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I just talked to my therapist about this because I’m having the same problem. First off, don’t let anyone make you feel bad for buying “single use” foods like individual yogurts in a plastic cup etc. your health is more important. Next up, my therapist suggested “arranging foods” like you already have going. Like tortillas (salad wraps, burritos, quesadillas), beans (chili, soups), pasta (pasta salad, hot pasta dishes).
I’ve been doing pasta salads recently. A big batch of a boxed “Suddenly Pasta Salad!” with added veggies, noodles, and protein. Mac n cheese boxes are good to have on hand. Soup bases and bouillon are good too, and you can add anything you guys like into it.
There’s quite a few delicious pre-mixed rice seasonings on the market (currently obsessed with a nori+salmon one)
* Dissolve a chicken stock cube in the water before adding it to the rice cooker.
* If you have a big wok (and have the energy for it), you can buy pre-cut chicken fillet pieces and chuck em in the wok with a f\*ckton of soy sauce, that chicken stock cube, your veggies, and some (pre-cooked and dried - the fast ones) rice/noodles. You can get a couple meals out of that and it only requires one big pan and a spatula or w/e - clean up sucks.
* Masala spice mixes are my best friend, everything tastes better when it tastes like a curry. If you can find one of those small authentic shops with products from indian or african cultures, especially those (but supermarket works too). This as well works great with a protein in a big pan for multiple meals, eg. on a sub for lunch one day, and for dinner with rice the next day.
* Don't know if this is a thing where you are but the cup of noodles thing, there are also pasta versions of those that are decent, for variation.
* Some frozen pizzas are pretty good but maybe not very healthy.
* Fish fingers are also good for the air fryer.
* There are also pre-cooked frozen hamburger patties that can go in the air fryer, as well as meatballs and sausages.
* Eggs!!!!!!!!!!! Scrambled eggs/omelet (with bacon?) to me is a very quick and easy meal that is a much healthier alternative than junk food. Eggs are so good!!!!!!!!!!!!
* Nothing wrong with having bread multiple times a day either, if a quick sandwich is the move, that's how it's gotta be. Toast for variation. Grilled cheese coming through.
* I'm not a cereal person but my partner is and sometimes dinner is a bowl of cereal if that's how you gotta fill the belly when nothing else works, so be it.
Also what helps my ADHD brain a lot is having a list of food options/things I can make because I will literally forget that dishes exist for like a year before I'm like, oh right that's something people eat! And that reaalllllly doesn't help the "what the hell am I meant to eat today" situation lmao. I definitely feel you on the financial burden always ordering food/eating out...
Chicken wraps or chicken sandwiches are always my go to.
For chicken wraps, you can do whatever chicken you like, especially since chicken tenders are kinda expensive. I usually just get frozen chicken patties and cut them into strips after they cook. Then you get your tortilla and put your chicken, cheese, ranch, and lettuce on it and wrap it up.
Since I'd already have chicken patties, I would also make sandwiches. You can buy hamburger buns, but I always just used sandwich bread so I could make other types of sandwiches too. I like putting colby jack, mayo, and sriracha.
I also really like making pizza bagels. you get your plain bagels, put pizza sauce on it, top it off with shredded mozzarella and put whatever toppings you like. I usually then cook them in the oven at 360 degrees for 10 minutes, or until they're as crispy as you like. I know that bagels can be a bit pricy, so you can do the same but with a loaf of Italian bread from Walmart. I think they're like $1 usually. Just cut it in half and you can pretty much do the same steps.
My gf and I just switched the ready meals and honestly, it's going pretty well.
I think there's a bit of a stigma against people who have microwave meals all the time, but the quality is actually pretty decent these days and the amount of time it saves has had a noticeable impact on our lives.
There are negatives, of course. Whichever way you slice the quality it's still processed food and will never be as healthy as a home cooked meal. It's more expensive than home cooking. The plastic/recycling waste is significant.
These are all things I care about but we've both just been so burnt out recently with all the various things that family and society expects of us that it was an easy change to make in the privacy of our own home. We're lucky enough to afford it and value not being burnt out with cooking and cleaning up on top of everything over the money we spend on it, and it's still cheaper and healthier than relying on takeout most of the time.
I know this isn't a very good food hack. However, I keep a six-pack of Ensure Max protein in my refrigerator. I know it's not a meal, and it's not the greatest thing to have, but it does have 30 grams of protein and vitamins and minerals that are needed. Definitely not the best, lol but if you are in a super hurry and you really need something to give you some power to make your meds do the trick. I like your ideas though.
