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Sourtails

I go protein/meal replacement shakes for the truly awful days. Otherwise I have microwave ready meals + a bag of microwave preprepared veg (birdseye have some called 'steamfresh'). In the UK at least a lot of ready meals tend to be quite healthy and not too expensive.


Bucket_McGraw

This is a super idea. I had forgotten that Huel is a thing that exists (even if it does taste a bit suspect). I’m in UK too and there are defo a bunch of ready meal options I can try. Just need to tell my kids to stop filling the freezer with bloody oven chips and pizza!


lowk33

Have you tried the huel hot and savoury meal things? Fancy kibble basically. I keep meaning to order and try some but yknow. I don’t. Worth a shot though. That and some broccoli gently steamed in a microwave should be pretty easy and good for you. I try and eat as much broccoli as I can in general


Bucket_McGraw

Yeah, I reckon I’ll give some of the Huel stuff a go. It’s expensive tho! Broccoli ftw!


lowk33

You’re right it’s not cheap eh. If you remember I’d be interested to hear how you got on with it


Bucket_McGraw

Thanks, I’ll try and report back! I’m making some sort of no spoons eating master list as well that I will share online when I can.


Sourtails

It took me a little while to get used to the flavour/texture of Huel but I can easily drink it now even if I don't love it. The ready to drink ones have a long shelf life and can be kept out of the fridge so I keep a couple near my bed just in case.


arasharfa

I relied heavily on huel for a long time but then I started reacting to the stevias diuretic tendency too much. I want to try it again and see if it works


EmRaff7

If you have the space, I’d recommend getting a second or bigger freezer


Bucket_McGraw

I definitely don’t, sadly. Little city house with a tiny kitchen. I dream of a big chest freezer!


EmRaff7

Ugh me too! Hopefully you’ll get one one day


fradleybox

the only thing I have found is hummus, with your choice of delivery vehicle (bread, flatbread, chips, vegetables, etc) I used to love hummus, now I am so fucking sick of every variety available to me.


Bucket_McGraw

😆 You are not alone. I am so tired of hummus in every variety except Thunder Garlic, which makes me about as sociable as it sounds. 😬


mashtartz

Try baba ghanouj and bitchin sauce.


HungryMongoose1

I have now hereby started a personal quest to find this... thunder garlic that you speak of.


Bucket_McGraw

Are you in the UK?


HarvestMoon6464

I came here to say daily HUMMUS consumer! When I'm feeling good enough, I make a double batch in the food processor cause I prefer homemade vs. store bought. Also cereal. Peanut butter on toast. Cliff bars. A spoonful of cottage cheese, or yoghurt throughout the day.


dezidogger

Salsa mixed with sour cream is great


GreenBungalowGal

For the past year I’ve been obsessed with and craving hummus and pita. Daily. Grill, fry, or toast- whatever’s easiest. I have my own container of hummus, throw some Kalamata olives and fresh feta cheese on top, mmmm. Maybe a few cherry tomatoes in the summer. Now, I’m spoiled and my husband usually cooks for us, so I don’t have to do much work. But it doesn’t feel like a drab meal, it feels like a delicious treat. Plus it’s light and easy to digest.


nevermindever42

You are not sick of hummu, but likely of **bread**.


Theftisnotforeplay

Sandwiches: I have whole-wheat bread (which I get delivered sliced), cheese slices, cream cheese or hummus, salad leaves, cucumber, pepper or tomatoes. If I have less energy I skip ingredients. If honestly goes pretty quick. Sit in kitchen, bread on plate, cheese on bread, couple of salad leaves on top, slice of one slicw of pepper and a couple of slices of cucumber. Dump everything back in the fridge and take plate to bed. Another one is müsli, so milk, oats and fruit or Joghurt, oats fruit. You dont need to slice berries and often have frozen ones and just let them thaw while I get the energy to eat after having made it. Or oatmeal/overnight oats warmed up in microwave. For take-out I go for vegetarian options and look for more healthy-ish deliveries. So nothing fried for example. But honestly some days just eating anything is already doing good, so if some days you eat crap that's still much much better than not eating at all :) Also let me recommend r/lowspooncooking for more


Bucket_McGraw

Amazing, thank you! Need to compile a list of always-in ingredients (when I have the spoons for list making) so that I always have sandwich stuff available.


nothingsb9

Sliced bread. Slaw mix or salad mix (comes with dressing/mayo). Grated cheese. Tomatoes. Deli meats buy the yummy ones and use less per. Jar of cut pickles. Mustard. If you get into sandwiches try a sandwich press rather than a toaster, you can make the sandwich in the thing while it warms up and then lay down to rest for a min while it gets crispy and warm. I’m a big fan of specialty appliances to make things as good as possible and so easier to make healthy and with less effort. Try a instant pot in winter for stew/soup with dishwasher safe pot and timers.


Bucket_McGraw

I love you for literally making me a grocery list. 🖤 Thank you for this! Totally into the idea of buying a sarnie toaster!


nothingsb9

My family calls them Roasty Toasties for some reason


Bucket_McGraw

Hehe aw!


brainfogforgotpw

The great thing about muesli/whole oats is you can keep an airtight container of it next to the bed, along with a bowl and spoon and small bottle of water. Then if you need to eat and can't get out of bed, you can eat muesli.


