It is a newsflash to no one that I have been in a cooking rut recently. It’s been reassuring to know that I am not alone and that so many others are majorly lacking in cooking mojo right now.
There was a night a few weeks ago where I was not only absent of inspiration and the motivation to cook but also any idea of what I was in the mood to eat. I turned to Instagram and asked in a question box on my story, “what do you eat on nights when nothing sounds good + you don’t feel like cooking.”
The answers were spectacular and left me craving everything from popcorn to nachos to cheese/snack plates. I thought that it would be helpful if I shared the list here because there are over 50 ideas for easy things to eat when you are ambivalent about food/cooking. I bet you can’t read through this list without striking a craving for something!
(One can never go wrong with frozen pizza, ice cream and wine.)
WHAT TO EAT FOR DINNER WHEN YOU LACK INSPIRATION OR DON’T FEEL LIKE EATING
- Homemade queso + chips.
- Popcorn. (Very popular answer and inspired me to buy popcorn kernels at the grocery the next time I went.)
- Eggs on or with toast.
- Omelet – very accommodating to whatever you might have in the fridge!
- Grilled cheese and soup. Add bacon to up the delicious factor.
- Cereal. (recommended…several bowls!)
- One skillet meals like rice, chicken and veggies.
- Pesto pasta.
- Snack plate. Example: cheese, smashed avocado, hummus, crackers. (And don’t forget the wine.)
- Empty the fridge salad.
- Green smoothie.
- Ice cream and go to bed.
- Tuna melt.
- Annie’s Mac…straight up or if you’re feeling ambitious add peas and tuna.
- Avocado toast. (Might I recommend the most addictive avocado toast ever?)
- Breakfast for dinner.
- Frozen Indian food from Trader Joe’s. (Solid. Especially served over rice.)
- Trader Joe’s Chicken Fried Rice with almond butter drizzled on top. (Interesting and not averse to trying this!)
- Noodles with olive oil, salt and pepper. (Can swap butter for olive oil here, and maybe add cheese.)
- Homemade Egg McMuffin or any kind of egg sandwich creation.
- Nachos. (Going on my menu plan as fast ASA-freaking-P!)
- Rice bowls with ground beef. Top with avocado and whatever random toppings that you can find in your fridge.
- Scrambled eggs in a tortilla. (Maybe turn this into a breakfast burrito or scrambled egg and black bean quesadilla.)
- ALL HAIL FROZEN PIZZA! If you’re really feeling fancy…add a side salad. Bonus points if you dip the pizza in ranch.
- Frozen vegetable fried rice from Trader Joe’s with soy sauce and over easy eggs. (Trader Joe’s coming in strong here with the frozen convenience foods!)
- A veggie burger patty. Optional to add some an egg. Serve with fruit.
- Crusty bread and good cheese. Have some crudités on the side to help you feel like you’re eating some veggies.
- Eggs poached in green chili. (Gonna need more details about this one please!)
- Freezer black bean burger on English muffin with avocado and chipotle mayo.
- Frozen chicken nuggets.
- Pancakes.
- Panini sandwich creation.
- Chips, cheese, bell peppers + hummus and wine.
- Yogurt + fruit parfait.
- Next level scrambled eggs: scrambled eggs with cheese, greens and crispy chickpeas and topped with balsamic drizzle.
- Thaw homemade soup.
- Hummus and pita.
- Apples with peanut butter and chocolate chips.
- Alexia brand tater tos.
- Quesadilla.
- Oatmeal.
- Grits bowl with toppings.
- Melted cheese on toast with greens or sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers on top.
- Canned soup.
- Chips and salsa.
- Chicken fingers tossed in buffalo sauce on a salad with lots of ranch. (Mmmhmmm)
- Pimento cheese sandwiches.
- Grain bowls. (FOR LIFE!)
- Frozen veggies thrown in a pan with fried eggs.
- Frozen veggie noodles + whatever sauce or toppings you might have on hand.
I’ll leave you with this: never underestimate the yum- and comfort-factor of a grain bowl with a runny egg. Also, never forget that takeout or delivery is an excellent option.
QUESTIONS
Your turn! What do you eat when you are lacking inspiration, don’t feel like cooking and/or don’t have much of an appetite?
