Eating While Depressed
Eating while depressed is hard. You feel you should eat some fruit for breakfast, maybe make some eggs for protein, but you really just want a bowl of cereal. I’m here to say, eat the fucking bowl of cereal.
Eating is always better than not eating. I don’t care where, what, when, how, or why you eat; you need to eat. I also understand that we’re all trying to take care of ourselves the best we can, and that includes eating fruit and vegetables from time to time. Below I list three things to focus on when choosing what to eat when you’re depressed.
Eat Things You Like
Life is already hard, and you should enjoy the things you eat. Also, it’s harder to make yourself eat if you know you are not going to enjoy whatever it is. I really enjoy fruit and other sweets, so I will eat apples, bananas, and grapes, as well as ice cream and toast with Nutella or jelly on it.
I used to think I had to eat a variety of produce, so I would buy vegetables I wasn’t sure about. They usually ended up going bad before I ate them, but for the ones that lasted, I would force myself to take a few bites until I decided I couldn’t eat it anymore. For fresh vegetables, I stick to grape tomatoes, carrots, sugar snap peas, and avocados. I know tomatoes and avocados are technically fruits, but they taste like vegetables to me, so that’s how I categorize them.
Figure out what spices you like! Your whole meal can change depending on what spices you use. If I use turmeric, cumin, and garlic, I will probably like whatever I’m cooking. If you have to eat the same basic meals all the time, but don’t want to get bored, using different spice combinations can help keep your meals interesting too!
Eat Things That Are Quick & Easy
Your time is limited and so is your energy. Generally, the more time something takes, the more of your energy it will use too. This is why it’s so important to buy and eat foods that are quick and easy to prepare, especially as energy challenged folk.
You've also got other things going on in your life. You might be working one or several jobs, care for a child or relative, or maybe you’re in school. Regardless of what is limiting your time to cook, you still deserve tasty food that can fuel you. I love foods that can be microwaved because microwaving things takes the least amount of time. A few examples of quick and easy foods include soup, ramen, oatmeal, toast, steamable veggies, and cereal!
Eat Things That Last
If you struggle to eat things before they go bad, focus on foods that last a while so you are not wasting as much, and feeling even worse about yourself. Pantry and frozen goods are your best options for this suggestion.
For pantry items I get rice, protein bars, protein shakes (refrigerate after opening), beans, peanut butter, oatmeal, soup, canned vegetables, and canned meat. For the freezer I will buy fruit, veggies, pre-cooked diced chicken, burritos, and single meals. I love that frozen produce is also already precut!
If you want more fresh foods in your life, stick with things that tend to last longer like apples, onions, carrots, potatoes, oranges, blueberries, and grapes.
Bonus Tips!
Prepare ingredients separately, and discover new ways to combine them by using different spices or changing one ingredient.
Use your leftovers to make something new!
My roommate had leftover Szechuan chicken with white rice, so I used it to make soup. I cooked up some garlic and turmeric in a pot with butter. Then I added water, more spices, a ramen flavoring packet, and some rotisserie chicken. When everything in the pot was hot, I added the leftovers and mixed it up. Lastly, I put in sugar snap peas and bok choy, so they would keep their crunch. The final product was delicious!
Ideally, you will find foods that follow all these suggestions. You might have noticed that I repeated a few recommendations in each category. This is because most of what I eat falls into two, if not all three of these categories. I have some meal examples below, and if you have any questions, or want any more recommendations, please do not hesitate to ask. Just click on my Contact tab and send me an email!
Meal Examples
Breakfast
Toast with peanut butter, banana, and honey
Yogurt with fruit and granola
Oatmeal with banana, cashews, and maple syrup
Frozen waffles with apples and peanut butter
Cereal!! Add some fruit on the side to make it more filling
Lunch/Dinner
Sandwiches with meat, cheese, your choice of veggies, and condiments
Rotisserie chicken with steamable veggies
Soup with bread and butter. Add spices you enjoy!
Ramen with pre-cooked frozen diced chicken, and your favorite spices and veggies. Yes, I cook this all in the microwave. If you’re feeling froggy, cook an egg on the stove and add that on top!
Cheese, crackers, raw veggies, and fruit
