6 Easy Meals When You’re Feeling Low

You’ve lost your mojo and you’re in a funk. Or, more than that, the constant drudgery of day to day life feels overwhelming. It’s one thing after another and you reach a point when you just want to put your hands up and call TIME-OUT!

I know that feeling all too well. I often reach a state of overwhelm and everything sends me into fits of tears. Even simple things like being asked to run an errand or respond to an email, become the final straws and I feel like I can’t cope.

I say this, not to throw a pity party, but to put out there that from time-to-time we can all feel when the pressure of life is too much. For some people this happens more often than others. Depression and anxiety can be kicking someone in the guts, even when they aren’t outwardly showing it.

When we are feeling down, giving your body the right nutrients can help to pull us out of that funk. There is growing research that getting a balance of key nutrients like fibre, omega 3’s and phytochemicals can help to manage mood, anxiety and depressive symptoms.

But, often the last thing you want to be doing when you’re feeling this way is plan and prepare ‘healthy’ food. It’s far too much effort, right? … Maybe not.

Here are 6 super easy meals that get you those key nutrients that can help with managing anxiety and depression:

1. Goats Cheese and Bean Salad

This recipe is so simple, it’s ridiculous. All you have to do is chop and boil the kettle. It’s perfect for when you really, really don’t want to cook, but it’s still full of fibre, vitamins and minerals.

2. Spaghetti Bolognese

Often when we are feeling low, we reach for something carb heavy, and for good reason! Carbs set off all those positive nerve pathways in our brain and helps us feel good (at least in the short term). However, if our meals are all carb then we can miss out on important fibre and nutrients to help our body feel good long term. This recipes hides most of the vegetables so you don’t even notice that you’re getting half a plate. It also makes a huge batch, so making this one night and then freezing some can be a huge help when you’re feeling less motivated to cook.

3. Haloumi and Mango Salad

Haloumi makes everything better (well, almost). At the very least it helps to make a plate full of vegetables more enjoyable. That’s really what we are aiming for! If you’re in a slump, throw some haloumi and mango into your shopping trolley and try something new.

4. Salmon with Asian Greens and Rice

Getting a bit more fish into your week is one of the easiest ways to boost your omega-3 fat intake, which is linked to a range of benefits for our physical and mental health. Omega 3 fats, while being helpful in boosting good cholesterol, they are also very effective in reducing the severity of depressive symptoms (2). This recipe can be made even easier by using a tub of instant rice. Try a brown rice and chia mix for even more omega 3s!

5. Toasted Smoked Salmon Wrap

This is another great way to include some fish and a quick toasted wrap can make for a very easy dinner as well as a delicious lunch. When you aren’t in the mood to cook and clean, the toasted sandwich press can be your best friend. Fire it up and see what other concoctions you can invent.

6. Toasted Pine Nut and Chicken Pasta

Again, a little bit of pasta can be a very comforting and an easy meal when you’re not feeling the urge to be ‘healthy’. Yet this recipe still crams in a lot of beautiful fresh vegetables. You can make it better still by using a high fibre pasta which will boost your total fibre intake and is good for both bowel and brain health.

It’s important to remember that your diet is only one piece of the puzzle. As one of my amazing friends’ put it, ‘there is literally no one single fix for depression and I can’t fix mine by eating berries or some s***’.

It’s true. Eating these meals won’t make you feel magical. But they are an easy way to care for your body and mind when you aren’t feeling great. Self-care is at the centre of managing depression and anxiety and that self-care looks different for everyone. Seeking support from friends, family and professionals is important, as is working out the things that help you feel calm and in control.

If you’re feeling out of your depth, reach out to support services like Lifeline and Beyond Blue.

References

1. A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression (the ‘SMILES’ trial) (link https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-017-0791-y)
2. Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in the Treatment of Depressive Disorders: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials (link https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0096905)