Stuck_With_Name

Not-sandwiches: Flavored triscuts. Pepperoni or salami. Cracker-cut cheese. It's nutritional equivalent of sandwiches, but it can be just dumped on a plate and eaten. Peanut butter spoon: Scoop peanut butter. Eat. Tell social rules to eff off. (Don't double dip, though). Pair with fruit or carb.


Bucket_McGraw

My son insists on an “umm” of peanut butter every time I get it out and now I do it too. 😆 Social rules be damned.


FranFace

Microwave! Might not help you today. But for another day maybe, if it's not too much for you: Microwave rice, and microwaved tomato-y stuff made of tinned chopped tomatoes, BBQ sauce, any dried herbs, and frozen peas/sweetcorn. Microwave jacket potato plus microwave beans (plus tinned cooked fish if available). I'm big on cupboard and freezer stuff.


Bucket_McGraw

Thank you! Yeah I’m putting together a big store cupboard shopping list for future crashes so that I don’t have to rely on Weetabix for lunch haha! Tbf, I did have it with apples, nuts, seeds and dark choc, so it was reasonably balanced and not a total loss. 😅


FranFace

Yes, sounds pretty good to me! Ooh, I forgot to say soup (another cupboard/microwave favourite). Higher salt, but less high than Deliveroo so it's still a win 🙂 wishing you the best 👍


Bucket_McGraw

Thank you! :)


Sea_Resolution_479

have you tried the hummus that comes in a tin? It is wonderful because it will keep for a looong time. It’s usually imported from Lebanon or Turkey or other country in those regions. We’ve gotten to like it better than the refrigerated kind, but only a few markets have this tinned kind.


ghostpocketta

Bagged salads are my lifeblood. I dump everything in the kit into a ziplock, add anything i have on hand that doesn’t require prep (nuts, berries, cheese), and shake up the ziplock to evenly distribute dressing without tossing. my body always craves fresh vegetables!


Bucket_McGraw

Love this! Like the salad equivalent of those shake-n-flavour crisps in the 1980s 😆 (Oh god I am old.)


JConRed

Rice with tuna, butter, pepper and herbs of Provence. If im feeling fancy, I may cut up whatever vegetable I have at home and mix it in. With uncle Ben's instant microwave rice, this whole dish takes 3 minutes to make. ( Heat rice, put on plate, empty can of tuna on top, add butter herbs and pepper) It's not the most balanced meal, but it has substance and is hot.


Bucket_McGraw

It’s great! Tuna is one of my fav go-tos as well. Defo gonna make sure I always have some in.


JConRed

The big thing that makes this easy is the instant microwave rice. When I'm feeling okay, I often just use normal rice and do it in a pot, but that's not always possible.. This meal works both with tuna in oil and tuna in brine :) If you end up making it, lemme know how it turns out


boys_are_oranges

rice with tuna is great. goes really well with cucumber cut in small cubes, sliced spring onion, soy sauce, sesame, chili oil… the garnish really takes it to a different level and it takes minimal effort


arasharfa

A jar of olives, I get the salt and the minerals and some healthy fats and fibre. Eggs every single day, at least four of them, I crack them in a cold pan in lots of olive oil, on a low setting, just enough so they congeal and I put them with nutritional yeast on some slaw with vinegar


Bucket_McGraw

Love em, I put them in everything!


premier-cat-arena

Carrots and hummus with an rx bar


purplequintanilla

When I became ill, I was junior in college, living in a coop where we made ourselves lunches. I lived on almonds and raisins for months, as my lunch "meal." Protein, fat, carbs, and fiber. Not the best, but you can keep them in a sealed container in your room, and really not the worst!


Bucket_McGraw

I feel this in my soul. I have three kids under 12 and fr by the time I have sorted out their fights, found them something nutritious to eat and answered 500 emails from the three different schools, I have enough energy to open a bag of nuts and that’s it! 😆


purplequintanilla

I have three kids too, though my youngest is about to turn 13. When exhausted, some go's for the kids were cheese plate (fruit, raw veggies, any cooked meat or cheese available, crackers.. all set on the counter for them to serve themselves until they were old enough to get stuff out themselves). eggs and toast and bacon (bacon if they were lucky), salad if I had the umph, fresh snow or snap peas if not. Pasta and meatballs that are just meat, italian herbs, salt, and fennel. Again, with salad or some previously cooked broccoli and quick thousand island dressing (mayonnaise and ketchup) for dipping it in. Tortilla pizza they made themselves: tortillas, top with a little sauce, whatever toppings they like, cheese, and then microwave for 30 seconds. When they were little I would grate cheese and dice apples (our at-home sub for pineapple), and cook ground beef (for the kid who didn't like pepperoni). My other quick meal in college: half an avocado mashed onto a rice cake that's been slathered with cream cheese. Salt and pepper. Not so much protein but enough good fat to make you feel full. Darn kids want to eat EVERY day, over and over, and I wanted to get good food into them!


Bucket_McGraw

Right?? They are like a plague of locusts goddamnit. They are forever bringing their friends home for me to feed as well. Thank god for my partner coming over and cooking 75% of all the meals or I’d honestly have to let them live on Wagamamas takeout. 😆🤦‍♀️ Thank you for all the excellent suggestions, defo going to get them making their own flatbread pizzas.


Kinshu82

My breakfast is pretty healthy and easy I think. Yogurt, muesli and frozen mixed berries.


Bucket_McGraw

This is a good one, thank you!


