More Meals for Low (or no) Spoons Days
Need new ideas for low spoons meals (i.e. low energy and effort meals)?
In my previous post on my go-to meals for low-spoon days, I outlined different categories based on levels of effort and complexity, where meals can be scaled by how much energy you have and how many people you need to feed.
Since then I’ve had a couple more procedures and injuries that have left me immobile, fatigued, and/or in excruciating pain. I’ve realized how important it is to have food available that you can just grab and eat when you don’t have the spoons or mobility to do anything else.
In my desperate roving around my kitchen in my tiny wheelchair, a memory provided a flash of insight. It turns out you can find a bouquet of inspiration for low-effort meals by going to grad school in a STEM field.
Eat like a burnt-out physics student
Many of the twenty-something men I did my PhD with had aged out of diets comprised entirely of pizza and beer but were not necessarily dedicating a lot of energy to eating well either. As is natural, they discovered as they approached their mid-twenties that there are consequences for never eating a single vegetable or drinking a single glass of water, ever. However, like most men and boys in America, they were not taught basic self-care skills including cooking. In addition, getting a PhD in Physics or Engineering is time-, energy-, and soul-draining for even the most privileged.
Thus, here are “meals” I have seen, with my own eyes, real human men consume. At the time, I was highly judgmental. But now that my body has betrayed me time and time again, I appreciate the genius. In some cases, I’ve linked to specific products that I like with affiliate links* , but really this list is just meant to provide some inspiration for you to find what works best for you.
Many of these are or can be adjusted to be gluten-, dairy-, or nut-free, according to your dietary needs and preferences.
A bag of frozen green beans plus peanut (or other nut) butter
It had never occurred to me to dip green beans into peanut butter, but when Ben* spotted the deeply confused look on my face, he insisted that it was delicious, and assured me it was not a prank when he offered me one. Since then I have had Thai green beans with peanut sauce, and it makes more sense now.
A bag of fresh spinach and a can of black beans
These don’t strictly have to go together, since he did not mix them necessarily. Here are the recipe instructions:
- Pour your dressing of choice into a plastic bag of fresh spinach; shake.
- Open a can of black beans.
- With a fork, alternate randomly between eating spinach from the bag and beans straight from the can.*
- *He did not, but I highly recommend at least rinsing them first. If you need beans you really can eat cold straight from the can, opt for refried, such as my favorite Better Bean brand of black bean dip.
Cream cheese and carrots
You may assume that I mean dipping carrots into cream cheese, since that does sound weirdly good, but I do not. Max* pulled out a tub of plain cream cheese he kept in the lab fridge, and, standing next to the fridge with the door open, ate two spoonfuls in about 15 seconds. He then put the tub back and pulled out a bag of baby carrots. He carried the carrots to his desk and munched on them while he worked.
Quinoa and whatever else is on hand
One advantage of quinoa is the sheer volume you can produce relative to the time and labor involved, plus the high nutritional value. Quinoa expands three times its volume when cooked and can keep in the fridge for 5 days or the freezer for a couple of months. One of my colleagues identified this advantage and would cook a massive quantity once a week, mixed with whatever else he had– canned beans, vegetables, leftover meat, etc., to sustain him cheaply and with minimum effort.
Cottage cheese and anything else you want
I absolutely love Nancy’s or Good Culture probiotic cottage cheese, which is delicious, has a ton of protein, and has probiotics. The Good Culture brand is also lactose-free! Eat it plain a couple spoonfuls at the time straight from the tub, or add some berries, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, wheat thins, or whatever sounds good.
A protein bar and a sports drink
But ditch the bro-ey protein bars with a million ingredients that are hard on your stomach for my favorite Rx bars or something similar, and skip Gatorade or Powerade for a POTS-appropriate electrolyte mix
Remember that best meals are the ones you eat
I know that cooking and eating is one of the most energy-consuming things we have to do every day, so I will continue to note down varied ideas that can keep some joy and flavor in the experience of nourishing ourselves. Please share your ideas with me too.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you eat enough calories to have strength to heal. Beating yourself up about the quality of your diet will sap more energy than it gives. There’s no such thing as a “bad food.” I’ve tried to provide ideas that can be part of a balanced diet, but if you have particular dietary needs, struggle with food morality, or food-related mental health issues, be sure to check with your healthcare providers before making any changes to your diet.
Footnotes
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, but this program does not change the price you pay. All the product links below will earn commission.
*Names changed to protect the guilty
