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Sometimes I love food. I love watching food shows, talking about how I would approach challenges, I love interesting restaurants...
But sometimes the day to day feeding and watering of my body is the worst - even ordering food is literally exhausting. Too many decisions. Even digestion can be too much.
Omg I feel the ordering exhaustion 😩 sometimes I'll scroll forever and be to tired to make a decision and just wat h as the restaurant options become fewer and fewer as they close for the night 😭
Yeah or like tonight I have had THIS SPECIFIC pizza in my head for about two days and it closes early. Still, I was like ok I will just eat something here today and did. Still, then I was hungry later and so was my partner - but he is not a fan of pizza. I could think of nothing else and settled for lesser pizza on my own and was ultimately disappointed when I should have gotten the damn detroit style dill pickle pizza in the first place (as I prolly will in a few days - and apparently do every 2 WEEKS OR SO). is this what they mean when they say disordered eating?????
Holy smokes I feel this 😫 getting so set on one thing and nothing is a suitable substitute. I'll just waste time or money trying to fill that void and ultimately need to get that specific thing so I can move one to being satiated by something else! I exhaus myself
I feel your last sentence in my core, literally. I love food, I will go looking when bored, when not hungry etc. But sometimes I will just stop eating a meal because I'm sick of eating and can't be bothered with digesting it, I never thought about it before. I might not even be satiated but I'm done because cbf...
I HATE the feeling of food sitting high in my stomach. It's so yucky and makes me want to veg out and do nothing. This only happens when I eat something that is both salty and fatty or something with fat and protein.
I wish life was like Star Trek and we had replicators and I could just have my comfort foods with all the nutrients needed. Added bonus, no assembly required!
Ohhh that sounds so amazing. Just be like 'hmmm i feel like eating this and this today but please scan my body first to see what nutrient combination is needed'
Right? I love eating, I just hate prepping food. I made myself a big complicated salad last night for the first time in forever and was very proud of myself, but no one understands what an accomplishment that is for a burned out person :(
It’s honestly one of the hardest parts of motherhood for me. The endless cycle of what everyone is eating and making sure we have enough groceries. I hate it.
Same. If it was just me I could handle it. I can subsist off crackers and ramen and snacks if I need to. Or even enjoy cooking something nice that I enjoy without worrying about if others will eat it.
But feeding the family? SICK of it
Subtract dogs, but add reptiles and farm animals for me. Although 90% of the time, my husband is left to fend for himself because, unlike the animals and my daughter, he is capable of feeding himself. I really hate having to figure out what to feed my kid. I can live off peanut butter and green beans for weeks at a time, but my daughter is 2.5 as well and needs healthy food with a variety of nutrients. And I'm trying to give her better eating habits than I have.
I feel you 😭 I've been relying on easy meals a lot when things get really rough, like boxed vegan mac and cheese. I add frozen peas and corn to it.. makes it healthy right? 😅
My dog has kidney disease and whatever she ate yesterday, she refuses today. Also has to be low protein. She doesn’t like any prescription food. I make stir fry for myself. Just have to remember to cook the rice earlier so it’s cooled. I make baked potatoes or scrambled eggs. Sometimes a smoothie with added protein powder. But I don’t have a husband and a baby. That’s hard! I have no tips for you. I used to ask my late husband to please just make a request! He’d be, “Whatever you fix is fine.”
Oh my goodness I'm so sorry you have to deal with a sick fur baby 😔 I've been riding the smoothie train for months now. Hoping I don't get turned off of it anytime soon 🤞🏼
I even get tired of feeding the animals...and I have those feeder and watering bowls that you only have to fill, like, once a week. Trouble is the feeders don't really work...and my cats are tooo stupid to realize that they can dig more food from the back with their paws...even though they have seen me do it numerous times. -_-
I can’t FUCKING WAIT for food to be in capsule form. Like 100% of what I need for the day, in a capsule.
I’m tired of having to decide what to eat every day. Not to mention having to remember to eat.
Deciding what to eat, remembering what to eat, get up to go get the food, if you actually want soms food thats not all just preprepped actually cooking, everything leaves you with dishes, and the whole struggle of the pressure of having to eat makes my demand avoidance work and be like 'don't tell me I need food i can make my own choices!'.
I'm in the mental ward for two weeks now and it's amazing that the food just knocks at my door and asks me how much of what I want and I take a whole bunch and occasionally eat myself nauseous, but at least I get food inside myself.
And then the energy it takes to digest it all makes getting in food again not the best prospect...
No need to be sorry, I actually wanted this to change my meds I've been dependant on for 15 years and what is not safe to he done at home.
I can imagine you are romanticising the idea. To be honest I wonder if the whole 'we should strive for everyone to be completely independent' is actually a good idea. If part of the people are really helped by just handing them a meal at a certain time without them having to be responsible for it themselves, apart from the logistics, what is the problem? Why does everyone need to be able to do everything?
Got it! Glad you have that option!
I think there are certain people that can handle this level of independence, but a vast majority of us that would thrive if we went back to community support. I don't think most of us are build to survive this capitalistic society on our own 😓 I'm starting to hear so many people say that the goal would be to buy some land and live with a bunch of friends to help share the load....it sure is mine now!
Yeah that’s a fair point. I do this thing where I grab a pill I need to take and hold in in my hand for like an hour until I put it down and forget, so a gummy is probably the way to go. Or better yet if they could just figure out a way to beam the food into my body without me having to do anything, that would be pretty cool.
Its also rude that people are chefs, they get paid to be chefs, but everyone else just has to do it anyway AND do other work. Also I'd hate being a chef though from the chefs I do know I have the right sense of humour and temperament
Yesssss. It's such a daunting task for me to fix something for myself- partly because my body doesn't cue me that I'm hungry until I'm well past hangry and need food immediately and partially because I can never decide what actually sounds good to eat. I always make sure my kids and husband are fed, but there are many nights where nothing sounds good, I'm not hungry, or I will procrastinate to the point where I end up skipping dinner for myself all together. I have found that keeping protein drinks in hand will help me get some of the nutrients I need without requiring a lot of effort on my part... Its not ideal, but it's better than skipping meals altogether.
I find getting groceries delivered helps a lot with shopping and limits impulse buys. I saved a list of weekly items. Which I just add to my cart
I live alone so I’ll cook, prep multiple servings at a time and freeze or refrigerate them.I try to prep and cook on weekends as that’s when I have the most time. I also get pre washed spinach leaves for quick salads. Add some strawberries or vegetables some crumbled cheese and chopped nuts and it’s a quick and relatively healthy lunch or side dish.
I also keep some cans of tuna, some frozen Amy’s dinners and frozen salmon and other fish, frozen ground turkey and frozen chicken cutlets on hand so I can marinate and cook protein or mix the canned tuna.
Came here to say this.
I pre-cook: diced bacon, breakfast bowls (eggs, sausage, cheese, sautéed onions), ground beef, rice, Mac n cheese, chicken n dumplings, whole wheat bread, healthy muffins, baked spaghetti, baked beans, soups, chicken n dressing casserole, brown rice, barley. (Usually this happens by making a huge batch while I'm at it, and freezing the extra.)
I find my homemade "frozen entrées" to be much tastier, healthier, and cheaper than anything in the store. Keeps us out of restaurants.
The pre-cooked ground beef can be used to make quick spaghetti, tacos, lasagne, cheeseburger Mac, cowboy hash, chilli, any number of things.
I pre-slice and freeze: chicken breast, beef, pork to be used in stir-fry. The chicken can also be quickly poached for chicken salad.
I try to prep fresh fruit & veggies every morning. I'll do three days worth of whatever veggie I am working on that day. For example, if I'm doing carrots, I'll do three meals worth of carrots. If I'm chopping cabbage or lettuce, I'll chop the entire head.
Having stuff done ahead makes meal times so much less daunting. For example, with my pre-cut meat, pre-cooked rice, and a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies, I can have a healthy meal in the table in a few minutes with very minimal fuss. This system also cuts down on clean up, as you are only dirtying up the pots/utensils once for multiple meals.
Also, eggs are always a fast, easy, nutritious meal.
Frozen premades and an airfryer.
I started eating better when i got an airfryer, because i could have stuff like precut frozen veggies and full meat chicken nuggets, fish cubes etc in the freezer and just dump them in an air fryer for 10 mins and get a warm healthy meal. And using air fryer liners, i don't even need to wash the fryer basket each time.
The show Futurama has "Bachelor Chow" and I've always thought that'd be great. Human kibble with all your daily vitamins and minerals with zero hassle or effort.
Yep yep yep.
I’m also a mom and currently pregnant with gestational diabetes. All I want is junk food and desserts right now, but I have to feed myself low carb healthy food all the time.
I’m so burnt out on food and eating and feeding others. Like I get hungry but very little actually appeals to me in terms of real food etc.
Smoothies for breakfast and lunch and then meal kit for dinner. It helps with the decision fatigue. I have frozen meals in my freezer for when I want something else as well (sometimes I will have meal kits for lunch the next day then I need more dinners in the week)
But yes I totally feel you on this. It's exhausting
On that breakfast n lunch smoothie train! Hoping it last for a while longer 🙏🏼 I may have to try some meal kits again to help me get another meal in cause I end up just having a snack and then not eating or over eating treats
Yes. 3 times a day, every day, I groan and think to myself, “fuuuuuuuuck”
You described it perfectly, and people look at me crazy when I say this. I enjoy a good meal, (other people’s) home cooking, going out, etc. but day to day, I eat to no longer be hungry.