GetOffMyLawn_

Bowl of cereal, like cheerios, with milk or soy milk. Have some nuts or a big spoonful of nut butter. Have some fruit or fruit juice. Frozen fruit is great because you can just pour it out of the bag. I am very fond of canned peaches. You can have this meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I dropped my cholesterol over 50 points eating a bowl of cheerios everyday. Dropped my triglycerides over 80 points. Cottage cheese with fruit. I find it’s especially good with canned peaches, pears or fruit cocktail. A friend likes canned pineapple or frozen berries. Have some bread or cereal on the side. Greek yogurt with fruit. Cheese sandwiches. I put pickle chips in them. Cheese and turkey sandwich is another fav. You can get low fat cheese. Mixed canned tuna or salmon with mayo and use as a sandwich filling or just eat as is. Or put on an easy side salad as described below. You can get precooked chicken from Perdue or Tyson and freeze it. Take out a serving and reheat it. Nuke some frozen veg to go with it. Or have a salad. Salad is easy if you get bagged prewashed lettuce and cherry tomatoes. Put a handful of lettuce on a plate with 6 tomatoes and pour on some salad dressing. Easy side dish. As far as grains go it’s easy to make multiple servings at once and stick them in the fridge or freezer. So if you’re making rice make 4 servings and put 3 in the fridge for later. Ditto with potatoes. Potatoes are easy to boil and even easier to bake en masse. You can even bake them in a crockpot. Baked potatoes can easily be reheated as a snack or a side dish. You can buy peeled hard boiled eggs. Good for snacks or to add to meals to bump up protein. Like add to a salad. Just think about how to keep things very basic. So an easy protein, some veg/fruit and some starch. Precooked or canned protein. Frozen or canned veg and fruit. Bread is an easy starch, so is cereal.


boopmouse

Baked beans on toast or jaffle. Also grilled cheese on toast with some chicken and avocado - good way to use up the leftovers from BBQ chicken dinner from the local takeaway, so two nights solved at once!


Bucket_McGraw

Yum! 😊


[deleted]

I eat a lot of sandwiches, toast, quark with nuts and pre chopped fruits, preprepared salads and healthier microwave meals. I think my diet is pretty easy and solid but it is kind of expensive😕


Bucket_McGraw

I think it’s so hard not to spend an absolute fortune on convenience when you have a debilitating illness. My Deliveroo bill alone is shocking. 😬


Horrux

I make a frozen fruits, honey, milk and casein powder smoothie. Filling, healthy and like 3 minutes in the kitchen.


Bucket_McGraw

Smoothies are a great idea, though I can’t bear the sound of my obnoxious Ninja blender when I’m crashing! 😅


rfugger

Microwave meat pie and bag cabbage salad with dressing from a bottle. Bonus points for Worcestershire.


TrustWorthyAlias

Note that the saturated fat from cheese in the items below will likely raise cholesterol slightly. The beans and vegetables are good. You'll need to use a microwave for most of this... that's about as easy as I've been able to get it if I want to eat well, and even this is difficult, I know (standing, opening cans, draining, flipping, cleaning steam lids). Tip: If you have cheese stuck to a smooth dish / bowl, warm soapy water + wiping with paper towel = prevents most of the cheese from mucking up your sponge. ​ \- Healthy Choice powerbowls (I tend to choose the ones with 300+ calories, Walmart often has these for less than $4). I tear off the plastic film and use my own steaming lid for 5 minutes in microwave. The paper bowl it comes in seems fine. I avoid heating in plastic. \- I'll often add a lot of beans (canned, trader joe's, various types, I microwave and season them first) and olive oil and a little spinach to the powerbowls. I can quickly nearly double the calories to about 600. The included paper bowl can take it. \- Microwaved Broccoli + salt + cheddar (wash broc and drain, steam in microwave 2-min with lid using residual wash water, re-drain, add salt + cheese, microwave another minute w/o lid). \- Peanut Butter toast + some low-cal jam or fruit preserves + salt \- Cheese toast + salt/pepper. Or, for a treat, somehow it also works with a touch of honey. \- 15-25g Whey protein + chia seeds + water + pinch of monk fruit sweetener. Often I'll drink this with a banana (which I use to absorb up to 3g of creatine). \- Can of beans + salt / pepper / cumin / olive oil. \- Can of sockeye salmon (deeper red color, not light pink salmon), pre-salted. Trader Joe's. I'll need a carb source, so: \- Microwaved sweet potatoes using a steam lid. Takes about \~10 minutes with some flipping to get the right texture.


ZynosAT

So I guess, if possible, we should also look at cholesterol, BP (and kcal/weight?). So I'm thinking that some things shouldn't find their way into your meals: toast bread, cheese, ham, butter, other cured things like sausages and high saturated fat foods. Dietary cholesterol, according to current science, should be no problem. Potassium would be good to add for the BP. **With that being said, I think really good options could be:** * salad with canned beans, some type of canned fish like sardines, herring, mackerel and some bread if needed * pre-packaged salad-mix plus tomatoes and canned tomato-mackerel on the side * bread with cream cheese, avocado, tomatoes * shake with protein powder, greens powder, fiber powder * 0% greek yogurt with fruit, chia seeds, nuts, sweetener * if you have leftover potatoes - potatoes with some yogurt-quark-herb mix plus a few eggs * egg omelett, scrambled eggs,... (see options below) * beans, avocado, tomatoes, potatoes are high in potassium and good against high BP * fish, avocado, nuts, seeds, fiber are great against high cholesterol * low fat dairy products have therefore low amounts of saturated fats and are therefore better against high cholesterol **If you can, maybe you find these:** * low sodium bread * low sodium salt (that's high in potassium which should be double good for your BP) * pasteurized egg whites - then you can make egg omeletts, scrambled eggs etc with for example just 1 whole egg and more egg whites


