How to Feed Yourself When You Have ADHD! - Executive Function Friendly Recipes

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Cooking can be such a struggle, ESPECIALLY if you have ADHD! That's why I reached out to the community and asked what are some of their go-to kind of foods that feel a bit easier, so you can learn how to feed yourself with some executive function friendly recipes when you have ADHD!
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Recipe for DIY Teriyaki Sauce [for if you have a bit more executive function and want to try it]:
- 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Cup water
- 2 tsp Minced garlic (you can use the jar of garlic)
- 1/2 tsp Ground ginger
- 3 tbsp Honey
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp & 1 tsp Cornstarch
In a small pot on medium-high heat, mix all ingredients except for cornstarch. Wait to boil, and stir occasionally.
In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch and 2 tbsp of cold water
Once the small pot with all ingredients is boiling, add in cornstarch mixture and stir until thickens. (It's like magic)
Voila, Teriyaki sauce! And you can make more and store in the fridge for up to two weeks. How ADHD friendly!
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[@aspenarbour]

Ahh yes, eating with ADHD 🤪 I swear it’s either air and a glass of water that’s been sitting out for a week, or something that literally takes an entire day to make while procrastinating on something else 😂

[@Katie-dp3jl]

Procrastinating is key. Otherwise, it would never happen.

[@HowtoADHD]

the "glass of water that's been sitting out for a week" though 😂thought it was just me

[@amemooress6291]

👏👏👏

[@GlenHunt]

@@HowtoADHD Uh yeah, no.

[@timt5381]

ADHD + germophobia means at least taking that glass to be rinsed 4 times and filled with fresh ;) but it's still lunch!

[@arielhoeft7511]

One of the best things I’ve learned that is that I don’t have to have a meal; I just need to have 2 produce, a protein, and a carb. It makes it so much easier to eat healthy and not stress if I don’t have to make a big deal of four essential ingredients. Dinner could be any possible combination of those, even if the meal is strawberries, grilled zucchini, meatballs and a bagel

[@MaxOakland]

This!!! When I have a difficult day I eat this way. I don’t really cook anything, just eat raw vegetables, cheese or something like summer sausage, fruit, and l’m bad about carbs/grains and want to get better. Maybe I’ll add some bread

[@robertabarnhart6240]

That actually sound like a decent meal. The problems come when you're feeding not only yourself but the mini-me's too.

[@aleksmania4480]

@@robertabarnhart6240 my kid is an adhd snacking, sorry, easy meal, master

[@cyana5867]

Brilliant!

[@Daisika]

Love that.

[@beeboy1359]

i love this because these recipes not only are ADHD friendly they're also depression friendly and other mental illnesses that just make it hard to get up and do things like cook big meals

[@kalonicamcquesten692]

And balance-impaired friendly.

[@GayCorvidae69]

Exactly! I have ADHD, autism and depression and I’m currently in a burnout. It’s so nice to have these recipes you can just flop in and see what happens.

[@josie3221]

yup i love vids like these bc i don’t think i have adhd but when i’m depressed “adhd hacks” are usually the most helpful

[@emilysmith2965]

Big same… autism, depression and anxiety, wondering if I have ADHD and also trans so there is definitely a lot going on that saps my executive function. I put a lot of pressure on myself to cook fancier things because I was raised that way (and they are very delicious) but that’s not always a realistic thing to do. Loved this video.

[@wombat.6652]

These are great: not adhd, but med-resistant-depression, ptsd, permanent pain. currently hip and hand pain are the most cooking hostile.

[@elizabethjohnson4623]

Even though I know subconsciously that there are millions of people out there living with ADHD, seeing videos like this remind me I'm not alone in my struggles. I usually end up eating cereal, protein bars, or whatever random food is on the counter, and I've made it a goal to be more mindful of my eating habits. This video has helped immensely, thank you so much :)

[@firefly-fez]

A whole cooking show dedicated to being low-executive function / low ‘spoons’ friendly would be SO HELPFUL

[@millenial90]

Saaaaame

[@sarahjeannexd]

yes. this.

[@brianboatman425]

What is low spoons?

[@spacebar9733]

@@brianboatman425 also wondering

[@FlyingWonderGirl]

@@brianboatman425 spoons is a disabled term used to explain energy levels. There should be a simple video explaining spoon theory somewhere on KZbin from the creator of the term :)

[@ColdHeritage]

I grew up with several pediatricians telling my parents that I may have ADHD and should be tested, but my parents "didn't believe ADHD was a real thing" and refused to "medicate" their children. After a couple decades of bouncing around among doctors that believed that adults do not require ADHD treatment and if I "have gone this long without treatment, then there is no need to treat it now", I finally received an official diagnosis and started treatment at nearly 37 years old. Let me just say that this past week has been an absolute breath of fresh air.

[@TheSuzberry]

Huzzah! So glad to learn this. I was diagnosed after my grandchildren were diagnosed. The meds were a revelation. Enjoy your respite from brain fog.

[@jesskennard445]

Congrats on our diagnosis. Lol. But really it was life changing for me at 36. I had a parent who specialized in learning disabilities and never noticed mine. So the grief over lost time with treatment is real. Happy for you!

[@ColdHeritage]

@@jesskennard445 Thanks. I'm trying not to dwell on the "what ifs" and "could haves".

[@parkerbolt6797]

@@TheSuzberry The brain 🧠 fog 😶‍🌫️! Aargh! That was one of the worst things about it. Within 12 hours after starting meds it was gone. Unexpected benefit and game changer!

[@TheSuzberry]

@@parkerbolt6797 - it’s difficult to describe to people who haven’t experienced the difference.

[@laylafaith9855]

Honestly as someone who’s just learning about my adhd and seeing your mini meltdown really just made me feel human. like a real being. thank you for doing this

[@angela0042]

This video made me cry. This is one of the ways I’ve always thought I was broken. So happy to find out it’s not just me.

[@lisao.4075]

Ditto!

[@wiegraf9009]

I actually felt like crying during this video because cooking is one of those things that make it super hard to live with others. I've had some people I've lived with make fun of me for eating ADHD friendly foods, and when I do cook for people and do something very elaborate I've hyperfocused on they're confused why I don't do that for them more often and feel like I'm neglecting them. My relationship to food is SO COMPLICATED.

[@maryhall4232]

and too emotional. No room for failure as lm OCPD as well as ASD.

[@samwight]

I live alone but I basically cook for a family of six so that I basically only eat leftovers throughout the week. Makes it SO much easier cause I can schedule it out so that I don’t cook the same day I need to do some other big thing (eg. cleaning the bathroom)

[@dianavega6081]

I felt this so much. Every word! This is me too.

[@kit10]

This is exactly how i eat as well and my experience living with someone commenting on it 🙃

[@noeliagutierrez4223]

My sister with ADHD used to get a stack of sliced bread and creamy swiss cheese from the fridge then eat it together just like that. I found it odd and told her to lay off on the bread cause that doesn't look healthy. At the same time she would make elaborate sushi or fancy Mac n Cheese that would take hours to complete. These videos are helping me understand why she does that. Don't forget that you aren't the only one that is like that and that your roommates should educate themselves and be more understanding of you. Sharing these videos with them or telling them about how ADHD works would help I think.

[@victoriag7573]

THANK YOU for showing the laugh/cry meltdown. I've been an adult for a while now, but I end up doing this very regularly and feel like a toddler with too many big feelings. It's nice to know I'm not the only one and that I'm just having a hard time.

[@sweetness9356]

"I...feel like a toddler with too many big feelings". So funny, and yet painfully relatable. 😂🙈

[@frejasimonsen7393]

THIS! Sometimes as an adult it feels like there's only a certain amount of things that's allowed to upset you enough to need a moment like that, but sometimes it's something seemingly small that just topples you and you suddenly feel like you're failing at adulthood for reacting like that.

[@midorirayray6421]

Yes! For real, thank you for showing the breakdown. I know it can feel embarrassing to have those moments seen but I assure I had nothing but empathy for you. It was very #relatable

[@artsy1447]

Thank you for commenting as it made me feel better too! I also feel like a child very often.

[@shadowdiamond5172]

It's so relatable. I suffer from ADHD, OCD and a laundry list of other things. Sometimes the simplest thing feels overwhelming. It helps to know I'm not the only one who gets these types of meltdowns.

[@evobrand1210]

I love how you are not hiding the problems that occure during you're recording and don't seem ashamed of it. You're just like: "Yeah we tried that but it didn't work so we did it differently" I love that about your videos, it's so real, relatable and inspiring

[@pixocrayon7766]

I'm a gastronomist with ADHD, and I think I'm going to write a book about it. This video is really helpful, and it's cool to see I'm not the only one with this problems. Cheers from Brasil! :)

[@vanessawinkelmann7288]

That sounds like a great idea! Cheers back to you from Germany

[@solsticeaura]

That sound so cool I would love a book like that!

