Food Difficulties

[HenleyMae]

Okay, I've posted about this before, but I'm really struggling with it right now. I have food difficulties. I prefer bland foods that I know will taste the same every time. I eat a lot of granola bars. I also struggle with fears of contamination, and have found that single portion foods are best for allowing me to eat. The amount of time things are in the fridge also makes me worry about contamination, though there doesn't seem to be a real rule, so much as that I just feel like I can't touch them when the idea of contamination creeps in. I also live in a super crappy apartment with an oven that sets off the fire alarm any time I turn it on.

Textures give me a lot of trouble. I can't do smoothies, or applesauce, or any frozen fruits. Vegetables are very hard for me as well. The best way for me to eat them is in ratio with starch and meats. However, I get overwhelmed by having to cook, so anything past throwing together a sandwich is very, very hard.

If someone has cooked something and puts it in front of me, most of the time I can eat it. But it isn't feasible to eat out all the time. Having someone with me to eat also helps, but I live alone. I'm just so tired of having to fight to get myself to eat. It's so much easier to just not eat until my body stops sending hunger signals, but I know rationally that I need food to function. I just don't know what to do.

My therapist tells me I need to try picking just a few items to eat each time I go shopping. I'm also trying to add in some healthy fats and proteins, like nuts. I would love any other ideas that have worked for anyone else.

Thanks.

 

[KevinMao133]

I’m the opposite

I overeat

In fact I have managed to save so much money, by eating pizza

I tried staying in shape, I can’t. I tried working out, had no energy afterwards

 

[Athyrium]

Oh my goodness, I am the same way and it really has been a struggle (with some different preferences). I hope some of these ideas will help.

I know you said sandwiches work for you so have you tried wraps? I find they're easier to make than sandwiches because they don't need to be balanced. Bean burritos with veggies I chopped up is a staple for me. Also peanut-butter honey, or peanut-butter jelly wraps are really good also. I got Adams brand peanut butter, it doesn't have all the additives that a brand like jif does, and you do have to stir a jar the first couple times you use it but it's so much better.

I don't eat meat but you could also do tins of fish or meat with chopped up veggies.

Cous cous is a grain that you can cook by just soaking it hot water (from like an electric kettle) so you don't need a stove and you could add veggies or meat or cheese to your preference. (I think chopped up fresh veggies with a grain and a protein would be really great in general).

Dried fruits are a good other option, tasty and store forever and you can just keep them in your cabinet.

A simple easy meal I'll have in warmer months is chips and salsa. I'll buy a bag of chips and a jar of salsa and eat the whole jar in one sitting so I don't have to refrigerate it. A fresh loaf of bread and a small thing of cheese is another example of the same sorta concept. A lot of grocery stores will sell cheeses by weight so you can just get a smaller one. I think a salami (the ones you don't need to keep in the fridge) could also work.

Also have you considered getting a slow cooker and making stews, soups and chilis? Really easy, just fill with water, chop up some ingredients, throw them in and eat when ready a few hours later. Hardly any cooking.

Something that really helped me was watching cooking videos and it would give me some good ideas on things to do and try the next time I would go shopping.

If you live in a city, do you have a grocery store like really nearby? You could try going more frequently and getting less things so you're not storing a lot. Just like get what you need for a couple of days and nothing more.

I hope any of that helps!

 

[HenleyMae]

Oh my goodness, I am the same way and it really has been a struggle (with some different preferences). I hope some of these ideas will help.

I know you said sandwiches work for you so have you tried wraps? I find they're easier to make than sandwiches because they don't need to be balanced. Bean burritos with veggies I chopped up is a staple for me. Also peanut-butter honey, or peanut-butter jelly wraps are really good also. I got Adams brand peanut butter, it doesn't have all the additives that a brand like jif does, and you do have to stir a jar the first couple times you use it but it's so much better.

I don't eat meat but you could also do tins of fish or meat with chopped up veggies.

Cous cous is a grain that you can cook by just soaking it hot water (from like an electric kettle) so you don't need a stove and you could add veggies or meat or cheese to your preference. (I think chopped up fresh veggies with a grain and a protein would be really great in general).

Dried fruits are a good other option, tasty and store forever and you can just keep them in your cabinet.

A simple easy meal I'll have in warmer months is chips and salsa. I'll buy a bag of chips and a jar of salsa and eat the whole jar in one sitting so I don't have to refrigerate it. A fresh loaf of bread and a small thing of cheese is another example of the same sorta concept. A lot of grocery stores will sell cheeses by weight so you can just get a smaller one. I think a salami (the ones you don't need to keep in the fridge) could also work.

Also have you considered getting a slow cooker and making stews, soups and chilis? Really easy, just fill with water, chop up some ingredients, throw them in and eat when ready a few hours later. Hardly any cooking.

Something that really helped me was watching cooking videos and it would give me some good ideas on things to do and try the next time I would go shopping.

If you live in a city, do you have a grocery store like really nearby? You could try going more frequently and getting less things so you're not storing a lot. Just like get what you need for a couple of days and nothing more.

I hope any of that helps!

I'm going to try watching some cooking videos! Thanks!

I'm also going to look into some slow cooker recipes. Thanks!

