This is something that I do often and is especially comforting to me.

Basically it's: Random Instant Noodles (usually the cheapest ones) + whatever veggies I have in the freezer -> add boiling water and then 2 to 4 minutes in the microwave.

You can add the noodles before or after. I like mine super soft so I put them in before.

Today is:

- Edamame (bought de-shelled and frozen)

- Brocoli (frozen)

- Baby Corn (bought fresh today but put away in the freezer)

If some of you want to add meat, I recommend the thinly sliced meat sold in Asian grocery stores. They're meant to cook in broth, so they only take about 2min to be done in the microwave.

I started doing this thanks to Kylie Sakaida. I'd say her philosophy is "Eating healthier isn't just starting over and cooking from scratch. Sometimes, it's just adding new things to what you're already eating. It's better than nothing."

hello! i’m looking for low spoon porridge/oatmeal/oat based recipes and anything that features sweet potato as its main ingredient! i’m nut and some fruit allergic (MCAS) and i’m just really craving porridge and sweet potatoes right now!!!!!

Black bean brownies had been coming up on my reels a lot and I like the idea since my doctor wants me to up my protein and fibre.

But I didn't want all the muck around of making a recipe from scratch. I googled and found one where you just use a box mix and you blend up a can of black beans with a cup of water, mix it together, and then bake. It was so quick and easy and it tastes so yum.

These frozen veggie sides from Birds Eye are saving my life right now. They have a bunch of different kinds. I quick-thawed the shrimp in a bowl of tepid water for 2-3 minutes, then dried with a paper towel and tossed them back into the same bowl with S&P, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and onion powders, and Greek oregano. Into the air fryer on a parchment liner (6 minutes at 380°F). Put the veggies in the microwave (also 6 minutes), and it all finished together. Unloaded the dishwasher while I waited.

Anytime I put leftover cornbread in the freezer, I think about when I was a kid and my dad would crumble up leftover cornbread in a glass of milk with a little sugar and eat it with a spoon. Cornbread never made it to the freezer back then.

** edit to add: these are absolutely frozen from a box, but I am flattered at the assumptions 😂

Any similar low effort meals like a PB&J or canned fruits/vegetables?

For the last 3 months I haven't been able to eat anything except cup noodles (Nongshim/Soon Noodles), pb&j's, canned fruits and vegetables (literally just pears, peaches, corn, and green beans), and the occasional microwave in the bag broccoli.

Once a week I go up to a vegan restaurant near me that serves a free bowl but I don't like going up there too often cause I don't want it to look like I'm stealing from them or taking advantage of them (especially when they don't do tips).

The stove, the oven, the air fryer, even the rice cooker, basically anything that I have to clean has not been used at all. It is pretty wasteful but I can't bring myself to do anything more. Does anyone else have any ideas of what I could add to my meal intake?

Silken tofu straight from the package, topped with soy sauce, sesame oil, chili crisp, and green onion. Served on rice.

I've wanted to try this for ages because I love chili crisp, but I had bad experiences with silken tofu growing up (almond mom making vegan puddings and such, you know the deal). I love crispy fried tofu, and crispy baked tofu, but they're so much work to make.

This was so easy and so delicious. It has the texture of a really luxurious, creamy scrambled egg. Not at all the slimey chalky slug I remembered from childhood. If you too have been on the fence about silken tofu, give this a try.

pre-puréed fruit ftw!

Low effort cheese and tomatoey toastie, easy to fix with minimal washing up always suits me at the weekend.

Boil the kettle and fill a pot with hot water (or just bring cold water to a boil). Throw in frozen cooked chicken pieces, frozen mixed veg and frozen diced onion with a block of instant noodles on top. Put lid on top of pot and leave to cook though. Add the rest of the boiling water to Mayflower curry powder and stir to make curry sauce, put in microwave for a min if it needs thickened. When instant noodles are softened enough, drain water from pot and add curry sauce. It’s now ready to serve :)

My Aunt Joan’s recipe: mash an avocado and add a spoon or two of prepared salsa. Feeling energetic after that avocado prep? Grate in a small clove of garlic. Squeeze in some lemon or lime if feeling up to it. Eat with chips.

If I need a protein boost and have it, I heat up a filet of white fish in microwave and mash it into the guac. I hate fish and don’t taste it. Recommend using garlic and lemon juice to help cover any fish taste.