Dude yes!! I couldn't believe how many people said this was a terrible idea! Like I have so many other things to focus on! Getting food in my body is just an inconvenience 😮💨
For me? no. but other people, hell yes!!!!!
My husband and I work from home (he lost his job a few months ago). Two times a day, every single day I get asked "what's for lunch ?" And "what's for dinner?" I want to scream! I'm fluffing working, you figure out those meals!😡
Yes! My spouse complains around the third night of the same food, BUT I MAKE THINGS THAT MAKE LEFTOVERS BECAUSE I CANNOT DEAL WITH DECIDING WHAT TO MAKE. Also it is hot and the kitchen gets hot and I get hot and then I don't want to eat anymore.
I'm going to make burgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, and tacos all summer.
I have fibromyalgia and other chronic pain and fatigue issues and I live alone. Cooking used to be something I enjoyed but now it's a task I dread. Combine that with my ADHD and it's a shit show. It also doesn't help that I NEVER have an appetite unless I skip my Vyvanse so now I am essentially a binge eater on the weekends. 😭
Also, I have been having a lot of issues with food lately, part of the reason I think I might also be autistic, and it's starting to really limit my options and I don't know how to stop because I will be eating something and think it's tasty and then all of a sudden it has a weird texture and I'm horrified and disgusted and can never even think about at the very least finishing that meal.
I always say if I become crazy rich, first thing is hiring a personal chef. Lol. My issue is the cooking and mental load that goes into that. But I can def show up and eat!
It's so ironic, I'm taking amphetamines, I don't eat all day, to the point where I'm sick from low blood sugar, but I'm still fat! Because once my meds wear off I'm eating everything. Especially cheese. I love cheese so much.
100%. I hate having to feed myself. I hate having to clean up afterwards. I hate cooking, I hate eating. If I could do without it, I would in a heartbeat.
I’ve said & I say it over & over again…I wish I could just take a pill & be done with it. Cooking is such a pain! When I do it’s because I like the taste or the texture but it mayn’t be nutritious enough! Bah, life is too damn particular. So imbue & then I take a multivitamin to cover all bases.
I am trying to find a few foods that’ll cover my daily RDI intake of vitamins, minerals, micronutrients, whatever my body needs to exist. It’s just taking so damn long!
I hate that my body requires food SO OFTEN! I'll put all of my spoons into making a great meal, eat it, and then it is barely a few hours later I'm expected to do it all AGAIN?!? Sounds like a scam to me.
I'm literally writing a cookbook right now for easy recipes to lighten the spoon demand of cooking, but it takes a hell of a lot of spoons to write a cookbook.
The biggest spoon scam 😭 you are an icon for writing a cook book 🤩 sending you many spoons and I hope you let us know when it's finished! I would buy a cook book to lighten my daily spoon usage!!
Feeding? Just feeding? It’s exhausting to take care of me. I just spent a week without my husband. Why does he take the house elf with him when he leaves?
I DESPISE having to eat multiple times a day, every single day. It takes so much thought and energy from me. I push off eating for as long as I can because it’s not a priority. I’m very thankful for my wife that loves cooking. I’m also sad that ordering food is getting sooo expensive.
I now look back on the days when I would get exhausted with having to feed only myself every day with a golden sense of glowing nostalgia. My kids are turning 11 and with the exception of the first five months of their lives, I have been having to come up with ideas about what to feed them for that entire time. We homeschool. I am so bored of cooking. 😂
I got diagnosed with celiac disease about a year before the ADHD diagnosis so there went all of my easy foods and snacks! Everyone kept talking about how easy it can be to make gluten free meals and how much healthier it is... I was starting to get concerned that I was developing an ED because feeding myself is just so damn hard.
I've felt like there's something wrong with me - that I'm failing - for my whole adult life because I can't bring myself to cook. It made even less sense when I was working in a microbiology lab during grad school. I loved the hours I spent perfecting different "recipes" and procedures. I was always mixing something up, cleaning and disinfecting, incubating cells and viruses - all the same kind of tasks and skills used in a kitchen. But they're two ***very*** different things for me. I'm just glad I finally know why!
There's something called soylent. This one isn't made from people, I desperately hope.
If not, ensure or nutrition shakes and bars are edible. Mostly. For adults. Not kids.
I planned on making a simple pre-mixed salad and pasta for dinner tonight. I ate a piña colada bagel, red pepper hummus & naan crackers, and a Japanese sweet potato. Food is hard work
Living with my parents is helping me out so much with this right now. When I'm on my own I just eat bagged salad kits and cheese all the time when I'm not eating out. I am saving to move back out but it's been a welcomed break to have dinner with them 4 or 5 nights a week!
I can handle it because I have an end goal (getting a RV to be a nomad).. If I was just here I really wouldn't be able to even though we do get along like mature adult roommates.
Haha the bagged salad kits are too easy, just remind yourself that you're eating a salad.. it's not embarrassing at all 😜 They have some really good ones these days.. they even have little snack size bag salads now at Walmart by Taylor Farms. They're kinda cute lmao 😅 The 'pizza ranch' one is my favorite!
Nice to live with the 'rents lol. Too bad you couldn't just stay there until you get married or something. Id love to live with my parents if we got along bc it seems the ideal situation.
It is ideal. I'm saving up for an RV to be a nomad so that's the huge milestone I'm waiting for. Going back to the bagged salad diet will be worth the ability to travel frequently. 😅😝
Edit: I live with my mom.. I tried living with my dad before and it ended up a total shitshow with my stepmom. So I absolutely understand what it's like not getting along and definitely wouldn't live with parents like that, solidarity. 💕
I love food. I love to cook and bake. But yes there are plenty of days where a bag of doritos is as much effort as I will give. Other days, like today, I just don't eat at all. Nothing sounds appetizing, so I'll try again tomorrow. 🤷🏼♀️
Add having an ever-changing list of food intolerances and allergies to the executive dysfunction game and eating becomes a major meltdown trigger. I miss being able to just tell people I'd be good as long as I avoided gluten; now I can't do natural fillers (peas) and food coloring (annatto) that's starting to show up in everything, plus a laundry list of other stuff that will eff up my stomach. I too welcome the development of a synthetic food pellet I can pop a few times a day and forget about food decisions and prep.
Yes. And then the times I try to problem solve this by doing some pre-made meal deliveries, I get annoyed by the lack of ability to eat based on my current desires… so I end up spending DOUBLE and ordering out.
It’s annoying as fuck because if someone else was making me dinner every night, I’d eat whatever it is. But something about this is different and I just like… dread it
The process of cooking food can be absolutely exhausting because foods can ~disgust~ me. For example, I love avocado but it is so soft and sometimes the idea of having to cut it is too much. This evening I was unable to finish my meal because all of a sudden I couldn’t stand the texture. This caused me to realize why processed foods are so calming during overstimulation - all the food, ie sour patch kids, are all the same size and texture and taste. No surprises, no prep, just instant comfort.
I love to eat (and it shows), but I am so freaking tired of deciding what to feed myself and my family. I'd rather eat cereal by the time I need to start cooking.
100% exhausted. I used to love cooking for others...clean up not so much. Now that I'm not like 20 anymore and have more and more life responsibilities, I hate it. My reccomendation - cut out whatever steps you can. I get paper plates, cups and bamboo Forks on the regular. I also order shawarma platters for take out because they're delicious, and legit 2 full meals in one. and pretty healthy. Also - air fryer. I have the instant vortex mini. Throw in a frozen burger patty. When I flip it I toss in some French fries next to it. Done. And I use the oven timer for every step or I'll forget and burn shit... then I'm exhausted AND still hungry. Hope that does something for u. I'm excited for more tips ☺️
When you get one of those sudden hyper focus days, make a lot of something that you can freeze. I recommend food waffles/pancakes. You can make them exactly the way you like them, freeze and then you have really quick food ( microwave then you just throw on them whatever you have in the fridge).
I have said as much for a very long time now. Eating is traumatic. Coloric balance is mind-boggling.
Thankfully, my husbands stomach and will to survive are greater than my own. I make sure we have rice on hand and coffee is prepped in the morning. That's all I'm capable at this moment.
The best nutrition shake I've found (after 20 years of military enforced body standards and dieting) is Fair Life chocolate protein shakes. I'm nearly ready to get a Sam's membership to get the discount... or maybe I shouldn't as the obsession may end soon...
Fairlife Milk heated in microwave, pour in a couple shots of espresso, add two scoops of collagen protein: breakfast! I’m lactose intolerant and it’s the only lactose-free cow’s milk that doesn’t have added sweetener. Of course the coffee on top of non-ER Adderall has me spending all morning reading the news. I have intense focus on the computer. Luckily I have to get up for a bathroom break.