What meal on this list speaks to you?
Lately it has been cauliflower rice with beans. Tonight I had cauliflower rice, simmered kidney beans, roasted sweet potato, and topped with plain yogurt. Last week was cauliflower rice with black beans and avocado.
As a single female who lives by herself I have most of these on the regular meal rotation lol. I support this post so much I rarely feel like cooking something complex for just myself. Honestly many of these can still be healthy, yummy and get the job done! Also got a few more simple inspired meal ideas from this post
You actually got me started on the trader joe’s gnocchi al gorgonzola. I saw some after it being mentioned in a post of yours and I have been addicted to it ever since. I have made a variety of one skillet meals from it. Frozen pizza will always be a winner. I have finally gotten sick of it though–well wishers from the community brought the hospital pizza by the truckload, so I finally didn’t want it any more. Chips and salsa or chips with cheddar cheese melted on it are also good. If I am feeling like something healthy–give me all the curry. I always have frozen veggies, chickpeas, coconut milk, and red curry paste in stock at my house, so it is easy to throw together.
Stovetop popcorn ?,,, savory oatmeal with fried egg ? and avocado ? on top, or Tjs cauliflower gnocci in the air fryer with egg on top and parm
These are such great ideas! Thanks for sharing. I cannot wait to make some of them.
-Kate
https://daysofkate.com/
I agree with so many of these! I live in Germany (German partner) and lunch is traditionally the main “hot” meal of the day, so for dinner we often do just bread/cheese/crudités or a quick meal like many on your list.
Black bean burgers that take 5 minutes to whip up and brown in a cast iron pan. I usually top with salsa and avocado, leftover bowls (grilled vegetables, beans, potatoes – anything works) with tahini ginger sauce, huge salad with apple chips and/or some interesting toppings, soup cooked in the instant pot, grilled cheese with tomato soup and breakfast (eggs, hashbrowns, pancakes).
Oh I need to save this list!
My easy go to is pasta with jarred sauce and a blob of whole milk ricotta cheese in my bowl.
I was thinking about how good the Trader Joe’s chicken fried rice with AB sounded… then realized that that was my comment (face palm)
“ice cream and go to bed” — my favorite and genius!
great list. as a single gal, i basically eat the same thing every night give or take, and eggs are always a go-to. such variety and so good! but all the bowl ideas… might have to branch out a bit. or popcorn always ftw.
Our favorite go-to is corn tortillas with melted cheese, sliced avocados, and a drizzle of hot sauce on top. Addictive!
Your turn! What do you eat when you are lacking inspiration, don’t feel like cooking and/or don’t have much of an appetite?
When I visited Greece in 2018, it was really popular to have yogurt topped with honey and walnuts at any meal. That’s my go-to when I’m not very hungry. When I don’t feel like cooking, I usually order from a local Vietnamese restaurant because the food is fresh and healthy. If I don’t do take out I will normally just throw together a salad with whatever leftover vegetables or protein I have in my refrigerator!
What meal on this list speaks to you?
The frozen TJ’s Indian food. I buy those all the time and just mix them with peas, spinach, and broccoli to make them more filling.
I sometimes I just have a frozen pot pie if I’m being lazy. Another one of my go-to’s is frozen homemade-style toaster waffles with a can of chili w/ beans and I add shredded cheese, sour cream and jalapenos for kick. Looks like a frito pie but has the crispy waffle absorbing the flavors on the bottom. Delish! (Frito Pie w/ corn chips is also a quick fix!)
Hamburger with a slice of raw onion. And tater tots. Didn’t know what to have tonight but the black bean burger reminded me of good old hamburgers.
Peanut butter sandwich or with crackers. Bonus: Satisfies craving for sweets.
Chalupas: Heat up a can of refried beans, smear on chalupa chip (most nowadays do not need crisping in the oven), add any leftover cooked meat, sprinkle with cheese, add sliced jalapeno, pop in microwave until warms through. Can top with shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa…
i need to save this list i was so tired one day and i decided to ask my youngest daughter to look for some easy tea and she found this website.
Trader Joe’s has the best avocados 🥑 I have one with a little black pepper, oven baked yam, red beets.