[@RhymeRockRemedy]

As someone with ADD, IBS, and possibly PCOS, I would buy 10 copies of your book

[@gloomybear4802]

Thats such a wonderful idea! You should include vegan and vegetarian options as well since that tends to make it even harder to make something quick and easy with the lack of options sometimes

[@carinaaugustin7296]

I would instantly buy an ADHD friendly cookbook.

[@ameskidoodle]

The tip that’s helped me the most is “who says you have to stand in the kitchen to prepare vegetables?!” I found standing for a long time in the kitchen got me tired and fed up so easy, so now I take my veggies, chopping board, pan etc and chop my veggies on a lap tray infront of the tv. I can zone out and focus on the tv and now I can have meals with actual fresh vegetables in them!

[@adntigger71015]

My bf and I who both have adhd always bring our phone or iPad into the kitchen when cooking just to watch a show or something. It just helps motivate us to actually DO the cooking, knowing we can still watch something while doing it.

[@billie-jeandemas9941]

I do this too, especially when peeling potatoes.

[@dummyrat04]

Okay this is a great idea, thank you for sharing!

[@0000song0000]

totally! i watch series like futurama or any other 20 min per episode while cooking because otherwise i get bored and lose track. watch on the phone next to the stove, then move and watch on the dinning table (always slow cooking just in case) If it smells good, then it's eatable

[@blue8913]

That is such a good idea oh my god

[@tinybrownin]

The meltdown was so important for me to see. I’ve never seen someone else do that over something small like I do. That was sooo eye opening for me. THANK YOU for keeping that in. 💜

[@vanessawinkelmann7288]

Yeah that really takes a lot vulnerability 😌

[@kimberliana5111]

I appreciate that as well!

[@Hadassah7000]

That was a very nice meltdown. Mine are much uglier. And they usually happen in the kitchen--how necessary is this video!!!

[@lived4th1]

I felt so normal for once when I saw that. Now I understand why I laugh and cry at the same time. Lol

[@DawnStarLightning]

Agreed. Thank YOU! My husband doesn't understand why it's SO HARD and stressful for me to cook. He's really trying. I didn't even realize that it's so executive heavy. I just know my mental fatigue is super high whenever I cook. Except for like... Tacos and omelets. I have two meals I can do on autopilot.

[@monicarenee7949]

I went undiagnosed for 35 years and what’s crazy is so many of these are my “favorite meals” already because of how “easy” they are. Now I know why

[@peanutbutter7126]

I recommend batch cooking and freezing. When I cook rice, I just make as much as possible at once, keep it in the fridge, and use it over several days. Rice also freezes really well. This makes preparing a stir fry dinner much more executive function friendly because you can just focus on what's in your pan (veggies, tofu, etc.) and then add in some rice. It somehow feels a lot easier than boiling rice while also chopping and sauteeing veggies at the same time. Also, cook lots of pasta sauce and use over multiple days - most sauces also freeze well. Then you just worry about boiling the pasta and throwing in a portion of the sauce that you've defrosted. Also, I boil 8-10 eggs at once and keep in the fridge for breakfast, snacks, making deviled eggs, slicing up and putting into a salad, etc. Eggs are very convenient that way. Also, a healthy and convenient snack most people don't eat enough of: nuts!

[@janelain8611]

freezing rice is so helpful! Hadn't thought to freeze sauce but now I will

[@user-vn9sh6hv8r]

Same, same, same! & Yes to nuts. I also have a growing selection of nut butters & eat straight off the spoon. Expensive at the outset but you only need a teaspoon & when you have selection of them they seem to last longer. You can get good blends nowadays too, with extras like chia, hemp, flaxseeds etc. (Check out "Everything Butter" if it's available where you are). Nuts are super good for the brain. Walnuts even look like a brain.

[@LeyCarnifex]

yes, pasta sauce is _so_ easy to just scale up and make extra of so you can freeze it :D just need a big pot and one good day to hyperfocus on cooking

[@KarriSimone]

You should totally do a cooking show for ADHD folks. I WOULD WATCH!!!!!!!

[@HyperFocusMarshmallow]

Like. Now look what I have forgotten to prepare in the other oven…

[@RenaissanceGirl]

Same! It would help me so much!

[@theoryquery]

SECOND CHANNEL? ❤❤❤ Lol *just kidding, please dont overwork yourself by doing this we dont want to burn you out. You are too wonderful to burn out.*

[@felsjo02]

Me too im vegiterian and hope for some episod whit just vego foods then 💛💛💛

[@chanieweiss4288]

Theory good point. I wouldn't want that extra burden so why assume she would?

[@moegirl76]

Knowing that blanking out on cooking is an ADHD executive function thing let's me forgive myself. My husband started cooking dinner in 2019 and grocery shopping when I said "I don't have the bandwidth for this". It's helped me so much.

[@royalbloodedmutt]

My husband does most of the cooking and I am SO THANKFUL! I love the expression, "I don't have the bandwidth for this," haha, absolutely perfect description.

[@thephoenixsystem6765]

Where can I find hosbond -. _.-

[@luanamoonlight3068]

I love that Phrase and I am most definitely going to steal it. My husband and I agreed upon him cooking if he's at home before 5pm and me cooking if it turns out that he'll run late. Since the pandemic hit he started to get the groceries as I dislike leaving the house now, something with panic attacks and hating people xD.

[@lorieburtt592]

“I don’t have the bandwidth for this.” That’s an absolute genius description for so many ADHD unfriendly tasks! ❤️

[@Chill-mm4pn]

@@luanamoonlight3068I love that phrase and it's so accurate for us! Good job on the husband's part! As the adhd husband I've been getting groceries as my wife has been dealing with the anxiety of leaving the house. She's better with cooking than I am like following directions and all that. I can do it but I get information overload. So it's usually just baking frozen vegan food for us throughout the week lol. I throw everything on a pan( gardein chicken tenders, etc,...), place it in oven, set the alarm on my phone and that's it. We're too tired for anything more than that. Honestly I like to just throw tenders into a salad and add dressing and that's the most tasty yet lazy thing I eat lol. Hope you're having a good week.

[@linkstallings3353]

Cooking is actually one of my favorite things to do as an adhd person. Makes for a really good hyperfocus task

[@carolinpreu7604]

Agree with you. There are times when cooking is so relaxing and then I cook like a 5 star chef. And there are times when nothing goes right and I need to keep it simple like in the video :D

[@terapia.desenredada]

For me too! But I struggle eating 3x healthy and balanced meals 😢

[@reelbf]

Hi Jess. Thank you for making this. There are a lot of interesting recipes here. :-) So I'm kinda ill and my short term memory is not working well so I compiles notes and ingredients into a list so I can I actually remember what you have said here. I hope that's OK. :-) So here is the list: Toast + peanut butter and honey Smoothies -> juice, frozen fruit, protein powder, ice Salad -> Mozzarella, parsley, red bell pepper, red onion, garbanzo beans, lemon, olive oil Microwave potato -> cook, halve and add butter and cheese, cook Oatmeal -> 1 cup oats, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk, cinnamon, cook 4 mins, add raspberries Chicken and salsa -> add salsa, layer chicken, cook, shred chicken, add to tortillas Two pan easy pasta -> pasta, olive oil, red chili flakes, garlic, parmesan cheese Stir fry -> frozen veggies, chicken, teriyaki sauce Macaroni corn casserole -> 1 cup macaroni, 8oz velveeta cheese, 1/2 cup butter(salted), 1 can creamed corn, 1 can corn ramen -> noodles, cooked chicken, egg, corn, green onion (spring onions) tortilla soup -> cooked chicken, black beans, refried beans, tinned tomatoes with chilli, corn, chicken stock, tortilla chips, cilantro(coriander), cheddar cheese pita pockets -> 1lb ground beef, pita pockets, olives, sour cream, cheese charcuterie -> meats, cheese, sundried tomatoes, raw almonds, olives, french baguette, crackers snack plate -> veggies and hummus, pretezels, crackers + cheese protein bars are needed :-) Thank you so much Jessica for all the recipes. :-D

[@kittycat3638]

Thanks so much.

[@AliciaDoesAdulting]

One of the biggest things for me was "forgiving" myself that I can't always eat healthily. Now, I always have easy mac in my cupboard - if I need calories it's there, it's easy, and it's always safe (for me at least). Calories are calories, particularly on bad brain days.