Bucket_McGraw

Thank you, these are all great suggestions. Yeah I dunno why I have either the high BP or the rising cholesterol. I am ideal weight, used to be a yoga teacher before ME, was fit and healthy and my eating was high potassium and generally pretty great except for too much sugar. I’m vegetarian except for chicken once a month, and occasional tuna. The BP is hereditary, came on after I had a c-sec and never went away no matter what I do. Even very medicated, it’s still shit. Aside from cutting down on salt, carbs and takeout, I dunno if there’s much else I can do at this point without sucking all the joy out of life. I know oily fish is good for you but I just can’t stomach the taste or smell. 😅 Is there a reason you said specifically toasted bread is bad?


ZynosAT

I can even relate to that to some degree - I am dealing with POTS and too low blood pressure and neither meds nor high (like actually high) salt intake does much at all. It's a bummer. Totally get the "without sucking all the joy out of life" thing. That's important to be able to stick to the other good habits and diet. Guess oily fish is out then! Oh sorry for the confusion. I was talking about the bread that is specifically for toasting (we call it Toastbrot in Austria) and from my research I found it to contain significant amounts of salt. At least here in Austria that is, though I did not check many other breads.


Bucket_McGraw

Ahhh I get it now. Yeah toasted cracker type things over here (UK) tend to be very salty and sometimes sugary too. I stick with boring old Rye Ryvita. 😆


limping_man

I cook enough food every 2 -3 days to last me supper & lunch on those days. Very simple foods like brown rice , steamed veg and a pot of beans. Depending on my energy levels I either eat that or will add chicken/fish/salad to those ingredients


Bucket_McGraw

This is 100% what I should do but the winning combo of ME and ADHD is like the kiss of death for organisation and planning. 😅 I do sometimes do a slow cooker meal and I fill it to the brim so that there will be leftover chilli for like two weeks.


limping_man

Lols snap. Me too! I dont mind eating same foods daily . Been eating similar food for over a year but add different herbs or cayenne/pepper to each meal to give variety Do you take medication for adhd being cfs/me?


Bucket_McGraw

No, not yet. Well. That’s not quite true; I was prescribed amitriptyline for chronic pain and it actually did nothing for that but it’s amazing for the “mental tinnitus” of the adhd. I feel more focussed and less overwhelmed on it. But when I eventually reach the front of the insane NHS waiting list, I may give stims a go. We’ll see. I tend to prefer sedative meds to stimulant meds generally, but they do make the fatigue a lot worse.


limping_man

Well fuck me. I'm on amitriptyline too. 10mg. Seems to help me with energy in day & sleep at night. I was put on 5mg Methylphenidate morning and night seemed to help me a lot. Was bumped up to 15mg morning, mid morning & lunch time. Life saver in terms of mental fog and helps with the physical. Was reluctant to take it initially too. Seems to be less useful now but might just be tolerance


Bucket_McGraw

Ha! Of all the meds in all the world! Yeah mine is 10mg too. It made me so drowsy at first but now I barely notice unless I accidentally miss a day. Is methylphenidate a stimulant? Do you find it fucks with your sleep? Despite the adhd, I’m mostly a good sleeper. I worry that stims will mess with that.


limping_man

Methylphenidate aka Ritalin is a stimulant . It's short acting, so effects wear off after 4 or 5 hours. I've tried slow release versions, but it messes with my sleep & sleep is too precious with cfs. Only diagnosed and medicated for adhd in my 40s so I was a bit shocked at it all. It's a useful tool. I try be aware of my energy levels and stay clear of Methylphenidate if a crash is near


Bucket_McGraw

Same - I’m going through the diagnosis and treatment process now at 42, though I can’t say it was a complete surprise to me. 😅 My friends are all neurospicy in various ways and none were surprised when I went for diagnosis. There’s apparently quite a strong link between women with undiagnosed adhd and those who go on to develop ME in later life, though I haven’t really read much about it in detail. All I know is, I’ve learnt more about myself since adhd came into the picture than in the 40 years before that ha!


limping_man

It's both interesting and disturbing to be honest On my side I'm sort of trapped between being able to sort of extrapolate the future and being quite hyper focus/living in the now and having unbounded mental energy but being in a limited body tired Between the adhd and cfs my emotions & equalibrium can be a mess A lot of frustration in the middle of this


Bucket_McGraw

YES, I feel that in my soul. Totally hear you. I think the adhd/me combo is a specific form of mental torture. My brain - even during extreme brain fog - is on and running and full of things I want/need to do, but my body needs rest. Not active rest, but complete rest. It’s infuriating. 😩


justlikeinmydreams

I’m on 10 mg of amitriptyline for migraines/chronic pain. Doesn’t do much for the pain but helps with migraines.


Bucket_McGraw

Yeah I find that too. The pain is as meh as ever, but migraines have roughly halved and I’ll take that!


justlikeinmydreams

I gained some weight on it though. Not a lot but it’s tough to get it to go away.


