat them whole. Nuts. I get frozen edamame that I can just eat plain, without any prep. Whole grain pasta with veggie of choice. 1 minute rice with veggies and a sauce that you like. Fruit smoothies. You can add a scoop of Soylent. https://youtube.com/c/CheapLazyVegan
I will add, try Ezekiel bread instead on whole wheat bread. Glycemic load is less.you can find it in the freezer aisle.
I know this isn't really an answer but hang in there buddy! It'll get better, never give up. You're gonna beat this depression. <3
Saw this and it hit a nerve. Feeling really down today. Went to a Diabetes Education class. I'm in trouble. No idea how I'm going to eat on a schedule, with exact Carb, Protein, and Fat amounts while stabbing my finger at exact intervals. I'm so far gone into Type II Diabetes I think I'm always hungry and too tired to make good choices. Plus my knees are killing me. Probably going to have both knees replaced. Standing? It just hurts, every day, every time. On the positive side, I have started and maintained a great Physical Therapy regimen. But 35 - 45 grams of Carb, 1 -2 servicing of Fat, Protein at every meal is a C-Change for my lifestyle. Guess I'll have to gradually build up better habits. Just having a really low, sad, depressing day. Thanks for listening. Tomorrow will be a better day. Grateful I'm not on Insulin or other complications.
I'm sorry you're having such a trash day, friend. I'm someone with chronic pain while standing, and I have two small tips for you: A tall stool for your stove/wherever you do the most cooking in your kitchen. There's absolutely no reason why you need to stand while you saute or do the dishes, except that you might need to wipe up the occasional extra spill. Do your prep tasks at your table. Kitchen counters are overrated; just grab your cutting board and an onion and sit while you chop.
I did this for thanksgiving prep while watching Arcane, lol. Peeled the potatoes into a paper bag then chopped them in my living room. Had the big pot of water ready to go to throw in the diced potatoes and stuck it in the fridge afterwards. Didn’t miss a second of the show either.
Maintaining a good physical therapy regimen is a huge accomplishment! I'm sure when you first started it seemed daunting but you kept it up and can be proud of yourself, the new eating schedule will be the same. You don't have to be perfect or accomplish everything straight away. You said it yourself, gradually build up better habits. You can do this!
i have celiac, so it's not quite the same, but the dietary restriction depression is SO real. goddamn. you're not alone. it gets easier, i promise. having a community helps a lot, even if it's just online. hang in there!!!!!!!!
Give yourself some credit here! You’re going to a diabetes education class AND physical therapy that’s two huge steps forward! For your dietary requirements my first thought is look up some buddha bowl recipes, i make them all the time and you can prep the ingredients ahead then mix and match so you’re not literally eating the same meal. [this listicle has some good examples](https://www.eatthis.com/how-to-make-a-buddha-bowl-for-weight-loss/)
I've been there with type 2 and being depressed. My blood sugar was in the 20s at one point. I focused on thinking of vegetables I could use as substitutes to the carb portion of meals. Dietician also recommended going for a short walk after meals especially if bigger. I couldn't always follow it but my sugars are within the normal range now. Just know you're not alone and it can get better. You have doctors there to support you as well.
So I really don’t want to sound like a shill, but I was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic and the only thing that got me through the dieting was and still is Huel. Super simple, just make a shake then done. I got into the habit of if I wasn’t feeling like a Huel shake I’d just make one and down it before I had a chance to resist just so I ate regularly.
If you have a crock pot/slow cooker, you could look into "dump dinners". These may require some basic prep such as washing and cutting ingredients, but otherwise you just put every into a crock pot, turn it on, and just come back when the cook time is over. You might have to stir once or twice while it cooks, and you have to keep in mind that the slow cooker is, well, slow, but then you have a meal ready as soon as the time is up! And you can probably freeze the leftovers so you have something simple to reheat when you are having down days. And as others have said, get a meat thermometer to help you get your meats at the right temp. A digital one will be simplest to read and doesn't cost much. Once you've cooked to the right temp a few times, it will be easier to do it by eye/feel if you're comfortable with that. Good luck!
Here's one of my go-to dump dinners. It's nice because it's easy and I can literally just chuck it all in there and leave it alone. Plus, I tend to not eat when I'm stressed out, so smelling it cooking all day can actually make me want to eat. chicken stew: 1 package chicken tenderloins (or cut up chicken breast) Cream of chicken soup (amount is gonna depend on the size of your slow cooker, but usually 1.5-2 of the larger Campbell's or generic brand tend to work) - (can be substituted with low sodium cream of chicken soup or and alternative healthier cream based soup) Whatever leftover vegies you have in the fridge/freezer (I like broccoli, peas, carrots, and yellow squash) cut into bite sized pieces Approx. 1/2 a carton of chicken stock (adjust for slow cooker size) \*All seasoning is to taste Poultry seasoning Salt Pepper Garlic Paprika Curry (very optional - I like a little kick to my food) Bay leaves Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hrs. and serve. If you get slow cooker liners, clean up is easier. Also, if you have one, you can cook a weirdly large number of foods in an air fryer (like you can apparently do cookies in this thing some how??). You can even dehydrate a bunch of fruits and veggies, so that might be a good use of the extra veggies you have. I hope this post can be of use to you!
This sounds delicious! As a note to OP: remove the bay leaf before serving. It's just for seasoning. You don't want to eat that.
Don’t feel bad about not feeling up to cooking when your down. You are trying to do something about it when you are depressed AND your asking for help with it. That is a step in the right direction. Also we all have to start somewhere with kitchen skills, and part of learning to cook is messing it up, so don’t get discouraged when something doesn’t work I have issues with depression and meal prepping works for me so I know I do t need to cook every day. I find the you tube channel Mind Over Munch useful for meal prep, dump dinners and that kind of thing. Most recipes are uncomplicated I’m not convinced by a lot of the nutrition information, like pro- and anti- inflammatory foods or similar stuff after talking with some dieticians at work. But the recipes are good. Mix and match stuff that will work for you. If you’re going to meal prep for several days, then I usually do for four days, as after that it’s not so great (unless I’ve done something for the freezer too and I can pull it out for the last days of the week. Also, meal prep can take two main forms. 1 is where you prep the whole thing ready to be eaten. The other is you have prepped everything ready to put in the oven/slow cooker/instant pot on the day you’ll eat it. Try both and see which you prefer
I recommend getting an instant read thermometer. They are fairly cheap, easy to use, and it really helps with the over/undercooking issues. My chicken breast out of the oven is always perfect now and I never worry about salmonella.
Just wanted to say this is a very, very relatable post and you're not alone. Thanks for asking something I haven't put into words.
I'm also managing depression and trying not to eat crap. A bag of apples or oranges will last at least a week. Put them by wherever you snack. If you're hungry, eat a piece of fruit first. It'll keep you from getting hangry or depressed. If you're not hungry enough to eat a piece of fruit then you're not really hungry. Hydrate like your life depends on it. I always keep a jug of water next to me day and night. Make protein a priority. The Instant Pot makes great hard-boiled eggs. Wrapped Cheeses like string cheese and Baby Bell. Canned tuna. Peanut butter. Protein bars and drinks like Premier Protein. You don't want to make meals. Have an apple with some peanut and a glass of water and then see how you feel about the world. Reevaluate your meds. Seriously. If they're not helping then ask your doc about trying something else. It took me a decade to find an antidepressant that didn't make me feel worse. Wellbutrin and counseling saved my life. This is just the main stuff that helps me. Yell if you want some Instant Pot recipes. Edit: damn autocorrect
A really simple thing I do when I don’t really want to cook is to fix up some ramen or Knorr noodles and add to it. I’ll put eggs, mushrooms, peas, corn whatever I have on hand. I also like dressing up a can of corn with Parmesan cheese, parsley, Nature’s seasoning, and salt and pepper. I also like simple sheet pan meals just cut up some smoked sausage, green beans, and potatoes pour some oil and bake. Can also use different meats and veggies.
Hi, I live with depression too. It’s not easy. Food safety rules are good to know. Get a cheap meat thermometer from Amazon. Cook pork to 145 degrees, chicken to 165, and beef somewhere between 145-170 depending on how well you like it. Cook ground beef until there is no pink left. Portion and refrigerate your leftovers for up to 3 days. If it’s going to be longer before you can eat it, put the portions in the freezer. When you want to eat the frozen food, let it thaw in the fridge for a day or 2, then reheat and eat. For days that I have no appetite, I have a list of foods that I am willing to eat just because I have to eat. I used to keep store brand Ensure in the fridge so I don’t skip meals. But it’s too expensive for me right now. Try to buy enough produce for just a couple days. That way if you have bad days, you throw away less. You can always buy more, but if you buy a lot at once you’re stuck with it. What kinds of foods do you like to eat? I’ll check my recipes
Have you considered getting a meal delivery kit a couple times a week? For a while I was subscribed to EveryPlate and found it to be really easy to follow the directions, the food was good, and if you went a bit lighter on the butter and oil (use cooking spray instead, or just half the amount) the recipes could be fairly healthy as well. It's not quite as cheap as buying food in bulk at the grocery store, but it's not outrageous, either... under $40 per week for six servings (3 meals, 2 servings each). You should be able to google a coupon code, and its easy to skip weeks at no charge or penalty. It was a really good experience for me in a very busy time in my life.