[@MsOriginalCliche]

Love easy mac, I have packets of psyllium husk and flax seeds in the pantry so I can sprinkle those into it to boost the fibre/nutrient content a bit 👩‍🍳

[@mustafamollaogullari8240]

Bon appetit, ma'am,

[@humangirl8539]

Need to get into this mindset and habit!! I often go long period w out eating due to either forgetting and my mind separating bad and good foods.

[@user-ut6um6vy6b]

I’ve gotten to the point where if I consume calories, it’s a win, no matter what kind of calories. Eating more balanced meals is one of my goals.

[@rev.rachel]

I would watch the heck out of an ADHD/ASD friendly cooking show. What you do if you don't have the thing is great cause it also works if you can't do the thing because of allergies or sensory issues.

[@heyitsemma.f]

Also budgets. Kitchen improve is something I grew up with (money struggles, mum not being able to have cane sugar, friends with allergies/dietary requirements, my own issues with certain textures and flavours), so I forget it's not automatic to people, but it is honestly a super needed niche area that would be beneficial to like, 70-90% of the population

[@deeda5147]

This! I can't touch Raw meat either 🤮

[@reginaldbowls7180]

On Canada we had a show called the Urban Peasant with James Barber. I remember it being very much like a show for people with ADHD might be worth taking a look at.

[@bastadtroll8922]

maybe u need to stop trying to pretend u have sensory issues and then your "sensory" issues will go away. Most people with adhd touch issues are people with combined aspergers and adhd who dislike the touch of other people because of some sort of comfort zone too much intimacy issues. There is also the heat cold extremity issue. This touch issues was picked up by some random blog poster once upon a time and now eveyone with adhd thinks they have sensory issues. Jeez if u dont like slimey things that donesnt mean u have adhd it just means u are squirmish.

[@Westofhearts7]

@@reginaldbowls7180 thank you for suggesting the Urban Peasant 👍👍👍 👍👍👍

[@angelle050801]

Also grouping stuff in your pantry by what goes into each meal (rather than by what it actually is) makes getting the ingredients out so much easier! For meals that have more "specialized" ingredients that you know you don't necessarily need for other recipes, you can even make a kit for yourself so you can just grab the whole bin from the pantry to bring to the counter and know that you've got everything you need for that meal ready to use!

[@emilyklitzka8576]

This is so smart and I've never thought to do this!

[@hopexproductions]

Yes!!!! I thought I came up with this on my own LOL! I have one shelf for protein items (split in half for meal items and snack items), one shelf for carbs (again split in half!) and then one shelf for colors/fibers (split in half!) That way when I make a meal or a snack I grab something from atleast two of the shelves to make sure I am eating a moderately balanced meal!!!

[@Max-fd9im]

Brilliant 😮

[@nincigo9499]

Thank you for really keeping it simple! A lot of "easy, simple recipes" are too demanding when you are exhausted.

[@dawn3737]

Overnight oats. 1 cup of oats, 1 cup of plain or vanilla yogurt, 1 cup of whole or your choice plant based milk. Stir, add stuff you like, i.e., cinnamon, fruit, nuts, portion, refrigerate. NO cooking. Breakfast for the whole week. Yay!

[@denverdubois5835]

I love overnight oats! But I forgot to make them for a whole year. Something recently reminded me of the concept and I'm happily making them again. Thanks for another reminder!

[@jaythecappy]

Thank you for sharing your meltdown. I always feel so childish when I struggle with emotions, it's like a breath of air to see someone else experiencing emotions so strong they tear up.

[@Eli-fz1rf]

i really appreciate you showing when you have a meltdown or are starting to get upset from overwhelm. Getting overwhelmed and crying is one of the biggest things I struggle with and it really helps to see that i'm not alone in that

[@yoyoyodaboy]

I had no idea that my struggles with eating are arguably typical of ADHD. Thank you so much for this video! I look forward to trying out some of those recipes soon

[@katotornado4312]

Perfect. I was just in an endless loop where I keep getting up and check the fridge and cupboards expecting something to pop out at me

[@HowtoADHD]

oh god I've done that. Staring at a pantry full of cans and stuff. "There's nothing to eat!!"

[@KarriSimone]

So funny 🤣 I can relate !!!!!

[@dylanjennings1687]

The things that I learn about myself just being adhd… pretty sure adhd is my personality

[@kimduke814]

"OMG All I have are ingredients!" is frequently said/yelled in my kitchen.

[@Yirggzmb]

@@HowtoADHD "There's no food in here! Just ingredients!"

[@MathematicPony]

3:33 “A lot of people with ADHD or on the spectrum don’t like touching raw meat.” I don’t know why this never occurred to me as being part of my general sensory issues, but you’re so right! Always have hated touching raw meat, never connected it to the ADHD. Seems obvious now but it wasn’t to me for some reason, so thank you for mentioning it and recommending disposable gloves!

[@johnnarogers5636]

same, i've always been weird about raw meat (fine with raw fish) and honestly it's slowly leading me to being mostly vegetarian

[@exodusspeaks2618]

I can’t do this either

[@weeblewoodles]

I never would have thought of wearing gloves for this. I just wash my hands 1000 times 😭😂

[@alexiscanet9009]

I had the same thought!

[@bonoboboy]

Ive always hated my hands touching sloppy stuff, including meat, but never connected it to ADHD. Also hate being in places with low ceilings because I know I will bump my head repeatedly...

[@fluffyvoid2619]

I feel happy right now. I just realised that I’m not the only completely incompetent cook out there. There was this one time my mum told my sibling and I (my sibling also has ADHD) to make lunch and the instruction she gave was ‘chop everything up, put it in the tray and cook it.’ So that was what we did. She didn’t say there was supposed to be a salad. We put the salad dressing in the oven. We also didn’t realise we were supposed to put things in a different times. Looking back, reading the recipe probably would have helped but like………

[@alexisrobinson3225]

I want a whole cook book of adhd friendly recipes! This video was so refreshing and made me feel supported, cooking and eating is my biggest adhd barrier and it is so overwhelming. Thank you so much for this💛

[@psalm91rdwlkfpgrl]

an adhd cookbook would be epic!

[@EmmaJohnsonShenanigans]

in another one of her videos she talks about using cookbooks for kids and teens, that may be worth a try for you

[@WhisperTraining]

Yesssss a whole cookbook would be amazing!

[@claraberg1214]

This is actually quite brillant!

[@lenag3329]

with 'time needed' and 'days lasts' info

[@elizabethhoman1853]

I had a baby 3 months ago and I've lost so much weight because I can't figure out how to feed myself, take care of him, and everything else I need to do. I have literally been searching for this video! TYSM for just... being you and all that you do for us with ADHD.

[@amywing175]

Wow. I only just connected that this was due to ADHD. I had the same problem when my daughter was an infant. I would start a meal or prepare something and find it on the counter hours later because the baby pulled me away and I forgot I was eating. The challenge is real.

[@MaxOakland]

That sounds very hard

[@nuageceleste3554]

haha same since being a mum I eat chocolate all day and my pants are falling down, when I usually had the opposite problem before...

[@TheAKAtivist]

Look into a postpartum doula who can help you with cleaning, meal planning/prep, grocery shopping, and life organizing after having a baby. Hang in there!

[@Nightriser271828]

Ooof, I remember those days. I would get so hungry because the moment I'd step away from him, my son would start crying. I couldn't even microwave a canned soup for 1 minute without him crying. I got a little resentful toward him, but he grew out of it.

[@vivkadbi]

As a nutrition coach with ADHD this is one of my biggest personal struggles-Feeding myself and applying what I know into my personal life. I’m very hard on myself for that & this video is unbelievable helpful to understand I’m not alone and offer myself some compassion. Thank you so much!❤️

[@perevision]

It’s so awesome that you help others while struggling yourself. Great job!

[@MrsLilLady86]

Thanks for sharing! I can definitely relate. Any tips for people with ADHD who want to gain weight? I am naturally petite, but I would love to be able to gain/maintain 5-10 additional pounds.

[@HyperWolf]

I took a nutrition class and my mom could not understand how it was possible to have the knowledge of what not eating does to the body and still not eat. She looked into ADHD and now she sometimes pops into my room while I’m still asleep and hands me food. 😂 ADHD kicks our butts sometimes, regardless of knowledge. We’ve just got to celebrate extra hard when we kick _it’s_ butt.