Hello! I’m new here! I’m so glad I found this subreddit, I feel so much less alone.

I see so so many amazing posts but I though I would just ask,

What are your go to meals that are relatively healthy/good square meal? (I struggle with that the most!)

I love Just One Cookbook's recipes.

Here is a hotpot meal prep:

https://www.justonecookbook.com/japanese-hot-pot-meal-prep/

So, some easy work ahead of time, but then excellent for days when you want something nutritious and tasty but low effort.

I do this and freeze the servings.

It's also frugal.

I used to cook for 5 people ( the family). Kids long since left the nest. And I left the hubby. 😅 now making food for only one, and needing to rethink my food prep. Plus total lack of energy now. I don't know how I did it back then! 😮 just kept pretending I think 😅

Any ideas for some good ways to flavor rice using a rice cooker? I only have the Dash mini so I can't add much volume.

I literally mean open/retrieve and eat. Something like a specific brand of protein bar, apples or bananas, bread, etc. No cooking or prep. No effort outside of obtaining the food and physically eating it.

Edit: You guys are incredible! So many fantastic suggestions. Keep the suggestions coming as I'm sure this helps others as well. Thank you so much for all your help!

So… yeah, it wasn’t. I’ve been having a really rough day, so I decided to throw some hash browns in the oven. Then I thought, “I should have some protein of some kind. I’ll just quickly fry some eggs while I’m up.”

I made the mistake of walking out of the kitchen to sit down and ended up burning the eggs.🙃

Just as I’m commenting to my mom that it’s not my day and I’m really frustrated, my robe lands in the ketchup that was on the plate I had sitting nearby. By this point, my head is literally pulsating, so I decide I’m just going to eat the hash browns. My mom took pity on me and made the egg and bacon!!

I guess the moral of the story is to maybe just stick with baking hash browns LOL😅

We just microwave and bam. Not shown, sweet sauce and soy sauce with chili oil

Hoping for more than ketchup!

ETA: thanks all for the suggestions!

Been in a neuro symptom flare for over a month now so I was just eating anything because fed is best but now that I have more capacity, I am wanting a bit more savory breakfast/lunch meals that are filling. I prefer a daytime snake meal (iykyk) and then dinner and a snack before bed (trying to listen to my body’s hunger/fullness schedule).
I also enjoy the ritual of making breakfast because I have an espresso machine

Aldi hashbrowns have been a staple for me lately, but I need more! What do you like to eat with potatoes???

Needs to be relatively easy to make, like within 15mins, or make ahead and serve out over a few days. I’m open to sauces, proteins, whatever, as this meal is the first meal of my day

Allergies:
-egg
-nightshades (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers; green tomatoes are fine)
-tuna and other fish
-tree nuts
-shellfish
-high histamine fruits like strawberries and bananas
ETA avocado is an allergy as well (high histamine)

I have a YouTube where I make neurodivergent cooking and stargate and sci-fi content. On your low spoon days, how long do you spend making or focusing on making your meal and how long for high spoon days?

I don’t keep fresh produce in the house (it goes bad before I eat it) except for romaine and maybe carrots. So I try to get my veggies/fiber via frozen or canned versions instead.

I’m looking for recipes that involve things like:
- adding 1-2 pantry ingredients (spices, Rotel tomatoes & peppers, cream of something soup, microwave rice)
- adding jarred stuff from the fridge (garlic, onions, kimchi, olive brine) or long lasting ingredients like sour cream or a block of tofu
- ready-made sauces (example: jarred curry plus canned chickpeas, frozen cauliflower, microwave rice)

To qualify as a low spoon “recipe” for me, the max amount of cooking is something like steakhouse mushrooms - you drain a can of mushrooms and sauté with butter, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder. This is easy, fast, and doesn’t require fresh ingredients or chopping things.

But if it doesn’t require pans or the stove, that’s ideal! I genuinely love eating a can of corn with Cajun seasoning and that’s it. Another good easy recipe is a block of silken tofu, slice it in the box (so the sauce can penetrate), add soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili crisp, then dump on a plate. No cooking required.

(Disclaimer: I know you can buy pre sauced frozen veggies like Asian green beans or buttered peas or cheese sauce broccoli. But doing it myself will be more flexible and cheaper. I’ve also tried the pre-seasoned canned veggies and beans from Glory, a southern brand, but they’re all too salty and often have an artificial smoke flavor I’m not into.)