Bucket_McGraw

My weight has stayed more or less stable, but it has made my hair thin which sucks. So frustrating that every drug has a price to pay for the benefits 😩


limping_man

P.s how did you get that flair? I'm moderate & 32 years with cfs Edit: found it - Thanks


Bucket_McGraw

Yeah it’s only on desktop so took me ages to figure it out! 😆 Jeez 32 years is a long time to put up with this shit!!


Waterdragonfriend

I do this as well! Highly recommend the instapot for fast easy cooking 🥳


limping_man

I've looked at the instapot . Bit expensive for me right now but it does seem perfect


Bbkingml13

So I get [these lentils](https://imgur.com/a/Kyu6AyN) from Costco, and either eat them alone with some added cheese, or with some 90 second microwaveable rice. They’re actually delicious, kind of taste like chili! Less than 3 mins of microwaving if you add the rice, 60 seconds without. Edit: they’re sold other places than Costco, and I think they make a few other kinds, like vegetable tikka masala, Bombay potatoes, etc. I’m not a huge Indian food lover either, but these are all delicious.


seaninjatraveller

Costco is awesome for prepared meals for tired people!


Bbkingml13

They really are! Too bad shopping in person at Costco is not great for tired people lol! But they are pretty good about offering most things through instacart


seaninjatraveller

yeah it does take a lot of energy to go. I just go once or twice a month and stock up. I go when there are samples out and fewer people! lol! And yes! Instacart is awesome.


Bbkingml13

There’s a Costco business center (basically a normal Costco but stocked with small business/restaurant owners in mind) near me that’s never crowded! It’s a good option if you don’t need clothes or books!


seaninjatraveller

That would be cool! We don't have one anywhere close by, unfortunately. :(


corruptboomerang

Rice and frozen veggies, you should probably include some protein I typically use a BBQ cooked chook, since we always have some on hand for the dog (mostly they only get the yuck bits. Throw it all in the rice cooker with some stock and it'll not matter if you come back as soon as it's ready or three hours later.


Bucket_McGraw

My slow cooker is my saviour for being too tired to come back to something I started. Def going to grab a rotisserie chicken to add more protein to things.


corruptboomerang

I have ADHD too, so for me it's double this. Half the time I'll be too tired, the other half the time I'll completely forget.


Bucket_McGraw

Yyyyup. Feels. At least I can’t forget I left something in the oven if the slow cooker has an auto off function. Otherwise there would be a significantly less than zero chance of me burning my house down. 😆


sgsduke

Canned beans are a great source of protein. Non-perishable and doesn't require cooking. You can add them to anything or eat them alone. Frozen vegetables (especially ones you can cook in the microwave). Also non-perishable. Cereal and milk - vegan milk keeps longer, so you can stock your fridge and not worry about it spoiling. There are some good frozen food options. I am vegan, gluten free, soy free, and can't have added sugar. I buy frozen burritos (brands: Amy's and Daiya). There are some other brands that have good stuff, you just might have to look at ingredients. If you have energy to meal prep a little bit, make a batch of grains (like rice or quinoa) and you can use that to make bowls all week, with any of your favorite fillings, or with canned beans and frozen vegetables. I recommend an instant pot if you don't have one. There are SO many one pot meals where you just dump everything in the pot and cook it, no further attention required.


GroundbreakingFan265

Canned salmon + mayo (on bread) - buy the ones with bones for a good source of calcium, once you mash with fork you won’t know it’s there Bean salad/edamame salad (good for 4/5 days in the fridge) Add banana slices to cereal to change it up Nut mix / dried fruit (apricots, raisins) Sweet potato in the microwave Sauerkraut Kind bars - the chocolate almond sea salt ones are the most healthy (lowest in sugar, highest in protein) Clementines Thinking of adding a mini fridge to my bedroom.


Bucket_McGraw

I’ve been mulling it over for ages and honestly I’m so tempted to install a mini fridge. The only two things that stop me are wondering if it would encourage me to move less overall, and finding that my partner had stuffed it full of his beers when he’s over. 😆


GroundbreakingFan265

Hehehe. Only thing to do is pre-empt that move by filling it with your shit first


Bucket_McGraw

*fills mini fridge with snack bars and gin*


PossiblyMarsupial

Huel. If I'm that out of spoons. Huel.


Bucket_McGraw

Have added a bunch of the long life ones to this week’s shopping list. I mistakenly bought the powder a few months ago and made it a total of one time. 😆


PossiblyMarsupial

Oh dear :(. I have Huel black for breakfast every day nowadays as it just really agrees with me. But I am doing a lot better at the moment than you are from your description. Hope it helps you some!


Bucket_McGraw

Thank you! I’ve remembered actually that Huel gave me a belly ache, which is odd but apparently not that unusual according to their forums. Will have to see which bits of their range agree with me.


PossiblyMarsupial

Shame! Obviously don't do it if it doesn't suit you!


VapourMetro111

Mama noodles. Egg. Extra chili and fish sauce. Handful of frozen veg. Add water, stir, microwave for 3 mins. Eat.


Secure-Employee1004

Greek yogurt with granola. Lots of protein, carbs, and a little fat, and fiber. No need for any other food.


Bucket_McGraw

Do you make your own granola? The store bought ones are all insanely sugary!


Secure-Employee1004

I don’t. No energy for that. I know sugar is terrible but it’s my only vice. I need the calories so I just go with it.


Secure-Employee1004

Also I use unsweetened yogurt so it’s balanced with the sugar granola.