[@lorieburtt592]

Showing myself compassion is something I’m still working on. The world does not naturally teach us this, and if you get diagnosed as an adult, as I did, there’s a lot of un-learning to do in that regard. ❤️

[@vivkadbi]

@@MrsLilLady86 sure! It’s very important that you make protein a priority in your meals. Protein feeds and maintains your muscle mass, so, if you don’t have as much appetite, try to eat your protein first. Carbs and fats are also important for energy, but they’re easier to eat. So focus on finishing your protein first. My go-to for high-protein quick meals are protein pancakes and waffles, (frozen is ok!-I like Kodiak), Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, milk, and of course protein shakes/smoothies. If you have more time (good executive function day), you can prepare chicken and other meats, which are one of the main sources of protein. Also grains like beans, lentils, etc. I like making family size ground turkey or beef, along with pasta or rice, store them in the fridge, and just quickly combine them for lunch/meals. I also keep frozen vegetables in my fridge to get some vegetables in in an easy way. And of course, doing strength training if you can, will help you gain muscle and it can also make you hungrier, so it’d be worth a try ☺️ Hope this helps!

[@Evan.the.Butler]

I've never considered making everything in one day, and then eating leftovers throughout the week before, even though I almost always look for leftovers first, when considering what to eat. Like you said, it's a lot easier to hyperfocus on cooking than to shift into and out of cooking each day, so I'm probably going to try that now

[@campioneri]

I don't even think I have ADHD, but I do hate cooking (I find it incredibly boring and draining), and this is the most useful cooking video I've ever seen. Thank you so much for putting these together, definitely saving this for future reference.

[@leannoxley4476]

I had not idea my issues with cooking and feeding myself were related to my ADHD. My life makes more sense every time I watch one of these videos.

[@thevalkyries8680]

Every single ounce of this

[@Davellonne]

Truly!!!

[@roseinskyrim]

Same, except I have pacc so maybe there is much overlap? Or maybe I do have adhd, nonattentive or whatever idk. A few people irl have brought that up to me. But yeah every time I see these there is a giant chunk of whatever she’s talking about that makes sense and I’m like ‘oh wow so that’s a thing/wow this is me’.

[@Zenplify]

Thank you for always reminding me that I’m not the only human who struggles with adulting (even though I’m 50 😳😂). Cooking IS hard! Idea for ADHD Mamas with toddlers… put plastic dishes where they can reach and put healthy snacks on the bottom shelf in the fridge. It kept my children from starving. 😁

[@amywing175]

OMG, I did this too when my kids were small. They loved it. Kids like to adult. Adults - not so much.

[@aleksmania4480]

Love doing this, my kid gets anything they fancy and I get a lay in as lack of sleep turns my adhd up a notch 🤣 Ideas for snacks???

[@thevalkyries8680]

I do this!!! I thought I was a bad mom cause I couldn't make a big dinner every single night! But my Little loves it

[@paulettewoodard9318]

@@aleksmania4480Good books on this in library. For little ones, one I remember: Put in a muffin pan in fridge - any cooked or raw veggies, cut up fruit, hummus, nut butter, yogurt (maybe flavored ), cheese bits, crackers, bread or muffins cut up, any bits of leftovers, whatever you have... Somehow they seem more willing to try things if they're in charge. You just say it's available if you want it.

[@mrs.castle8432]

Yes! I hyper focused on cleaning the garage today and my 3 year old got his own dinner out of the pantry! He’s such a capable little boy, he loves to take care of himself, which makes me a little sad I don’t have a baby anymore! But he’s so confident and proud of himself!

[@lunareaperofsouls9857]

Soup is my go to because any soup is literally what you did here, taking a bunch of stuff and boiling it together. Super easy and you can forget about it and just add more liquid if you come back and it’s dry lol

[@jadaeverfree2893]

I don't have ADHD, but I am a full time college student, and leftovers or easy recipes are the greatest thing in the world. Honestly a lot of things I've seen on this channel is really helpful for not just people with ADHD, but with anyone who struggles with some of these things. Like you said in a video I watched earlier, some symptoms surface in other illnesses or even in everyday life and habits. I've found much of this channel very helpful for a few of my not-so-great habits. So thank you

[@mooglily]

I felt so validated hearing you say that a lot of ADHDers don’t like touching raw meat!! I literally almost puked trying to make myself burgers the other night ): I forgot how much I hated it, but I’m newly single & realized I always made my partner touch it when cooking. I felt like such a weirdo because I’ve eaten meat my whole life, so it’s nice to know that I’m just normally abnormal lol

[@Daisika]

Yes! I’m vegan and I still wear gloves when I handle my beyond burgers 😭😭 Didn’t know it was common in people with ADHD

[@itsamemaaike]

Honestly, having a big box of latex/nitril gloves really helps! Also, when i cut/burn myself when cooking and need a bandaid, i can put on gloves so i can still wash my hands without getting the bandaid wet, its amazing

[@AndreaCrisp]

I also did not realize that this sensory thing was ADHD related!

[@lemoon_pie]

it happens to me with meat ADN WATER. I HATE having my hands wet, like I hate SO MUCH >< Here we understand you

[@mixolydia3309]

For me I think it’s partially the sensory thing, but also because I know I’m forgetful and I’m afraid to touch things with meaty hands and make a mess. And that’s enough to keep me from cooking meat most of the time.

[@dinabertrand9113]

I've been doing big batch cooking on Sundays, and it never occurred to me that the reason this works is because I'm using my hyper focus side one day vs taking the time each day (when I'm exhausted from life) and cleaning up each time too. Fantastic video, thank you!!!

[@mermaiddiyartist8119]

I used to do this too. I do make extra when I cook to have leftovers or freeze

[@chanieweiss4288]

Dina Bertrand uh huh so true! My cooking hyperfocus day is Friday.

[@alexsandra9000]

Exactly! And as a friend of mine said, if you’re going to make a mess , might as well get twice the benefit and make two things!

[@hybridkoala]

This sounds like a great idea! If only I didn't work on Sundays...

[@natsumisayuri7819]

This is how I try to take care of myself, when I feel up to it I'll cook 4~5 portions even if it takes me an hour. With enough freezer space I can eat something different every day.

[@tjfreeman4]

I just wanted to say thank you! It’s SO nice to see someone like me cooking! I’m messy, I burn or cut my self regularly and sometimes I cry when I mess up. Cooking for a family of four now add So much stress to my life I appreciate your tips and just knowing this wonderful, beautiful, funny, smart woman is like me helps me to remember to give my self grace and patience with my self too.

[@thomassievert5469]

Great recipes! One of my biggest struggles is actually *having ingredients at home*. If I don't use up an entire ingredient and the rest goes back into the fridge/cupboard I forget I have it and it goes old. So that becomes a big challenge in figuring out recipes.

[@alkylomon]

I was just thinking about this exact topic. How I get overwhelmed by options and tend to go for less healthy/easier-to-make options when making food, or choose not to eat at all. Sometimes I just don't feel like doing anything. Thank you for this video, it's really helpful! I'll try to find easier recipes so I can make sure to eat better. We should all treat ourselves well and eat well, because we deserve it!

[@THEJOKEMOBB]

i hate the menu at the cheesecake factory it’s wayyyy to much for my brain

[@kenmc1601]

I find cooking to be easier that choosing a restaurant. I have had panic attacks trying to decide where to take myself for lunch if i am out and dont have a plan. That being said, I won't cook much unless I am doing it for someone else. Left to my own devices I would cook chicken, rice and veg in my mess kit everyday or eat pb&j on bread. I need my SO to make decisions.

[@jrbohan2]

I feel this so much. I have gone multiple days only eating one meal a day (from the gas station) because even making a sandwich sounds like too many steps. Or when I plan to get lunch from one of the restaurants in town, but get stuck trying to decide where to go between the 2 restaurants available. So I get gas station chicken as default.

[@sylphe18]

She forgot eggs! So many options for cooking eggs. You can also put it on top of ramen. Speaking of ramen, there are veggies that can stay long in the fridge like Chinese cabbage, leaks, spring onions and flat beans.

[@morganpetros9635]

@@sylphe18 I make ramen egg drop soup at least twice a week. You boil "chicken" ramen with some frozen veggies or diced onion, then you add a raw egg (or two) mix it all up vigorously, and bring it back to a boil. It's delicious and easy, and it barely takes 15 minutes to make. :-D

[@JH-yj7kk]

I really enjoy cooking when I'm having a good day. When I'm not, it's nearly impossible. I try to eat healthy home cooked meals when I can, but I've also realized the importance of convenience foods for me. Having things like frozen meals, canned soups, pasta and canned sauce, instant noodles, bagged salads, etc saves me from either just not eating that day or ordering expensive takeout so often.

[@ricoender8020]

I I know what you mean sometimes i just prep a whole week of meals so I don't have to to cook anything and just have something already to just pop in the oven or air fryer and there I have it.