Omg yesss & the thing is like eating food. But having to remember to stop what I'm doing to get it, prepare & cook it or pay for it & eat it, while being on medication that can suppress my appetite & make it even harder to eat or even remember to do so is really tough some days. 😔 I'm trying to do better but I've been in the ER 3x this year for being dehydrated & having forgotten to eat as well then passing out at work
I live off of keto chow shakes for breakfast, meat for dinner (whatever is on sale, frozen preformed burgers from Sam's club straight into the air fryer is 👌🏼) and those sugar free/low calorie packets to add into a standard bottle of water (propel, lemonade, iced tea).
Yes. It is for sure the absolute most difficult task I face every single day. I'm almost grateful for the appetite suppression that accompanies my meds because then I'm not thinking/stressed about food at all for most of the day. I feel like shit if I don't eat enough though, so it's still a battle at some point every day.
Yes!!
Here’s my methods:
1. I have Soylent as a backup because I under ate for so long that I get migraines if I skip meals now. I don’t always care about food, all the decision making is such a pain.
2. Lately I’ve been making a big ass meal on Sundays or Mondays (days when my kid is at his dad’s) and then I eat a bunch of it the rest of the week for lunch and dinner (and freeze a bit for future backup)
3. Don’t forget the power of rice and beans
4. Frozen meals that aren’t terrible (Amy’s is tasty and veggie but expensive)
I am with you 100%. I'm just finishing up a round of antibiotics that I need to take FOUR times a day with food. I've been trying to fit in protein bars but I find it's the same as with your supplements, it's not giving me everything I need.
Yeah I struggle with this. It's worse when I'm in AuDHD burnout, which I am at the moment. It feels like the actual task of eating is very draining and I've had to really let go of the idea that I need to eat healthily as I've got enough trouble just getting myself to eat anything as it is.
I make smoothies for breakfast and make sure I add lots of good stuff in - banana, flavoured protein powder, spinach (you can't taste it), peanut butter, hemp seeds and greek yoghurt. At least then if I'm eating somewhat unhealthily during the day I've had something substantial and healthy for breakfast.
I've also been making sure there's pre made snacks/meals available to eat because I haven't had the energy available to make something.
I’m sitting here trying to think about what to eat. Full frig, full freezer and junk food everywhere.
Even have my son here to cook for me. I’m a cancer patient. So I can’t really cook.
Nothing sounds good.
I just ate a full can of Black Olives.
I have opened the fridge and cried because I just couldn’t put a meal together for myself. Of course this was after making lunch for the kids but for me it just all sounds so horrible and everything is going to make my stomach hurt.
I wish someone would decide what to cook, do the shopping, the prep and the cooking for me. I would happily take care of all the cleaning. Actually, I did have a partner who did this - he loved everything to do with food and he actually found shopping for groceries fun! Unfortunately it didn't work out, for completely different reasons, but I was pulling food he'd cooked out of the freezer for a good few weeks after we broke up :)
cw/tw: disordered eating(?)
getting up and making something to eat and then eating it and having to wash the dishes all that stops me from eating period
Love food, it’s all I think about.. but the prepping and the cooking and the cleaning… It’s all so exhausting. I’m waiting for a food pill to come along like in the Jetson’s.
We toggle between meal kit and prepared meal services in my home for several meals because of this. It's still annoying to figure out what to select.
My husband, a house spouse, is about to be gone for 5 weeks and between the weekly prepared meal services and what we have in the fridge (yogurt, cheese/nut/dried fruit combo packs, hummus, prepared grain salad) and freezer (Jamaican patties, mini pizzas, potato skins, chicken parm), I won't really have to worry about meal planning/prep or shopping aside from fresh fruit & veg or if I want something we don't already have. In saying that, I know the prepared meals aren't an option for many and I am very fortunate that I can take advantage of those services.
I never knew not wanting to eat or even order food is an ADHD symptom. I used to be a food addict few years back. I used to have tantrums over food.
Now I simply do not care. I am simply happy if I do not have to cook and someone feeds me. I have forced myself to eat and felt no taste in any food for months.
I have to learn different recipes from different cuisines so I do not get bored. This actually helps me to feed myself and not to get bored.
My husband I have the joke that every day we ask in the most defeated way possible, “what should we do first dinner?” And the other replies, “Says my ghost until the end of time.” I mean, you have to figure it out EVERY DAY. It’s exhausting.
Yuppp I'm going though a big aversion to eating at the moment, I've just downloaded an intermittent fasting app BC I feel like I have a "window" to eat it might encourage me more? Idk we'll see 🤷🏻♀️
I’ll also give a vote for Garden of Life’s Raw Meal. I beef it up with a cup of frozen blueberries and a half a cup of rolled outs. It gets the job done.
Yep. I honestly usually don't get myself much while grocery shopping for my family. Maybe cottage cheese bc it is filling. And I do love eating food, but it is so difficult putting a list together and dinner.... making dinner every night .... I hate it so damn much. I make dinner and then have to clean all the dishes the next day? Haaate it.
It’s funny I came across this post because I was just lamenting to my boyfriend earlier how eating is such a CHORE most of the time. If my body didn’t require me to eat, I would maaaaaybe eat once a week.
This post reminded me that soylent exists. It tastes like unsweetened pancake better iirc but it is a meal you can drink during class or work or whatever you're doing and it was so helpful when i was in grad school. I might order some soon tbh, thx for the indirect reminder!
HUEL! A friend of mine loves it and i thought it would be gross but it's not, the cinnamon roll flavor is actually quite mellow and i put it in banana shakes and stufff
I exist on snacks and Youfoodz. I legit never cook anything. I hate it because I feel like it’s going to bite me in the ass one day because I’m not exactly getting a full balanced diet. But I hate food and I hate cooking.
Yes! Food is one of the biggest brain drain and executive function nightmares for me. If it was cheap enough I would get the same thing from the same restaurant every day for months just so I wouldn't have to think and plan and analyze and price check and haven't forbid cook. I think I'm going on a meat, cheese and lettuce sandwich kick now for a few months🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
I get exhausted when other people fuss and tell me when and why and how much I should be eating.
Oh. Yes. Please. Lecture me as if I'm a toddler. That will *definitely* encourage me to consume more calories on command.
The irony is that I actually went through culinary school, but I’m sick of cooking for myself. I currently have all the ingredients for pork chili verde and chicken tikka masala in the fridge, and can’t get myself to cook anything. I’m living on protein shakes and bars, with a side of yogurt cups and fresh fruits. Gah.
I'm particularly bad for this (and everything else ADHD-related) in winter, which it is right now in NZ. I give myself the grace to order takeaway a lot more, which is still only once or twice a week, and I'm also considering restarting a food box plan for the next couple of months because that'll at least give me 3 decent meals and leftovers every week, or at least doing click and collect grocery shopping so that it forces me to actually go and get the food instead of just putting off shopping for weeks and then struggling even more to decide what to throw together from my cupboards.
I keep a loaf of bread in the freezer because as a single person I can't eat it fast enough before it goes bad, but that means there's always some in there for a 5 minute cheese on toast or to defrost for 15 seconds each side in the microwave while I also microwave a bowl of soup. Buy microwave rice if that'll make it easier for you to throw something together like rice, tuna, peas and sweet chilli sauce!
I think it's really important that we allow ourselves to do whatever it takes (within reason, and finances) to make our lives as easy for ourselves as we can. Sure, you can say, "I should be able to shop and cook for myself without getting someone else to do it", but you can say that about pretty much everything in life. You could grow your own food instead of shopping. You could hand wash all of your clothes instead of using a washing machine. It's ok to find ways to outsource the jobs you really struggle with (hello dishwasher and robot vacuum).
I buy a lot of frozen or fresh fully-cooked meat products, and chuck them in a meat freezer in the kitchen. My favourites are things like meatballs, chicken wings, burger patties, and mild smoked products like farmer sausage, bacon, ham and wieners. I buy good quality canned salmon and sardines to have with some mayo or lemon and S&P. Bonus if you pair it with some organic butter, cheese and a lettuce bun, or if you can heat it in the microwave. Dirty pots and pans throw off my day. I will even cook a scrambled egg in a mug in the microwave. Easy, filling, no supplements required and I’ve lost 15 pounds of body fat.
I've found hello fresh and similar things helpful on better days, on the bad ones I survive off cereals and Y-food bars and drinks. Y-food has been so helpful for me.
Oh! Yes! I like eating and don’t usually mind cooking most nights, but all the admin and thinking and decision-making is exhausting 🫤 I thought there was something wrong with me.
Oh god yes. Struggling so hard currently. I also have celiac disease and I do not eat out ever. I'm so burnt out on decisions. I also get the ick if I eat the same things to frequently.
Taking care of my basic needs is my biggest issue right now and it just makes every other aspect of life so unnecessarily difficult.
Oh my god! This is one of my greatest annoyances about bodies!!! I hate thinking about and making food and I'm in the middle of editing something I wrote in January 2020 about collaborative solutions for this.
I didn't know I had ADHD (and I didn't even know what it was) at the time but this has been one of my lifelong obsessions and I have managed to live in a few houses where we intentionally lived together and shared food responsibilities.
That's rarely an option for most people so I have been trying to come up with a palatable (ha ha groan) solution for people who don't or can't or don't want to structure their lives around this! It's so much time and money and I hate it!!