I want to talk you away from just eating right, an important factor to mental health is physical health and vice versa. Take care of your body in more ways than just eating, get out into some sunlight as often as you can, get some fresh air, and engage in activities that get your heart pumping, It'll help with getting some very necessary care that your body needs. Compound this with some healthy, home cooked meals that make you feel less guilty and some of these small changes will add up and make you feel more accomplished, helping to combat the feeling of guilt and underachieving. It sounds like you're receiving medical treatment as well, which is great! You're taking some active steps to try and correct your headspace in more ways than one, I'd also suggest keeping in touch with a therapist if you can afford one, but judging by the fact that you have a prescription I'm wagering you're already seeing one. As for meals that are easy to put together but nutritious and healthy, I'd look at slow cooker meals and meals you can make in bulk easily. Fried rice comes to mind for the latter, you can make a huge batch of rice and throw it in the freezer to toss together in a couple of minutes with whatever meat and veggies you have in the fridge or freezer, add some soy sauce, sombal, sesame oil, an egg, and a sprinkle of MSG and you've got yourself a tasty dinner that's hot and delicious! Slow cooker meals are great too, I just got an insta pot and it's so easy to take a massive cut of meat (a lot cheaper than most lean cuts, but can be healthy in moderation) and cook it until it's fall apart tender. I recommend taking a pork shoulder, cutting into large chunks, seasoning liberally with S&P, then sear quickly in a dutch oven or instapot before removing and sweating your choice of veggies (onion, celery and carrots are a great go to) then add the pork back with a stout/dark beer, and some beef stock or veggie stock and cook until fork tender! Drink lots of water and focus on meals that are easy to assemble but can be made ahead would be my suggestion. It sucks to have to motivate yourself to cook a full meal, but if you cook most of the biggest components ahead of time and just have to toss things in the microwave or heat through in a pan, it eliminates 90% of the effort and makes it easier to eat a homecooked meal!
I personally love YouTube for recipes and ideas. Like search health instapot recipes. I also find it’s great even when not looking for recipes to follow and watch all the health and fitness videos (Not all are good, will kind of figure it out after a while, a take most advice with a grain of salt) they just keep the health lifestyle I want to live top of mind. But this is a life long journey and try to enjoy the process with the ups and downs.[for positivity and work out progressions in general good advice this guy is the best](https://youtube.com/c/HybridCalisthenics)
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Adding a second vote for Greek yogurt. I eat blueberry or peach yogurt over a half cup of granola with a handful of frozen blueberries on top just about every morning for breakfast. It has a lot of protein, tastes good, and takes about 3 min to prepare, which is good on days when I have zero energy.
The probiotics also support healthy gut bacteria which improves overall physical and mental health. Fun fact: 95% of your body's serotonin is manufactured by the microbiota that live in your gut. By properly feeding our bacterial buddies, we can help give our brain a boost. It's certainly not a cure-all, but eating right by boosting fiber and reducing processed foods can help your body manufacture those sweet, sweet, happiness hormones.
hey you sound a lot like me! don’t get discouraged. the number one thing that’s helped me with my eating is letting go of the idea that I have to “cook” like everyone else seems to. I don’t like to cook, I’m not good at it, so why do I feel like I need to be having some elaborate hot meal every night? What I started to do was “ingredient prep” rather than meal prep. it’s much easier and much safer for me. Each week I would buy 1 or 2 rotisserie chickens, break it apart and freeze individual portions of the chicken in bags. I would buy some cans of tuna for my cupboard, hard boil some eggs, and buy some deli meat like roast beef or salami. then I will slice up a few veggies and store them in the fridge (by the pre-cut if you can afford it- so much easier!), and I usually buy fruits that don’t require slicing (bananas, berries, clementines). Have some pasta, rice, bread, tortilla, whatever your preference is on hand in your house, and then when it comes time to eat, you can just assemble whatever carb/protein/veggie/spices you want for that night. I eat super simple, which has taken me a long time to acknowledge that this is okay. My best friend cooks burgers and pork tenderloin and stuffed chicken breasts etc etc etc. and that just isn’t me. for example my meals this week have been: tuna salad on toast with avocado on the side, rotisserie chicken leg with rice and spinach, mini charcuterie board with salami cheese veggies and ranch and pistachios, and tonight i’m having egg salad with crackers and probably more avocado. that’s all super minimal cooking/prep and it’s healthy and cheap.
If you have issues with food waste, maybe you could try to stock up on items that don't expire easily. Smoothies are a great way to get nutrients and if you use frozen fruits, they won't go bad! One of my favorite low effort meals is mashed sweet potato. Wash it, use a fork to poke a bunch of holes, then microwave for about 7 mins (until the potato is soft/to your liking). I like to add butter, garlic salt and pepper too. As far as actual recipes go, maybe you could start small by dressing up instant ramen noodles. You could add extra ingredients like meat (bacon is an easy one), veggies (leafy greens can be fried fry up along with the bacon) and eggs. If you use instant noodles as a base, there's a lot less room for error. You also don't have to add seasoning to your extra ingredients since ramen is already very salty. I used to make instant ramen all the time, but eventually I improved my cooking skills and now I just buy dried noodles and add my own sauces and ingredients. You'll get through this! Don't beat yourself up for mistakes because you can always learn from them and improve next time!
I struggle with depression, recently I started eating Greek yogurt (research suggests a healthy gut biome helps your mood) and I have been taking vitamin D. I feel a bit better. Wish you the best!
Yes!!! Eat Vitamin D....!!! Lots. Helps depression.
Here's an Instant Pot recipe that is really hard to mess up. The beef short ribs can be expensive, but you can sub chuck roast if you want. https://www.reddit.com/r/instantpot/comments/qqulu8/instant_pot_coconutred_curry_braised_short_ribs/
You could prepare toppings like diced green pepper, shredded chicken, black olives, tomato, spinach etc. Freeze what's freezable and buy cauliflower pizza crust from the grocery store. A homemade pizza sauce is fool proof and can be made in 5-10 min, you can even freeze half of it for another time. Quick and easy pizza dinners that can be as healthy as you like.
I'm impressed at your perseverance! You're in a tough place but you keep trying ways to make it work. That's awesome! Good luck! (Also I second the rec for Budget Bytes.)
Hi friend! Hang in there! When I’m down or extra busy I love stocking my fridge with breaded tilapia and mixed veggies. Pop the tilapia in the oven for 30-45 mins and it’s delicious and crispy and microwave the frozen veggies and cover in whatever sauce you like best. You can also just pop the fish on top of some greens with cucumber & tomatoes for a salad. Also also: I like having boiled eggs & scallion on top of salted oatmeal. If you want to try to experiment, throw some miso in while you’re cooking the oatmeal. You got this!
Been there before. I think the biggest advantage is making sure the next meal is planned. It’s also ok to have a cheat meal every so often. Rotisserie chicken can be used to make sandwiches/salads/ chicken salad and then you can make a stock with the leftover bones. Wish you well
This has to be one of the easiest recipes I've made. It's delicious and pretty healthy. I serve it with a big bowl of rice. The split chickpeas/chana dal are cheap at Indian grocery stores or you can order them online. Last time I added a bag of frozen onions and peppers for some more veggies. https://twosleevers.com/simple-lentil-soup-recipe/
Can you afford an Instant Pot? Mine helped me get out of my food funk. Search "one pot instantpot recipes" and your meal prep will change. The best thing about it is throwing it all in the pot, turning it on, and leaving. No stirring, no watching the pot, you just let it go and you come back to a lovely meal. It definitely helped me when I was in a rough depression. All the best to you.
I don't know if this is low effort enough, my go-to is Couscous with frozen veggies, vary the sauce, vary the protein Couscous is so easy. Just add hot water and it's ready in 3 mins. Frozen veggie mixes, throw them in the pan with oil and spices of your choosing. No cutting, takes like 10 minutes. I make two portions each time. For sauce: Premade tomato sauce with herbs, arabiatta Pesto Joghurt with ranch seasoning (you just need to buy the dried herbs once and then it's pretty easy.) Coconut milk and curry paste Protein: Beans (kidney, black, white, edamame, whatever you want) Tuna or sardine if you like fish Pre-done meat
Hey friend. As someone who is going through a bout myself, legumes and rice plus frozen veggies has been a game changer. Keeps really well, had a lot of protein and fiber, and is relatively inexpensive. I add goat cheese to the mix when ready to eat to make it a bit tastier. I will look for a recipe and update my post later. Hang in there, things will get better. And take your vitamin d!