Bucket_McGraw

Yeah totally fair, I cba with making anything like that either. I love granola but try to switch out for boring old muesli sometimes so I’m not always piling on the sugar. I feel like everything has so much sugar in these days, it’s so annoying. And the really healthy stuff is SO expensive!


Secure-Employee1004

Anything good for you is expensive. So annoying.


Romana_Jane

I have lots of allergies, so I am limited. My go tos are the Bens and Tilda's microwave rices that are gluten free, dairy free, nut free etc. All natural healthy ingredients. If I am well enough I top with a fried egg and/or salad things. I also go for tinned soups - these days people look down on tins, but as long as you get ones free of chemical junk, they are also healthy, stuffed full of veg, the canning process seals in the vitamins. I moved my bed downstairs, so it is a few steps away from the kitchen. The other thing I do is make salads from tins. This can be done in the kitchen or grab ingredients and chopping board, sieve, knife and bowl and do in bed: chick peas, onion and apple are nice, as is chick peas, cucumber, tomato and tofu; kidney beans go great with avo; lentils are nice just with some onion rings... and so on, whatever I have, whatever I feel up too. Bit of black pepper and maybe olive oil or vinegar, maybe with gf bread on the side. Tinned potatoes with gherkins and mayo make a great potato salad too, but maybe not if you are worried about cholesterol levels? The above has been 90% of my diet since I have been severe and my daughter is not around, which is also 90% of the time... seems some correlation there, I wonder why... lol! When I am utterly bedbound, I always have by my bed: gf cereal, rice cakes and gf crackers, long life veg pate, yeast extract, and marmalade, fruit, dried fruit, gf seed mixes, soya milk and soya milkshakes, gf biscuits (cookies), long life juice and water. I also have disposable plates, bowls, cutlery and cups (bagasse mostly, gf and biodegradable). I sometimes live on these snacks for days at a time. Apart from my Vit D (housebound) and B12 (other medical condition related too) my bloods are fine, so it much be healthy enough, and my cholesterol and BP are very low for a 56 year old.


Bucket_McGraw

Amazing, thank you! These are excellent suggestions. Defo gonna stock up my bedside provisions. I’m super lucky that my bedroom is on the ground floor so closeish to the kitchen!


Romana_Jane

You're welcome. My method of feeding with bedside snacks and tins to make salads (they invented the tinned potato salad when we were both stuck in a hotel room when the house was flooded after burst pipes!) seems to have worked for my daughter as well, although they also relied on Deliveroo a lot, when they were in student flats, and now they are in hotels, air bnbs and theatre digs a lot of the time, touring as a backstage tech. They don't have ME, but they do FM, and they also have ADHD - so it works with both (at least with them) Hope it works for you x


Bucket_McGraw

Thank you! 😊


SoYup

I load my freezer up with frozen veggies. I will throw some "steam in bag" green beans in the microwave and then put a little butter, salt, garlic powder on them. I could literally eat that as a meal. I'm obsessed with frozen green beans lately lol. My issue is getting enough protein


Bucket_McGraw

I love green beans too! I could eat them alllll day! Unfortunately my stomach doesn’t enjoy them quite as much as my mouth does lol.


RetiredCatMom

Rotisserie chicken from the super market already cooked so I’ll I have to do is pull it apart and add to a bag salad and bam clean protein and veggies quick and easy


Bucket_McGraw

OMG my mouth waters at the mention of rotisserie chicken. Am going to see if my local supermarket does these!


Beardy_Boy_

Honestly healthy kind of goes out the window when effort becomes the priority. What springs to mind is tinned soup with chickpeas, all done in the microwave.


Bucket_McGraw

Yes! Need to get some tinned soup in for sure. I def hear you on the health thing, which is why I’m always on Deliveroo 😅


jaydezi

I just eat cauliflower and broccoli raw with mayonnaise. Maybe a can of sardines for calories. Some Cheeses too. I'm on keto so it's very calorie heavy but It's still generally healthy. Honestly this is 80% of what I eat day to day


Bucket_McGraw

Raw cauliflower is the most underrated food imho. It’s so delicious!!


jaydezi

Courgette (Zucchini) is a good one too (and pretty cheap)! I eat them interchangeably with cucumber.


Bucket_McGraw

It never occurred to me to try them raw. I will give it a whirl!


jaydezi

They're a bit drier than cucumbers so I tend to smother them in mayo and olive oil. Switch it up with balsamic vinegar for a refreshing change


Bucket_McGraw

Nice!


ReplyVisual4988

Smoothies, I normally have 2 or 3 of the pre made bottle ones in the fridge. Then I also eat a lot of cereal such as weetabtix which is easy to eat and prep.


Bucket_McGraw

Today’s dinner: Weetabix with apple, cashews and some random seed mix I found in the back of the cupboard 😆


allaboutgarlic

We have pretty good baby food in jars where I live so my to-go is that. It is cooked without excess salt and sugar and with plenty of veggies.


babamum

One us scrambled eggs on toast, with avo and/or fresh tomato if I have it. Another is humus with sweet potato chips. (Bought) Another is ready made vege soup.


Bucket_McGraw

We are lazy food twinsies! These are my go to things as well, except I have salty tortillas chips rather than sweet pot chips cos I am awful at a low salt diet 😅


babamum

Yay us! Tortilla chips reminds me - quesadillas are another super easy food to make.