That's literally me in university. I traveled abroad and lost a lot of weight. I just came back home for summer break, I started eating well, and my family is taking great care of me. It feels good. :)
I gotta be honest, I have a stock of Soylent for when I just can’t bring myself to function. I drink one of those, minimal effort, and I have much more energy to actually do other stuff like make real dinner later in the day. I talked to a nutritionist last year and she had suggested this to me, basically I needed more carbs to get my body to not be exhausted.
Every time, every single time I start to make more money, all that extra money made starts going to takeout. I get dopamine from going out for my food like the little hunter/gatherer I am.
Probably can use that on grocery shopping now that my fridge is full. Finish making meals into whole meals.
The biggest killer for me is kitchen cleanliness. Dishes have always been my absolute executive dysfunction killer. I hate them. I refuse to move anywhere without a dishwasher. Kitchen duties have been my husband's task though and he also has ADHD. One thing I can't argue out of him is that chores are daily. And that's frustrating. I cook, he cleans. that's been the agreement. I can't cook daily if he can't clean daily.
Sprouts is nice. Sprouts is expensive but it's a good grocery store for me. I just free roam around there to get food, which can actually be cheaper and healthier than eating out. Last time I went I bought 3 pounds of Plumcots and got a buy-1-get-1 half off meal deal for 2 microwavable salmon and brussel sprout meals with riced cauliflower and a poblano sauce. It was in a fridge case near the deli section. Some new stuff for me, but it was delicious. And a lot of the time I get the mark down food at sprouts. Shrimp in jerk seasoning. Chimichurri steak. And some other stuff. Usually pretty good, and no dishes needed.
Girl, the hunter/ gather comment killed me 😂😂😂 I never realized I felt this! The cleanliness comment is also so true, that is sometimes my biggest barrier to cooking. I don't want to clean to cook, then clean again! That just makes it impossible!
I'm so glad I'm not the only one that free roams when I don't know what I want! Takes longer, and sometimes I just get frustrated that the grocery store didn't /inspire/ me, but it's mostly successful! Thanks for your tips 🤗
YES. I have better things to do than make dirty dishes! Fast food makes me feel crappy, so protein bars it is or protein and fiber shakes. Add in coffee and there's my energy for the day.
such a struggle but with a toddler i have to make it happen. oatmeal for breakfast or if i'm too tired for that avocado toast, cottage cheese for me and pbj for my toddler for lunch. dinner rotation "goal" is chicken, rice bowl, soup, salmon. i get CSA produce delivered and challenge myself to try and prep one fruit and one veggie a day. if it's ready in the fridge i'll eat it. my toddler gets snacks of nuts, popcorn, seaweed and any fruit and veg we have in the fridge. between all that and his multivitamin and breastmilk i think he's pretty good nutrition-wise.
on days where i just can't, i take out a plate and get protein, carb and fruit/veg on it for my toddler no matter how weird the combo :)
Omg it's the worst, especially with kids, because you kind of have to feed them several times a day, so that's several times a day you have decide what to make then make it, well not every day, between work and school, but it'll feel like it
It’s the best and worst thing. Some weeks I am SO into cooking and I try experimenting with new ideas. Some weeks I’m lucky if I can get 1 meal down the whole day. I’m so jealous of my cat and her feedings, she eats the same thing every day and gets all her needed nutrients.
Meal prepping, freezer meals, and lazy meals help with this. If you have friends, you can do a Mass meal prep together and trade freezer meals for variety.
YAS! But I was just about to post: Anyone else burn breakfast today because they started vibing to an old album they forgot about, and then went to get the laundry from the couch pile of doom, and smelled burning and had forgot what could even be burning? So, that could also be solved by a jelly bean that fills one up. Shout out to Beck: One Foot in the Grave, however, now I have to cook again. 🤣
Yup and it’s worse when you have a family because even if you choose to snack or skip a meal, you can’t let your family go hungry. Even my husband who doesn’t have ADHD is exhausted by it. It’s never ending!
We all joke that we wish we had the microwave from the fifth element where you put something inside and a few min later a whole meal comes out.
Or the rehydrator from back to the future. 😆
AMEN. I did find this thing called HUEL which is dry pasta and sauce with protein that you add water to and microwave for a few minutes. I keep a few servings at work for an easy lunch option!
I told my husband I wanted the human equivalent of dog kibble: all my nutrients in one swoop, no fuss. He thinks I’m crazy.
Such a mood 😩
I don't have much advice, I keep party pizzas, mac and cheese cups, ramen, chicken tenders, frozen fries, pizza rolls, and chips I like on hand and get what runs out when I go to the store every week so I have easy options for myself on the weeks I need them more, and most of the time I'll do those for at least a few meals a week anyway. I'll cycle through one or two kinds of sweets to keep around too. I'm constantly having to think of new things to add to my list so when nothing I normally keep sounds good, maybe some new option would.
I Maher the decision once a week on the weekend so I don't have to think about it every day. I have to decide what I'm eating for the week and buy appetizing and easy to pull together food. I do a very basic "meal prep". I make a baked egg and veggie crustless quiche thing and that is my breakfast all week. Frozen pre-chopped veggies for the win on that too. Then I make something else to eat all week. A big pot of soup or shepherds pie or spaghetti etc depending on my weekend bandwidth. Just a big one dish meal that I can eat at the beginning of the week. Cooking those 2 things literally only takes an hour and that includes the time in the oven. Lately I've been going pre-school, cottage cheese and peaches, celery and PB, apples and PB. Apple, PB, and a chocolate meal replacement shake is an easy and awesome lunch. Meal replacement shakes have been a big help this last year.
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Sometimes I love food. I love watching food shows, talking about how I would approach challenges, I love interesting restaurants... But sometimes the day to day feeding and watering of my body is the worst - even ordering food is literally exhausting. Too many decisions. Even digestion can be too much.
Decision fatigue is exhausting. I agree though. I love food but somedays I wish I could photosynthesize.
Amen
Omg I feel the ordering exhaustion 😩 sometimes I'll scroll forever and be to tired to make a decision and just wat h as the restaurant options become fewer and fewer as they close for the night 😭
Yeah or like tonight I have had THIS SPECIFIC pizza in my head for about two days and it closes early. Still, I was like ok I will just eat something here today and did. Still, then I was hungry later and so was my partner - but he is not a fan of pizza. I could think of nothing else and settled for lesser pizza on my own and was ultimately disappointed when I should have gotten the damn detroit style dill pickle pizza in the first place (as I prolly will in a few days - and apparently do every 2 WEEKS OR SO). is this what they mean when they say disordered eating?????
Holy smokes I feel this 😫 getting so set on one thing and nothing is a suitable substitute. I'll just waste time or money trying to fill that void and ultimately need to get that specific thing so I can move one to being satiated by something else! I exhaus myself
PREACH! And that pizza sounds amazing.
Yes! Like "I have had every kind of food I can possibly imagine and none of it sounds good."
Yes, exactly like 'even a Michelin star chef would.get an I dunno from me rn'
I feel your last sentence in my core, literally. I love food, I will go looking when bored, when not hungry etc. But sometimes I will just stop eating a meal because I'm sick of eating and can't be bothered with digesting it, I never thought about it before. I might not even be satiated but I'm done because cbf...
I had no idea this was a symptom of my adhd diagnosis and I feel so seen right now it’s unreal.
Yes! I Fall down these rabbit holes of watching baking shows, Gordon Ramsey etc.... and I'm on top of my game And then it's over 😮💨
I HATE the feeling of food sitting high in my stomach. It's so yucky and makes me want to veg out and do nothing. This only happens when I eat something that is both salty and fatty or something with fat and protein.
I wish life was like Star Trek and we had replicators and I could just have my comfort foods with all the nutrients needed. Added bonus, no assembly required!
Ohhh that sounds so amazing. Just be like 'hmmm i feel like eating this and this today but please scan my body first to see what nutrient combination is needed'
This would be the dream 🥹
Right? I love eating, I just hate prepping food. I made myself a big complicated salad last night for the first time in forever and was very proud of myself, but no one understands what an accomplishment that is for a burned out person :(
Nothing sounds good if I have to make/choose it. Everything sounds good when someone else makes/chooses it.
I want Star Trek. Replicator, Holodeck, I know what I’m wearing everyday, and adventures.
I'd take a Captain Pike beaming into my quarters too thanks
I was just thinking that such replicators would be wonderful ~ while thinking about supper this evening, lunch earlier, supper last night...
Me, my 2.5 year old, my husband.... The only ones I'm not exhausted feeding are the dogs and that's cuz they eat the same stuff every day.
It’s honestly one of the hardest parts of motherhood for me. The endless cycle of what everyone is eating and making sure we have enough groceries. I hate it.
Same. If it was just me I could handle it. I can subsist off crackers and ramen and snacks if I need to. Or even enjoy cooking something nice that I enjoy without worrying about if others will eat it. But feeding the family? SICK of it
Having to feed others just makes it so much harder, omg.
Subtract dogs, but add reptiles and farm animals for me. Although 90% of the time, my husband is left to fend for himself because, unlike the animals and my daughter, he is capable of feeding himself. I really hate having to figure out what to feed my kid. I can live off peanut butter and green beans for weeks at a time, but my daughter is 2.5 as well and needs healthy food with a variety of nutrients. And I'm trying to give her better eating habits than I have.