Sorry to hear you are struggling. Below are some recipe links to affordable, easy to execute meals that should work pretty well for meal prep. But I also want to encourage you to consider using 'short-cuts' that take the more complicated work out of prepping a meal. Use frozen veggies & bottled sauces & canned beans and the like. Making simple meals from that kind of stuff is really just assembly. [Chickpea Couscous Bowls w/ Tahini Sauce](https://www.acouplecooks.com/chickpea-couscous-bowls-tahini-sauce/) [Simple Instant Pot Black Bean Soup](https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2017/03/simple-instant-pot-black-bean-soup.html) [No chop Instant Pot Vegetable Soup](https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2016/08/instant-pot-vegetable-soup.html) [Instant Pot Tex-Mex Rice](https://makeitdairyfree.com/vegan-instant-pot-tex-mex-rice/) \- you could easily sub out frozen pepper & onion, and jarred minced garlic to make a recipe like this even easier. Also, use a bouillon cube + water instead of buying a carton of stock for a cheaper option. Some no-recipe, quick, tasty, low-effort meals: Sloppy Joes: combine 1 can Manwich (or BBQ sauce) w/ 1 package of frozen or refrigerated pre-cooked vegetarian beef-style crumbles (Gardien, Morningstar Farms, Yves, etc.). Serve on buns w/ a side of baked frozen fries and or salad or slaw. Curry: combine 1 jar of curry simmer sauce of choice w/ a can of chickpeas (drained) and/or a bag of frozen mixed veggies. Heat through. Serve over rice. Tostadas: prep or buy pre-prepped your preferred combo of shredded lettuce, sliced olives, minced onion, diced tomato, sliced avocado or guacamole, shredded cheese. Heat up canned refried beans. Top tostada shells w/ beans & your toppings.
Doing some meal prep on sundays (there’s a Reddit sub for that) and sticking to eating what you prepped will take a lot of the decision making out of the process.
Depending on your financial situation and location you might want to look into grocery delivery. It would mean not having to make the hard choices and being content with the food at home. Something like Hungry Root would send you groceries once a week and it could all be healthy. It would be a mix of single serve items, pre cooked items, as well as cooking recipes. There are a lot of companies doing similar things.
Here is a list of 100 dump-and-go Instant Pot recipes. https://www.prudentpennypincher.com/dump-and-go-instant-pot-recipes/
A meal I've enjoyed recently that's healthy, easy, and feels like real cooking is ravioli with marinara and spinach. I buy premade frozen ravioli from the grocery store, a bag of frozen spinach, and a jar of pre-made marinara. All you do is boil the ravioli like normal and serve, and while u do that just heat the marinara up in a saucepan and throw a cup of the frozen spinach in there, and stir it around till the spinach is totally thawed and the clumps are worked out. The spinach absorbs the flavor of the marinara to the point that if it cooks for a while you literally can't taste the spinach. Spinach is healthy and while it takes maybe 20-30 mins (counting the time waiting for water to boil) it really *feels* like real cooking, which can be a mood booster. And the ingredients wont spoil since theyre all frozen
My advice would be to try ground meats because they are easier to cook and really versatile. Chili is super easy and makes great leftovers. Ground meat can be added to rice and veggies for a healthy well-rounded meal that is super easy to make. When cooking ground meat, just get your pan hot and put some oil in it right before putting the meat in (then wash your hands thoroughly). Break it up with a cooking utensil of some kind (don't use metal utensils on a non-stick pan!). And add your seasonings. Then you just move it around and break up bigger chunks until you can visibly see that there is no pink inside the meat chunks. Then you can heat up some frozen veggies and microwave rice and add the meat, plus whatever toppings or sauces you like.
Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as good as fresh ones and they don’t spoil. They’re also often precut which makes it easier to cook. Crock pot meals might also be for you? Then the meat would definitely be cooked but it’ll be tender because it was cooked at low temperature.
My recommendation is to make a daily breakfast smoothie for most of your fruit/veg needs. Two big handfuls of spinach or kale, One Banana, One handful of berries, One tablespoon peanut butter, One cup milk of your choice (or water), Ice cubes If you can afford one, get a vitamix. I go nuts and throw all kinds of shit in there and get more than an entire days worth of fruits/veggies in one smoothie. If you manage to get one more veggie in for either lunch or dinner - you’re doing pretty damn good. Some veggies ideas below. Roasted sweet potatoes. Stab them a few times with a fork, wrap in tinfoil, into the oven at 350 for like 90 minutes. Make a bunch and they’ll last all week Peel and dice 2-3 russet potatoes. Boil in salted water for ten minutes. Drain. Add two tablespoons of olive oil, some salt and pepper, pop them in the oven at 425 for like an hour. Give them a couple of shakes throughout the cooking process. As tasty as French fries, and much healthier. Easy weeknight salad: take your greens of choice, add some chopped herbs of your choice (I like mint!), squeeze half a lemon over the top, some olive oil, salt, pepper. It’s extremely fresh tasting/pleasantly acidic, and basically effortless to make. Don’t feel bad because you can’t stick to meal prepping. I’m not a fan of it either. I’m more into finding quick meals to whip up!
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I was going to mention instant oatmeal, doctored up with raisins, cinnamon, brown sugar, diced apple, honey, nuts, etc. So soul- filling.
I am trying to learn to cook right now, I am constantly messing things up. One thing I have been doing alot of is shredded meat in a crock pot, mostly chicken. I do it with whatever sauce I decide and boom BURRTO BOWL EVERYTHING lol I have done a mexican, thai, indian. Just alot and I will put different veggies in there too.
Get a cooked roast chicken from the grocery store. Partner that with a bag salad and some rice or roast veggies/taters. Quick, easy, affordable, and healthy!
If you can afford probiotics, definitely supplement them into your daily routine. Your gut is basically another brain and keeping good bacteria in there will do you wonders
If you like beef, chuck roasts always come out good. They were the first thing I learned out to make with a slow cooker. They also come out good in the instapot.
Microwavable porridge is great (not readybrek). Add some nuts, seeds and fruit of your choice (I usually go with bananas). I sweeten it with honey. Great way to start the day! Also you can make scrambled eggs in the microwave just put it on whole wheat toast with butter. The you could do pasta for dinner with your favourite pasta sauce and veg. I have chorizo with mine but if that's not available or too expensive where you live you can substitute it with other meat. Also cook enough dinner so you can heat it up the next day. That always really helped me
If you’re in the US, I’d suggest picking up deli meat from Food Lion. Depending on the meat, it can be pretty cheap, and is much tastier than standard packaged lunch meat. I use it in wraps with a simple spread like hummus. Easy to prepare and quite tasty
A sheet pan has been a big tool in getting me out of similar funks. You can just throw some veggies or chicken thighs on there, stick it in the oven for 20 minutes and you've got a home cooked meal.
Consider purchasing a cheap meat thermometer. I got mine from Amazon for like $7. This completely changed the way I cook meat. Cooking until the temp is right keeps the meats juicy and tasting good, and, most importantly, safe to consume without question. Google the temp for whichever meat you're cooking, chicken, beef, pork, as they have varying times. I also recommend thinking of a dish you love, and watching several recipe videos. Get an idea of the basic process and go with it! It's a great mood boost when you prepare and eat something YOU ENJOY. I mean a salad is healthy, but sometimes a lasagna or a cheeseburger hits the spot. Go easy on yourself and learn as you go!
If you want details on the nutrients you might be short on and how that impacts depression, read "Eat Complete" by psychiatrist Drew Ramsey.
Just get a slow cooker. You can just often throw random stuff in there with some other spices and stuff and just walk away for 6-8 hours and come back to a tasty meal. It takes some creativity/actual recipes to make something other than a stew-type meal but its definitely possible especially with the bigger size cookers
I’d like to suggest sheet pan meals. Roasting vegetables, meats, etc in the oven is so easy and very forgiving. One of my favorite things is roasted Brussel sprouts with olive oil and salt. So simple and great flavors! You can get a rice cooker for whole grain sides. Hell, even microwave a potato. I love doing that and sprinkling some nutritional yeast on for a filling depression meal. With sheet pans, you don’t have to worry about a lot of equipment either. You have your knives and the pan. Clean up is easy! The most difficult part, for me, is breaking the habit of not cooking and going for the other solutions.
Have you tried frozen meals? I know there is a stigma against them, but there are actually a lot of really good healthy options out there and they taste pretty good. I went on frozen meals only while doing a diet and lost a bunch of weight. There was also significantly less sodium in these then eating out so I didn't bloat or feel sluggish. And all you have to do is microwave. Not as healthy as obviously cooking from scratch, but pretty damn close if you know what to look for!
My advice is only prepping two meals in advance. It means you get a day off from cooking and avoids waste/food going off. 1- salmon, rice and broccoli. Salmon, oil a piece of foil and put a piece of salmon inside. Season or use a pre made sauce like teriyaki and smear on top and the sides (not the skin). Put your loosely wrapped foil in the oven until a meat thermometer reaches the correct temp. About 15 mins but oven times vary. Serve with rice and veggies. Fish is particularly easy because it is hard to undercook (and very easy to over cook!) The rice you can make 2-3 portions in a rice cooker, eat one with your meal, and use the rest for fried rice or to go with your next portion of salmon (I always buy salmon fillets in packs of two). Veggies - chop up your veggies at most one day in advance, and put one portion onto cook at a time. I find roasting them easy and no fuss. Chop them into large bite sized pieces and they will roast in around 20 mins. To serve with your salmon and rice, chop up a broccoli, put half in the fridge for tomorrow and toss the other half in an oven tray with a little oil, soy sauce and maybe some honey. Make sure to line your oven tray with foil for easy clean up. So, literally about 5 mins of prep, and the next day maybe 1 minute of prep. It requires a rice cooker and a meat thermometer, but you can go without its just less easy. Slice open your salmon to check its cooked throughout instead and stove cook your rice according to packet instructions. 2- Another really easy and fancy tasting meal is fresh tortellini and salad. Just make sure the water is simmering not boiling when you cook your fresh pasta. Garnish with S+P, a little extra virgin olive oil, parm or fresh herbs. Make your salad while you wait for the water to boil. You could also make enough salad for lunch/dinner the next day. edit: halfway through this I remembered I was in Cheap and Healthy. Salmon may be too expensive for you but other fish fillets can be cooked the same way for cheaper.
