I've been feeling down the past couple of weeks. What that means is: not much, really. For the most part, I just feel a little more tired. A little less industrious. Rather stay in with Netflix than go out. In general, jut a tad bit less energy than what is baseline for me.
Unfortunately, it always seems like cooking is the first thing to go if I'm tired. But I'm vehemently opposed to a life of Lean Cuisine and turkey sandwiches. I mean, every once in awhile is fine. They're great in a pinch. But c'mon. There are so many great things to eat out there. Just because I'm tired doesn't mean I don't want to eat well. In fact, enjoying good food I really like is helpful to boost my mood and energy.
I have some strategies for this when I don't feel like cooking.
GO OUT (not fast food)
I know it's not totally kosher to advocate eating out. It can be expensive. It can pack way more calories than a homemade meal. It can be less healthy. But for these times when I'm feeling too tired, it's still important to eat well without too much effort.
I try to be mindful of where I eat out, though. Because loads of fast food is not a recipe for happy healthy me. I love a McD's burger now and again, and Taco Bell is my jam, man. But I know that's the last thing that will help me out of the funk.
I keep a list in my head of places that are good options for times like this. I love Mod Pizza for the freshness and variety. I often get pasta salad samplers at the local grocery. Sushi is always good, and I can either go for happy hour or pick up something at the grocery. My husband and I love pho, for it's comforting quality.
Brunch is a big one too. A good brunch at a quiet spot is so lifting. And if I fill up on a late morning serving of eggs and pancakes and bacon, I'm usually motivated to do something with more effort later. You know what they say: a good breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Sets the tone for the rest.
One of my best strategies is to create little shortcuts for meals I love. There's one basil orange rice bowl I love to make, but cooking the rice takes a long time. So I get those microwave rice bowls from the grocery store and instead of boiling the rice with the basil and fresh orange juice, I just mix it with some coconut milk and bottled OJ, then sprinkle in freeze dried basil flakes. I use pre-cut fruit or berries to make it even quicker.
Rotisserie chicken is great for making a chicken burrito bowl on the quick. Or canned chicken, but it's not quite as good. When I'm feeling better, I like to make burrito bowls in the crockpot, but when I'm tired that is just too much effort. It's easy with canned veggies and beans, rotisserie chicken, and shredded cheese (don't even bother shredding that stuff yourself).
I love to freeze some things--not everything. One of my favorite things to freeze is pancakes.
I made these buttermilk pancakes awhile ago, and just froze them with squares of parchment paper between each one.
Then I just heat them up in the toaster oven. Yuuuuummmm :)
And ta-da!
SNACKS
I try to make sure there are plenty of snacks around so if I feel like making a meal out of mini foods, that's easy to do. I like to keep Kind bars around, and yogurt + granola. Boiled eggs are good to keep in the fridge, and string cheese. Toast and avocado is really good, with a boiled egg on top. Bananas, clementines, berries are all good too. Easy to grab and eat. No chopping involved. I like these things too because I can just throw them in my lunch bag and do the "prep" at work rather than try to spend my limited energy preparing a full-on lunch, especially when I ate out and maybe don't have leftovers.
Basically, anything that makes it easier without sacrificing enjoyability is a win in my book. I found these great options at Costco:
Bagged salad is so easy, no prep. And I can keep it in a larger tupperware bowl while eating out of it all week. No cleanup until it's all gone.
So those are my strategies! I know these can be helpful when just stressed or tired in general. Maybe they'll help you too!