[@redvinesron]

Microwave meals are a big deal for me. I know they're pricey sometimes, but if there's a "lean" meal I really enjoy, it's usually much much healthier than ordering takeout.

[@yf1231]

Bagged salads are the best! I lived off frozen meals for a long time and struggled but I actually love cooking, but having a little bit of half made stuff goes a long way.

[@wordforger]

Frozen veggies, packs of ramen, and already cooked meats make for a pretty easy meal.

[@estherbliek4734]

Nice recipes! :) Vegetarian/vegan meat replacers are also really nice to always have in the fridge/freezer; they have a much longer fresh-period and if they're close to going bad, the health risks are much lower than with animal meat. Also, I'd be interested in a video that covers nutrition in relation to ADHD, e.g. which ingredients to avoid or use! 😄 Other than that, great content; keep it up! :D

[@icaufo]

An audio book or podcast during prep keeps me focused. If there's a short cook time or something I need to watch, I'll bring a little project to the kitchen table. This keeps me from wandering out of the kitchen and getting lost in a project while pots boil over.

[@MatthewMiddletonTV]

For the ramen, this is a good reason to keep frozen vegetables on your shopping list & in your freezer. One of my go-to lunches is ramen with a PILE of frozen veg. While instant ramen might not be the healthiest meal around, stacking a bunch of veg on top can be a good way to balance out your diet a bit.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Yes and you can either double up on the noodles or halve the spice packet, and it'll still be fine. Even just a few extra green onions sliced on the top helps a lot.

[@cheatswiz58]

@@SmallSpoonBrigade Yess, ramen is not so scary when you use less of that (mystically high sodium) packet. I find you shouldn't put it in while it's cooking like the directions say, just drain the noodles until there's just enough water for you to spread it around. Drinking that chemical soup isn't worth it, just flavor the noodles

[@cthulusauce]

Yeah! I’ll buy the ramen packets just for the noodles really. For soup base I’ll just use soy sauce, chili sauce, and some garlic powder

[@liplock000]

@@cthulusauce yum! Screenshotting this comment so I remember the sauce “recipe.” Can’t wait to try a dressed up/adult version of ramen especially on a cold rainy day.

[@foxydutchie]

I love to rinse and rip up a kale leaf or two or use baby spinach to add to instant ramen right after I add the boiled water and cover, it cooks and helps me eat fresh veggies. Also love adding rinsed cherry tomatoes at the same time! They are zero effort add-ins that make a super quick, instant meal just a little bit healthier.

[@LuisCalle98]

As someone who got diagnosed with ADHD as an adult this was extrémenle helpful. Even with my medication, if I don’t remember to cook I just don’t have an urge to feed myself bc my meds drastically lower my appetite.

[@HowtoADHD]

That too!! Especially at lunch I need things to be super easy or I just won't even eat.

[@CCGem]

Funny. I tend to snack. Alot.

[@iLOVELiYa722]

@@CCGem with the ADHD Meds? I was recently diagnosed and prescribed meds but I’m scared lol so I’m trying to gather all of the information I can 😆

[@duplessis3]

@@CCGem I do too but I think its from needing more stimulation. So now if I'm watching a video or something, I take apart a knit or crocheted item. Keeps my hands busy

[@KaoXoni]

I love how Ritalin retard (at least the adult version) has two blood-level peaks during the day and leaves a gap for the lunch break. Compared to other methyphenidat formulas, I exoerience a huge improvement for my appetite tming.

[@taf8903]

THANK YOU! So many people talk about "you need these nutrients" and "avoid this," "avoid that," but nobody talks about how to actually just EAT FOOD.

[@caughtnyact3507]

Pro tip- I started shredding meat/chicken from my crockpot with a whisk!! Much easier than using two forks and somehow feels like less energy required in my brain lol you just stab with the whisk instead of actually whisking and it shreds really quickly

[@michellecox1742]

I'm feeling pretty proud of myself right now as a single mom with ADHD and being in recovery for an ED because I already do most of these for my daughter! Go me.

[@LML1415]

awesome! Im also in recovery and i want to recommend this to my dietician. when she challenged me to not spend more than 15 minutes cooking i felt like that would be impossible.

[@clarem1609]

Respect! 👌❤️❤️

[@bellaluce7088]

👏❤😃❤👏

[@nehamaw]

I litterally just can't! Omg! The 'bad brain days' and 'good brain days' is such a great way of putting this! And making plans to have recipes that are yummy and easy to make on this bad days... Giving urself permission to have those bad days. Is just... Ahhhhh

[@HowtoADHD]

❤️❤️❤️

[@paigelarson9279]

I have ADHD and my partner has ASD, when we’re struggling we tell each other “it’s a low functioning day” and then the other knows to give that extra bit of support and it’s really made all the difference thinking of it in regards to the day instead of us as a person

[@Yohohohomies]

Grilled cheese toasties Pasta in cream of tomato soup Microwaved scrambled eggs on toast Those are three of my favourite quick and low motivation dishes. Also buying a vegetable chopper/mandolin is SUCH a game changer for cooking. I got a cheap starfrit one and I’m so much less stressed about chopping veg and fruit. Also buying prechopped frozen vegetables is a brilliant time and energy saver.

[@finnthefannibal]

Honestly that meltdown made me laugh because I've always felt ashamed of losing it over simple executive function stuff and for once it was so understandable and a relief to see I'm not alone. Edit: My comfort food is ramen. I carefully add an egg when it's almost done for that important protein.

[@missbilleigh]

“Cheap Lazy Vegan” has amazingly easy recipes full of flavour, they always work out. Also one of my staples is frozen Asian vegetables. Oh and YUM potatoes, thank you Jessica, I forgot how easy they are.

[@Daisika]

Fr! I add some leftover rice and some tofu. So good

[@AndreaCrisp]

You can do the same with sweet potatoes too!

[@pongop]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@autumneleaves]

On the note about potatoes, have y’all had the instant mashed potatoes?? Omg so good and hella easy

[@pongop]

@@autumneleaves You are so right! They're quick, easy, and surprisingly delicious. I eat them often!

[@savanasitton1785]

Do you ever feel like you're constantly "trying new solutions" to the same "problems" (barriers)? I have a huge tool box now of tricks to overcome daily barriers, but I feel like my friends are constantly having to listen about the new things I'm trying to do in order to complete simple obstacles. The barriers never go away and I get down on myself for never erasing those barriers.

[@sarah_k_kreative]

Yes!!! I feel often that every day and every challenging is new and novel because I don't remember how I've solved it before. Or, I remember, but I think there must be a better way.

[@aliviascool]

I get this way and I think it’s that serotonin deficit making us just want to try another new thing, and it helps if you already were procrastinating doing something else

[@catchingstars7]

Yes!

[@whathappenedtomyyoutubehandle]

Novelty is a big motivational factor :) Try new solutions, change the old ones up every once in a while! There is no right way.

[@bastadtroll8922]

Why do people use fake terms like "adhd" to blame their inability to solve problms when the truith is they are just low IQ?

[@Hypericus82]

the fact that you kept that mini melt down in the video. so relatable!

[@FifiMac]

One Dish: 1 lb or whatever of ground protein, depending on how hungry you are or if you want to eat on this for a day or so. Brown in a large skillet while adding seasonings to taste, depending on your mood (Italian, Chinese 5 spice, Mexican blah blah) I will also use a splash of a wine that's the same color as the protein. Use actual wine, not that pre-seasoned, salted to death 'cooking wine' swill. Once the protein is done, add veggies. I generally use mixed veggies (canned or frozen) with Italian sessoning, or beans and tomatoes with the Mexican, or stir fry veggies with the 5 spice. Cook until hot. Nom! You can add cheese and/or other stuff to this, like sliced olives, croutons, chow mein noodles. You can also add in Cream of _________ soup. Mushroom, garlic, chicken... whatever matches the flavor profile. Same start with protein and genetic sessoning, but you'll need cooked noodles and a cream of mushrooms soup. Mix the condensed soup in with the protein, usually beef for this, but you do you. Add water to make it loose instead of a giant lump, and add the noodles. You can add sour cream to up the flavor. With beef we call it Beef Faux-ganoff. I didn't really proofread this. I apologize for any errors.

[@echognomecal6742]

As good as this comment is, the best part for me was the typo: "genetic" seasoning instead of "generic" Typos, etc. can be fun! Oh wait..."Beef Faux-ganoff" is actually the best. Love it!

[@arich20]

I cried when you got to the charcuterie. "Cheese plate" (whatever random cheese, crackers, olives, meat, mustard/etc I have on hand) is my favorite way to feed myself because it's so easy and everything else is hard Thank you for this channel. It helped me realize that I needed to get evaluated.