I feel you 😭 I've been relying on easy meals a lot when things get really rough, like boxed vegan mac and cheese. I add frozen peas and corn to it.. makes it healthy right? 😅
I'm a firm believer that added a bag of frozen veggies to anything means I served my family a healthy meal 😅
You gotta do what you gotta do! And it 100% does 😜 it's better than not eating!
Right? Having to cook for a family and have half of it wasted/end up on the floor has taken all the joy out of a previously cherished hobby of mine.
My dog has kidney disease and whatever she ate yesterday, she refuses today. Also has to be low protein. She doesn’t like any prescription food. I make stir fry for myself. Just have to remember to cook the rice earlier so it’s cooled. I make baked potatoes or scrambled eggs. Sometimes a smoothie with added protein powder. But I don’t have a husband and a baby. That’s hard! I have no tips for you. I used to ask my late husband to please just make a request! He’d be, “Whatever you fix is fine.”
Oh my goodness I'm so sorry you have to deal with a sick fur baby 😔 I've been riding the smoothie train for months now. Hoping I don't get turned off of it anytime soon 🤞🏼
I even get tired of feeding the animals...and I have those feeder and watering bowls that you only have to fill, like, once a week. Trouble is the feeders don't really work...and my cats are tooo stupid to realize that they can dig more food from the back with their paws...even though they have seen me do it numerous times. -_-
I can’t FUCKING WAIT for food to be in capsule form. Like 100% of what I need for the day, in a capsule. I’m tired of having to decide what to eat every day. Not to mention having to remember to eat.
Deciding what to eat, remembering what to eat, get up to go get the food, if you actually want soms food thats not all just preprepped actually cooking, everything leaves you with dishes, and the whole struggle of the pressure of having to eat makes my demand avoidance work and be like 'don't tell me I need food i can make my own choices!'. I'm in the mental ward for two weeks now and it's amazing that the food just knocks at my door and asks me how much of what I want and I take a whole bunch and occasionally eat myself nauseous, but at least I get food inside myself. And then the energy it takes to digest it all makes getting in food again not the best prospect...
I am so sorry that you're in the ward in the first place.... but now I'm starting to romanticize having some sort of crisis 🫣
No need to be sorry, I actually wanted this to change my meds I've been dependant on for 15 years and what is not safe to he done at home. I can imagine you are romanticising the idea. To be honest I wonder if the whole 'we should strive for everyone to be completely independent' is actually a good idea. If part of the people are really helped by just handing them a meal at a certain time without them having to be responsible for it themselves, apart from the logistics, what is the problem? Why does everyone need to be able to do everything?
Got it! Glad you have that option! I think there are certain people that can handle this level of independence, but a vast majority of us that would thrive if we went back to community support. I don't think most of us are build to survive this capitalistic society on our own 😓 I'm starting to hear so many people say that the goal would be to buy some land and live with a bunch of friends to help share the load....it sure is mine now!
Make it a gummy and I am in. Capsules take too much work. You have to get water...and then there is the swallowing...
Yeah that’s a fair point. I do this thing where I grab a pill I need to take and hold in in my hand for like an hour until I put it down and forget, so a gummy is probably the way to go. Or better yet if they could just figure out a way to beam the food into my body without me having to do anything, that would be pretty cool.
GOD YES it’s honestly rude that I have to PLAN and PREPARE and COOK and EAT food MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY just to be alive. Disrespectful.
SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK!!!📣 HONESTLY SO DISRESPECTFUL 🙅🏽♀️
Its also rude that people are chefs, they get paid to be chefs, but everyone else just has to do it anyway AND do other work. Also I'd hate being a chef though from the chefs I do know I have the right sense of humour and temperament
You forgot CLEAN UP 😭LOL. It's too bad TV dinners have so much salt or I'd eat them 2x a day, at least!
Yesssss. It's such a daunting task for me to fix something for myself- partly because my body doesn't cue me that I'm hungry until I'm well past hangry and need food immediately and partially because I can never decide what actually sounds good to eat. I always make sure my kids and husband are fed, but there are many nights where nothing sounds good, I'm not hungry, or I will procrastinate to the point where I end up skipping dinner for myself all together. I have found that keeping protein drinks in hand will help me get some of the nutrients I need without requiring a lot of effort on my part... Its not ideal, but it's better than skipping meals altogether.
100% better than nothing! My heart goes out to you and all food struggle mothers. As if you didn't have enough on your plate 😵💫..... no pun intended
If I were super wealthy, I’d absolutely get a personal chef
The next best thing is a partner who loves to cook. When my husband goes on work trips, he freezes meals for me like a 1950s wife 🙈
Hahah I LOVE that!!!
love this for you girly!
This👏🏼is👏🏼the👏🏼dream👏🏼😩
I am exhausted just by living period.
Ugh same 😮💨
I find getting groceries delivered helps a lot with shopping and limits impulse buys. I saved a list of weekly items. Which I just add to my cart I live alone so I’ll cook, prep multiple servings at a time and freeze or refrigerate them.I try to prep and cook on weekends as that’s when I have the most time. I also get pre washed spinach leaves for quick salads. Add some strawberries or vegetables some crumbled cheese and chopped nuts and it’s a quick and relatively healthy lunch or side dish. I also keep some cans of tuna, some frozen Amy’s dinners and frozen salmon and other fish, frozen ground turkey and frozen chicken cutlets on hand so I can marinate and cook protein or mix the canned tuna.
Came here to say this. I pre-cook: diced bacon, breakfast bowls (eggs, sausage, cheese, sautéed onions), ground beef, rice, Mac n cheese, chicken n dumplings, whole wheat bread, healthy muffins, baked spaghetti, baked beans, soups, chicken n dressing casserole, brown rice, barley. (Usually this happens by making a huge batch while I'm at it, and freezing the extra.) I find my homemade "frozen entrées" to be much tastier, healthier, and cheaper than anything in the store. Keeps us out of restaurants. The pre-cooked ground beef can be used to make quick spaghetti, tacos, lasagne, cheeseburger Mac, cowboy hash, chilli, any number of things. I pre-slice and freeze: chicken breast, beef, pork to be used in stir-fry. The chicken can also be quickly poached for chicken salad. I try to prep fresh fruit & veggies every morning. I'll do three days worth of whatever veggie I am working on that day. For example, if I'm doing carrots, I'll do three meals worth of carrots. If I'm chopping cabbage or lettuce, I'll chop the entire head. Having stuff done ahead makes meal times so much less daunting. For example, with my pre-cut meat, pre-cooked rice, and a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies, I can have a healthy meal in the table in a few minutes with very minimal fuss. This system also cuts down on clean up, as you are only dirtying up the pots/utensils once for multiple meals. Also, eggs are always a fast, easy, nutritious meal.
Frozen premades and an airfryer. I started eating better when i got an airfryer, because i could have stuff like precut frozen veggies and full meat chicken nuggets, fish cubes etc in the freezer and just dump them in an air fryer for 10 mins and get a warm healthy meal. And using air fryer liners, i don't even need to wash the fryer basket each time.
Honestly been wondering if an airfryer would help... I may need to invest
I wish there was kibble for humans. The closest I've found is pre-made chocolate protein milk.
The show Futurama has "Bachelor Chow" and I've always thought that'd be great. Human kibble with all your daily vitamins and minerals with zero hassle or effort.
Yep yep yep. I’m also a mom and currently pregnant with gestational diabetes. All I want is junk food and desserts right now, but I have to feed myself low carb healthy food all the time. I’m so burnt out on food and eating and feeding others. Like I get hungry but very little actually appeals to me in terms of real food etc.
I am so sorry this sounds like my actual nightmare 😩 wishing you the appetite of a low carb girlie ❤️🩹
This is why my rich person fantasy involves having a private chef. I love eating but not cooking and esp the tedious task of washing produce!
Omg private chef is the ultimate goal 🤩🙌🏽
Smoothies for breakfast and lunch and then meal kit for dinner. It helps with the decision fatigue. I have frozen meals in my freezer for when I want something else as well (sometimes I will have meal kits for lunch the next day then I need more dinners in the week) But yes I totally feel you on this. It's exhausting
On that breakfast n lunch smoothie train! Hoping it last for a while longer 🙏🏼 I may have to try some meal kits again to help me get another meal in cause I end up just having a snack and then not eating or over eating treats
Yes. 3 times a day, every day, I groan and think to myself, “fuuuuuuuuck” You described it perfectly, and people look at me crazy when I say this. I enjoy a good meal, (other people’s) home cooking, going out, etc. but day to day, I eat to no longer be hungry.
Dude yes!! I couldn't believe how many people said this was a terrible idea! Like I have so many other things to focus on! Getting food in my body is just an inconvenience 😮💨
For me? no. but other people, hell yes!!!!! My husband and I work from home (he lost his job a few months ago). Two times a day, every single day I get asked "what's for lunch ?" And "what's for dinner?" I want to scream! I'm fluffing working, you figure out those meals!😡
Just say, "Idk bc it's your turn. What are you making?" Lol
I encourage you to scream! If you're struggling, so should he!
I know exactly what you mean!
