Microwave Meals | ADHD Burnout Ideas — grapes lauren (2024)

the backbone of my adhd kitchen

When my mind is toast, I'm exhausted, and there's no way I'm gonna spend more than 5 minutes making something to eat, you bet I'm throwing something in the microwave.

So let’s talk about the burnout friendly, (almost) no cook meals you buy in a bag/box/can. Specifically, how to combine them and how to turn ~blah~ foods into something better. Plus, ways we can keep meals dish-free.

Later on in this ADHD Burnout Meal Series, I'll have more suggestions for harnessing microwave magic. Like, using it to reduce oven cooking time by like 3000%.

Next time we’re talking easy meals you can make in the toaster. But for today, let's keep it simple.

Yeah, I'm talking classic TV-dinner-style. If you’re not already keeping frozen meals in your freezer and you’re reading this post— it’s time to get to the store.

The variety of frozen meals nowadays is honestly incredible, and most of em taste pretty dang good.

But there are some things to look out for. Firstly, I feel like a lot of frozen dishes are like "snack size", vs “dinner size”. So if you're trying a new frozen meal, you may be wanting more food at the end.

If that happens, you can always add some extra substance. I'll often throw in some extra frozen Veggies like Peas if a dish needs a lil more oomph.

If the flavor is bland

• Add extra Garlic Powder, Salt, Black Pepper, Chili Powder, or some other kinda Seasoning Blend

• Smother your frozen Burritos or Enchiladas in jarred Salsa

• Don’t underestimate the power of adding a Sauce or Dressing

I do gravitate towards a few frozen food brands— Amy's, Trader Joe's, Simple Truth, and Gardien— but just because they’ve got vegan options.

If that’s not your jam, you’ve got waaay more options out there.

Don't underestimate the power of canned Soup! Even if the flavor is like, whatever. They can be an excellent n easy start point.

All you gotta do is add some flavor enhancers like Spices or extra frozen/canned Veggies. If anything, just douse the whole meal in a good Sauce, Sour Cream, or Salsa to disguise the flavor altogether.

Also, there are more options in aluminum cans besides Soup and Chili.

I like having cans of Baked Beans or Stewed Veggies/Lentils around. Pair with some Pre-cooked Grain or Nooch Toast and you're good to go.

fluff up those cans

• Baked Beans & Rice: Grab a bag of pre-cooked Rice from the freezer/pantry and throw everything in a bowl. Microwave for several minutes. Top with Salsa or a good Sauce. Maybe even throw some Lettuce or Green Onions on top if you're feeling wild.

• Burnout Nachos: Grab a can of Refried Beans. Scoop some out into a microwavable bowl, then top with Chips. Do it in this order so you don’t have Beans all over your microwave. Microwave for like 1-2 min. Top with some Salsa and Pickled Jalapenos from a jar and you've got burnout Nachos.

• Bulked up Chili: Drain a can of Pinto Beans, Corn, and Green Chilis then mix in a separate bowl with a can of Chili. Add a teaspoon-ish Chili Powder and a splash of Salsa. Now you've got more Chili. Warm in the microwave and save any leftovers for later. Serve with pre-cooked Rice.

Okay yeah, these are kindaaaa like the canned meals above, but I think there's a bit more variety. Generally, they tend to be a bit heartier in texture and less water-based.

Dishes like Channa Masala, Curried Veggies, and Stewed Lentils are often available at major grocery stores and they’re delicious.

Toss in the microwave alongside a bag of Pre-cooked Rice for a pretty solid meal in only a few minutes.

If I had to choose between Bag Meals and Can Meals, I think I'd opt for the bags. I mean the added variety is awesome, but hear me out. No dishes.

You can microwave the bag, grab a plastic fork, and throw it all away when you're done. If you've got leftovers— fold over the bag and store it in the fridge for later. No dirty containers you're gonna forget about anyway. It's a dream come true :’)

Yay! Cup meals! Okay, so these meals are also potentially dish-free which is fantastic. We love that.

The basis behind cup meals is that they're generally gonna require you to add some sort of liquid to rehydrate whatever is inside said cup.

The most common options are gonna be Noodle-y stuff like Instant Ramen. I personally love the Top Ramen Soy Sauce flavor cup Noodles— specifically, the ones that come in the larger bowl that have the lil dehydrated Veggie Packet and "Flavor Sauce".

Another cup meal that's actually pretty good is Oatmeal— top with some fresh fruit like Banana or Berries and you’re done. Sure, you can get Oatmeal in the lil packets. But if you get it in a cup, you won't have to do the dish afterward.

There's growing variety of meals in dehydrated-cup-format. Look around, see what's available in your area.

And I know this isn't a cup, but check out some of the Dehydrated Meals meant for backpackers (REI, online, other outdoor stores). You just add boiling hot water and let it sit for like 15 minutes. They can be a lil expensive. But they can make an astounding amount of really good food. Seriously. Try it.

Lol, hear me out. These aren't gonna be the most exquisite meals. That's because it's just a buncha stuff thrown in a bowl in the microwave. But I swear they're good enough for me to eat when I'm burnt tf out, so I say give it a go.

how to throw em together

• Gyoza, Veggies, and Rice: Grab some frozen Gyoza, frozen mixed Veggies, and a bag of cooked Rice. Throw everything in a bowl and cook for like 5 minutes in the microwave. Top with a bottled Sauce like Teriyaki or Sweet Chili. That’s it. Flavorful mush.

• Microwave Baked Potato: Grab a good looking Potato. Give it a cut down the middle, but not all the way through. Run it under some Water and rub with some Oil, Salt, and Pepper. Throw in a bowl and microwave for like 5-7 minutes till soft. Top with Salsa, Chili, Sour Cream, Cheeze, or whatever else you’ve got around.

• Bean, Green, Grain bowls: Drain a can of Beans. Add some Beans to a bowl with frozen cooked Quinoa and some sorta hearty green like Kale. Microwave for a 2-3 minutes and top with a good pre-made Sauce like Tahini Dressing or Thousand Island.

• Breakfast Potato Mush: Throw some Tater Tots in a microwavable bowl. Add some frozen Spinach and Broccoli. Drizzle with some Oil. Maybe even add a frozen Veggie Sausage if you've got one. Top with some pre-made Cheeze Sauce or Shreds and microwave for like 5 minutes. Breakfast!!