Food for executive dysfunction days (possible trigger warning)

[EatSleepRantRepeat]

( just remembered to add - If you have an eating disorder or similar you may find this triggering, sorry)

Does anyone have any suggestions, apart from takeaway, for meals to cook on days when you just can't today ? For context I'm not feeling very well this week, neither is DH, but I'm trying to cut down on takeaways to try and lose a bit of weight. I'd usually skip meals or have cereal if I'm on my own, rather than face cooking and forcing myself to eat, but that's not fair on DH as he's been looking after me all week. I really can't face making anything complicated and the thought of eating and having textured stuff in my mouth is stressing me out.

Does anyone else have similar struggles?

Your both unwell, so go easy on yourselves.

Can you heat a tin of soup? Would that work with the textures?

For ease of cooking (although not necessarily healthy) beige freezer food - chips, nuggets, fish fingers, oven pizza, that sort of thing on a tray and into the oven. Cook some frozen veg if you can manage it but don't worry if you can't right now. A bowl of warmed baked beans? (with toast if you can manage it but not necessary). Pasta with grated cheese. Pasta bake made with a jar of sauce (mix sauce with pasta, bung it in the oven. Ideally add grated cheese after 20 mins but will still be edible if you don't).

Use things like pre cut vegetables, pre made salads to make life easier and to eat better without using all your energy.

When your feeling a bit better maybe some eggs, simple salads or a big tray of roasted vegetables to make healthier meals.

And yes I have felt like that when completely burned out. It did pass as I started to recover.

I’m not sure how this would fit with which textures you are comfortable with, but my lazy go to when we need to eat food but don’t want to/can’t be bother to “cook” is tray bake.

Chop up whatever you have to hand into 1-2inch cubes (5mins), bit of oil, maybe some dried herbs if you want, or just salt/pepper and chuck it in an oven proof dish. Usually takes about 30 mins to cook.

Things that end up in our traybakes (not all at the same time)
Potato/sweet potato
Butternut squash/parsnip
Red onion
Peppers/carrots
Chicken / fish

Thank you @Redfloweryellowflower @Maflingo I'll take a look at both options- I have plenty of veg in the freezer for a tray bake, and I can pop out for some precut salad. Sometimes having someone tell me what to cook is actually easier; the "I don't mind" response just adds a load of mental calculations to the mix that I just can't cope with today!

I don't usually have many problems with decision making and organisation, but when I do it's always around food and eating - if I could just pop a daily pill instead of eating I'd be happy.

@EatSleepRantRepeat

if I could just pop a daily pill instead of eating I'd be happy.

Oh hell yes, this - I actually quite like cooking and eating when I'm in the mood, but when I'm not - see above.

I don't have a particularly sweet tooth, so my go-to is 'all necessary food groups on one plate with no effort required': a cut-up apple, some celery, peanut butter, cheese, maybe a boiled egg if you're feeling fancy. I am veggie, but you might want to add some cold meat?

It's a variation of the fridge dinner.

That would be my ideal @AffIt but I'd feel guilty feeding my DH that, he really enjoys his food. He does do a load of the cooking usually which I'm eternally grateful for (but I do blame him for my rapidly expanding bottom!)

I like the 35p microwave rice pouches from aldi. It's so quick and easy.
I usually make some roast veg when I have energy - broccoli etc- then put in the fridge to have with it.

@EatSleepRantRepeat

That would be my ideal *@AffIt* but I'd feel guilty feeding my DH that, he really enjoys his food. He does do a load of the cooking usually which I'm eternally grateful for (but I do blame him for my rapidly expanding bottom!)

In that case, would pasta shapes with a sauce work?

When I'm not feeling well, I revert to food I can eat with my hands, so you could have the 'ND special plate' above (with added pasta) and your DH could have NT pasta with sauce?

I forget to eat when I'm burnt out. Which obviously then makes me feel even worse.

So what I do is have a cereal bar, a coffee and then chuck something in the oven or pressure cooker for later.

Nothing too fancy but I have cheats meals
Ie fish pie....fish mix frozen, hand full of peas, chuck a tub of Elmlea cream over...season with garlic powder salt pepper, add frozen mash on top..... Takes me 3 minutes....I've timed it!

Chicken paprika....chicken portions, half a bag of frozen peppers, a carton of pasatta, salt pepper and tablespoon paprika....chuck it all in and cook for anything over 45 mins....serve with micro rice....

Nothing that needs attention or tons of prep.

By time it's cooked it then feels like someone else has cooked iyswim! plus the kids and DH get get fed a proper meal.

Oh also I have weekly menu on the wall....this stops me getting overwhelmed thinking what should I cook for tea.

Sounds daft, but if I've planned something I will make it.

I buy those pre packed packets of grains that you heat up in the microwave. Fry a bit of salmon from Lidl and have some stir fried frozen cabbage. Takes about 10 minutes to make.

I generally have cornflakes and rice crackers with peanut butter and marmalade if I can't make any food.

Cooking is my most loathed task and dh does most of it now. I hate food related activities.

So glad you guys know what I'm on about with the food thing. Before my diagnosis I had no idea that this was related, but it didn't fit the symptoms of an eating disorder, so I just used to beat myself up for being "lazy" about feeding myself (or ruining dinner yet again through being distracted and burning everything).

That episode of friends where Rachel made the Shepherds Pie trifle is like me trying to follow a recipe...

Tbh when I’m like this my go to is something like veggie sausages/ burgers and oven chips. But a slightly better go to is those stuffed pastas eg ravioli or tortellini. You could buy a ready made sausa or serve with pesto and maybe a salad/ some veg.

Also, no use for now but I always try to batch cook and keep a couple of meals in the freezer for days like these.

Fish fingers, frozen peas/other veg and bread and butter is really easy as well.

Pasta with a jar of sauce and grated cheese on top. You can add frozen veg in with the pasta to cook together for easiness.

Tin of curry with microwave rice.

Soup and bread.

Omelettes are very quick and easy. Microwave frozen veg for two minutes then add to egg mixture.

When I am like this, I can only cope with plain cous cous or plain pasta, maybe a tiny drizzle of olive oil, or plain toast. I have sensory issues, those foods help me a lot.

Just go with it for a few days, OP. Hope you feel better soon.

Sorry, I missed the OH issue! If you can shove salmon in oven, put pesto & peas through his portion & add salmon on top. It was my salvation when I had an OH!

Tin of Curry. Tin of carrots, tin of peas. Sachet of microwave rice.

The suggestions here I'd find totally overwhelming

Toast plus something is about as far as I can stretch on my own.

But that does leave a variety of easy options
Beans
Tuna
Ham
Cheese
Butter
Jam
Honey
Eggs
Mushrooms
Prawns
Tinned spaghetti
Soup

Thanks everyone. I just went with banging some rice in the rice cooker in the end, with a bit of veg and 'add your own' toppings for DH. I'll be keeping some of the more simple things above for the next few days though until I'm reet.

(And I'm considering buying a microwave, just need to find the room for one!)

Glad you managed to eat somethingx

Definitely get a microwave. I literally would never have a hot meal if I didn’t have one.

Cous cous sachets with added dried fruit and mixed seeds if you like. Just add hot water.

Or stir-fry. Those ready chopped ones. Or frozen ones in a packet. Add noodles from a packet and a sachet of sauce.

Another quick one is cook spaghetti/pasta and add mixed frozen veg and a jar sauce.