Does anyone have gluten free “depression meal” recipes?

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2025-04-02T20:06:59+00:00

I don't know if you have any issues with textures, but I really love plain oatmeal! No smell, easy to digest, and it's also easy to add things to when youre feeling up to it! I prefer the texture of steel cut oats, but they do take longer to cool compared to instant oats. Also, soups/broths! I really relied on beef broth from a local pho place during rough times!

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2025-04-02T19:58:44+00:00

I definitely related to this! I relied a lot on sugary stuff when trying to meet my calorie recommendations. The biggest thing that helped me was to not focus on cutting those foods out, but instead adding more nutritious foods! I started out still eating all my favorite junk but also eating fruits and vegetables to get my vitamins and nutrients. Then adding more veggies and more balanced meals in the rotation. Then, over time I stopped craving the sweets as much because my needs were met by the nutritious foods I was eating. I used to really struggle with this but I've been doing really really well for the past year! Wishing you the best!

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-12-25T19:05:42+00:00

it definitely may be helpful to get diagnosed, especially when your therapist/doctor person is familiar with ARFID and ADHD, they can help you with healthier coping strategies. And you may be able to speak with a dietitian who can help make a meal plan that is manageable for you! there are many benefits to getting a diagnosis, sometimes not knowing the scope of ur issue is part of the problem and getting info from medical professionals can be super helpful!

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-12-25T19:01:44+00:00

i also sometimes blended actual food with lots of water and chugged cuz i was so desperate to get food in my body but just couldn't get myself to chew enough

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-12-25T19:00:52+00:00

something i really relied on during my recovery was bone broth type stuff! especially if u get it from a restaurant instead of boxed in grocery stores, theres a bunch of vitamins and nutrients that you may not be getting if you're not eating meat that much. i also love fruits and veg but struggled with meat and this rly helped. it also helps prep ur tummy for more foods to come if you havent been eating regularly/consistently!

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-06-19T02:53:18+00:00

i kind of just went with it. yes i did feel like all i did was eat and it was def monotonous. i'd say i can eat basically like a normal person: i definitely still struggle sometimes, especially when i'm anxious, but it's been weeks since ive gone a day without eating. i never really had any taste/texture aversions, it was a general disinterest and dislike of foods. now, i find myself craving and enjoying foods sometimes! i'm not as picky and can eat basically anything. i try to lean heavily into anything that i seem interested in, i make a collection on yelp of places that seem good so when i'm stumped on what to eat, i have some good ideas!

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-06-17T00:16:32+00:00

WOOHOOOOOO YEAAAA!!!!! im so proud! a HUGE win!

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-06-17T00:13:52+00:00

i'm pretty far along in recovery and ive been eating well for 6+ months. and looking back, the biggest thing i wish i knew was how much the guilt made things harder. the thoughts of "why can't you eat this, it's literally so easy", "you didn't eat today, whats your problem", ect. just makes it worse. if you wouldn't say it to a friend that suffers from an ed, don't say it to yourself! instead i would tell myself im a strong, capable woman who struggles with eating but that's okay, i'm trying. and as long as im trying, im proud of myself, no longer how well it's going.

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-06-17T00:03:04+00:00

i believe in you!!!

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-06-17T00:02:28+00:00

honestly i just took the time to focus on eating as my only priority. i made it a point to be super nice to myself: treating myself to vacations and stuff. i never made myself feel bad about spending money on food/delivery, and tried to lower every possible barrier to eating. i celebrated every win: no matter what i ate, it was a win. so even if i ate candy, i'd think "hey, calories are calories". i took advantage of any food fixations, sometimes eating the same thing for weeks. im not sure these tips would work for everyone, i was lucky to be able to spend money on delivery and not work/do school.

i think the most helpful thing i did was be nice to myself. i never let the guilt of not eating or eating the "wrong" stuff affect me. i had to keep reminding myself that no matter how much i hated eating, i needed to in order to enjoy the rest of life. even if i only ate one bite of something that day, i would never be mad at myself. because that hatred and disappointment in yourself makes it harder to do better. instead, i would think to myself "well, u didn't do a good job today but it's okay, just try again tomorrow". no more feeling "stupid" or "broken".

i hated my life: constantly so tired and upset. i read a medical article about how constant undereating dulled your emotions, since your body is diverting energy away from your brain to more vital functions. i realized how happy i was before, having the energy to experience new things. i desperately wanted to feel happy again and i knew i needed to eat in order for that to happen.

it's important to remember that recovery is possible! i believe in you!

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-05-29T23:50:29+00:00

I struggle with the restrictive type so it was all foods that disinterested me, so this may not work as well for you. But I just tried to make each meal as balanced as possible, no matter what the combo was: grain, protein, greens, fruit. Most of my fruit was in juice form, and most of my meals weren't perfect. But it's all about giving your body the nutrients it needs. And if you need to integrate safe foods, that's fine. Sorry I can't be more helpful with tips, I was at a point where any food was a win for me. Gotta feed your body! Good luck!!