Yes! My spouse complains around the third night of the same food, BUT I MAKE THINGS THAT MAKE LEFTOVERS BECAUSE I CANNOT DEAL WITH DECIDING WHAT TO MAKE. Also it is hot and the kitchen gets hot and I get hot and then I don't want to eat anymore. I'm going to make burgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, and tacos all summer.
Sounds like somebody is offering to take over shopping and meal prep… >.>
That's what I was thinking 👀
Oh god, adding heat to the mix makes it sounds like literal hell 😵
Me, my kid and my husband. Dinner and school lunches send me over the edge
Thinking of you 😓❤️🩹 1 person is hard enough 😵
Sometimes (often) I have sleep for dinner
I have fibromyalgia and other chronic pain and fatigue issues and I live alone. Cooking used to be something I enjoyed but now it's a task I dread. Combine that with my ADHD and it's a shit show. It also doesn't help that I NEVER have an appetite unless I skip my Vyvanse so now I am essentially a binge eater on the weekends. 😭 Also, I have been having a lot of issues with food lately, part of the reason I think I might also be autistic, and it's starting to really limit my options and I don't know how to stop because I will be eating something and think it's tasty and then all of a sudden it has a weird texture and I'm horrified and disgusted and can never even think about at the very least finishing that meal.
It's one of my biggest challenges. I would totally take the pill and not have to deal with choice, dishes, clean up, leftovers, not wasting food, etc.
Premixed Huel bottles are your friends 👍
I'm looking into this right now, thank you for the suggestion!
Yes. It’s like, Jesus, I just did this a few hours ago. Could this be more inconvenient.
Yes, it is an inconvenience
Yes. Jesus we just did this, again?
I always say if I become crazy rich, first thing is hiring a personal chef. Lol. My issue is the cooking and mental load that goes into that. But I can def show up and eat!
That's all I want!! Just show up and eat! A local cafeteria would go hard 😤
I'm sitting here and I'm so hungry and I cannot convince myself to eat because everything I have requires making
This is why I can't buy "junk food" cause that's all I'll eat in these moments 😅
Sometimes I wish I had the metabolism of a komodo dragon, they only need to eat once a month 😭 I love food, but its exhausting a lot of the time.
#goals 😭
I wouldnt trust myself to remember even monthly
It's so ironic, I'm taking amphetamines, I don't eat all day, to the point where I'm sick from low blood sugar, but I'm still fat! Because once my meds wear off I'm eating everything. Especially cheese. I love cheese so much.
> Because once my meds wear off I'm eating everything I can’t believe I didn’t connect my late night snack fests to the adderall wearing off 🤦🏻♀️
This sounds like a rough cycle 😥 but cheese is truly the best 🤌🏼
Deciding what to eat, shopping for ingredients, and putting meals together and cleaning up is exhausting. And I’m just one person!
100%. I hate having to feed myself. I hate having to clean up afterwards. I hate cooking, I hate eating. If I could do without it, I would in a heartbeat.
I’ve said & I say it over & over again…I wish I could just take a pill & be done with it. Cooking is such a pain! When I do it’s because I like the taste or the texture but it mayn’t be nutritious enough! Bah, life is too damn particular. So imbue & then I take a multivitamin to cover all bases. I am trying to find a few foods that’ll cover my daily RDI intake of vitamins, minerals, micronutrients, whatever my body needs to exist. It’s just taking so damn long!
I hate that my body requires food SO OFTEN! I'll put all of my spoons into making a great meal, eat it, and then it is barely a few hours later I'm expected to do it all AGAIN?!? Sounds like a scam to me. I'm literally writing a cookbook right now for easy recipes to lighten the spoon demand of cooking, but it takes a hell of a lot of spoons to write a cookbook.
The biggest spoon scam 😭 you are an icon for writing a cook book 🤩 sending you many spoons and I hope you let us know when it's finished! I would buy a cook book to lighten my daily spoon usage!!
Feeding? Just feeding? It’s exhausting to take care of me. I just spent a week without my husband. Why does he take the house elf with him when he leaves?
I DESPISE having to eat multiple times a day, every single day. It takes so much thought and energy from me. I push off eating for as long as I can because it’s not a priority. I’m very thankful for my wife that loves cooking. I’m also sad that ordering food is getting sooo expensive.
Aaaalways looking for a sale on the food delivery apps 🥲 and bless your wife 💕
I now look back on the days when I would get exhausted with having to feed only myself every day with a golden sense of glowing nostalgia. My kids are turning 11 and with the exception of the first five months of their lives, I have been having to come up with ideas about what to feed them for that entire time. We homeschool. I am so bored of cooking. 😂
I got diagnosed with celiac disease about a year before the ADHD diagnosis so there went all of my easy foods and snacks! Everyone kept talking about how easy it can be to make gluten free meals and how much healthier it is... I was starting to get concerned that I was developing an ED because feeding myself is just so damn hard. I've felt like there's something wrong with me - that I'm failing - for my whole adult life because I can't bring myself to cook. It made even less sense when I was working in a microbiology lab during grad school. I loved the hours I spent perfecting different "recipes" and procedures. I was always mixing something up, cleaning and disinfecting, incubating cells and viruses - all the same kind of tasks and skills used in a kitchen. But they're two ***very*** different things for me. I'm just glad I finally know why!
There's something called soylent. This one isn't made from people, I desperately hope. If not, ensure or nutrition shakes and bars are edible. Mostly. For adults. Not kids.
Every. Single. Day.
I wish there were human kibble 😭
My air fryer and frozen brown rice packets changed my life. I make a salad et voila
I planned on making a simple pre-mixed salad and pasta for dinner tonight. I ate a piña colada bagel, red pepper hummus & naan crackers, and a Japanese sweet potato. Food is hard work
Living with my parents is helping me out so much with this right now. When I'm on my own I just eat bagged salad kits and cheese all the time when I'm not eating out. I am saving to move back out but it's been a welcomed break to have dinner with them 4 or 5 nights a week!
The amount of bagged Salads I've thrown out is embarrassing 😅🫠 living with parents is clutch if you can handle it mentally!
I can handle it because I have an end goal (getting a RV to be a nomad).. If I was just here I really wouldn't be able to even though we do get along like mature adult roommates. Haha the bagged salad kits are too easy, just remind yourself that you're eating a salad.. it's not embarrassing at all 😜 They have some really good ones these days.. they even have little snack size bag salads now at Walmart by Taylor Farms. They're kinda cute lmao 😅 The 'pizza ranch' one is my favorite!
Nice to live with the 'rents lol. Too bad you couldn't just stay there until you get married or something. Id love to live with my parents if we got along bc it seems the ideal situation.
It is ideal. I'm saving up for an RV to be a nomad so that's the huge milestone I'm waiting for. Going back to the bagged salad diet will be worth the ability to travel frequently. 😅😝 Edit: I live with my mom.. I tried living with my dad before and it ended up a total shitshow with my stepmom. So I absolutely understand what it's like not getting along and definitely wouldn't live with parents like that, solidarity. 💕
I love food. I love to cook and bake. But yes there are plenty of days where a bag of doritos is as much effort as I will give. Other days, like today, I just don't eat at all. Nothing sounds appetizing, so I'll try again tomorrow. 🤷🏼♀️
Add having an ever-changing list of food intolerances and allergies to the executive dysfunction game and eating becomes a major meltdown trigger. I miss being able to just tell people I'd be good as long as I avoided gluten; now I can't do natural fillers (peas) and food coloring (annatto) that's starting to show up in everything, plus a laundry list of other stuff that will eff up my stomach. I too welcome the development of a synthetic food pellet I can pop a few times a day and forget about food decisions and prep.
I seriously hate everything that has to do with feeding myself. Would hire a pro chef/food prepper if I could
Yes. And then the times I try to problem solve this by doing some pre-made meal deliveries, I get annoyed by the lack of ability to eat based on my current desires… so I end up spending DOUBLE and ordering out. It’s annoying as fuck because if someone else was making me dinner every night, I’d eat whatever it is. But something about this is different and I just like… dread it
YES. I think this every day: "oh I have to find/make something to eat \*again\*?"
The process of cooking food can be absolutely exhausting because foods can ~disgust~ me. For example, I love avocado but it is so soft and sometimes the idea of having to cut it is too much. This evening I was unable to finish my meal because all of a sudden I couldn’t stand the texture. This caused me to realize why processed foods are so calming during overstimulation - all the food, ie sour patch kids, are all the same size and texture and taste. No surprises, no prep, just instant comfort.
I love to eat (and it shows), but I am so freaking tired of deciding what to feed myself and my family. I'd rather eat cereal by the time I need to start cooking.
100% exhausted. I used to love cooking for others...clean up not so much. Now that I'm not like 20 anymore and have more and more life responsibilities, I hate it. My reccomendation - cut out whatever steps you can. I get paper plates, cups and bamboo Forks on the regular. I also order shawarma platters for take out because they're delicious, and legit 2 full meals in one. and pretty healthy. Also - air fryer. I have the instant vortex mini. Throw in a frozen burger patty. When I flip it I toss in some French fries next to it. Done. And I use the oven timer for every step or I'll forget and burn shit... then I'm exhausted AND still hungry. Hope that does something for u. I'm excited for more tips ☺️
Definitely done the shawarma before! Thanks for the reminder and some solid tips 🤗 I think I see an airfryer in my future!