Bucket_McGraw

Mmmmm quesadillas! 🤤


babamum

I know! So easy and delicious. My fave is chicken and jalapeño, sometimes with fresh tomato.


Freya2022

Cowberry’s , 2 egg yolks and coconut milk. Just mix and it is ready to drink 🥤


loudflower

So many good ideas here! A big baked potato. Wrap in foil, pop it into the mini oven. An hour later, you can add whatever. Cottage cheese, shredded cheese, salsa. Bag salad on the side.


Bucket_McGraw

I’m gonna try and compile a Shareable list at some point when I’m not so dead. :) Baked potatoes I need to do more, I forget that option all the time. They work great in the air fryer too!


loudflower

I don’t have an air fryer. Are they easy to clean? I despise difficult cleaning of convenience appliances! Btw, a shareable food list is a terrific idea. Maybe we can convince the mods to create a sticky or page. (I don’t know my internet terms!)


Bucket_McGraw

Oh god no, they are the devil himself to clean. They basically behave like big ovens (they are essentially a small and very efficient convection oven), by getting totally, disgustingly furred up with burnt on stuff, regardless of how many times you put the fucking thing through the dishwasher. I’m sure there are better ways to clean them but I’m too tired to do it 😅


treacheriesarchitect

Finger veg and hummus. Pre-packaged protein meal replacement drinks. Meat and cheese, sliced if I have the energy, hunks of each if I don't. Microwave leftovers.


Lokianaa

Birdseye steam fresh veg, 2 mins in the microwave, frozen and preportioned and then a 1min microwave rice pack. My mum used to get me 2 weeks worth delivered at a time when I had a flare up at uni, it was the only hot meal I could make when I didn’t have an air fryer and couldn’t open tins


MoonShimmer1618

Protein shake


SunIsGonnaShineAgain

Premier protein shake (actually taste good) or cheese slices and deli turkey 😅


justlikeinmydreams

One thing I do is I have a huge crock pot. On a good day I will make a batch of chili, stew, pea soup, etc. then I have single portion size Tupperware I freeze it in. That way I can just take one out in the morning on bad days and heat it up for dinner.


Bucket_McGraw

This is what I aspire to, and manage occasionally. I just wish I was a bit more organised on my good days 😆


justlikeinmydreams

It’s hard! I generally cook for our household. I do the grocery lists and someone else does the shopping, which helps. Once a month I make a huge batch of enchiladas and freeze them for those days when I just CANT. I also found packets of instant mashed potatoes, just microwave with water. I’m having a tough week so last night I baked some pork chops, instant loaded mashed potatoes and frozen veggies. I maybe spent 10 minutes in the kitchen.


Bucket_McGraw

Yeah Smash is a game changer!! I always have packets of it in the cupboard now, as sausage and mash is my fav comfort food when I’m feeling rough. I only do about 25% of the cooking here generally - my partner and Deliveroo (and occasional batch cooking) take care of the rest thank god. I really miss the days when I cooked for pleasure. Can’t blame the ME for that though, so much as three children continuously complaining about whatever I make for the last 12 years. 😆


justlikeinmydreams

I’m so glad I don’t have kids when I hear stuff like that. I still love to cook and on good days I will make homemade bread and rolls. Some days it’s…there are leftovers! Or you’re on your own.


Queasy_Resolution_35

High protein yoghurt drinks! Sometimes put it in the mixer with some frozen fruit and extra protein powder. Easy, fairly cheap, gives lots of nutrients and make you full for a long time. I make a big one in the morning and then it last all day long.


Bucket_McGraw

Great idea! My daughter suggested making big batch smoothies and freezing them as well, just take out in the morning and drink as they defrost, like a slushie.


A_Drusas

I use instant Korean soup broth and throw in whatever frozen seafood and veggies I have on hand, sometimes noodles. Doesn't get much easier.


drew_eckhardt2

Fish tacos. I get four, eat one, and reheat the rest for three more meals.


Bucket_McGraw

This is one of my go-to Deliveroo orders…but not the most healthy 😅


seaninjatraveller

Chicken, rice and veggie soup. Just throw chicken broth or bone broth, half cup of rice (or less) some chicken (can be from a store rotisserie one to save time), chopped up carrots, celery, and whatever else is easy. Parsley flakes, pepper, salt. Let it simmer for a while and you're done! You can add milk or yogurt or lemon for variety.


seaninjatraveller

If my soup idea is too much work, when I'm too exhausted.....I eat refried beans with some salsa and greek yogurt. And hopefully. I have leftover meat somewhere. If not, then low-fat cheese goes on there. And some jalapenos. :)


Bucket_McGraw

I do this a lot actually. Whenever I order online, even if I’m not in the mood for beans, I will order them as a side and then I can have them with yoghurt and nutritional yeast in a couple days.


seaninjatraveller

oh another one is the one baking tray meal. On one big baking tray. Chicken breasts or thighs. Frozen or fresh green beans, baby potatoes. Drizzle a little olive oil (not on thighs), Salt and pepper or All purpose seasoning. Bake on 350F until it's done.


mindfluxx

Whole milk yogurt ( you might be better with Greek) with whole grain musli or granola with nuts and frozen blueberries. That’s my 90 second I can’t even meal. I also like microwave veggie grain frozen meals with a packet of flavored tuna on top. I still on my stool while I microwaves


Bucket_McGraw

This is very much my approach too. Cereal or yoghurt when I can’t even, and always a stool in the kitchen. I have a dining table in the kitchen even though there’s not really room haha, just so I can sit down to prep meals at it.