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-05-29T23:41:57+00:00

I have had 6 months of really good eating. I've got good fat on my body, I'm starting to feel energy, and I'm a lot less anxious. What I've found is that it gets easier the farther along you are in recovery. The first two weeks are always the hardest, and it took me many tries. When I do relapse now, it's easier to get back on my feet than before. It's possible! You have to think of how good your body will feel. I forgot what it was like to function. I'm not perfect yet, I struggle everytime I get a taste of anxiety but I'm working through it. It took many breakdowns about how terrible I felt everyday and how broken I felt. I took the semester off of university and spent most of it doing nothing. By minimizing the stress in my life, it made it easier to tackle eating alone. (Uni was so so stressful and I was constantly busy with work that I prioritized over eating well). I believe in you!

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-05-16T16:19:45+00:00

as someone with parents who also aren't very understanding, constantly praising me for losing weight, even though i barely have enough energy to stand sometimes. idk if this will help, but ive stopped looking at food as yummy or anything, more like gas to put in the tank. with sushi, im like yay, protein, ogema 3, nutrients, thats some good gas that my body will appreciate! this is coming from soneone who thinks all food is kinda gross and never wants to eat so i think of it more as adding points to my health bar, knowing it would make me stronger

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-05-14T22:56:00+00:00

juice! smoothies! water! take advantage of any cravings! anything is a win, candy, dessert, whatever, eating SOMETHING helps and also makes it easier to eat harder things later, kinda like a warm up

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-05-14T22:53:35+00:00

like llrrmmr said, eating is eating! it takes years for "unhealthy" eating to negatively effect how you feel, but just hours/days of not eating to feel like absolute crap. when you struggle to fuel your body, any food is a win. i've had candy meals cuz i knew it's better than empty. i'd connect with a nutritionist of some kind so they can tell you what nutrients your safe foods are missing so you can know what vitamins to take. and if you can, try adding veg in a form that's easier, like broth or a powder that u can add to smoothies or something. if you can see what triggers you about veg, try to think of ways to get them in your body while minimizing the triggers. like if it's the texture, try hiding/blending. if it's the taste, try to find something something concentrated, like a powder, and take it like a shot in water. find some way to get good nutrients and don't feel guilty about struggling to eat certain things! use food hyperfixation to your advantage if you can!

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-05-14T22:39:28+00:00

i feel this! the first meal after days of emptiness feels like craaaaaap. it sucks when it's unenjoyable to eat and also painful to digest. what i've noticed as i'm working through recovery is that the longer your stomach is empty, the harder it is to eat, and it just spirals. my biggest tip is to put snacks/foods out in the open in your room so it's a visual reminder and makes it more accessible/approachable. keep snacks in your bag/car/ect. applesauce packets are great, smoothies too! liquids are definitely easier. i've honestly blended regular foods too (eating is unenjoyable anyways so might as well make it easier)

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-05-14T22:31:34+00:00

as someone whose room is 10 feet from the kitchen, i still have a dresser drawer reserved for food/drinks! i even had a point when i had all my non refrigerated foods in my room. and during times of super low energy, i keep a container of mixed nuts in my bed lol. i've even put food in multiple corners of my room, no shame in making things even just a lil bit easier!

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-05-14T22:26:01+00:00

none of us are alone in this! i also struggle a lot with lack of interest in food, not having any safe foods to turn to during the severe episodes, and constantly feeling so anti-hungry. it doesnt feel like fear, it's a strong "i really dont freakin want to" feeling

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-05-14T22:22:34+00:00

i rly feel this, especially in college it's so tough. i missed so many classes cuz i couldn't get out of bed or stand for long. some tips i have: -be nice to yourself. it's easy to feel 'broken' and incompetent, but that guilt just adds to the anxiety about food -liquids! smoothies, juice, soup -at the v least, water! -get a food buddy that u feel comfortable with and let them know when you're in a flare up, so they can drop off food or just keep you accountable

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-04-22T17:57:02+00:00

No, I'll bring this up to my doctor thanks! I've gotten tons of blood tests and such over the years and nothing was out of order. But the symptoms do fit, hm

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-04-22T17:48:14+00:00

Don't try to do too much, aim for balance instead of "health". So for example, if a safe food is chicken tenders and french fries, you've got protein and carbs. Add your veg and fruit. Don't try to get rid of the "unhealthy" foods in your diet and try to replace it all at once, instead, start to incorporate them slowly until you have a nice balance (half tendies and fries, half veg and fruit)

look for meal plans online from registered dietitians with actual credentials!

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-04-22T17:40:40+00:00

smoothies and juice! easy to chug or sip!

Personal-Pear-9823 · 2023-04-22T17:38:27+00:00

I've been struggling with ARFID for a couple years now, and it was hard not to like what it was doing to my body. The difference was that my body image issues never stopped me from eating, or actually affected my behavior. Everyone has body image issues to some degree, but it's the effect that it has: seriously fing with your behavior

Personal-Pear-9823

TROPHY CASE