[@ArchibaldClumpy]

Isn't it great? It's completely legitimate to just have a few celery sticks, a little cheese, some crackers, maybe a handful of mixed nuts or whatever for dinner. With the "cheese/snack plate" method you can still get a good mix of nutrients without falling into a habitual Hot Pocket or cold cereal trap.

[@IAmJustR]

JUST finished Explaining this to a friend lol. Fave way to set myself up to graze.

[@judyg9889]

Yeah, apparently the last-minute-desperation "snack" meals that I served my family for years, and always made me feel guilty for being such a lazy cook, are now a legitimate gourmet thing with a fancy French name. 🤣🤣🤣

[@katherineburtt2502]

As someone whose meals yesterday were cold brew straight from the fridge, week old glass of water, and Taco Bell at midnight because I couldn’t just not eat that day, this episode was extremely helpful. Thank you, especially because I know this episode was so hard to make 💕

[@bradymathieson]

wow I related hard to this comment lol

[@Mirdclawer]

glad to see we're not alone, damn. The midnight fastfood, cause nothing was eaten that day, I relate so much haha

[@leggyegg2890]

‘week old glass of water’ ok I’m glad I’m not the only one

[@lil_laxho2633]

thank you for sharing this i relate heavily and it feels good to not be alone :)

[@bellaluce7088]

I have health issues yet am STILL eating Taco Bell because cooking is so dang hard and it is so fricking addictive. Why oh why aren't there drive-throughs yet with truly HEALTHY options like delicious lentil soup and an actually tasty organic salad? I would be there every single day!

[@ameliamercer7311]

I also have IBS, so finding easy recipes that meet my dietary needs (low fodmap, bonus points if also budget friendly) has been an extra challenge.

[@victorialascola5593]

Okay. That meltdown while cooking is 100% me! I just found your channel and I’m binging a ton. Thank you! I’m starting to feel like I’m on the right track to figuring out what’s up with me. ♥️

[@UrsaMonkey]

Oh, absolutely! And "mise en place" (preparing, measuring, and having your ingredients on hand and in order before starting) is super important. Sometimes, we'll spend one night just chopping all our ingredients, then put them back in the fridge and cook everything the next night. Chopping (dicing, slicing, grating, peeling, etc), can be a tedious and exhausting task for those who need things done "a certain way". Thanks for the "dump and go" recipes - those are always welcome 😁

[@TrappedinSLC]

Yeah, we do this. We try to do it on a day we plan to get take out so we don’t have to worry about cooking, just prepping stuff. If we try to prep AND cook on the same night, we end up with a huge mess in the kitchen.

[@HAlC-up4hm]

My favorite is getting bags of already chopped and frozen veggies. I keep the bell pepper/onion mix, diced onion, diced green pepper, and stirfry mix in my freezer at all times. The price difference is negligible unless they're in season and have a TON.

[@annafantasia]

Whaaaaa this is so brilliant! And so simple haha. I know I can’t cook in one session and do the dishes in another (they never get done) but PREPPING… still has the promise of good food to motivate me, even if it’s the next day. thank you for this!

[@annafantasia]

Whaaaaa this is so brilliant! And so simple haha. I know I can’t cook in one session and do the dishes in another (they never get done) but PREPPING… still has the promise of good food to motivate me, even if it’s the next day. thank you for this!

[@StaCs7]

HelloFresh and Prepdeck taught me how to muse en place.

[@missellienora]

Even harder when you have a whole family to feed. Also my medication messes with my appetite (doesn't make it go away, just makes me weird about food) which complicates things further. I'd watch a whole channel of this ADHD-friendly content!

[@973daydreamer]

Is it weird that this is one of the videos that has made me cry the most so far? I feel like I've always seen being able to feed yourself is such a basic low bar of "be a functioning adult". I also, CAN cook, I have done so before, but it just takes SO much out of me and a lot of the time I don't have that to give. Knowing it's enough of a "thing" that there is an entire video on how to work around it just made me feel like I could actually admit that it's something I really struggle with in a way I don't think I have been able to before.

[@Joy-kx1rx]

A SUPER EASY MEAL IS BREAKFAST TACOS. Scramble up some eggs, put on warm tortillas (flour, corn, almond, cassava etc.) , and add salsa. Another option is cooking sausage or bacon first then adding the eggs to the pan to scramble. If you're vegetarian, you can fry up some potatoes first then add the eggs. Easy potato options are leftover cooked potatoes cut in cubes and pan fried then add the eggs (or frozen hash browns, or leftover french fries, or tater tots). Extremely versatile. To warm the tortillas without them getting soggy, lay them singly on a paper towel on a plate and microwave for 10-30 seconds (10 sec per tortilla used). The paper towels soak up any moisture that way.

[@peterspencer]

Wow! I'm 54, recently diagnosed with ADHD, and a single dad. This channel has been great in helping me realise I'm not such an oddball after all. And cooking for my girls is hard when I just don't have the mental space for interesting variations in our diet. This episode has given me some great ideas. I'm actually keen to try out the salsa chicken recipe.

[@amywing175]

That's a good point. Our brains crave novelty, so just having a couple of go-tos doesn't always work for some of us. And having to come up with something new is an executive challenge... oy.

[@skokokelli]

I do a “lazy chicken” from A Year of Slow Cooking. It’s chicken and Marinara sauce but she suggests any protein plus any sauce ( think pork and bbq or beef and teriyaki) . While I don’t have an instant pot, I think of it like a fast crockpot so it should work. Hopefully it will keep it interesting without adding mental effort.

[@peterspencer]

@@skokokelli that sounds delicious, thank you.

[@stephaniesparks6479]

I make a bunch of the chicken salsa at once and then freeze it in quart sized ziplocks. This helps me out because I always have a base to any Mexican recipe on hand so half the brain work is already done.

[@merri-toddwebster2473]

Hi there, 55 myself, diagnosed last year. You are not alone. Cooking is hard and so is adult diagnosis.

[@SoLongSpaceCat]

Also, for REALLY bad brain moments or those times where you just... forget to eat, and then realise that's screwed you over hours later: Lentil soup straight out the can is not for everyone, but it has saved my brain many a time. See also: depression meals

[@futoijosei]

I don't often remember to eat if I'm doing something else so I keep snacks for emergencies or when its too late to cook.

[@anna-fleurfarnsworth104]

I like where I live now but oh my god they don't have canned soup here. it's just not a thing. people are weirded out by the idea. I miss it 🙃

[@Jasmine-ot8br]

I’m tired of crying halfway thru your videos because everything is so accurate to my personality and to the fact that i procrastinate in everything and feel like I need further explanation in “simple tasks that people do everyday . Especially the “why” and making myself do it everyday after KNOWING the “why” . Definitely looking into speaking with a therapist

[@echognomecal6742]

💖💝💖

[@kt1298]

PLEASE do a cooking show on here’s how you cook when you don’t have the ingredients you’re supposed to have. I swear that’s the story of my life. I can never find what I’m looking for even if I found it the few minutes before and literally search for missing ingredients for an hour and cooking dinner for my family takes like 3 1/2 hours sometimes, just trying to put the steps together. That’s for a recipe that would take the rest of the world 15 minutes to make. Lol. thank you for your videos. They help so much they make me laugh. They make me cry too lol because it feels like finally someone gets what it’s like to be me.

[@GarikDuvall]

"Why wait an hour in the oven?" THANK YOU!! This is basically my whole argument with cooking stuff, as it's just for me. Sure some things taste better from oven than microwave, but that benefit of better taste is rarely worth the time for me. I mostly eat because I have to, not because I super enjoy it. Also.... I can't be expected to know what I'll want to eat in an hour, let alone if I'll even be hungry (as lets face it, I prolly snacked in the meantime). XD

[@morganpetros9635]

I have the problem (I'm sure many of us do) that I don't even think about food 'til I'm hungry. So having easy-to-cook recipes available means I don't have to eat frozen pizza every bloody night of the week ...

