Share your favorite depression meals

[symphony]

I'm sure many of you here with depression understand the challenges of... actually eating. Whether you have no appetite or want to binge all day or swing between the two, maintaining a healthy diet (at least for me) seems like an impossible goal.

I'm making this thread in part to try to see what you all do and try to pick up any tips. There's the familiar problems of not having the energy to actually cook and not having the motivation to actually eat anything that counts as healthy. Extra challenges for me are that I have massive anxiety around cooking. I don't feel safe around knives and hot stovetops terrify me. I can sometimes handle an oven but only on a really good day. So it's mostly just microwave foods... My meals also tend to be heavy on carbs, dairy, and sugar and low on vegetables and protein. And I eat literally the same thing over and over and over for months until I get sick of it... It's a problem.

Earlier this year my go-to was pasta. Throw some penne or something into a bowl with water and microwave, drain the water, and microwave another bowl with milk and cheese to make a shitty sauce, then mix. Dinner. More recently I've been buying frozen microwavable burrito bowls and adding salsa.

What are your favorite go-tos? How do you manage to keep some variety and get the nutrients you need while working around the challenges of mental illness?

 

[lofticries]

Ice cream. It's so soothing and gives you a bit of a sugar rush.

I also think greasy Chinese food is perfect for a rainy dreary day.

Both unhealthy I know.

I do like a nice big greek or chef salad when I'm anxious. Crunchy foods calm me down.

 

[Angi]

I second the ice cream! Also, sandwiches. If I need something hot, which happens often, sandwich and tea.

Once some motivation rolls around, I do try to use it for cooking, since nice food makes me feel so much better.

 

[chloramine]

I tend to only eat one real meal a day. I just don't have the energy to make food and a lot of the time that one meal is more to keep up appearances.

For my birthday my friend gave me a bunch of bags of nuts and seeds. They're easy to snack on and I don't have to make anything or have a full meal if I can't stomach it. I know it's not affordable for everyone as they aren't really cheap, but you can take the same concept and apply it elsewhere. Also I find smoothies can be easier on days when it's hard to eat

 

[Bootleg Astolfo]

A single one of these. Straight from the can. Cold. Maybe with a slice of bread. Nothing on the bread, of course.

 

[Lostandlooking]

Soup is a good shout. Rice and beans is another simple and cheap option.

I'm fortunate enough that I'm able to afford ready made salad from the supermarket every now and then. That's easy and it's healthy.

 

[jandek]

I struggle with eating a balanced diet too. Certainly doesn't help being poor as well as depressed... I buy mostly frozen veg, which I add to soups or sauces. Dried dates make for a healthy snack, and pretty cheap too. These are things I make when I'm really depressed:

Beans on toast, with grated cheese on top

Instant ramen with a poached egg, and with kimchi if I'm feeling fancy

Spaghetti + butter + marmite

Peanut butter and mayo sandwich, a Southern Depression-era classic

 

[western_heart]

Smoothie drinks and nutrition shakes (I don't drink enough of them)

Maruchan Yakisoba microwave noodles. Marie Callender's frozen bowls too

Grilled cheese and tomato soup if my gf is cooking

 

[NSA]

How are you with a toaster oven?
Recently discovered this after getting hit with a stupid craving for fried cheese.

1 tomato, halved
Handful of shredded cheese
Garlic powder, salt
Top tomato with cheese and seasoning, put in toaster oven for 10 min on broil. Tastey.

For microwave only:
Can tuna, bread, mayo, cheese. Mix shredded cheese into tuna and zap for a few sec at a time until melted.
Hotdog, bun, chopped onions, lettuce, and ketchup etc. Salsa is good too.
Ramen with canned chicken.
You can microwave eggs too. I've never done it, but I know you can. YouTube probably has how.
Hot dogs and canned baked beans.
Cold green bean casserole: dump canned green beans, corn, cream of mushroom soup into a bowl and eat. Packaged fried onions optional.
Brie cheese and hunk of unsliced bread from the deli section. Classy. Add packaged antipasto for xtra swank.

 

[chyme]

Sweet Potatoes. They're healthy, cheap, filling, a good option for people who don't like vegetables.
I usually just throw one in the oven and eat it as is- super simple.

I also try to always keep spinach on hand. It doesn't have any overpowering distinct taste, so it works well mixed into practically anything.

Peanut butter may not be entirely healthy, but it has been my go-to food for as long as I could remember. I never get tired of it.
If I can't motivate myself to cook or prepare anything, at the very least I can force myself to eat a few spoonfuls.

 

[waitingforrest]

I survive purely off of cereal and oatmeal. Sometimes fruit and other random food.
Protein shakes if I can't be bothered enough to chew. I am surprised that my organs still function.
(And also, drink lots of water, especialy if you haven't been able to eat. Electrolytes and blood sugar levels are really important if you feel drained. Stress and little appeite usually slows digestion. And beware of refeeding syndrome when reintroducing food)

 

[NSA]

Sweet Potatoes. They're healthy, cheap, filling, a good option for people who don't like vegetables.
I usually just throw one in the oven and eat it as is- super simple.

I also try to always keep spinach on hand. It doesn't have any overpowering distinct taste, so it works well mixed into practically anything.

Peanut butter may not be entirely healthy, but it has been my go-to food for as long as I could remember. I never get tired of it.
If I can't motivate myself to cook or prepare anything, at the very least I can force myself to eat a few spoonfuls.

I forgot that one. Microwave baked potato. Around 6 min or baked potato preset. Be sure to stab it with a fork a few times so it doesn't blow up.
II like using full fat yogurt in place of sour cream as a topping.