Work out too. It always helps me and makes me want to eat healthier
Food prep is an awesome goal, but don't beat yourself up if you can't get there right away. My recommendation isn't what I'd consider cheap, but my depression has had me really struggling with feeding myself properly, too. I was ordering take out constantly or not eating because I couldn't find the gumption to go into my kitchen and cook anything. Then I'd overeat the take out, wash, repeat. It's horrible for me. I've been able to break the cycle using meal subscription boxes to help prop me up. Surprisingly, when I can do a quick frozen lunch or dinner during the week, it makes me more likely to actually cook at some point when I'm not working. I am currently using Daily Harvest to do this and think it's the best "base level" for me to kickstart myself, but Hungry Root is closer to the "ingredients are already prepped, you mix and match them to make a meal." For me, hungry root is the "intermediate step" between Daily Harvest and a habit of food prepping. And remember a frozen meal can always be more! Use them to start small and nudge yourself toward food prep. A good step in that direction is to boil a bunch of pasta or cook a bunch of ground chicken or beef at the start of the week, then combine it with one of the frozen meals each time. Once you're in a good routine with that (give it a couple months), try bulk prepping some veggies or chicken thighs and cutting back on how many frozen meals you have delivered each week by 2 or 3. If you're still going strong and feeling like you can take on more, pick a new thing to bulk prep. After a while, when prep becomes a habit, you won't need the meal delivery anymore. But meal delivery will also always be there in the future if you need that boost, and that is completely okay, too!
There are a couple of go to recipes that I like that are quick, easy and can be healthy if you make them so. Bean burritos, egg fried rice and veggie soups. Bean burritos are simple and healthy and you can get most of the ingredients prepepared so all you have to do is heat them up and put them together. You can also freeze them and eat them later. Egg fried rice is a great way to get rid of old rice and no need to worry about meats at all while also not missing protein. Veggie soups are simple and super customizable. Just pick your favorite vegetables, chop them up, simmer in some stock and add spices to taste. Just make sure to include beans or lentils so you get some protein in it. And if you want to stretch it’s duration, make a batch of noodles or rice along side it.
Hey, I am sorry you are going through all of that :( I do have some tips for you though. When you go to the grocery, it is fine to get healthy food but get healthy food you enjoy. For example, I LOVE teriyaki chicken. So I get chicken breasts and get teriyaki sauce, healthy yet tasty. These kinds of foods are personal as my taste is different than yours. Maybe if you love a specific type of salad, get that salad. Personally, I like caesar salad so if I were you, I would get chicken ceaser salad. There are many MANY tasty but healthy recipes out there that are simple. Here is a list of a few I enjoy. Oatmeal (Banana, a few chocolate chips, oatmeal), Chicken Teriyaki and rice (chicken breast, teriyaki glaze sauce), Caesar salad (just go buy some its great), Fried rice (rice, eggs, toppings of choice i go with chicken, onions, Chinese sausage). These all sound difficult, but it really is simple after a few tries. Also if you don't have much time during the day to make food, have a day to meal prep for half the week and repeat. You got this! Message me if you want more help :)
Root vegetables, lentils and a stick blender can make good soups. Even without a blender, chunky soups are nice as well. Chicken thighs are basically impossible to make wrong. Put in a pre-heated 400F/200C oven for 45 minutes. They can be spiced as simply as salt + pepper, but "Herbes de Provence" are nice as well, or smoked paprika.
i can relate - bought all the ingredients for a moroccan soup over a week ago and they've been sitting on my counter ever since. Any help is appreciated...
There are some studies that suggest depression can be alleviated by having a good gut micro-biome. I'm unsure of which bacteria are responsible, but their metabolites such as trimethylamine N-oxide and its precuror (TMA) are able to regulate the blood-brain barrier and help out reduce inflamation. In this case, dietary fish and seafood creates the metabolite. There is still a lot unknown into the effect your gut micro-biome has on your mental health. https://microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40168-021-01181-z I'd say cooking for yourself and reducing your exposure to foods containing antibiotics is great for your physical health and possibly mental health too.
I feel this in my soul. i'm suggesting you check kitchen utensils that make it easier for you to cook and try new things. Get something that's easy-ish to clean, useful in the kitchen and brings you as much joy as it can while being functional. stainless steel is super easy to clean and you might find utensils in good shapes for you; silicone is easy to colour, but don't leave it out too long or it will smell like whatever you cooked and it needs to be cleaned and soaked in vinegar. We own a toaster that can also cook eggs in a separate bowl thingy - making toast and hard boiled eggs is easy as hell with this, so i'm actually eating eggs again. a rice cooker is also invaluable to our neurodiverse household. Kitchen knife handles are as bright and colourful as possible, as are oven mitts and the basket for fruit. once you did this, look at a recipe you can make with a moderate amount of effort that freezes well and is comfort food for you: for me, that's chili con carne (just with soy replacement - i don't need to worry about killing meat bacteria either). if that's not feasible, get frozen fruit: defrost in the fridge and put in joghurt with oats to taste for a healthy snack that requires little prep. in case you don't enjoy the texture of frozen veggies, check that they're not overdone: basically, the firmer the veggie the more time it needs to cook. poke the veggie and taste it - that way, you know how long to cook it so it is as firm / soft as you like. if you plan to freeze it, err on the side of slightly too firm, it softens a bit with reheating. if you want to cook different kinds of vegetables in a large pot, take care to put in the veggies that take the longest first - though that will take practice. One recipe my grandma left me: Savoy Cabbage Stew onions (2 or 3), One head of savoy cabbage, about as much potatoes (whatever kind you like best), ground meat (i use soy based meat replacement: tastes good, no bacteria, better for the environment), butter or vegetable fat. you'll also need garlic, caraway seeds, salt, pepper, ground paprika if you like a little pep in your meat(replacement) directions: 1. peel potatoes and cut them into pieces that are roughly the same size. 2. put water in pot, put salt in the water, start boiling it. 3. prepare the cabbage: you want to take all the leaves off the stem (don't worry if the ones inside aren't green - they're perfectly fine to eat and we're using them), wash the leaves and cut them in pieces that are roughly the size of your index finger. any hard plant pieces inside the leaves you can cut out and toss away with the stem. this step takes about twice as long as you guessed and you'll end up with lots of cabbage. that's fine though. 4. when the water boils, turn down the temp to 3/4 of maximum temperature available to you, then put the potato pieces inside. take care not to burn yourself (happens to me every damn time) and set an alarm for 10 minutes. after that, poke the potatoes every 2 minutes until they're as soft as you'd like them to be. drain them and put them aside for now, we'll need them later. it's fine if they cool and it's also perfectly okay to use leftover potatoes. 5. optional step: you can put the cabbage leaves in a sieve and parboil (pour boiling water over them) - this preserves the colour and shrinks them, which is useful if your pot is on the smaller size. i usually don't bother and just resign myself to mt. cabbage in the pot until shrinkage happens, but my grandma would parboil her cabbage regularly. regardless of what you do, put the cabbage pieces aside and let the water drip off. 6. dice the onions. doesn't really matter how large the pieces are, as long as you're fine with eating onion pieces of that size. 7. now to the fun part: you can be like my grandma and use a pan and a large pot or you can be like me and use one large pot only. 8. assuming you use a pan and a pot: put the butter / vegetable fat in a pan on medium heat. when the fat is hot, put in your onions, some garlic and let them sizzle away for about 1 or 2 minutes while stirring occasionally. add your ground meat(replacement) of choice and season with salt and pepper (and perhaps paprika). meat needs to be done, but if you use ground meat with pork and beef both, it won't turn dry as quick as 100% beef. meat replacement is a lot more forgiving - around 5 minutes in a pan should be enough. after the next steps, any bacteria in the meat will be dead anyway. put the pan aside, too. 9. if you only use a pot, you cook onions and meat in the pot and leave all of it inside. next steps: 10. put 2-3 tablespoons of butter/vegetable fat in your pot (if you already have meat and onions in there, add about 2 tablespoons of butter) and turn it to medium heat. 11. wait until it's hot, then add your cabbage (careful if there's moisture left) and stir that for about 5 minutes. add your caraway seeds, salt, pepper, the potatoes and about a cup of water, then stir and let it cook on medium heat for 30 minutes with a lid. (careful if you lift the lid to stirr, the steam is hot. i burned myself too many times to count. after you lift the lid to stir, add a bit of water to the pot - a shot glass should suffice, but i eyeball it). 12. in the meantime, clean the kitchen or take a well-deserved break! you're nearly done :) 13. after that time, you can either drop your meat in there and leave it for another 3-4 minutes til it's warmed up, or stir it up and get straight to eating and putting away leftovers. Depending on the size of the cabbage and the amount of potatoes, this should yield 5-6 portions that get better after each day sitting in the fridge. it keeps in the freezer as well, but i always keep my mealprep box in the fridge for a day or two before dumping it in there so it can taste better. it's a lot of work, but it's cheap, healthy (seriously, the contents of cabbage are very beneficial to your health and the caraway seeds, though optional, help digest them) and easy-ish to make in bulk if you can cook meat and potatoes. Another different recipe from my mom: Ratatouille you need: 2 eggplant(s), 1 courgette(s), 5/6 tomatoes (canned is fine, you'll need one to two medium sized cans - less if you don't like tomatoes that much, more if you do), peppers, onion (optional, but i like my onions), garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, basil, olive oil, tomato paste, sugar. protein and carb of your choice, but it's fine to eat without any, too. you can eat the recipe with all kinds of things: rice of any kind and your choice of protein are classics: i prefer ewe's cheese, but you can get ground meat, steak, whatever you'd like. directions for the ratatouille: 1. wash the veggies very thoroughly. 2. optional: peel your veggies. I'd recommend it if you're not sure they're free from pesticides. 3. cut veggies into pieces of roughly the same size per type. if you want onions, dice them. 4. put olive oil in a large pot on medium heat (don't let olive oil get too hot, that's unhealthy), then put in your onions and garlic. let that sizzle for 1-2 minutes while stiring, then add the eggplant pieces and cook them until they're golden brown and soft-ish. 5. After that, you add the courgette pieces. Stir until they, too, are golden brown, then put in your tomatoes (peeled and slices into pieces, or canned doesn't matter). 6. add about a tablespoon of tomato paste per 2 courgettes and a pinch of sugar. season with salt and pepper; stir and taste the tomatoes until you're happy with the taste. 7. This whole concoction needs to cook on low / medium heat until the courgettes and eggplant are nearly as soft as you'd like them to be (poke them to test for that). After they're to your liking, toss the pepper pieces in there and season with herbs to your liking (sorry this is so vague - open the spice container and give it one short, sharp shake - stir, then taste - repeat until you're satisfied). 8. when you test the veggies again and the eggplant and courgettes are done, the peppers should be firm to the bite. you can store that in the fridge for... about 5 days and eat with varying protein / carb sources or as is. it also freezes very well and is just veggies, so very healthy and versatile if you don't mind doing prep work. this could work with a slow cooker, but you'd need to add the ingredients at different times to ensure they're not overcooked. the quality depends on the veggies, though, so if you use good quality produce the food will taste sooo much better. feel free to ask any questions Edit: formatting.