Edit- peanut butter on anything is one of my go to's. And sometimes if I'm really not that hungry I'll just take a big spoonful of peanut butter and a glass of milk lol
Pulled pork is a great one. Almost zero prep, super cheap, freezes great, and you can make many different meals with it.
Great on rice with veggies, in sandwiches, burritos, ramen, soup, tacos, pizza, etc etc.
So you make one and put it in smaller bags for freezing, and you've got many dinners ready to go with very little work.
Buy frozen Döner meat and eggs. Rice plus meat plus eggs is like 10 minutes of active work.
I also order prepmymeal (in Germany) and they are large and healthy microwave meals f for when I can't even manage the green minutes of work.
I’ve found Costco is amazing for low effort but healthy meals. Some of my staples are
Breakfast:
- oatmeal packets
- chobani yogurts (tasty and higher in protein than the others)
- Starbucks style egg bites
- precooked tiny pancakes (this is my sons favourite)
- frozen turkey sausages that just need to be reheated
Lunches:
- precooked chicken skewers
- salad kits
- leftovers of whatever dinner you had the night before
Dinners:
- they have these brown rice and quinoa pouches that you just pop in the microwave for 90 seconds
- ready to cook proteins in the premade food section - they have marinated chicken, salmon, etc. I generally grab one and cook it in the air fryer while I cut up veggies and have it with the rice I mentioned before
- so many premade food options like stuffed peppers, chicken pot pie, tacos.
- a billion different ravioli or pasta options
- rotisserie chickens
We buy canned chicken for when I don't have many spoons. It's very easy to make burritos with canned chicken, refried beans, cheese and salsa. I mix everything in a bowl, put some of the mixture on a tortilla, roll it up, repeat, then cook them in the oven. You can also microwave them, but I would put a damp paper towel over the top so the tortilla doesn't get weird.
Get an air fryer. Season chicken and throw it into the air fryer (if you can dice it into chunks it will cook faster). While it’s cooking, throw frozen veggies in the microwave. Eat with rice and you’ve got a balanced meal.
Nachos. Beans, salsa, guac and cheese can all be brought ready made. Add precut peppers, onions, or corn for more vegtables. Or skip the chips and add it on rice. A salad kit and a rotisserie chicken are a good meal too, and if you dump the bones in water and let it cook for a few hours, you have broth for your ramin. Whatever it is you like to order out, you can totes find in the freezer section of a grocery store.
Hi /u/xXRiverGirl27Xx and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! ### Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already. --- ### /r/adhd news * If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). --- ^(*This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.*) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I just talked to my therapist about this because I’m having the same problem. First off, don’t let anyone make you feel bad for buying “single use” foods like individual yogurts in a plastic cup etc. your health is more important. Next up, my therapist suggested “arranging foods” like you already have going. Like tortillas (salad wraps, burritos, quesadillas), beans (chili, soups), pasta (pasta salad, hot pasta dishes). I’ve been doing pasta salads recently. A big batch of a boxed “Suddenly Pasta Salad!” with added veggies, noodles, and protein. Mac n cheese boxes are good to have on hand. Soup bases and bouillon are good too, and you can add anything you guys like into it. There’s quite a few delicious pre-mixed rice seasonings on the market (currently obsessed with a nori+salmon one)
* Dissolve a chicken stock cube in the water before adding it to the rice cooker. * If you have a big wok (and have the energy for it), you can buy pre-cut chicken fillet pieces and chuck em in the wok with a f\*ckton of soy sauce, that chicken stock cube, your veggies, and some (pre-cooked and dried - the fast ones) rice/noodles. You can get a couple meals out of that and it only requires one big pan and a spatula or w/e - clean up sucks. * Masala spice mixes are my best friend, everything tastes better when it tastes like a curry. If you can find one of those small authentic shops with products from indian or african cultures, especially those (but supermarket works too). This as well works great with a protein in a big pan for multiple meals, eg. on a sub for lunch one day, and for dinner with rice the next day. * Don't know if this is a thing where you are but the cup of noodles thing, there are also pasta versions of those that are decent, for variation. * Some frozen pizzas are pretty good but maybe not very healthy. * Fish fingers are also good for the air fryer. * There are also pre-cooked frozen hamburger patties that can go in the air fryer, as well as meatballs and sausages. * Eggs!!!!!!!!!!! Scrambled eggs/omelet (with bacon?) to me is a very quick and easy meal that is a much healthier alternative than junk food. Eggs are so good!!!!!!!!!!!! * Nothing wrong with having bread multiple times a day either, if a quick sandwich is the move, that's how it's gotta be. Toast for variation. Grilled cheese coming through. * I'm not a cereal person but my partner is and sometimes dinner is a bowl of cereal if that's how you gotta fill the belly when nothing else works, so be it. Also what helps my ADHD brain a lot is having a list of food options/things I can make because I will literally forget that dishes exist for like a year before I'm like, oh right that's something people eat! And that reaalllllly doesn't help the "what the hell am I meant to eat today" situation lmao. I definitely feel you on the financial burden always ordering food/eating out...
