As you could probably guess I love to cook! It’s fun for me and I love trying new things and mixing up new flavors. But even when cooking is your passion, life can make it hard. Whether like me you are struck by a sudden mystery illness that makes even getting out of bed a daily challenge or maybe depression over the state of America has zapped your motivation. Whatever your reason, sometimes life is hard and feeding yourself and your family can become a real challenge. I want you to remember that feeding yourself at all is success! When life is hard don’t hold yourself to the standards of when life is good.

We all go through different seasons in life, some easier than others. If all you can manage is a bag of chips in bed for dinner, that is still a win and honestly I have been there myself a lot recently. If you feed your kid boxed mac & cheese every day for a while, that is still a win, your kid is fed (and probably feeling like they are living their best life). Nutrition and a balanced diet is important but what is more important is accepting where you are in that moment and not allowing perfect to be the enemy of good enough. This hard time will pass, like so many have before and you will get back to a season where you can care about vegetables and health but for now, just feed yourself.

That said, I do have a few tips I’ve used recently to sneak in some veggies on those rare good days.

1. Make it in bulk!

If you find yourself having a good day, take advantage of it! Make a big batch of something healthy that you can easily serve for many days to come. One of my favorite bulk meals is a Power Bowl ! You can find my recipe through that link. This comes in very handy when you have very rare good days and never more than one in a row.

2. Keep it simple!

Feeding yourself doesn’t need to be fancy. If you aren’t feeling up to cooking but your digestive system if screaming for real food for a change. Slice up whatever vegetables you can find and slap it between a couple slices of bread. I love cucumber sandwiches myself, a little onion and chive cream cheese and BAM instant food my body will thank me for. Don’t love cucumbers? Use tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, spinach. Whatever you like!

3. Instant isn’t the enemy!

The freezer section of your local grocery store is a treasure trove of assistance in times like these. Frozen doesn’t mean unhealthy at all, it just means convenient. This has been the best trick for my household. I can slap a wonderful dinner together if I feel up to heating up frozen veggie fried rice, baking some tofu off and scrambling some eggs. Or my husband can throw a frozen pizza or some frozen fish sticks and French fries in the oven while I stay in bed. You may not know when a hard time is coming. It may hit you out of no where. So make sure your freezer is well stocked with convenient foods so you can take care of yourself, with one less hurdle.

If you, like me, are having a hard time right now… Whether physically, mentally or emotionally.
Please know that this too shall pass and sometimes just simply surviving is enough.