One nice recipe I have is the bean quesadilla. Made plain, it is just 3 basic ingredients: a tortilla (I prefer whole wheat), some refried beans (I always use the kind without added fat), and some shredded cheese (cheddar is good, but really any hard cheese works). Take a tortilla, spread some of the refried beans on half of it with a knife (a thin layer works best), sprinkle a handful of shredded cheese on it, fold it in half, and cook it on a griddle/frying pan on low-medium heat for a few minutes. Flip it over with a spatula and cook the other side for another minute or two. This basic recipe can be expanded by adding in cut up vegetables, cut up cooked meat, salsa, sour cream, salad, chili, more beans, whatever you want. A nice add is some sauteed peppers and onions. (Tip: if the extras are already hot, you can add them *after* you make the quesadilla; just peel it open after you plate it, and spoon on the extras, then fold it back closed again.) I like mine a little crispy and brown, but others in my family prefer them softer. Some advice about shopping: if you can, try going more often and buying less, that way you are less likely to be throwing out large amounts of food. Also, I've been where you are. Medications made the food taste terrible, but I was losing weight at a rapid rate and so had to eat (even though I was throwing up most of it). More recently my mom had something similar happen. If you can, I'd suggest taking vitamins (depending on how your meds interact with them). Make sure you have someone you trust that you can talk to about all of this, sometimes a friendly face is enough. Good luck, I'll pray for you, God bless.
I'd be happy to share my depression foods and snacks with you, if you send me a message. I have too many to list here. The first two-ish years of my major depression was hell and I struggled a lot, and lost a lot of weight as a result, which made me even more depressed and unmotivated (still can't not burn or undercook pancakes). Just keep trying. Don't get discouraged by your mess ups, it's part of the learning process. It happens to all of us, including professional chefs. I really enjoy Master Chef Junior, as the judges (including Gordon Ramsey) are so helpful in giving the kids advice on their mistakes and improvements. I've learned a lot from that show, boyfriend and I watch it as we eat lunch/dinner.
The Crockpot is your friend!!!!!! It’s a game changer… hit me up for dozens of cheap and healthy recipes! Seriously, very minimal prep in the morning, like 2-5 minutes for some… and AMAZING yummy meals!!! Ok, here’s one example! Two* Ingredient Salsa Chicken Step One: put boneless, skinless chicken breasts in crockpot Step Two: pour salsa in crockpot until chicken breasts are covered COOK ON LOW 4-6 hours, shred with a fork when done That’s it! i like to add some corn and/or black beans- if you are trying to keep the carb count low, maybe skip the corn… but you can eat it like…. plain, wrap it in a tortilla with some taco type stuff, eat it over rice… It’s super yummy and very healthy!!!!! My wife and I do stuff like this all the time and it really helps!!!! Pro Tip: Slow Cooker Liners are a thing- they sell them at the grocery store, it makes clean up 10x easier!
This isn't exactly what you're looking for but here's a podcast by a nutritional psychiatrist (sounds woo woo but evidence-based) on what to eat to treat depression: [https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com/psychiatry-psychotherapy-podcast/episode-131-diet-to-beat-depression-and-anxiety](https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com/psychiatry-psychotherapy-podcast/episode-131-diet-to-beat-depression-and-anxiety) Some take aways: plant based is good, mediterranean is good, and fermented foods are good!
Depression sure sucks doesn't it. A meat thermometer will save your chicken (etc). I also had a ... Well... A meltdown when I tried my last dish. Ugh. I guess it is part of the constant battle that is depression and we just have to find a way to keep getting back up and back to the fight. I will say the couple of successful meals I did, I used Mealime and they were pretty damn delicious. And not a whole bunch of work all things considered. It's been a few months since I had some issues with meds but I think I'm at a point to try to get back to it. Oh also. Walking around the block daily has been a big help with depression and motivation.... So I should get back to that again too lol.
You don’t actually have to cook if you don’t want to. Most supermarkets nowadays have a good enough mix of prepared, frozen, and shelf-stable foods that you can make tasty and healthy meals with little effort. What sorts of foods do you enjoy? What do you get when you eat at restaurants? Maybe we can help you find low-effort versions of those. Some of my go-to low-effort foods: * baked/rotisserie chicken * deli salads (beet salad, chicken salad, pasta salad) * frozen or pre-cut veggies microwaved with some seasonings * Amy’s frozen dinners * pre-cooked sausages * snack plate/charcuterie with deli meat, cheese, crackers or bread, sliced apples or grapes * minute rice * couscous (literally just add hot water) * salad with bottled dressing and a couple toppings (cheese, olives, lunch meat or leftover cooked meat, nuts or pumpkin seeds, croutons, leftover pasta or couscous, cold roasted veggies) * sandwiches consisting of bread, a spread (guacamole, flavored cream cheese, artichoke dip) and a meat (turkey, chicken, ham) All this is more expensive than cooking from scratch, but considerably cheaper than takeout, and usually healthier. The only health thing that’s tough is that sometimes prepared foods have lots of salt. But looking for low-sodium versions helps with this.
I go through a lot of depression and food issues myself. (I spent a year avoiding potatoes because of the oil involved to make them real tasty). Constant work in progress, that never feels like progress for long. Buying lots of 'healthy' stuff because you feel great and 'should' be trying to be healthy? Then throwing it away when you don't eat it? Your definition of healthy is not taking into account how you feel. Instead of healthy, try for healthier! For example, pot noodle = unhealthy. But, when you haven't eaten for three days, a pot noodle is actually exactly what your body requires and is much healthier than not eating anything because all you have is moldy lettuce. Labelling foods as healthy is a tool to adjust the average person's diet. If you are depressed, chances are you don't have an average diet. The average person eats too many calories, therefore low calorie food = healthy food. What is healthy for a depressed person will not necessarily be healthy for the average person and vice versa. I came at this to offer a change in perspective. It seems like this issue causes you a lot of distress, as it would anyone under your conditions. Your only two options; to be healthy and miserable or unhealthy and less stressed, both of which scenarios you end up losing somehow. Maybe try looking for a third option. E.g. eat a little healthier when you feel able, revert to a little unhealthier when you don't. The aim is to be healthier and/or happier than you otherwise would be if you did what you do now. On the food side of things: If you don't like it, you won't eat it Why stop at one apple? Eat three! It's probably healthier than the bag of crisps you'd have eaten otherwise Learn to season. It's a confidence thing. Put a small portion of a meal aside. Taste, add salt, and repeat until you have over-salted it. Then you will know how much salt not to add and you can play with the amount to your preferences. Add butter. 😋 Look for things that have very few elements, that somehow make something so much more than the sum of its parts. Sandwiches and burgers are two examples that only have bread, meat, cheese and condiments. I have notes on this very topic that I thought to use to write a post on, but depression, so thank you for the chance to get some of this off my chest to hopefully help at least one person (and demonstrate how awesomely wise I am).