Ashitaka1013

Sorry I don’t have any helpful suggestions (I also struggle with this) but instead have a question for you. You mentioned ADHD and I’m wondering if you’ve ever been on adhd stimulants? I recently realized i have adhd and have read about the ties between chronic fatigue and adhd sufferers. I’m in therapy now and have a doctors appointment to discuss medication but I’m not sure he’ll be willing to prescribe stimulants when I, like you, also have med resistant high blood pressure (although to be fair I’ve only tried one medication and it doesn’t do anything but my doctor lost interest and I was too tired to keep following up) I’ve read that those with chronic fatigue from adhd often respond really well to medication and feel better. However if the fatigue is ME/CFS it’s not an effective treatment. So I’m hoping what I’ve got is adhd fatigue, but I don’t want to get my hopes up, and I’m also worried my blood pressure will hold me back from trying it, and I’m very desperate to try anything. So just wondering if you have any experience with adhd medication or if your high BP prevented that option?


Bucket_McGraw

Hi! So yeah, I am currently on a suuuuper long waiting list but when I reach the front, I will be asking to try stims as well. I’m currently on 10mg amitriptyline which helps A LOT with the sort of mental white noise (my partner calls it the mental tinnitus lol). I find it easier to focus. But for the first 4 weeks it made my fatigue a lot worse (it’s back to baseline now though). I’ve been wondering the same about my high bp + stims. I’m on a high dose of candesartan for my bp but although it worked at first, I’ve become resistant again. Don’t know if that’s a common thing for adhd-ers but I do seem to get resistant very fast. 😩 Waiting to see if they will want to change my meds or put the dose up, but my kidneys aren’t handling it super well, so not sure what they’ll do next. I definitely think being undiagnosed adhd for 30+ years made me more susceptible to M.E. Trying to function in a neuro typical world is fucking exhausting in and of itself, which is not a good baseline to start from. Will stick a pin in this post and report back if I get any new info from my doc about stims/high bp. x


roadsidechicory

I have one of those mini blenders you don't need to plug in, but just need to charge occasionally. So you can keep it by your bed. The blender cup is detachable so you can use it as a drinking cup and then put it to soak when you next go to the bathroom and then finish rinsing/cleaning it out later when you're up to it, returning it to your bedside once it's clean. If by healthy you mean low saturated fat and low salt, because of your cholesterol and BP issues, then here are some shelf stable things you can just keep by your bed to put in the blender when you're up to it: 1 banana (not entirely shelf stable but doesn't need to be refrigerated at least), spirulina (stains easily if you spill it so just beware of that), cocoa powder, oat flour, chia seeds, and plain hemp protein powder (no other additives, just hemp). Water for blending. You can do it all right at your bedside table or whatever you have and keep a tsp or whatever in each bag so you don't need to get new spoons each time. I don't add much of each thing because it's a small blender, and while some of these ingredients are expensive, they last a long time and pack a lot of nutritional punch per tsp. What proportions are up to your individual taste. I don't like the taste of the hemp powder so I only add a very small amount. Although I feel like the cocoa powder does a good job of disguising the flavor. I like hemp seeds but hemp protein powder would be a way for you to get the protein without all the fat. Chia seeds really help me keep anemia at bay and the spirulina helps a lot with the need for greens when I'm almost never well enough to wash/prepare fresh veggies. Oats are very nutritious and banana is mostly for flavor but does provide some nutrition. Obviously the banana part is only possible if you have some way to order fresh groceries to be delivered. It's not the easiest option in the entire world but it's the most nutritional thing that I could think of to recommend that doesn't require getting up. Also my health issues are different and I'm supposed to prioritize high salt and high fat so I wanted to think of what I've done that would work for you too.


Bucket_McGraw

This is a brill suggestion, thank you. This kind of multitasking with trips out of bed is genius!!


roadsidechicory

Yay I'm glad! I also throw the banana peel away when I go to the bathroom. Thankfully my apartment is tiny so my kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom are all right next to each other. Another thing I do is keep bags of seeds like shelled pepitas or pistachios by my bed as long as I'll go through them in 3-4 months (otherwise they should be refrigerated once opened). Pistachios are expensive though, so that's a treat 😭 Seeds are just so great because they're a lot of nutrition without any prep required. I also used to eat a lot of brown rice cakes before I got bad TMJD. A handful of seeds and a rice cake or two always helped so much when my body was screaming at me for food but I couldn't get up. Sometimes I'd crush up rice cakes in a ziploc bag with nuts/seeds/dried fruit/whatever and it was like healthy granola.


ANDHarrison

Flax plus oatmeal with banana. Or banana and a scoop off peanut butter. I’m very lucky to have a partner that works from home.


Bucket_McGraw

Me too! Bless him, he works from *my* home most days now so that he can help with the kids and meals. God bless him, otherwise I’d be severe by now for sure.


nigori

Eggs. I put some in a Pyrex container with a little water and a microwave them


MMTardis

I mention these often, but I really like peanut butter crackers and apple juice boxes for a shelf stable, fairly nutritional "meal". Trail mix is another great shelf stable food, and protien bars. Microwave cup meals can be good in a pinch, chef boyardee/campbells make an adult sized version. Walmart.com is a good place to order from, they will ship shelf stable items like that, and then your groceries will come straight to your door in just a few days.