Creating an ADHD cookbook

It takes a lot of planning and remembering to make and eat a meal (and to get the leftovers back into the fridge.) Stimulants actually exacerbate this challenge because, while they might help me remember where I left my keys, they also make me completely forget to eat. My appetite all but disappears when I’m on them. I take my meds during work hours. The time for planning and making meals comes after the meds wear off. So not only do I forget to eat, I often forget to plan my meals for the week. Sometimes I can’t even remember to go to the grocery store on the weekend. So when Monday rolls around, I’ll be working my remote job at my desk, and I’ll realize I need to eat something late in the afternoon. I’ll go to my kitchen and find coffee, uncooked rice, olive oil, cookies… lots of snacks and nonperishable ingredients, but nothing I can make an actual meal with.

Working from home theoretically puts me at an advantage. I don’t have to spend money eating out or remember to bring lunch to work with me. But it also means nobody is reminding me to eat. Even seeing a coworker break out a sandwich might help me remember to have a meal.

And although I don’t feel hungry, I feel the effects of hunger. I have headaches, I’m losing the focus that the meds are meant to help me with…but I’m still not connecting these symptoms with the need for food.

By the time my meds wear off, I’m usually ravenous and I might end up spoiling my appetite with whatever’s around — like a bag of Oreos.

It’s not like this every day. I have go-to recipes that are simple and tasty enough that I can make myself eat them, even when I’m on my meds. But I want to eat better every day for one simple reason.. I’ll feel better.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the tools I’ll need to make this happen, and I’ve realized this is an opportunity for all of us who struggle with ADHD and eating to help each other. I want to gather ADHD friendly recipes and share them with others. Here are the qualities I look for in a recipe;

• Few ingredients
• Few dishes
• Minimal chopping
• Ingredients that last (so if I forget to use them, they’re not bad immediately)
• Some vitamins and some protein
• Fun to eat!

As I think about creating this resource, I want to know from my fellow neurodivergent cooks…what makes a recipe work for you? I also want to know if this resource would be useful for conditions besides ADHD. So if you have autism, bipolar, OCD, depression, anxiety, or anything else I’ve neglected to list, does the above list resonate with you? What other qualities do you look for in a recipe?

And just a disclaimer, this recipe list will have nothing to do with dieting or losing weight. It’s about eating when and how makes us feel happiest and most functional. And if you saw the bit about stimulants and appetite supression and think that sounds like an easy way to lose weight.. please know that as much as these meds kill my hunger during the day, it comes back with a vengeance at night.

Once again, if you have a favorite recipe, or thoughts about how to remember to eat, please comment!