 

[HenleyMae]

I’m the opposite

I overeat

In fact I have managed to save so much money, by eating pizza

I tried staying in shape, I can’t. I tried working out, had no energy afterwards

Exercise is also very difficult for me, exacerbated by the not eating enough. I am trying to work on the idea that any exercise is better than none, so set goals as small as you need to. I read a study about how even lifting a weight once a day showed a marked difference from not lifting any. I'm currently trying wall pushups, assisted sit ups, and squats. I certainly don't push myself to the limit; today I did 15 pushups in the morning and 20 at night, 15 sit ups in the morning and 20 at night, and 40 squats all together. It took maybe 15 minutes, but I was able to do more pushups than yesterday without pushing myself to any pain.

 

[KevinMao133]

Exercise is also very difficult for me, exacerbated by the not eating enough. I am trying to work on the idea that any exercise is better than none, so set goals as small as you need to. I read a study about how even lifting a weight once a day showed a marked difference from not lifting any. I'm currently trying wall pushups, assisted sit ups, and squats. I certainly don't push myself to the limit; today I did 15 pushups in the morning and 20 at night, 15 sit ups in the morning and 20 at night, and 40 squats all together. It took maybe 15 minutes, but I was able to do more pushups than yesterday without pushing myself to any pain.

I seriously believe I’m going to die soon

I been battling obesity since 4. I suffer from skin problems and survived despite sustaining a huge injury

I will make diet changes as I want to give myself one final chance, before I say goodbye for good

Hard to do so when my budget is tight. Saving money is easy but spending is not

 

[SusanLR]

I find it easier to eat when someone is with me also.
When I am alone, I do eat at fast food places a lot, but I keep a minimal amount of food at home.

My appetite isn't great either and I've found simple foods like breakfast cereals or hot oats are good. It's repetitive, but I can eat it.

Sometimes I eat a salad for lunch or if I'm not at all hungry, a yogurt or canned fish.
Herrings, tuna, mackerel or salmon are good.
I drink a lot of water and green tea.
Keeping it simple seems to be the key.

Dinner is my main meal, and I may get a sandwich or pizza somewhere or it could be something like soup or even hard- boiled eggs.
I hate grocery shopping and write down just what I think I'll need for a few days.
I shop at night just before closing time. Few customers then. And the store is close to home.
Planning, writing it down, and keep it as simple as possible are my hacks for eating.

Hope something helps. And I don't like things in the refrigerator very long either.

 

[Outdated]

I normally eat quite well and I'm a good cook, but for some reason the wheels fell off of that about a year ago. I started living on fast food deliveries but that's expensive and I put on a massive amount of weight. I have since stopped doing that and lost the weight again.

What saves me a lot of mucking around is a flat bed sandwich toaster. A toasted ham and cheese sandwich is a favourite but you can cook a lot of other things in this too, frozen battered fish fillets, schnitzels, chicken nuggets. It does a much quicker and better job than a fry pan and is easy to clean afterwards. It also cooks bacon in seconds.

 

[MyKayos]

I find it easier to eat when someone is with me also.
When I am alone, I do eat at fast food places a lot, but I keep a minimal amount of food at home.

My appetite isn't great either and I've found simple foods like breakfast cereals or hot oats are good. It's repetitive, but I can eat it.

Sometimes I eat a salad for lunch or if I'm not at all hungry, a yogurt or canned fish.
Herrings, tuna, mackerel or salmon are good.
I drink a lot of water and green tea.
Keeping it simple seems to be the key.

Dinner is my main meal, and I may get a sandwich or pizza somewhere or it could be something like soup or even hard- boiled eggs.
I hate grocery shopping and write down just what I think I'll need for a few days.
I shop at night just before closing time. Few customers then. And the store is close to home.
Planning, writing it down, and keep it as simple as possible are my hacks for eating.

Hope something helps. And I don't like things in the refrigerator very long either.

Repetition is key for me.
“No, I don’t want something new. I want something I don’t have to gag down!” Me to everybody in my life who already know this.

 

[RemyZee]

I've had a lifelong problem with eating, in that I have very restricted preferences and can't eat vegetables at all, can't have my food touching each other, afraid of gagging. So, I wind up eating pretty much always the same thing everyday. It's challenging socially because as tough as it is to go out socially, people make comments or even get offended by my not eating. It also affects my health. It's not anorexia--It's literally the texture of most foods. I've tried all kinds of things but haven't found anything that works@

 

[elgat0verde]

Mushy foods
Beans
Tomatoes

Foods with certain strong tastes like garlic, I do love garlic bread but food that is too garlicky it's not good for me

I don't struggle much with food tho, It does bother me when food touches each other (like if I order a steak with mashed potatoes and the mashed potatoes are touching the steak)

 

[tazz]

Perhaps the texture might be a problem, but a pot of yogurt with nuts and dried fruit mixed in is quick and no washing up.

As others have suggested... cous cous is good as you just soak it in hot water from the kettle. Bulgar wheat is also cooked the same way, just soak it in hot water. So you can do both of those in the dish in you're gonna eat from.

Boil-in-the-bag rice is a favorite of mine. I buy the single-portion bags and mix in a can of fish like tuna or mackerel. No need to cook the fish. Just boil the rice in the bag for 10 minutes, tip it into a dish and throw on the fish. No mess. No contamination. I don't bother cooking a sauce with it or anything like that, so it's literally just fish and rice - nice and bland. Could probably work with tinned beans with the rice as well.

Oh yeah, that reminds me - tinned beans eaten straight from the tin. No prep. No contamination.

Rice pudding? Possibly the texture might not be good for you.

Halogen counter-top cookers - I have a friend who swears by it. Quick and cheap to run.

https://www.idealhome.co.uk/kitchen/halogen-oven-cheaper-alternative-to-air-fryers
That's all I can think of for now.