When you get one of those sudden hyper focus days, make a lot of something that you can freeze. I recommend food waffles/pancakes. You can make them exactly the way you like them, freeze and then you have really quick food ( microwave then you just throw on them whatever you have in the fridge).
I have said as much for a very long time now. Eating is traumatic. Coloric balance is mind-boggling. Thankfully, my husbands stomach and will to survive are greater than my own. I make sure we have rice on hand and coffee is prepped in the morning. That's all I'm capable at this moment. The best nutrition shake I've found (after 20 years of military enforced body standards and dieting) is Fair Life chocolate protein shakes. I'm nearly ready to get a Sam's membership to get the discount... or maybe I shouldn't as the obsession may end soon...
Fairlife Milk heated in microwave, pour in a couple shots of espresso, add two scoops of collagen protein: breakfast! I’m lactose intolerant and it’s the only lactose-free cow’s milk that doesn’t have added sweetener. Of course the coffee on top of non-ER Adderall has me spending all morning reading the news. I have intense focus on the computer. Luckily I have to get up for a bathroom break.
Omg yesss & the thing is like eating food. But having to remember to stop what I'm doing to get it, prepare & cook it or pay for it & eat it, while being on medication that can suppress my appetite & make it even harder to eat or even remember to do so is really tough some days. 😔 I'm trying to do better but I've been in the ER 3x this year for being dehydrated & having forgotten to eat as well then passing out at work
Yes 👍🏻 food has been such a struggle for me today. I’ve eaten goat cheese and a nutrition shake for dinner for like 3 days in a row.
I live off of keto chow shakes for breakfast, meat for dinner (whatever is on sale, frozen preformed burgers from Sam's club straight into the air fryer is 👌🏼) and those sugar free/low calorie packets to add into a standard bottle of water (propel, lemonade, iced tea).
Yes. It is for sure the absolute most difficult task I face every single day. I'm almost grateful for the appetite suppression that accompanies my meds because then I'm not thinking/stressed about food at all for most of the day. I feel like shit if I don't eat enough though, so it's still a battle at some point every day.
Watched a doco recently where there was a wonderful autistic man who lived mostly off Soylent and coffee! My mama survives mostly off Sustagen.
I feel so relieved I’m not the only one!!
Snack city food prep is the move
Yes!! Here’s my methods: 1. I have Soylent as a backup because I under ate for so long that I get migraines if I skip meals now. I don’t always care about food, all the decision making is such a pain. 2. Lately I’ve been making a big ass meal on Sundays or Mondays (days when my kid is at his dad’s) and then I eat a bunch of it the rest of the week for lunch and dinner (and freeze a bit for future backup) 3. Don’t forget the power of rice and beans 4. Frozen meals that aren’t terrible (Amy’s is tasty and veggie but expensive)
You are doing the lords work giving this info 🥲 screenshotted
I am with you 100%. I'm just finishing up a round of antibiotics that I need to take FOUR times a day with food. I've been trying to fit in protein bars but I find it's the same as with your supplements, it's not giving me everything I need.
I keep crackers on hand so I can take my meds with something! 4 times a day should be illegal! Or food should be provided 💁🏽♀️
I say this all the time. Give me the Willy wonka gum!!
Spy Kids microwave needed to happen when it aired in theatres At least food feels good (sometimes)
Yeah I struggle with this. It's worse when I'm in AuDHD burnout, which I am at the moment. It feels like the actual task of eating is very draining and I've had to really let go of the idea that I need to eat healthily as I've got enough trouble just getting myself to eat anything as it is. I make smoothies for breakfast and make sure I add lots of good stuff in - banana, flavoured protein powder, spinach (you can't taste it), peanut butter, hemp seeds and greek yoghurt. At least then if I'm eating somewhat unhealthily during the day I've had something substantial and healthy for breakfast. I've also been making sure there's pre made snacks/meals available to eat because I haven't had the energy available to make something.
I’m sitting here trying to think about what to eat. Full frig, full freezer and junk food everywhere. Even have my son here to cook for me. I’m a cancer patient. So I can’t really cook. Nothing sounds good. I just ate a full can of Black Olives.
Yes! Maintaining a body is hard!
I have opened the fridge and cried because I just couldn’t put a meal together for myself. Of course this was after making lunch for the kids but for me it just all sounds so horrible and everything is going to make my stomach hurt.
I wish someone would decide what to cook, do the shopping, the prep and the cooking for me. I would happily take care of all the cleaning. Actually, I did have a partner who did this - he loved everything to do with food and he actually found shopping for groceries fun! Unfortunately it didn't work out, for completely different reasons, but I was pulling food he'd cooked out of the freezer for a good few weeks after we broke up :)
cw/tw: disordered eating(?) getting up and making something to eat and then eating it and having to wash the dishes all that stops me from eating period
Me me me! I love to eat, but if I could choose to just never eat again to avoid the angst of figuring out what to eat I’d be sold
Love food, it’s all I think about.. but the prepping and the cooking and the cleaning… It’s all so exhausting. I’m waiting for a food pill to come along like in the Jetson’s.
Having to eat is so boring and so annoying most days! Especially if it’s food that requires a knife and fork to eat, ugh.
We toggle between meal kit and prepared meal services in my home for several meals because of this. It's still annoying to figure out what to select. My husband, a house spouse, is about to be gone for 5 weeks and between the weekly prepared meal services and what we have in the fridge (yogurt, cheese/nut/dried fruit combo packs, hummus, prepared grain salad) and freezer (Jamaican patties, mini pizzas, potato skins, chicken parm), I won't really have to worry about meal planning/prep or shopping aside from fresh fruit & veg or if I want something we don't already have. In saying that, I know the prepared meals aren't an option for many and I am very fortunate that I can take advantage of those services.
I never knew not wanting to eat or even order food is an ADHD symptom. I used to be a food addict few years back. I used to have tantrums over food. Now I simply do not care. I am simply happy if I do not have to cook and someone feeds me. I have forced myself to eat and felt no taste in any food for months. I have to learn different recipes from different cuisines so I do not get bored. This actually helps me to feed myself and not to get bored.
My husband I have the joke that every day we ask in the most defeated way possible, “what should we do first dinner?” And the other replies, “Says my ghost until the end of time.” I mean, you have to figure it out EVERY DAY. It’s exhausting.
Yuppp I'm going though a big aversion to eating at the moment, I've just downloaded an intermittent fasting app BC I feel like I have a "window" to eat it might encourage me more? Idk we'll see 🤷🏻♀️
I’ll also give a vote for Garden of Life’s Raw Meal. I beef it up with a cup of frozen blueberries and a half a cup of rolled outs. It gets the job done.
Yep. I honestly usually don't get myself much while grocery shopping for my family. Maybe cottage cheese bc it is filling. And I do love eating food, but it is so difficult putting a list together and dinner.... making dinner every night .... I hate it so damn much. I make dinner and then have to clean all the dishes the next day? Haaate it.
I often dream of having my very own Rosie like in the Jetsons. *Sigh #lifegoals
It’s funny I came across this post because I was just lamenting to my boyfriend earlier how eating is such a CHORE most of the time. If my body didn’t require me to eat, I would maaaaaybe eat once a week.
Soylent or Huel Ready to Drink. You’re welcome.
Very much so, but worse is the cooking and waiting. I would be happy if I could just have endless variety Instant Meals... Perhaps a Jinn?
This post reminded me that soylent exists. It tastes like unsweetened pancake better iirc but it is a meal you can drink during class or work or whatever you're doing and it was so helpful when i was in grad school. I might order some soon tbh, thx for the indirect reminder!
HUEL! A friend of mine loves it and i thought it would be gross but it's not, the cinnamon roll flavor is actually quite mellow and i put it in banana shakes and stufff
I exist on snacks and Youfoodz. I legit never cook anything. I hate it because I feel like it’s going to bite me in the ass one day because I’m not exactly getting a full balanced diet. But I hate food and I hate cooking.
Yes! Food is one of the biggest brain drain and executive function nightmares for me. If it was cheap enough I would get the same thing from the same restaurant every day for months just so I wouldn't have to think and plan and analyze and price check and haven't forbid cook. I think I'm going on a meat, cheese and lettuce sandwich kick now for a few months🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
Try having kids. I genuinely don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that I would have to feed these tiny people every single day for like two decades.
Yes dude. I can’t fucking handle it. Thankfully my partner mostly handles the food stuff and feeds me otherwise I’d forget or just not want most days.
I get exhausted when other people fuss and tell me when and why and how much I should be eating. Oh. Yes. Please. Lecture me as if I'm a toddler. That will *definitely* encourage me to consume more calories on command.
The irony is that I actually went through culinary school, but I’m sick of cooking for myself. I currently have all the ingredients for pork chili verde and chicken tikka masala in the fridge, and can’t get myself to cook anything. I’m living on protein shakes and bars, with a side of yogurt cups and fresh fruits. Gah.
