Discussion Cooking While Depressed

[imtiredasf]

So I've been trying to cook a little more, make my own snacks and lunch and junk to try and give myself meaning. It's been kind of nice. I just made some angel hair pasta and threw it in some alfredo sauce. Simple, easy, and it tastes really good. What sort of stuff do you like to cook, if you can, and if you can't, what's your favorite thing to order-out?

 

[Rainbow Dash]

That pasta sounds good.... <3
Next time add photos of your food :P

I sadly can not cook but my comfort food is 100% ramen in the cups lol
So unhealthy but easy to make and just makes me feel comfy and relaxed.

 

[anomalou]

ive been reallly struggling to cook regularly and cant afford to eat out, but i do like some home made vegan pizza or veggie lasagna. especially pizza is so cheap and so good, u really just need a few ingredients to make a good dough :)

 

[amerie]

So I'm depressed but I also somewhat (barely) care about my health so here's what I eat

- it's a lot of frozen food (which I know isn't seed oil healthy but it's surface level doctor won't be mad at you healthy) that I can pop in the air fryer. My favorite thing to make is barbecue chicken which is 8 pieces of Costco just bare chicken with 1 tbsp of baby rays sugar free barbecue sauce and 1/2 tbsp of raw organic honey. High protein and only 362 cals per serving.

- I also eat a lot of fermented foods like pickles, kimchi, ginger, artichoke hearts, etc. low cal and good for your stomach so you can shit

- pre sliced veggies and fruits are a god send. Yes the extra $2 for diced onions is worth it for my lazy ass idgaf.

I should make a thread for this

 

[Rainbow Dash]

So I'm depressed but I also somewhat (barely) care about my health so here's what I eat

- it's a lot of frozen food (which I know isn't seed oil healthy but it's surface level doctor won't be mad at you healthy) that I can pop in the air fryer. My favorite thing to make is barbecue chicken which is 8 pieces of Costco just bare chicken with 1 tbsp of baby rays sugar free barbecue sauce and 1/2 tbsp of raw organic honey. High protein and only 362 cals per serving.

- I also eat a lot of fermented foods like pickles, kimchi, ginger, artichoke hearts, etc. low cal and good for your stomach so you can shit

- pre sliced veggies and fruits are a god send. Yes the extra $2 for diced onions is worth it for my lazy ass idgaf.

I should make a thread for this

Don't mean to derail the thread...

Sorry to ask but can i get your opinion on an air fryer?
Is it worth it... and is it good?
Also i cant cook so is this for beginners?

Asking cause keep seeing people buy and talk about it but since you have one and use one i just wanna get your opinion and input about it.

Might buy one but i dont know if its for me. >_<

 

[amerie]

Don't mean to derail the thread...

Sorry to ask but can i get your opinion on an air fryer?
Is it worth it... and is it good?
Also i cant cook so is this for beginners?

Asking cause keep seeing people buy and talk about it but since you have one and use one i just wanna get your opinion and input about it.

Might buy one but i dont know if its for me. >_<

Yes you can cook literally anything in it. It's a worthy investment it's like a microwave but a lot more versatile and it cooks better, less oil too.

Don't bake in it though, or cook live animals because I saw a girl cook live crabs in it and that's just…yeah. :(

 

[Rainbow Dash]

Yes you can cook literally anything in it. It's a worthy investment.

Don't bake in it though, or cook live animals because I saw a girl cook live crabs in it and that's just…yeah. :(

I cant cook so if i can cook frozen stuff and a beginner to making food then ok thanks <3

Thanks so much for replying and giving me feed back :D

Once again sorry to derail the thread and ill stop now

PS. Thanks again and ill buy one after work next time i work :D :D

 

[Pluto]

 

[tooBadTooLate]

Eggs are good, especially on toast or rice. They work for breakfast. I've been trying to curb my habit for ordering food in, though.

 

[princexhhn]

I can't cook for shit, and I generally don't eat unless a family member shoves food into me. When I do "cook", though, sometimes I do eggs. Eggs on bread is super basic but I love it.

 

[tooBadTooLate]

Eggs on bread is super basic but I love it.

Scrambled, fried, or some diabolical Third Option? And any toppings, like vegetables?

 

[bankai]

I make ramen sometimes. I try just about every ramen on the market. Korean. Chinese. Japanese. You name it. If, I'm on a diet, I'll just down whey shakes.

