Basically, what are your go-tos when there’s a 0% chance you’re going to cook or extensively prep but you still need to feed your body.
Basically, what are your go-tos when there’s a 0% chance you’re going to cook or extensively prep but you still need to feed your body.
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I’ve been struggling to find cooking motivation lately. I live alone, so some weeks it just really feels like too much work. I’ve been leaning into grabbing a rotisserie chicken and breaking it down to use in (bagged) salads or big pasta dishes with minimal effort veggies in them.
I usually just shove raw carrots, bell peppers, light string cheese and nuts in my mouth. Maybe a bowl of Greek yogurt or cottage cheese.
Surprisingly well rounded.
I really love those little single-serve packets of tuna or chicken. Lean protein, and very easy. I eat them with saltines. Get some fresh fruit or veggies that you can eat raw, maybe some yogurt or sour cream based dip to dip them in, and you’ve covered most of your nutritional bases.
The fresh ready meals at my grocery store. They also sell baked chicken pieces. Sometimes a chicken breast and a Caesar salad kit does the job.
Frozen spring rolls — just pop them in the oven or air fryer or microwave and wait.
Can of soup — just plop in the microwave or on the stove
Almond butter toast — all the macros and lots of micros
Yogurt — Id.
Ka-chava (favorite is the chai)
Bag of salad and precooked chicken breast is my go to. Canned soup.
Smoothies!!
It does take a tiny bit of prep, but it’s virtually 3-5 minutes, and you can get so much healthy stuff in there. Bonus points for a yummy protein powder to tie it all together.
I have frozen soup that I make. Whenever I make soup, I make extra and freeze half. It’s the same amount of work to make more. I have soup cubes so I put them there, then put them in a ziplok bag when they are ready to come out of the mold frozen.
The easiest soup is butternut squash. I roast it cut in half (lengthwise).
Then boil water with chicken broth (from better than buillion). If I have some other veggies around I throw them in the water to cook. When that is ready, I turn it off, throw in the roasted butternut squash (you can spoon it out), put the immersion blender or just smash it. Done.
It lasts for a long time frozen.
lunchable style, baby. slices of deli meat and cheese and fruits and whatever else to get nutrients and fuel but not cook.
I usually have frozen chicken, fish, and veggies in the freezer and always have rice handy. If I have low energy/time but can still eat, I’ll cook rice with the frozen chicken/salmon and veggies thrown into the rice cooker. By the time the rice finished cooking, I’ll wait for another 10 mins, and by then the chicken/rice should be done cooking as well. If you have chicken stock or broth available, you can use that instead of water.
If I have no appetite, I’ll make porridge instead: 1/4 cup of rice with 2 cups of water + frozen chicken/cod + sesame oil. It takes about 30 mins for the rice cooker to finish cooking.
Frozen vetables in bone broth. Make sure its bone broth as it has some protein. Also protein shakes and protein bars. Having almonds and cashews on hand. Kevin’s meal are pretty good and don’t take too long to cook. Peanut butter on banana.
Frozen veggies and salad kits! I like to buy them along with a rotisserie chicken. Mix them up and maybe add some pasta or rice and sauce or cheese. A bit boring but healthy and lazy and can mix and match flavors.
I have a banana with peanut butter for lunch many days. my dog likes it as well
I usually have a scroll on r/lowspooncooking because when my body decides not to work, my brain also decides not to work. I find it helpful to look at the pictures instead of reading a bunch of text to figure out what I’m capable of eating that day
I recently bought some premade dumplings that are my new easy meal. Throw the dumplings and some green beans in a pan cook 3 minutes, flip the dumpling/shake the beans around, 3 more minutes and it’s all done.
Massive yogurt parfaits.
May not be helpful in this moment but when you are in a good space to cook make a ton and freeze it. I tend to cook like I’m feeding a small army so there’s always extra to freeze for a lazy day. It takes a lot of stress out of feeding myself when I know I always I have a nutritious and delicious homemade dish that I can throw in the microwave for a quick meal.
When I do meal preps with comfort foods I always immediately freeze a couple portions. That way if I hit a time that I can feel myself headed towards a deep depression I can pull out meals that I know I enjoy and know I can be alright eating instead of ordering in (I also have a history of serious binge eating alongside depression). Are they the healthiest meals, yes and no. They are homemade, they basically cover all my nutritional needs, I know what’s gone into them, and I know they will make me feel cared for on some level. I usually have a couple weeks worth of these meals in the freezer for times when I just feel too exhausted to exist. I’ve found it actually helps me not to spiral and gives me a chance to assess my overall health.
Prepare for your future self. Always keep 3-4 frozen meals. I usually make more than enough when I cook so I can freeze part of it.
Fortunately I’ve only needed them once with a weird bout of vertigo last month. I am having surgery mid-May so I’m starting to stock up again.
Smoothies. Even if it’s not the same nutrition as, say salads or whatever, at least I’m getting fruits & a marginal amount of veggies. Even if it’s smoothie mix from the frozen section, still better than whatever processed junk I’d otherwise be eating. Takes minimal effort.
Chicken congee. You just combo chicken, broth, rice and some seasonings
I do romaine packs toss on cherry tomatoes and some kinda protein (precooked salad chicken salt be damned). I often do just a cut up cucumber, bell pepper, or even raw cauliflower and salami or cashews. I try to do the diabetic plate method when I can, have non starchy veg, quarter protein, quarter carbs however I can.
Meal prep. Freeze stuff.
I keep cooked rice and black beans frozen separately in little 1/4 – 1/2 cup blocks.
When I don’t feel like cooking, all I do is throw some chicken breasts in the air fryer, heat up the beans and rice either in the microwaveor on low over the stovetop, get some shredded lettuce l, cheese, and avocado, and voila! Chipotle burrito bowl with virtually no effort and it doesn’t cost $12.
Rotisserie chicken wrap or salad, rice cooker add frozen peppers and maybe tofu, PB sandwhich.
Frozen pizzas from corner store when depressed, I’ve found if I’m depressed and had over a week of no people a shower and walk to the corner store for a frozen pizza and can of soda will be a small step towards getting better. Not great health choice, but good for mental health and gets me started on walking and socializing again.
If you have friends or family who like to cook, you could ask if you could pay for ingredients and have them make you something big like a pot of chili, casserole, etc.
Also somewhat cheap and calorie dense options: peanuts/tree nuts, big glass of milk, bread and large pads of butter, Nutella/peanut butter, baby bell cheese (or any cheap cheese like string cheese), frozen fruit and yoghurt.
More expensive options: eggs, beef jerky, protein shakes, chopped fruit, chopped veggies, frozen meals
Greek yogurt
I like cans of sardines (they come in various flavors and levels of refinement) combined with hummus and whatever veggies I’m feeling.