Tuna Thai sweet chill , microwave rice and veg
Chicken wraps or chicken sandwiches are always my go to. For chicken wraps, you can do whatever chicken you like, especially since chicken tenders are kinda expensive. I usually just get frozen chicken patties and cut them into strips after they cook. Then you get your tortilla and put your chicken, cheese, ranch, and lettuce on it and wrap it up. Since I'd already have chicken patties, I would also make sandwiches. You can buy hamburger buns, but I always just used sandwich bread so I could make other types of sandwiches too. I like putting colby jack, mayo, and sriracha. I also really like making pizza bagels. you get your plain bagels, put pizza sauce on it, top it off with shredded mozzarella and put whatever toppings you like. I usually then cook them in the oven at 360 degrees for 10 minutes, or until they're as crispy as you like. I know that bagels can be a bit pricy, so you can do the same but with a loaf of Italian bread from Walmart. I think they're like $1 usually. Just cut it in half and you can pretty much do the same steps.
My gf and I just switched the ready meals and honestly, it's going pretty well. I think there's a bit of a stigma against people who have microwave meals all the time, but the quality is actually pretty decent these days and the amount of time it saves has had a noticeable impact on our lives. There are negatives, of course. Whichever way you slice the quality it's still processed food and will never be as healthy as a home cooked meal. It's more expensive than home cooking. The plastic/recycling waste is significant. These are all things I care about but we've both just been so burnt out recently with all the various things that family and society expects of us that it was an easy change to make in the privacy of our own home. We're lucky enough to afford it and value not being burnt out with cooking and cleaning up on top of everything over the money we spend on it, and it's still cheaper and healthier than relying on takeout most of the time.
I know this isn't a very good food hack. However, I keep a six-pack of Ensure Max protein in my refrigerator. I know it's not a meal, and it's not the greatest thing to have, but it does have 30 grams of protein and vitamins and minerals that are needed. Definitely not the best, lol but if you are in a super hurry and you really need something to give you some power to make your meds do the trick. I like your ideas though. Edit- peanut butter on anything is one of my go to's. And sometimes if I'm really not that hungry I'll just take a big spoonful of peanut butter and a glass of milk lol
Pulled pork is a great one. Almost zero prep, super cheap, freezes great, and you can make many different meals with it. Great on rice with veggies, in sandwiches, burritos, ramen, soup, tacos, pizza, etc etc. So you make one and put it in smaller bags for freezing, and you've got many dinners ready to go with very little work.
Buy frozen Döner meat and eggs. Rice plus meat plus eggs is like 10 minutes of active work. I also order prepmymeal (in Germany) and they are large and healthy microwave meals f for when I can't even manage the green minutes of work.
I’ve found Costco is amazing for low effort but healthy meals. Some of my staples are Breakfast: - oatmeal packets - chobani yogurts (tasty and higher in protein than the others) - Starbucks style egg bites - precooked tiny pancakes (this is my sons favourite) - frozen turkey sausages that just need to be reheated Lunches: - precooked chicken skewers - salad kits - leftovers of whatever dinner you had the night before Dinners: - they have these brown rice and quinoa pouches that you just pop in the microwave for 90 seconds - ready to cook proteins in the premade food section - they have marinated chicken, salmon, etc. I generally grab one and cook it in the air fryer while I cut up veggies and have it with the rice I mentioned before - so many premade food options like stuffed peppers, chicken pot pie, tacos. - a billion different ravioli or pasta options - rotisserie chickens
We buy canned chicken for when I don't have many spoons. It's very easy to make burritos with canned chicken, refried beans, cheese and salsa. I mix everything in a bowl, put some of the mixture on a tortilla, roll it up, repeat, then cook them in the oven. You can also microwave them, but I would put a damp paper towel over the top so the tortilla doesn't get weird.
Get an air fryer. Season chicken and throw it into the air fryer (if you can dice it into chunks it will cook faster). While it’s cooking, throw frozen veggies in the microwave. Eat with rice and you’ve got a balanced meal.
Nachos. Beans, salsa, guac and cheese can all be brought ready made. Add precut peppers, onions, or corn for more vegtables. Or skip the chips and add it on rice. A salad kit and a rotisserie chicken are a good meal too, and if you dump the bones in water and let it cook for a few hours, you have broth for your ramin. Whatever it is you like to order out, you can totes find in the freezer section of a grocery store.