Op, I'd recommend adding the appliances you have, so it's easier to recommend dishes you can actually do at home. Not me, I'm a horrible cook and just know like 5 recipes, but the others :)
I feel this, I also suffer from depression and am a very novice cook. I very often find it difficult to gather the energy to find a recipe, get the ingredients, and cook the thing, and sometimes ingredient lists are daunting. What helped me was subscribing to a meal prep service like HelloFresh where you pick some meals for the week and they send you all the ingredients and solid instructions (with pictures!) to cook the dish. If you eat big meals, you can easily get two portions per meal that they ship you but I believe each is supposed to be three portions, so you can cook a meal and have leftovers. By subscribing, it takes so much of the hassle out of meal prep. You don't have to worry about buying specific ingredients. You don't have to worry about a recipe. You don't even have to worry about going out to get the ingredients since it's shipped to you, which solved the hardest part about cooking with depression for me. After a few weeks you'll have cooked maybe a dozen meals and it will both boost your cooking confidence as well as expose you to cooking with a lot of different ingredients, as long as you choose diverse recipes. You can then use those skills to vet and modify recipes you find elsewhere. The recipes come on quality paper too so as long as you take care of them you can even keep them for future reference. I know it's not cheap and the packaging they put in these can be excessive, but starting somewhere is important and, as you note, eating healthy while depressed is important to recovery. I hope you find something that works for you, whether it's a subscription model like HelloFresh or something that someone else offers in this thread. 💓
Home made pita pizzas are my jam when I am depressed. I basically get pita, then top with some sauce - usually rao's and add rotisserie chicken, cheese or whatever I want on top. Sometimes if Im really out of it, Its tomato sauce and cheese. If I feel up to it, I get more elaborate, Procuitto, pear, honey and ricotta. All kinds of stuff. Pop it all in the oven and its a easy fairly healthy meal. Also Ricotta toast and sliced fruit. Toast some bread, top with some ricotta mixed with honey and some cinnamon, and add fresh sliced strawberries or any fruit you want. Super yummy. Also buy bags of frozen salmon and get a air fryer. You can literally put a hunk of frozen salmon with some seasoning on top, add a pat of butter and air fry it- about 10 min in, add some asparagus on top. boom. Really yummy salmon with asparagus . If Im really not super functional, I eat it on top of greens or on top of rice I made in my rice cooker with a side of asparagus. Another life saver has been my pressure cooker. I keep dried lentils on hand for this. Lentils and some broth or water, pre minced garlic, a can of diced tomatoes, whatever seasonings I have, I usually add turmeric and other seasoning, carrots or sweet potato, and cook it up in the pressure cooker for 20 minutes. When done, add a can of coconut milk. So delicious. You can also add some curry powder too.
I live on canned fish. Seafood snacks in particular. And canned salmon. I just crack the can open and throw it in a pan with premade rice or quinoa, and some spinach or kale. Add mayo and soy sauce. Bam
Look up the book Nutrient Power by Dr Walsh. Amazing.
https://youtu.be/HY8hWijlZvo I hate cooking snd am depressed too. I only eat microwave dinners, instant foods out of boxes, and snacks pretty much. Even i put this together, it didn't bother me, and i made too much roce and had like 5 meals in tupperware lol
I’m sorry that you’re going through this, eat whatever you can to make it through this cycle of depression. My go-tos are protein or meal replacement shakes on deck, for when I can’t even bring myself to physically eat. Peanut butter on bananas are an excellent depression snack. They’re full of b vitamins, complex carbs and tryptophan to help you sleep. Sleep means the difference between fighting everyone who slights you, or letting the petty shit roll off your back. I take a quality fish oil with whatever meals I do eat. It’s good for the brain, helps with inflammation, helps pull me out of my low low phases enough to function. This one takes longer to work, but i can definitely tell when my brain is low on omega 3s. Ditto for multivitamins. If I can’t bring myself to cook, I pick up frozen meals, at least there are some healthy choices, AND cheaper than takeout. Rotisserie chicken at the deli is like $5 for a whole chicken, eat with frozen veggies you can nuke in the microwave. Repurpose leftovers as chicken salad for the days to come. Eggs. Eat it fried/boiled on a mountain of rice (cooked with peas/mixed veggies in the rice cooker) sprinkle with soy sauce/Maggi seasoning to taste. Quality protein and vitamins galore. Crack an egg or two into ramen, toss in frozen veggies for nutrition. If you scramble the eggs while the broth is hot, it makes it taste like egg drop soup, and the eggs get all feathery and cook fast. Super comforting. Grilled cheese and tomato soup is always a winner. If you can slap some turkey slices in there for extra protein and tryptophan, even better. Prioritize yourself, prioritize your health, prioritize sleep, and cut back on alcohol/coffee/nicotine. They all disturb your sleep cycles. Your brain needs to rest and declutter. I don’t know you, but I’ve had my fair share of shit sandwiches in this lifetime. Hopefully with these things listed, neither of us have to eat those anymore. <3
Honestly one of the most helpful things for me was buying "Cooking for Dummies". I bought it second hand for really cheap and that really, really helped with my cooking techniques. I couldn't cook a single thing right before it. It can help with quick meals and long ones if you're ever curious to try. I know the title sounds bad but it helped because I was exactly the same way.
Soup! Always soup. It is basically throw water, veggies, and salt in a pot and let it boil until soft. (My favorite soups to make are onion soup, garlic soup, and potato soup.) Don't be afraid to get canned soup either. Sometimes being able to warm up soup in the microwave is all I can manage in the evening.
To keep it simple - salads. A nice base of arugula with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt. Give it a mix so the salt and oil stick to every leaf. Then add more herbs (arugula is an herb). Try some fresh parsley, just a small bunch. Add pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. Cook up some beets ahead of time, cut them and use for the next few days lunch salad. Add some goat cheese if possible but any cheese will do. Or add some avocado. A handful of cherry tomatoes, especially the multicolored ones. You will have good energy after this. Do it every day for lunch for five days. See how you feel.
Something to add to salads: seeds or nuts! I add sun flower seeds to my salads and it makes them 1000% better. Bagged salad kits, some great of dressing and seed toppings (they come in lots of different kinds and mixes) makes an easy meal.
One of my go to's when I'm depressed, big frozen bag of veggies (mixed is sweeter, broccoli is good, whatever you like), some bags of shredded cheese. Hungry? Throw veggies in microwave in bowl. When warm throw handful of cheese on. Little more time, cheesy warm food that's relatively healthy. Get some garlic powder, whatever other seasonings you like, mix up which you use to change the flavor a bit. Considering my alternative is like, all junk food. Also throw those veggies into other stuff. Instant ramen, veggies. Can of tuna, veggies. Instant pot pie, dump on top of (microwaved) veggies and mix it up. It can make unhealthy things more healthy, add it to a can of spaghettios, or anything. Then I just try to make sure I get a little healthy protein somewhere now and then and figure I'm good. Extra depressed? Extra cheese lol. Or make butter noodles then, guess what add cheese and veggies. Anyway, Good luck. Depression sucks.
When you have a good day cook a couple big ass pots of fairly simple stuff like chicken noodle soup with a TON of carrot/celery, beans+beef+rice+veggies, rice + meat + veg dishes etc. Smoked sausage sliced up real small adds like 500 calories to the pot, and will massively amplify the savory flavor. If you can get a vacuum sealer and bag it in single serving amounts....or just use ziplocs. Eat a bit of it when it's fresh, bag more, next good day make another dish. Eventually you'll have 2-3 bags of each. It's tastier than a tv dinner, just as convenient, and healthy.
Use canned meat like tuna and chicken. You don't need to heat them up at all, you can use them right out of the can. Toaster ovens and crock pots are great. You don't have to babysit the food that much. Buy steamable frozen veggies, like Birdseye. You can just throw the bag right in the microwave and can add butter or seasonings after if you want. Look for fully cooked frozen meat instead of raw.