I'm particularly bad for this (and everything else ADHD-related) in winter, which it is right now in NZ. I give myself the grace to order takeaway a lot more, which is still only once or twice a week, and I'm also considering restarting a food box plan for the next couple of months because that'll at least give me 3 decent meals and leftovers every week, or at least doing click and collect grocery shopping so that it forces me to actually go and get the food instead of just putting off shopping for weeks and then struggling even more to decide what to throw together from my cupboards. I keep a loaf of bread in the freezer because as a single person I can't eat it fast enough before it goes bad, but that means there's always some in there for a 5 minute cheese on toast or to defrost for 15 seconds each side in the microwave while I also microwave a bowl of soup. Buy microwave rice if that'll make it easier for you to throw something together like rice, tuna, peas and sweet chilli sauce! I think it's really important that we allow ourselves to do whatever it takes (within reason, and finances) to make our lives as easy for ourselves as we can. Sure, you can say, "I should be able to shop and cook for myself without getting someone else to do it", but you can say that about pretty much everything in life. You could grow your own food instead of shopping. You could hand wash all of your clothes instead of using a washing machine. It's ok to find ways to outsource the jobs you really struggle with (hello dishwasher and robot vacuum).
It’s the worst thing ever for me. And now that I have a toddler it’s even more stresful :(
I buy a lot of frozen or fresh fully-cooked meat products, and chuck them in a meat freezer in the kitchen. My favourites are things like meatballs, chicken wings, burger patties, and mild smoked products like farmer sausage, bacon, ham and wieners. I buy good quality canned salmon and sardines to have with some mayo or lemon and S&P. Bonus if you pair it with some organic butter, cheese and a lettuce bun, or if you can heat it in the microwave. Dirty pots and pans throw off my day. I will even cook a scrambled egg in a mug in the microwave. Easy, filling, no supplements required and I’ve lost 15 pounds of body fat.
I've found hello fresh and similar things helpful on better days, on the bad ones I survive off cereals and Y-food bars and drinks. Y-food has been so helpful for me.
Like in space movies, they squirt out a blob of vitamin mush and it looks gross but it has everything they need. I wish for this a lot.
Yep! I’ve had an addiction to DoorDash for the past 3 years 🙃. I don’t even want all that fast food so frequently but I hate cooking
Oh! Yes! I like eating and don’t usually mind cooking most nights, but all the admin and thinking and decision-making is exhausting 🫤 I thought there was something wrong with me.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one feeling like this. Was feeling really useless about this recently 🙏🏻
Oh god yes. Struggling so hard currently. I also have celiac disease and I do not eat out ever. I'm so burnt out on decisions. I also get the ick if I eat the same things to frequently. Taking care of my basic needs is my biggest issue right now and it just makes every other aspect of life so unnecessarily difficult.
Look at Factor. Prepaid meals, never frozen, to your house.
Oh my god! This is one of my greatest annoyances about bodies!!! I hate thinking about and making food and I'm in the middle of editing something I wrote in January 2020 about collaborative solutions for this. I didn't know I had ADHD (and I didn't even know what it was) at the time but this has been one of my lifelong obsessions and I have managed to live in a few houses where we intentionally lived together and shared food responsibilities. That's rarely an option for most people so I have been trying to come up with a palatable (ha ha groan) solution for people who don't or can't or don't want to structure their lives around this! It's so much time and money and I hate it!!
That's literally me in university. I traveled abroad and lost a lot of weight. I just came back home for summer break, I started eating well, and my family is taking great care of me. It feels good. :)
I gotta be honest, I have a stock of Soylent for when I just can’t bring myself to function. I drink one of those, minimal effort, and I have much more energy to actually do other stuff like make real dinner later in the day. I talked to a nutritionist last year and she had suggested this to me, basically I needed more carbs to get my body to not be exhausted.
Every time, every single time I start to make more money, all that extra money made starts going to takeout. I get dopamine from going out for my food like the little hunter/gatherer I am. Probably can use that on grocery shopping now that my fridge is full. Finish making meals into whole meals. The biggest killer for me is kitchen cleanliness. Dishes have always been my absolute executive dysfunction killer. I hate them. I refuse to move anywhere without a dishwasher. Kitchen duties have been my husband's task though and he also has ADHD. One thing I can't argue out of him is that chores are daily. And that's frustrating. I cook, he cleans. that's been the agreement. I can't cook daily if he can't clean daily. Sprouts is nice. Sprouts is expensive but it's a good grocery store for me. I just free roam around there to get food, which can actually be cheaper and healthier than eating out. Last time I went I bought 3 pounds of Plumcots and got a buy-1-get-1 half off meal deal for 2 microwavable salmon and brussel sprout meals with riced cauliflower and a poblano sauce. It was in a fridge case near the deli section. Some new stuff for me, but it was delicious. And a lot of the time I get the mark down food at sprouts. Shrimp in jerk seasoning. Chimichurri steak. And some other stuff. Usually pretty good, and no dishes needed.
Girl, the hunter/ gather comment killed me 😂😂😂 I never realized I felt this! The cleanliness comment is also so true, that is sometimes my biggest barrier to cooking. I don't want to clean to cook, then clean again! That just makes it impossible! I'm so glad I'm not the only one that free roams when I don't know what I want! Takes longer, and sometimes I just get frustrated that the grocery store didn't /inspire/ me, but it's mostly successful! Thanks for your tips 🤗
no honestly it’s the worst. all that time and prep and effort takes too much energy that i don’t have 😭 when i could be doing other things
I just gave up and shove anything in my face when I remember to eat. It doesn't make for a healthy diet but it's so much easier.
YES. I have better things to do than make dirty dishes! Fast food makes me feel crappy, so protein bars it is or protein and fiber shakes. Add in coffee and there's my energy for the day.
such a struggle but with a toddler i have to make it happen. oatmeal for breakfast or if i'm too tired for that avocado toast, cottage cheese for me and pbj for my toddler for lunch. dinner rotation "goal" is chicken, rice bowl, soup, salmon. i get CSA produce delivered and challenge myself to try and prep one fruit and one veggie a day. if it's ready in the fridge i'll eat it. my toddler gets snacks of nuts, popcorn, seaweed and any fruit and veg we have in the fridge. between all that and his multivitamin and breastmilk i think he's pretty good nutrition-wise. on days where i just can't, i take out a plate and get protein, carb and fruit/veg on it for my toddler no matter how weird the combo :)
Omg it's the worst, especially with kids, because you kind of have to feed them several times a day, so that's several times a day you have decide what to make then make it, well not every day, between work and school, but it'll feel like it
It’s the best and worst thing. Some weeks I am SO into cooking and I try experimenting with new ideas. Some weeks I’m lucky if I can get 1 meal down the whole day. I’m so jealous of my cat and her feedings, she eats the same thing every day and gets all her needed nutrients.
Meal prepping, freezer meals, and lazy meals help with this. If you have friends, you can do a Mass meal prep together and trade freezer meals for variety.
I've been waiting for the "food pill" to be invented! I am so sick of figuring out what to eat.
Yes!! It’s so annoying when people also keep commenting on how slow I eat. Like, do you know how much energy it took to even grab something to eat?😒
YAS! But I was just about to post: Anyone else burn breakfast today because they started vibing to an old album they forgot about, and then went to get the laundry from the couch pile of doom, and smelled burning and had forgot what could even be burning? So, that could also be solved by a jelly bean that fills one up. Shout out to Beck: One Foot in the Grave, however, now I have to cook again. 🤣
Yup and it’s worse when you have a family because even if you choose to snack or skip a meal, you can’t let your family go hungry. Even my husband who doesn’t have ADHD is exhausted by it. It’s never ending! We all joke that we wish we had the microwave from the fifth element where you put something inside and a few min later a whole meal comes out. Or the rehydrator from back to the future. 😆
AMEN. I did find this thing called HUEL which is dry pasta and sauce with protein that you add water to and microwave for a few minutes. I keep a few servings at work for an easy lunch option! I told my husband I wanted the human equivalent of dog kibble: all my nutrients in one swoop, no fuss. He thinks I’m crazy.
Amen sister. The grocery store is overwhelming too big too many options. The decision fatigue is real and the dopamine seeking even harder
Such a mood 😩 I don't have much advice, I keep party pizzas, mac and cheese cups, ramen, chicken tenders, frozen fries, pizza rolls, and chips I like on hand and get what runs out when I go to the store every week so I have easy options for myself on the weeks I need them more, and most of the time I'll do those for at least a few meals a week anyway. I'll cycle through one or two kinds of sweets to keep around too. I'm constantly having to think of new things to add to my list so when nothing I normally keep sounds good, maybe some new option would.
I Maher the decision once a week on the weekend so I don't have to think about it every day. I have to decide what I'm eating for the week and buy appetizing and easy to pull together food. I do a very basic "meal prep". I make a baked egg and veggie crustless quiche thing and that is my breakfast all week. Frozen pre-chopped veggies for the win on that too. Then I make something else to eat all week. A big pot of soup or shepherds pie or spaghetti etc depending on my weekend bandwidth. Just a big one dish meal that I can eat at the beginning of the week. Cooking those 2 things literally only takes an hour and that includes the time in the oven. Lately I've been going pre-school, cottage cheese and peaches, celery and PB, apples and PB. Apple, PB, and a chocolate meal replacement shake is an easy and awesome lunch. Meal replacement shakes have been a big help this last year.
I wish we didn’t have to eat. I despise cooking.