I usually order once a day though. Something from Uber Eats. Burgers, pizza, shawarmas,Subway. Butter chicken. I cycle through all of them.No cuisine or food is left untouched. Had subway today.Also attached is a pic of few of my Ramen's.

Christmas time is the only time that I will go crazy on desserts. I'll basically order every single dessert possible. Rest of the year, Nope. Can't afford the calories.

 

[princexhhn]

Scrambled, fried, or some diabolical Third Option? And any toppings, like vegetables?

Actually, I scramble the egg and mix it with copious amounts of soy sauce and car oil, after which I overcook the egg (very important for texture) and then add it onto moldy bread that's been rotting for at least 3 months.

…I'm kidding, I like eggs sunny side-up XD. No toppings, just plain old egg and bread. Classic, can't go wrong with it. I do add noodles sometimes though… or some other food that will fit inside the bread, but mostly I eat it just egg and bread.

 

[tooBadTooLate]

Actually, I scramble the egg and mix it with copious amounts of soy sauce and car oil, after which I overcook the egg (very important for texture) and then add it onto moldy bread that's been rotting for at least 3 months.

…I'm kidding, I like eggs sunny side-up XD. No toppings, just plain old egg and bread. Classic, can't go wrong with it. I do add noodles sometimes though… or some other food that will fit inside the bread, but mostly I eat it just egg and bread.

Mm, very nice. Noodles are good too—there's a local recipe here in where I live that involves making stir-fried instant noodles. It's called pad mama, and involves a few eggs. It's worth a try.

Sunny side-ups are alright. They go well with ketchup, but not as well as omelets.

 

[princexhhn]

They go well with ketchup, but not as well as omelets.

Love omelettes, hate ketchup. I can't stand condiments like that for some reason… don't know if it's the texture or what

It's called pad mama, and involves a few eggs. It's worth a try.

Sounds neat, I'll try it out when I can. I haven't gone grocery shopping yet… TT

 

[gottacheckout]

I love to cook. Started when I was 5. My mom made something I didn't like and I complained about it. She said if I didn't like it I could just cook my own. I got up and moved the stool to the stove and made French toast. Shocked the hell out of my parents, they had no idea I could make it.

I was one of those kids that if you challenged me I'd do it just to show you I could.

Not only do I cook but I make balanced meals. Yep, veggies are included

 

[Forveleth]

I love my Instant Pot. Cooking for lazy (or depressed) people! So, lots of stews for me. I also cook chicken in it for chicken salad or pulled chicken. I am also a big fan of the charcuterie (aka Adult Lunchable) which involves very little prep. I will also do a bit of prep for salads. I will cut up toppings on the weekend, then make salads for dinner all week.

Cooking with depression is rough though. Between having no energy and just wanting to eat junk for the dopamine, I do not eat as healthy as I should. I have been working really hard to meal prep. I put on a podcast or video on the weekend while I cook. Then during the week I can grab and go which really helps on days I can not stop fucking crying.

 

[starboy2k]

Frozen pizza with bell pepper, onions, and jalelpenos. I would eat that for a whole week straight if I dont feel like cooking

 

[nool]

I avoid big recipes cuz of grocery costs, but I do enjoy making white people tacos (I use the term tacos real loosely here haha. Just have ground beef w/ taco seasoning, pico de gallo, sour cream, hot sauce, and use nacho cheese doritos to scoop.) It makes a lot so I end up making like 3 meals out of it.

At the beginning of the year, I went through a phase of cooking white rice (cuz I was gifted a rice cooker) and then just mixing it with kewpie mayo and lemon pepper seasoning on top. Used to throw in canned salmon too, but got lazy. Sounds like a weird meal but I liked it until I got sick of it lol

Other than that, I kinda just live off frozen meals and packaged ramen.

 

[Dejected 55]

I like to cook... or I guess I should say I liked to cook. I have to be not depressed... but also it takes money to buy proper ingredients to cook, as opposed to just make processed things warm to eat. When I used to be able to cook, I liked to make things like:

1. Fry fresh chicken breasts with various seasonings (lemon pepper or just salt/pepper and soy sauce + some butter and olive oil) and add whatever veggies I have like onions, peppers, squash, carrots, brocolli, etc... Typically I would like to serve this over rice.