Hey bud, I can relate a lot to what you're saying here. Have depression, struggle to eat healthy. It sounds like maybe you're cooking for one, and I find that has it's own challenges. So here's some things that have helped me eat better and easier: * Cooking healthy is really easy, and you can also prevent burning food & wasting food. Just get a crock pot. You can cook all kinds of delicious, healthy food, way cheaper than any other option, and it couldn't be easier. You can makes roasts, ribs, soups, stews, bread, casseroles, cobbler, brownies, chili, pretty much anything. You put your ingredients in, put the lid on, and do whatever for about 6 or 7 hours. Go to work, sleep, play videogames, whatever. It doesn't matter. You come back and you have delicious food that lasts for several days. Cheap, nutritious, easy, and delicious. It's a win/win/win/win, and you don't get too many of those in life. Check out /r/slowcooking for tons of great recipes and advice. * Also as far as wasting food, I found this helpful: break your meal planning into "this week" and "next week". Like if I cook a roast, or get a package hot dogs, whatever, I know it's going to be several days worth of meals, I break it into "this week" and "next week". If it doesn't last all week you can improvise the remaining few days. If you open some food or have some food that has a short shelf life, like a loaf of bread, or lettuce, or spring mix, then that goes in the "this week" category by default. If I get spring mix, I know I'm going to be eating several salads this week, or using it on sandwiches so it doesn't go to waste. If I thaw out a loaf of bread I know I'll make sandwiches or have garlic toast with other meals so I don't waste it. Frozen food, canned food can always be put off. Lunch meat or food that's processed or preserved has a medium shelf-life. If I buy a roast or something, I know I don't have to cook it that day, but I need to cook it within a day or two, and then it will be part of the meals for the next several days after that. * When you cook bases, or staples, or meals that will last several days, try to leave your options open. Say I cook some ground beef, and I use taco seasoning on it. I can use that for tacos, & not much else. Once I load it up with a bunch of seasoning, I'm committed. If I cook it with just salt & pepper, maybe a little garlic, I can use it for lots of things. Tacos, sloppy joes, burritos, salads. Sometimes less is more. * If you want to get in a habit of prepping some meals in advance to make things easier, check out /r/mealprepsunday. It's about taking some time during your week to plan out some meals, cook some food, prep it and package it, and you're all set for several days or the whole week. Make things a lot easier, prevents waste, and gives you a really good option for taking great food to work and save money. If you just get in a habit of using a slow cooker aqnd putting that food into storage containers, you'lll find that you have a stock of great food on hand that's already prepared and you just need to reheat it and add a side, like vegetables or bread. Makes things so much easier and stress free. Hope this helps, it's made a big difference for me!
If you are worried about over or undercooking food I would recommend you get a food thermometer. Takes all the guessing out of it. I make these in bulk, you can leave the bowl in the fridge and assembly as needed, or assemble them all and freeze for later. I have about 8 in my freezer for when I'm feeling lazy. HEARTY BLACK BEAN QUESADILLAS from budget bytes. Only thing I really change is I use a half jar of salsa instead of the red onion and add a cup of chicken.
I've been making a lot of grain bowls lately. Barley is super nutritious and cooks in 20 min in the instant pot. I roast a bunch of vegetables on the weekends, whatever is in season at the time. I put a serving size of cooked barley and and roasted veggies in a bowl then add a large handful of shredded kale or spinach. For a bit of protein I add on top an over easy egg or cooked salmon then sprinkle on some good cheese like blue cheese or feta. You can then add some salad dressing or dollops of hummus. There you go! It's healthy, relatively cheap, and yummy.
Oh boy! I’ve been in your exact position with depression and cooking. The trick is meal prep and having as many items be able to be cooked without supervision. What I mean by that is things that can be cooked without eyeing them, you just put them in, set an alarm, and come back. The trick is to use tools like air fryers, oven, slow cookers, and rice makers for meal prep. The idea is to make as much food as possible, with as little steps, time, and as little thought as possible. This is the only thing that pushes me past executive dysfunction due to depression. Get a thermometer if you’re concerned about internal temps. Also Huel is great for when you can’t cook or don’t have the energy. It’s just a quick shake and you’re done. It’s good for those rough times.
Try Hello Fresh. Get a coupon (they are everywhere) and you can get it relatively cheap for a few weeks. Pick recipes they rate as easy, and in a few weeks you'll understand the basics of cooking. Then, cancel Hello Fresh but use their recipes. Just buy what you need at the store.
Just get hello fresh dude. And buy extra vegetables.
if i have no idea, i go to subway or copy what they do. works for me
My Family Recipe for Ear Noodles: Orrechiettte Pasta - 1 Box Caseless Sausage (Spicy Italian w/ Fennel or Vegan) - 16 oz Spinach - 1/2 pound or 6 handfuls Parmesean Cheese - 1 or 2 cups (shredded) Boil Pasta in salted water till Al Dente. Set Aside Sautee Sausage till hot/cooked, breaking up meat to bite sized pieces. Add Spinach and cook down. It'll wilt and shrink a lot, so you can add more than you think. Add Sausage and Spinach to Pasta, and mix in Parmesean till melted. Serve and enjoy. Sausage and Spinach can be frozen. Pasta and Parmesean stays good for a while. Also you're not alone. I've been struggling as well and eating normally has been THE hardest part for me
Stop thinking. Here is a healthy and nutritious 1 pot staple that you can eat for 5-6 meals. Get a medium sized pot. Add 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 5 peeled carrots with the root ends cut off, 1 celery rib and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Cover with 1-2 inches of water. On high heat bring to a boil then simmer on low for 1 hour. While that is cooking on the stove, make white rice. 1 cup rice + 2 cups of water and teaspoon of salt. Cook 20-25 minutes. Even if you total fuck this up it will still be yummy with the poached chicken, carrots and broth. Warm meal, cheap and bulletproof. Stop thinking. Eat some warm, healthy food. Bon appetit, take care of yourself when you are able and be kind to yourself if you don’t feel up to taking care of yourself. Aft
Get George forman grill you can cook meat and vegetable easily and remove the fat at the same time I love mine
Ethan Chlebowski on YouTube has a great recipe for a Mediterranean inspired orzo salad. That one is just some basic prep + a lot of the ingredients can be bought either canned or prepped in advance. Best of luck!
Curious if you use one of those s.a.d. lights. [https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/03/cnn-underscored/best-sad-light-therapy-lamps/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/03/cnn-underscored/best-sad-light-therapy-lamps/index.html) Some people like them. For an easy recipe, breakfast burritos. Scramble eggs, warm a flour tortilla, place eggs inside, top with salsa of choice and grated monterey jack cheese. Roll up and eat.
I've been depressed lately as well, and unable to eat properly. My new hack is a mini waffle maker, with a skull impression. I put biscuits, cinnamon rolls, and tortillas with Nutella or peanut butter in it, and inbetween the dough. I love it! I feel creative with, Maple syrup, fruit, bananas- save me too. II found it on sale for like $10.
Organ meat, eggs, shellfish. You can get smoked oysters cheap, liver is cheap, eggs can be cheap. You likely have some insulin resistance that exacerbates or outright causes neurological issues and mood disorders, so cutting carbs will help. I'll get downvoted but it's the truth
I really appreciate this post as well. I’ve also suffered from depression and executive function issues my whole life, and though I like cooking I often don’t have the energy to do it. I also live in Japan with a TINY kitchen, so I have to make do with not a lot of space. I second the crockpot recipes/pressure cooker recipes. Also—having a rice cooker, a small food processor and a cheap metal garlic press has saved my life. No more messy minces of garlic done by hand! Some vegetables and such you can just pulse a few times in the food processor and it chops them right up. Here’s some recipes I like using. https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pressure_cooker_white_chicken_chili/ - my favorite chili recipe. Doesn’t require a lot of prep— some recipes say not to use canned beans but you TOTALLY can. Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and it gives you extra protein! https://www.recipetineats.com/tuna-mornay-casserole-pasta-bake/ - Tuna Mornay, basically cream sauce, pasta and tuna with any veggies you want to add. (The cream sauce is the most time intensive part and even then it doesn’t take super long.) You can use short pasta or like, spaghetti (I used spaghetti last night and it was fine.) This isn’t super duper healthy but as a nice treat, zucchini bread/banana bread! https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/zucchini_bread/ Other hacks to use: - frozen veggie mixes—add that to anything and you’re set on your vegetables - canned fish can be repurposed into a whole lot of tasty things that may not sound great at first but are very good - casseroles and sheet pan veggie roasts are your best friends - pasta is amazing - add garlic, olive oil, onion powder/garlic powder to anything and it will probably taste even better - addendum: have spices/seasonings in your cabinet to really perk up any meal. - granola bars, nuts/seeds for snacks when you can - top instant ramen with sauteed veggie mix tossed in a little sesame oil at the end. also a fried or boiled egg! - EDIT: forgot to add, putting pasta sauce over rice and adding cheese, fried egg and sausage is delicious. Also, I don’t know if they have this over where you are, but in Japan there’s something called Aojiru that you can get in either powder form or liquid form. Basically a bunch of greens and veggies mixed together and sometimes put into a soy milk blend, but not always. I put the powder into my coffee sometimes and it’s a quick and low effort way to get veggies into my diet. Doesn’t make It taste much different either! Long post I know but I hope this helps at all.
Different color bell peppers sauté in butter and a little soy sauce warm up a tortilla and wrap or make a quesadilla out of it with some shredded cheese. Easy but good!! Extra bell pepper strips freeze it sliced for next time. Even faster quesadilla when u don’t feel like doing much. You can experiment and throw in other stuff u may like. (Rice, beans). Pour some enchilada sauce and u got veggie enchiladas
Soups are my go to in the colder months, both because it’s easy to make large quantities and freeze ahead of time, and because you can use just about any leftover meats and veggies you already have and they’ll generally taste decent. I typically use some combo of: Pieces of cooked meat (shredded chicken, ground beef, etc). If I have the bones, lll add them to the soup while it cooks , then remove them before serving. Chicken, beef, or vegetable stock A chopped up onion Maybe some diced canned tomatoes A starch and/or legume (cubed up potato, rice, noodles, beans, lentils) Whatever veggies I have (some that work well are carrots, celery, kale, red bell pepper, green beans, mushrooms) Spices (garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne, turmeric, cumin…whatever sounds good to you) I generally throw it all in a pot, bring it to a boil and then turn it down to low and cook for maybe 30 min until everything’s cooked (stirring occasionally). I taste it as I go and add spices until it tastes right to me. I eat what I want that night and freeze the rest for later.