[@blueberrybop]

Something I've recently discovered and done a couple of times now is: Grab a can of tuna and drain the water. Mix the tuna with abt 2-3 dl crème fraiche. Throw in some herbs (eg. parsley, dill), chopped green onion, a little bit of mustard and lemon/lime juice, some salt. Mix everything. If you like spicy, add some chili flakes. Cook pasta. Put pasta and tuna mix on a plate. Eat. It takes no time to do and is delicious! You can switch out the pasta for potato if you prefer that. If you can find creme fraiche already mixed with herbs at your grocery store it's even easier to prepare~

[@music0in0my0head]

Tip for ADHD cooking: invest in an induction stove. It doesn't use actual fire, gets hot very fast and the plate doesn't stay as hot as an electric stove would, so you can clean it straight after when your brain is still in cooking mode. Also, it is a smooth surface so you can drop stuff on it and not have to fiddle it out, and there's only one step in cleaning it: just wiping it off with a cloth. When I got to my new appartment my mum made a cover box for the gas stove that's there and I got a portable induction stove to put on it. I actually manage to cook around 4 times a week now instead of the 1 (maybe 2) I had before. And if I get distracted and don't clean the kitchen after cooking, it doesn't take an hour to clean the gas stove again, but be just a cloth and done.

[@bellaluce7088]

Wow, I love the idea of putting an induction stove OVER an existing range! I've been planning to get a portable induction stove for my someday-tiny house, and this is such a great option for being able to do it sooner without using up valuable countertop space!

[@mommingwithtruth8691]

I can't tell you how thankful I am for you showing your breakdown. That feeling of a relatively small snafu causing everything to crumble is unfortunately very familiar. Thank you for being you and showing your truth.

[@aliciasizov5467]

This makes me feel seen 😌 Coming from a family with several accomplished home cooks, I always felt bad for having a hard time just keeping myself fed. Even more frustrating that every now and then I could somehow pull off a multi-course dinner if I had a week to plan it, but couldn't manage to eat lunch most days. It's only after learning about executive dysfunction associated with autism and ADHD that I understand just how much of a challenge cooking regular meals can be when your brain struggles to prioritize and switch focus. I so appreciate resources like this that meet us where we are with validation, understanding and a sense of community to look for empowering solutions to the unique challenges we face. Thank you for putting this together, despite the (super-relatable) struggle! 💛

[@TrappedinSLC]

Hahah, you’ve described me! I actually enjoy cooking, but I am really not good at doing quick evening cooking. It’s either a full on planned dinner or like cheese slices from the fridge. There is no in-between,

[@meganstahlhut343]

My mom and brother have a bakery and catering service together, while I can barely manage to cook for myself once a week! I totally get where you’re coming from haha.

[@bellaluce7088]

@@TrappedinSLC LOL to "It’s either a full on planned dinner or like cheese slices from the fridge. There is no in-between..." Yep!

[@bellaluce7088]

@Alicia Sizov - Thank you for articulating the prioritization and task-switching issues I didn't even realize were at play in my difficulty cooking for myself vs. other people. Of COURSE they make it harder after a long day vs. hyper-focusing on the weekend to create a special one-time meal for someone. Insights like this help so much with the self-recrimination I feel about this issue. Thank you again. 💛😃💛

[@xrand0mx]

If you know how to cook steak (and of course you can swap the steak out for lamb, chicken or pork) then this is a game changer. Cooked your preferred cut of meat, while it's resting, roughly dice 1 or 2 courgetts, 2 portobello mushrooms and stir fry them in the same pan with garlic and butter. 5 mins should do, but just cook long enough for your tastes. No carbs needed, and my adhd settles tf down when I eat red meat. So if I eat this at least 4 times a week, life is much easier. And I only takes like 10 mins.

[@jessicakragt4123]

These are awesome!! For my veggie friends, you can do egg McMuffins with frozen Just Egg, vegan cheese and toast. One of my easiest meals! I also keep tofu in a press in my fridge so I can air fry it whenever with no prep, and I keep lettuce and salad ingredients on hand so I can throw stuff in a bowl. Cereal and oat milk is great too! Or making a batch of vegan queso to keep in the fridge so you can make nachos in under 5 minutes!

[@lunarbyul]

I recommend having pre made ingredients like fried onions, fried herbs, minced garlic, etc in the freezer. My mother also has adhd so we always have them in the house. They aren't perfectly fresh but they make cooking very easy so just prepare some on your good brain days and you'll be good for a couple weeks

[@NerdyNerdUHeard]

exactly! I make Kimchi and other fermented foods or salads and always have something ready. Same with ramen, I take soba noodles, my dried seaweed, eggs, chop green onion and boom. Or chop fruit, and add to cinnamon yoghurt. I can buy these things in bulk and these things are relatively cheap. Also healthy and often not too carby.

[@TrappedinSLC]

Stuff like chopped onions will freeze happily, too. The texture is best for cooking with afterwards (it won’t be crunchy like fresh) but you can just dump it in from frozen most of the time. Same with chilis.

[@conniemobley1641]

@@NerdyNerdUHeard uo

[@gearsandsteam1]

I finally gave up on chopping garlic every time I needed it for a recipe and just bought a jar of minced garlic at the local Asian grocery store and its been so helpful

[@NerdyNerdUHeard]

@@gearsandsteam1 and it's really aromatic!

[@only98girl]

My favorite is couscous with literally anything. It's so easy to make, just take 1 part couscous and 1 part boiling water and let it sit for 5 mins. I just boil my water in a kettle so no extra dishes! Top with canned beans, canned corn, chicken, tomatoes, avocado, a sauce, anything! 😊 It's relatively healthy and versatile.

[@sewmad1400]

I do the same but, because of food intolerances, I use quinoa instead.

[@lyndabethcave3835]

Yesss! More ADHDers need to know about the wonders of cous cous! I love doing 1/3 cup with a tin of flavoured tuna for lunch. (Just remember not to eat tuna every day, 'cause you can get too much mercury in your system otherwise.)

[@frubarat]

Thank you so much for this video. I don't have ADHD, but I struggle often with executive dysfunction, and I never put two and two together to realize that cooking stresses me out because of that. I appreciate you being vulnerable and showing footage of you having a little meltdown after cooking for so long; it really touched me and made me want to tear up, because it made me feel seen. Whenever I have meal prep days, I usually end up crying (a lot) and having to stretch it out over an entire weekend and having someone help me, if possible. As someone who has the fortune to rarely struggle to feed themselves at least something for every meal with snacks in between, this video was still extremely helpful in that it helped me realized the root cause of that prominent struggle in my life, and steps I can take to help make it less overwhelming.

[@anonymousartist8751]

Please make more of these!! I’d love a mini series of just. Very simple recipes to make for work or on a day off work.

[@sorceressofthemoon5376]

"so when I'm eating those pita pockets I'm not just eating food, I'm having lunch with my mom" this is how I feel about French dip sandwiches. I always used to eat them with my mom anytime we saw one at a restaurant and now I always think of her when I am eating one.

[@Oxahna]

Little tip for the pesto pasta: put frozen green beans, and/or edamame and/or peas at the same time as your pasta, in the same pot, then drain the water put the pesto, and you get your greens and it's not more complicated 🤗 (for the peas, it can be canned peas that you add at the same time as the pesto)

[@lovebirde]

Ohhh! This is a great idea!

[@amstreater]

I often throw in broccoli florets (even fresh, if they’re bite size pieces) into the pasta water

[@movi3srock]

I love you so much! Thank you so much for this channel! Whenever I'm struggling I always come back to this channel and can always find a video about what I'm really struggling with. Thank you!!!

[@paytonguinn6659]

I really love your videos! My husband has ADHD, and I enjoy learning more about what I can do around the house to help him! We're about to move again, and I'm going to implement a lot of the tips from your videos in our new apartment!

[@findingaway5512]

I'm a stay-at-home mom to people with food sensitivities and food allergies and whatnot and I'm making all the meals and packing all the lunches for five members of my family. It is a lot and it's an everyday thing. It's crazy how much time and planning actually goes into just eating food like you have to go to a store so you plan for that and you have to make sure that you're spending the right amount of money and looking for sales and that kind of a thing and then you bring it all home and then you have to find places for it and your fridge and your pantry and then you need to turn that food into meals and then you need to clean up the meals and then by the time you're cleaning up one meal it's time to make another one it feels like.

[@ShannonKresge]

YESSSS THIS RIGHT HERE

[@sarah_k_kreative]

This is the struggle for sure! Hang in there, outsource what you can to the people around you, and focus as much as you can on taking good care of yourself. That last one has helped me most.

[@lauralearns]

I’m a 29-year-old woman, and I was diagnosed with ADHD with inattentive presentation today. Thank you so much for your videos - they really helped me realize that I probably had ADHD, and I wasn’t alone! Can’t wait to start therapy :)

[@wendybrewer3328]

I am 41 and was just diagnosed last week. So hopeful for both of us!

[@lauralearns]

@@wendybrewer3328 Wishing you the best! :)

[@bastadtroll8922]

Jeez here we go another woman blaming some randomn label for her emtional turbulence.