2. Ground chicken or ground beef burgers... cooked appropriately either in a pan with light olive oil or on one of those Foreman grills... I would toast the buns and butter the top and bottom, then lay out the bottoms and cover with shredded mozzarella cheese before dropping the hot burger onto that to melt the cheese while I topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles and usually I like mustard, mayonnaise, and ketchup unless chicken and then A1 steak sauce instead of ketchup. Sometimes I would fry up potatoes with onions/peppers seasoned as a side.

3. Fry a pain of diced potatoes and onions and peppers, season with salt, pepper, oregano, and crack a few eggs over the potatoes when they are properly fried. Put the whole pan into the oven to bake the eggs and you can top with some shredded cheese if you like.

4. Fry up fresh chicken breasts and chop them into bite-size pieces, season with salt, pepper, oregano, soy sauce and add into a crockpot filled with a couple of jars of chunky salsa and a couple of cans of pineapple in natural juices. Add cooked peppers and onions and water chestnuts if you wish, and simmer that for a while. Serve over rice or pasta, I usually do rice because rice is way easier for me than pasta.

5. Overnight soak and cook a crockpot of pinto beans, then the next day add to them a couple of cans of chili starter + a couple of packets of chili seasoning + grilled up ground beef or ground chicken (also seasoned while grilled) and grilled onions, peppers, and a couple of cans of tomatoes. Diced fried potatoes are a nice addition too... let everything simmer for a while and have chili for days.

6. Buy some nice tasty red and green apples. Core and slice them into good bite-size bits and fry in a pan with olive oil, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook as much as you like. You can eat this by itself or put it on waffles or pancakes. Whatever liquid mixture you have leftover will be syrupy and can also be used for waffles or pancakes too.

7. I have a family no-bake fruitcake recipe that is a pain in the ass to mix together, but you only have to heat butter and marshmallow and then chop everything and mix with graham crackers and chill for a while. Best fruitcake you'll ever have and you'll have it for a couple of weeks if you make a large batch.

I could go on... but lately I don't really cook much that requires fancy/expensive meats or ingredients because I don't have that kind of money anymore... and honestly, I've always wanted to cook in a kitchen with a girlfriend or a wife and share the experience and enjoy the meal together... but I've never been able to have that in my life, and so the fun of cooking for myself has kind of worn off and was just depressing the last time I did it.

 

[anomalou]

To the people in this thread writing that they "can't cook". I really want to encourage you to just try and search for a few recipes of dishes you like, and just follow the recipes to the letter. If you can read, you can cook! In more fancy recipes, they might use some harder words, like sauté or whatnot but you can literally google them and just read :) I know it can be hard to have the patience and energy for it, but then you can just say you don't have the patience and energy to cook. You don't have to make it out, like it's a magic skill one has or has not. If you don't know how to turn the oven on, you can read a manual. If you don't know which pan is right for your dish, you can probably google it or ask chatgpt.
And I don't wanna be one of those "just google it" persons, I know it's some work. But it's not witchcraft or science, you don't need to study that much. It's more like learning to ride a bike, or learning how to swim, as long as you have a body thats able to do it, and a little bit of energy time and patience, anybody can do it, but you might have to overcome some fears in the process.

And to the people ordering takeout regularly: I'm a little jealous :D Do you all live in the US, where it's normalized, or are you just well off financially?

 

[R. A.]

Mostly shit I can eat with little to no prep but also won't give me more diseases or exacerbate the existing ones. Note I don't eat animal things.

• I try to batch cook grains so I have a base for whateverthefuck else (oats, rice mostly).
• Pasta that cooks fast. Tomato sauce, or just olive olive w/ some herbs an spices. Rustic.
• Bread. Put that shit in the freezer (not the goddamn fridge) and just toast a bitch; comes out like never frozen.
• Peanut butter to dump on the oats, bread, or my mouth. A second (whole) nut or seed is nice for variety.
• Dark chocolate. A piece per day.
• Fresh fruit. Just pick that shit up an' eat it.
• Fresh veg that lasts and can be had raw or cooked (carrots, cabbage); frozen if less tough (green peas, crucifers).
• Beans; prefer canned but they're costly and take up more space. Batch cook it; have fridge, half freezer (don't ruin two successive entire pots of lentils in one week like I just did...).

