The Quiet Struggle of ADHD and Getting Food on a Plate
Simple ways to eat on the days your brain taps out
Some days my brain wakes up with one clear goal:
do not let this man cook.
I open the fridge and forget why I’m there.
I pull ingredients out, put them back, forget I pulled them out, pull them out again.
I try to start dinner and somehow end up alphabetizing spices like I’m prepping for a cooking competition no one invited me to.
ADHD and food is a weird battlefield.
You know you need to eat.
You know your family needs you functioning.
You know future you will collapse if you don’t.
But executive function has other plans.
The Loop No One Talks About
The hardest part of eating with ADHD is not the cooking.
It’s the starting.
Starting requires decision making.
Decision making requires clarity.
Clarity requires mental fuel.
And you have none because you haven’t eaten.
Welcome to the loop.
I used to shame myself for this.
I’d think, I’m a grown adult with a career, a mortgage, and a family that needs me. Why does feeding myself feel like a boss fight I can’t win?
Then I learned something important:
My brain isn’t broken.
It’s overloaded.
And overloaded brains don’t cook.
They survive.
When you’re juggling work, parenting, and a household, the mental load becomes a second job.
And food is often the first thing that breaks under the weight.
Tiny Helpers That Saved Me
These aren’t recipes. They’re shortcuts.
Little ways to skip the mental gymnastics and get straight to the part where food happens.
1. The Two Item Rule
If I can’t decide what to make, I tell myself: just pick two items you can combine.
Eggs + toast.
Bagel + ham.
Rice + veggies.
Two is doable. Two unlocks momentum.
2. The One Pan Trick
Any time I feel frozen, I grab a sheet pan or skillet and throw things on it.
Season. Cook. Done.
Less choice. Less cleanup. More eating.
3. The Pre-Decided List
ADHD has no memory for meals in real time.
So I made a short list of foods I can make on autopilot and stuck it where I can see it.
When my brain blanks, the list makes the decision for me.
None of this makes me a better chef.
It just makes feeding myself possible.
And being fed helps me show up better for the people I love.
A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way
This isn’t about discipline.
It’s about compassion.
When your brain is tired, hungry, or scattered, you need gentler systems.
Ones designed for days when the tank is empty.
That’s why I created The Offline Brain, my no shame guide to feeding yourself when ADHD wins.
Not a fancy cookbook.
Not a Pinterest aesthetic.
Just simple ways to get food on a plate when your brain is offline.
No pressure. Just support.
👉 If you want it, it’s here
Take the win.
Eat something today.
Your brain and your family will thank you later.