[@ShariMonner]

OMG... Thank You!!!! Just watching you cook and go through this (doing so many things the way I do them right down to cutting yourself near the end) was amazing! And thank you for explaining why certain recipes are more ADHD friendly and why cooking feels so hard... I know these things but I easily forget.

[@kachnickau]

I found out your channel today, am already binge watching lot of your videos.. It feels really validating, to find out that I figure out coping mechanisms effective for what is probably affecting me, as i am not officially diagnosed with anything. But I have not much doubt left. I subscribed very quickly. Thank you!

[@Katie-dp3jl]

When you said it feels like you are eating with your mom, it reminded me of my mom‘s weird, easy recipe. If you don’t like canned tuna fish, just ignore this. But all it is is two cans of tuna drained, one can of cream of mushroom soup, and English muffins. You put the soup in a pan, warm it up, add the tunafish, stir stir stir, cook until it is heated through, toast the English muffins, then put the tuna mixture on top of the English muffins. You can heat up some frozen veggies in the microwave to go on the side!

[@Marialla.]

As a Mom with ADHD, I've found it helpful to cook in bulk when I can, but it still has to be super easy. I like to buy 3-lb chubs of hamburger, crumble it in a large baking pan, sprinkle seasoning on top, then bake about half an hour on 350 till done. It's easy to pour off the grease when done, and the crumbles are easy to store in ziplocs to add to any hamburger recipe as needed. Freezes beautifully. Very convenient to add to spaghetti meals, or burritos, or macho nachos. Having it pre-cooked is so incredibly relieving on bad days, and even on the day of cooking it is a very simple process that doesn't require a lot of steps or stirring or mess or effort or thinking. Another thing I like is to cook a big pot of rice, and store cooked rice in ziplocs in the freezer. Can be family-sized recipe portions, or single-serving. It microwaves up as good as new in a minute or so, and makes a complete meal just by adding some canned black beans. Other garnishes like salsa, cheese, sour cream, or chopped cilantro take it over the top into company-worthy cooking, all without the stress of remembering how to cook rice or having to wash another pot on the day of. We like to grate an entire brick of cheese and save it in a ziploc in the fridge for spontaneous burritos, or garnishing many other types of meals. We go through a two-pound brick every week, but families who eat cheese less frequently could freeze the grated cheese to use as needed for up to several months. If the grated cheese is frozen "fluffy" rather than compacted down, it is easy to crumble off however much you need for any given meal. These tips work especially well for families who have irregular schedules and need something easy to throw together any time, inexpensively, that will please most palates and are very customizable to different dishes.

[@tknows470]

Thank you!!!

[@kaylynsilva89]

LOVE this! Most of these are already in my rotation! Except the pita pocket! LOVE that idea! one thing that works for me SO well is a mission tortilla put into a toaster then you put ham, cheese, spinach and your choice of hummus or mayo. Takes less than 5 min, no cooking, and SO tasty.

[@16bitHi5]

I've been doing that ramen thing for about 20 years at this point. Alot of these were new to me. I've within the last year became vegetarian because my wife is. So I've found things cook faster when plant based. This totally helps just get a meal in me when I can't focus for very long.

[@Larissa_aus]

A good way for vegetarians is to get a green a bean and a grain in a meal. Easy. 🙂

[@coolman5001]

Thank you so much for sharing your meltdown. I enjoy cooking, but despite that, and even when I'm cooking something I've made many times before, there are days when it all just goes wrong and I feel overwhelmed by it too. Sometimes when that happens the best thing is to feel your emotions and grieve your lost work, be proud that you were trying, and be forgiving if you feel like you need to resort to something even less demanding, like ordering delivery. Thanks for keeping it real.

[@hannahobrien8986]

This really helped me too - so glad that wasn't edited out. I'm an awful cook and having meltdowns over simple dishes is a regular occurrence.

[@fightingfaerie]

Same. I have meltdowns over what seems like the littlest and stupidest stuff and I always feel ashamed and worthless for breaking down so easily. But seeing her share her meltdown and not being ashamed of it, I won't lie I started to cry. Even though its a prerecorded video and she can't literally see me, I felt seen and not alone.

[@AngieVinko]

Thank you so much for this video, I really needed it. And yet, I didn’t watch it for the longest time in fear that I’m “doing it wrong”. I should have known better, since I adore what you are doing with your channel. I’m still waiting for my official diagnosis, but your channel has helped me navigate through life, and helped me realise that I don’t just have to “just deal with it”. Really, thank you so much.

[@CoCoRynsieMc]

Thank you for sharing! I get such paralysis around cooki g which is so hard as a mom! These are great! I also appreciate you sharing your vulnerable moments too! My stove has seen many a kitchen breakdown 🙏🏽💖

[@smileythesnail5213]

I planning on getting a diagnosis for adhd soon because I’m having some real trouble in school in terms of forgetting or losing my books/homework. I literally lost a pair of leggings yesterday so this channel has really helped me. A few girls in my class have adhd and showed me what works for them I have personally found playing football (soccer in American) My PE teacher is so supportive and it has really helped.

[@theyakkoman]

I discovered a personal set of rules for recipes that works well for me with cooking, to keep it simple and managable: *No more than FOUR major ingredients (Not counting spices (although it's pretty much always chili for me)). *No more than two hobs or one hob and the oven. For example; Rallarfärs (a Swedish variant of Chili Con Carne). Four ingredients: 1. Heinz Baked Beans (2 cans), 2. 1 package ofCrushed Tomatoes (with Garlic), 3. roughly 800 grams (1.7 pounds) of minced meat. 4. Two packs of Bacon. One frying pan for the bacon, one cast iron pot for the rest. Spice it with some chili powder, paprika powder and I like to just add some readymade Taco Spices and I'm done. And these are usually four meal portions. So I eat one and then I have three spare meals to put in the freezer. Another one for any vegetarians out there, that takes a little longer to do but follows the same rules is this: Four Ingredients: 500 g (1.1 pound) of Champignon Mushrooms, 200 g (0.44 pounds) of fresh Spinach, 500 g Pasta of choice (I prefer fussili for this particular one). 4 dcl of Creme Fraiche (or Cream if you prefer, for vegans, use a cream substitute). Spices: Chili powder, Salt, Pepper. Chop the Mushrooms into smaller pieces and the spinach into bits. Fry the mushrooms first, later add the spinach. When it looks to be done, pour the Creme fraiche into the pan and stir. Add the spices. In the meantime, boil the pasta. When all is done you pour the water out of the pasta pot (leave the pasta in the pot) and poor the mix of Mushrooms, Spinach and CF into the pot and stir around for a bit. Also a tip I've got from Robert Rodriguez of all people: When you find a dish you like; Try to make it often, like once a week. And while it may be tricky in the beginning, with practice it becomes a routine and you can do it pretty much on autopilot. So these two dishes are pretty easy for me to make right now, since I've done them so often. But, I also have days when I just boil pasta or ramen noodles and pour some frozen veggies into the pot (if I'm really hungry or up to the task I might fry some meatballs or fishfingers to go with it) and that'll be my meal for the day.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

That's good advice. For spices, you can also pre-mix spice mixes for dishes that you like enough to make regularly. That way, you measure it out once, and are set for the month.

[@xnflg3074]

These work for you but any recipe that says anything remotely like “while the [blank] is [blank]ing, [blank]” are generally not gonna be very ADHD friendly especially on days with crappier than average executive function

[@theyakkoman]

@@xnflg3074 I appreciate that. I think it's fun enough to cook and just letting the pasta boil is, for me, pretty easy since I don't have to think about it. Just let it handle itself. (Hate boiling rice though. If it weren't for those "boil-in bag" versions I probably wouldn't make rice dishes at all). But I understand that it's harder for others and that I'm lucky (or privileged) in that way. Like I said, two hobs works for me. But they're also my maximum. And so I understand if for some people even two hobs at the same time is way too much. As for those days with less than average executive function... Yeah, like I said, I make these when I want food over to just stuff in the freezer. So when I make'em I usually don't do many other challenging things that day. Hell, I rarely if ever do the dishes the same day I've done one of these. Just wanted to share what works for me. If it can help someone else; great. But I understand that it doesn't work for everyone.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@xnflg3074 It depends, recipes like that are also very stimulating. But, yes, that's often a bad sign if you haven't learned how to deal with that.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@theyakkoman I personally use my instapot for rice. After washing the rice, 1 part water to one part rice. And roughly 18 minutes of high pressure with a natural release. If you put the rice into a smaller bowl inside, you don't even need to clean the Instant pot, just make sure there's water inside to steam so you don't destroy it. I keep meaning to see if I can do lentils or beans at the sane time.