Those are core for meals. The snacks I eat so I don't unintentionally vanish into nothingness:

• Chips. Yummy salty fatty potato.
• Some kind of granola-y bars. Good for home or "on-the-go" (lol yeah right)
• Chocolate protein powder. Most vegan ones generally are crap but some are solid and chocolate tends to be the least vile flavor across the board; most can be made "good" by using plant milk vs. water, and adding some fruit and nut butter. Banana+peanut, or strawberry+almond

 

[Dejected 55]

I also prepare simpler things, but I can't argue that is the same as cooking... it's just warming things again.

I'll by the cheapest ramen noodle packs I can find and then buy those small cans of corn or green beans or peas and carrots and combine them. In the past I have cracked one egg into a bowl of ramen before cooking. I have added a can of diced tomatoes and chilies for a spicy ramen soup too. I tried a slice of cheese, but I didn't like that in ramen.

Speaking of eggs... a few eggs in a bowl with cheese and salsa can be good and is easily microwavable in a few minutes.

Today I bought a bunch of hot dogs. An 8-pack of hot dogs for $1 + an 8-pack of buns for $1.50 and a container of mustard and a jar of pickle relish... and the mustard and relish will be good for a bunch more packs of hotdogs... so it divides out to a cheap quick meal (microwave the hot dogs) whether you eat the hot dogs 2 or 3 at a time.

I also have a rice cooker and make a big pot of rice and then get things like cans of mixed vegetables cheap or condensed cream of chicken soup cheap or random other things that can be had for $1 or less to eat on top of the rice. Sometimes I get some cheap bread to go along with those meals.

 

[ElTopo]

So I've been trying to cook a little more, make my own snacks and lunch and junk to try and give myself meaning. It's been kind of nice. I just made some angel hair pasta and threw it in some alfredo sauce. Simple, easy, and it tastes really good. What sort of stuff do you like to cook, if you can, and if you can't, what's your favorite thing to order-out?

It's hard to put yourself on it when you are feeling like shit.
I mainly cook my veggies and protein in an air fryer so I don't have to clean too much afterwards and I use toasted bread as carbs. Although with summer I could do more stuff, I recently made an egg and white onion, pan cooked with potatoes and baked tomatoes.

 

[westerly_merlin]

When I am really down I have a really low appetite and my go-to is it is poached eggs on toast. When I was single last time I ate them almost every day for 2 months.

As I perk up then I cook more and break out the spices but I find cooking for myself is just not worth the bother.

At the moment I am hitting salads hard so getting my veggies, lots of smoked fish as well.

 

[gottacheckout]

Back before covid I actually kept track of food costs and for what I eat I could make it myself for just under ½ the cost of fast food and for a sit down restaurant it was even less. After covid the difference is even more extreme, hell fast food has gotten expensive. Good thing I avoid it.

Just for reference, my meals rarely cost more than $5 and they are a lot more healthy.

 

[CatLvr]

Yes you can cook literally anything in it. It's a worthy investment it's like a microwave but a lot more versatile and it cooks better, less oil too.

Don't bake in it though, or cook live animals because I saw a girl cook live crabs in it and that's just…yeah. :(

Oh NO! That HAD to be traumatic!! Yikes!

I agree with the air fryer being better than a microwave, also. I much prefer just about everything cooked in the air fryer ... Except ramen. Or warming up a cup of coffee.

 

[rururiruru]

cooking pasta, nice
i would like to add some onion and tomato, a bit of chicken, and yeah, it's quite easy to make yet its great

 

[amerie]

I make ramen sometimes. I try just about every ramen on the market. Korean. Chinese. Japanese. You name it. If, I'm on a diet, I'll just down whey shakes.

I usually order once a day though. Something from Uber Eats. Burgers, pizza, shawarmas,Subway. Butter chicken. I cycle through all of them.No cuisine or food is left untouched. Had subway today.Also attached is a pic of few of my Ramen's.

Christmas time is the only time that I will go crazy on desserts. I'll basically order every single dessert possible. Rest of the year, Nope. Can't afford the calories.



View attachment 175923

Damn I know yo farts sound like an earthquake

 

[Green Destiny]

Wish I could cook like my older sister can, she's so dang good at it she could have become some form of culinary chef if she didn't major in other things as a career. I can't really cook all that much of anything, I can make myself Tuna salad to eat on bagels, fry basic potsticker dumplings and make frozen food in air fryers and ovens. But I'm definitely no cook.