 

[Sinfulserenity]

I'm sure many of you here with depression understand the challenges of... actually eating. Whether you have no appetite or want to binge all day or swing between the two, maintaining a healthy diet (at least for me) seems like an impossible goal.

I'm making this thread in part to try to see what you all do and try to pick up any tips. There's the familiar problems of not having the energy to actually cook and not having the motivation to actually eat anything that counts as healthy. Extra challenges for me are that I have massive anxiety around cooking. I don't feel safe around knives and hot stovetops terrify me. I can sometimes handle an oven but only on a really good day. So it's mostly just microwave foods... My meals also tend to be heavy on carbs, dairy, and sugar and low on vegetables and protein. And I eat literally the same thing over and over and over for months until I get sick of it... It's a problem.

Earlier this year my go-to was pasta. Throw some penne or something into a bowl with water and microwave, drain the water, and microwave another bowl with milk and cheese to make a shitty sauce, then mix. Dinner. More recently I've been buying frozen microwavable burrito bowls and adding salsa.

What are your favorite go-tos? How do you manage to keep some variety and get the nutrients you need while working around the challenges of mental illness?

Microwave baked potato topped with sour cream/chives, broccoli and cheddar, or canned chili and cheese (this is also great in a tortilla wrap with sour cream). Cereal with toast and PB. Hard boil some eggs to have on hand, mash one up a bit and microwave for like 20 secs and have with toast. Pizza pops with hot sauce is probably my easiest go to meal tho....with choco milk for fun! I also take a daily vitamin and iron supplement bc like you, I eat mostly carbs and cheese.

 

[ohhgeeitsme]

Plain greek yogurt (with fat) mixed with 100% cacao (has anandamide, the 'bliss' chemical), with natural chunky peanut butter and a banana, dash of cinnamon. I love chocolate and it's healthier way to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Also.. sweet potato with sour cream, throw an avocado in chunks, a little cabbage or some kind of greens, mix all together and then add a little cottage cheese and mix again.. good stuff.

 

[ConstantPain]

I'm a pretty unhealthy eater myself with dry cereal being my most frequent meal.

I always keep tuna packets on hand because sometimes I can tell I need protein and they're super quick. Some of the seasoned tuna packets are good on their own but when I feel up to it, I do like to add sprouts, spinach, and/or black olives.
Sliced deli meat is another thing I like to have available, especially turkey. If it's a good day, I'll eat it with some fruit and cheese. Any berry, or grapes are especially easy to rinse and eat.

 

[Gaga786]

instant bowl of ramen mixed with sausages or fast food burgers with a drink and fries

 

[ConstantPain]

Granted, it's not as cheap as ramen but Bear Creek potato soup mix with sausage added is extremely hearty and makes a whole pot so you get multiple meals out of it. I like to also add fresh, frozen, or canned green beans and broccoli.
To each their own but I prefer it immensely to ramen, probably because I ate so much ramen going through college. Just like Southern Comfort, never again, lol

 

[Lebensunwertes]

Döner kebab, McDonald's quarter pounder and McNuggets, ice-cream, coke, chips. Pretty much any disgusting refried shit that packs half a pound of sugar, trans-fats and dopamine boost. It's bad for health, but I recently discovered that it's a massive mood lifter for me. Especially when combining food with marijuana.

 

[picklemick]

I basically go from extreme strict healthy eating to lying in bed for weeks at a time covered in filth and pizza and every horrible greasy thing I can get my hands on. then I eventually get so disgusted I crash diet and work out like crazy.

 

[toasterbath]

my diet is rlly bad lately like just pure junk food, chips, frozen pizza, macaroni maybe the healthiest thing i'll eat is yogurt and bananas

 

[symphony]

I basically go from extreme strict healthy eating to lying in bed for weeks at a time covered in filth and pizza and every horrible greasy thing I can get my hands on. then I eventually get so disgusted I crash diet and work out like crazy.

God seriously the gross eating in bed and then not cleaning anything is a mood...

 

[Un-]

Starvation. My depression, or whatever it is, is so bad that I feel like vomiting at the smell, or idea of food.

 

[DarkNearDeath]

Avocado and condensed milk

 

[LittleJem]

Bread, cheese, banana. When my depression was at its worst I lost a stone. Weed helped me eat something and then also one time I did Kambo and afterwards was so pleased I could eat a pot of noodles.

 

[Asatsuyu]

If you got left-over rice, just mix it with some canned tuna and mayonnaise! Easy meal

 

[Julgran]

Here's a yummy and cheap meal:

1. Toast two slices of toast bread
2. Fry two eggs
3. Put the fried eggs on the toasted bread
4. Put som Ketchup on the eggs
5. Put some cheese on the Ketchup
6. Put some spices - such as black pepper or Oregano - on the cheese according to your own taste

An alternative for gluten intolerant vegans is to only eat the Ketchup

 

[nosurpries]

whipped cream with caramel sauce

 

[8evergo]

spicy food always helps you feel good afterwards

 

[GelatinaRouse]

I like junk food... the problem is that I eat too much and I stop eating my main meals...
I miss meals or skip dinner and breakfast, only eat lunch...

I like pizza, chicken and from there I have no preference in saying that I like something, but I enjoy the process of eating something

 

[Againstthewind]

I dont wanna ruin this thread, but when I'm depressed (which is always now) I just punish myself by not eating at all, like I wanna eat these delicious things, but my mind tells me not too.

Is that strange?