For contexts, I have sensory issues with foods where I find it difficult to encourage myself eating as much of the variety. My diet isn’t exactly healthy and it tends to be processed food I eat which is often my ‘Safe Food’ as it doesn’t have a terrible taste and textures for me. Not the best but it’s okay-ish where I at least I have ate something rather than have nothing at all.
I want to try break that habit so I can try to be healthier as well as not worried about eating food with other people beside my family. Hoping it means I will reduce spending money on takeaways as it does eats my money as well.
May not be a ton of use to you but like someone else mentioned frozen vegetables can be a great idea. They’re pretty consistent in texture and size and if you struggle with executive functioning (there can be a lot of prep and steps in a meal) they’re great. I value convenience and simplicity a lot so my go-to healthy meal is one that takes maybe 40 mins but most of that is just letting it cook.
I have a cheap rice cooker, I add equal parts rice and red split lentils (they cook at the same rate), water, frozen vegetables (I go with carrots and onions since they’re cheap), a splash of olive oil, some spices, salt, and lemon juice just because I like a bit of acidity.
I give them a quick mix and let it go until the pot says it’s ready. I’ll also make enough for 2 or 3 meals so I can easily reheat some in the microwave later. It’s pretty cheap, easy, and in that one meal alone I’m getting 3 of my 5 a day.
Ricecookers are a blessing in this way
Definitely, even if you can’t afford a fancy zojirushi just a cheap one is so handy and works really well, I just have to make sure to wash my rice and lentils well so that it doesnt bubble up and make a mess
Totally! Plus anything simple that can be boiled can be made in a rice cooker too! In china rice cookers are often advertised as multifunctional, and they definitely are. Sometimes I cook meat in mine, when I absolutely have no time to stand and watch it cook whatsoever. Whoever created rice cookers is a damn genius, I’m so grateful to them 💗
Oh yeah when I was living in my uni dorm my rice cooker was a lifesaver, used it to cook everything! Rice, pasta, soup, even put a mini frozen pizza in and managed to cook the bottom and steam the top enough that it was reasonably edible. Was dealing with a lot of burnout and other stuff and just couldn’t deal with the chaos and unpredictability of a communal kitchen shared with 50 other people, so the rice cooker helped prevent me from wasting all my money on eating out and ready meals
The physics behind the cheap basic ones is really clever! no sensors, timers, computer bits. just using the laws of physics to cook and automatically turn off