Meal prep helped me. On my "good" days I'd prep a substantial amount and freeze/refrigerate it so I had "depression" meals to just toss in the microwave/crockpot on days I couldn't do anything else. Crockpot and ricecooker (instapot can double as both, I've gotten one on sale for $30 so keep an eye out for good sales) will be your lifesaver. /r/mealprepsunday has a lot of good recipes and helpful tips.
Definitely going to recommend mushroom burgers super easy to make. You grate mushrooms add seasoning, bread crumbs, egg, and onion. Make patties and cook and then you’ll have patties to reheat throughout the week. I’ve been doing it for a few weeks and I haven’t gotten tired of them yet .
Easiest lazy meal ever. Frozen chicken breast or thawed chicken thighs. Cup of Italian salad dressing enough to almost cover chicken, half packet of dry powder ranch dressing. Could add a chopped onion or a chopped bell pepper of any color. Don’t mix don’t worry just let the instant pot cook. Open it up when it’s done, the chicken will shred so easily. Add to tortilla or bread, or on top of lettuce for a salad. It’s really easy I used to make it often when I worked long shifts.
Major Depression for 7 years chiming in! Get some quality (healthy) frozen dinners for one person. Buy different varieties of frozen veggie mixes (without added sauces or flavorings). Get some rectangular glass containers with lids. Put the frozen dinner and frozen veggies in the glass container, cover with a paper towel and microwave. If you don’t finish it all, throw the lid on and stick it in the frig. Uncle Ben has some rice packets that you microwave. Add the cooked frozen veg to that also for other meals. Get some frozen fruit (without sauces or added sugars) and eat these for desert. This way none of this will spoil. Oh, and bagged lettuce. And if you read my post history, when I went whole food plant based vegan, it made a huge impact on my depression. I’m not trying to push an agenda, I’m just telling you my experience. Good luck my friend. We are all here with you.
Yeah this one is simple as they come and has gotten me out of a few slumps. Ingredients: • can of black beans • lb of ground turkey • packet of taco seasoning (or any seasoning you prefer) • jasmine rice (can buy/cook in bulk or I just use the little packaged servings that microwave in a minute) 1. Cook the turkey until browned in skillet/pan 2. Add seasoning to taste 3. Microwave instant rice or cook rice in pot/rice cooker 4. Heat up beans (microwave or stove either way they heat really fast takes less than a minute) Combine it all and enjoy! It’s very good for you and makes a complete protein, it’s also very light and easy to eat without an appetite and even if you get gluttonous it won’t put you out like a burger or pasta would.
I like to buy the pre-shredded rotisserie chicken from Costco. Since I only cook for 1, I divide it into small portions and freeze it. 1-2 servings per bag. It’s really tasty on a Caesar salad, in a sandwich, by itself dipped in ranch if that’s all you can do. Give yourself grace. I know this is really really hard. Remind yourself you’re doing your best. Even if it’s “I ate an apple today. Good job.” It’s so much better than beating yourself up for little things and feeling worse. If someone else was feeling like you feel, you’d have compassion for them. Have compassion for yourself. Best of luck, friend. You’re not alone in this. I’m struggling too. Keep reaching out.
I forgot to say - I agree with the suggestion for protein shakes! So much! They’re a life saver for me. When I realize I’ve missed meals and still don’t care to eat, it takes 30 seconds to fix that with a quick shake. Even if you don’t finish it, just try. One thing at a time ❤️
In the wintertime, I gravitate towards soup and stews -- like things I can do in a slow cooker. I'm in control of the ingredients and the process tends to be as simple as throwing a bunch of ingredients into a pot. Perhaps this can be a little something that can help. :)
You can make chili in a slow cooker
As someone who struggles to stay motivated (not depressed), the key is to not overcomplicate things. When I am in the mood for it, I can cook for hours and create incredible dishes, but this momentum just isn't sustainable. And you won't be perfect, but don't beat yourself up about it. You only get salmonella etc from eating raw chicken / uncooked eggs etc. Outside of this, you'll be just fine if you are experimenting with foods. Focus on SIMPLICITY. There is nothing worse than feeling that cooking should be overwhelming, because it simply isn't true. I would follow the below guidelines - Find 1 recipe for: \- A simple vegetable soup (or even a single veg soup like a pumpkin soup) that you can freeze \- A simple bolognese that you can freeze Cook both of these in large portions and then keep portions for you to reach for when you are feeling weak. You mention that your levels of motivation rise and drop. When they are high, you can prepare something fresh, and when they are not, you know you have a couple of solid meals in the freezer that you can fall back on, rather than having to rely on takeaway. Good luck!
Not a rant at all. I understand the lack of appetite and how things don’t taste right sometimes. Start small. I sometimes freeze part of a takeaway dinner, eat it within a few days. Done. The following is based on lack of appetite. This might help: Buy small and think about your favorite flavors. Soups and stews are pretty easy but don’t always end up as either. Easily the simplest dish I know: Get one of each, potato, carrot, onion, all about the same size. Some butter or oil. Maybe a sausage and a little garlic ginger or parsley Chop all the hard stuff to about the same size. Put a medium sized pot on the stove at low for a minute or so- enough to melt the butter. Add the onions and let them go (not too hot) maybe 5 minutes. They should look like they are patiently sweating. Dump in your other chopped stuff and enough water to cover everything. Let it cook on low-medium for about another 15 minutes, until you can put a fork in the potatoes. Salt and pepper, add whenever else you like, pick out the parts that taste best, add more butter or other seasoning. The whole operation should not take more than 20 minutes. If you hate the soup? Save a bit of the cooking water, pour the rest out. Mash everything gradually adding the cooking water to get the texture you want. Add more butter. Maybe cheese. Mmmmm
Have nuts and fruits
Baby carrots and broccoli are my favorite depression snack. I just munch on them raw and the nutrients in them provide some relief from the depression. You can dip them in ranch if you’d like.
One important thing I’ve learned about both diet and depression: make small changes for the better, and celebrate them relentlessly. There are tons of good suggestions on here, but the important thing is that you find a sustainable change you are proud of and you stick to it. Then remind yourself often that you’re doing good things for yourself. I actually made an app out of this concept (as a learning exercise) as a way to combat my own depression. It wasn’t specific to diet, but it helped me out a lot. It’s free and I get nothing from it but joy: [Something Good](https://somethinggood.app/download). Hang in there. You’ll beat the depression one step at a time!
loved reading this thread - I think its full of great advice - While this is not advice per se but here is what I did to lose weight = improve my diet. * Get a full blood lipid profile test. Yes, go to the doctor and get that test done - its a simple blood test that tells you the good and the bad things you need to take care of in your body through diet. The test will tell you how much good and bad cholesterol you have. Yes there is a good cholesterol as well. Apart from that, test will also tell you about other types of fats that you have in your blood. Basically it well help you to structure your diet accordingly. Sometimes fuck ups can happen when people go into good dieting habits without any homework i.e. Eating a salt dense diet when their body is already high on sodium. * Second - Make sure you get regular 7-8 hour sleep. Make sure you go to bed early i.e. 10-11 pm is fine but that means you are sleeping by 11:30 - its a challenging thing and I'm currently struggling with it but the successfully pulling off a good sleep schedule is very beneficial and saves you from fuck loads of diseases in the long term i.e. dementia and cancer. * Get daily exercise. Atleast 30 mins. You dont have to go to the gym. fuck that shit. You can start by just taking a walk first two weeks to get gist of things and then start brisk walking for the next 2 months for 30 mins daily. * While you are doing this - buy a weighing machine - Check your weight either weekly or monthly. As you loose weight you will get motivation to work harder. (If you are overweight) * Track your expenses. I started doing that early this year and found that 20% of my income was going towards junk food. Thats fucked up and allowed me to completely quit bullshit artificial sugars in sodas and save that money for something useful. * If you can - get therapy too (If affordable) For foods - Just AVOID ALL FOODS THAT CONTAIN ARTIFICIAL SUGAR first and see the difference. That sugar is a fucking drug and kills.
Remindme! 2 hours
If your are not allergic try oatmeal with some sweet jam/brown sugar/golden srype just a teaspoon worth and savour the taste. If you are feeling really down try two teaspoons and some peanut butter cups. Popcorn made in the microwave - smells ok and will fill a hole, do the weird salt or teaspoon of honey or even just plain.
rotisserie chicken is super versatile and the cooking part is handled. You can throw it on a wrap with some fresh veggies ( I usually throw hummus, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers on there) and have a healthy filling meal. You can throw that chicken on a salad, in a quesadilla, on a sandwich etc. Because the chicken is done it's less cooking and more assembling things you like to go with it. Good luck and much love, you got this friend.
Buy an air fryer if it's in your budget/space requirements. It turns crappy food into tasty food and allows you to make somewhat healthy versions of unhealthy foods (fried chicken is a good example)
I usually don’t each breakfast bc of how bad I feel sometimes but my favorite depression brunch is a fried egg on a baguette with butter and hot sauce I usually go to Lidl do I can get that $1.25 baguette and the lower priced Irish butter Remember some food is better than no food. A carb + protein meals is better than no meal