This week’s theme is about nourishing yourself!

We’re talking about food, focus, and how to make meals on “easy mode.”

We want to recognize up top that food and eating can be a tough topic for many of us, and our intention with this theme is not to say there’s “one right way” to eat or cook, but to share ideas to inspire you in your kitchen.  

If you’ve got ADHD or a busy schedule, it can be extremely hard to shift your focus to making a meal, let alone have the time to do so.

We might not all be able to get groceries easily — or we might genuinely enjoy or prefer getting takeout and ready made meals — so this week we’ll share tips for those of you who are interested in making more meals at home, more enjoyably and more quickly.

Yes, Chef!

Before we get into all of our tips, it can be helpful to understand yourself a bit better: what's your cooking personality type?

Whether or not you already like cooking, try to see if any of these "personas" resonate with you:

👩‍🎨 The Creative

You love getting to make something new from your own hands! Embrace where you can put your own spin on a recipe.

👩‍🔬 The Scientist

Ever heard of gastronomy? Making food is like a series of experiments and you get to eat the result. Get experimental in your kitchen lab!

🍽 The Foodie/Restaurant-Goer

How can you make your own restaurant for a night? Feel free to yell BEHIND while carrying something (even if no one is in front of you) and plate your food extra nice, just for you. Give your restaurant pop-up a name, too! 

⏳ The Clock-Racer

No time? No problem! Prioritize making meals that include an easy mix of your favorite ready-to-go ingredients.

Basic Bases

Today we’re going to discuss the concept of “Basic Bases.” 

First, I want to say: cooking does not have to mean you make every single ingredient, combine more than one ingredient, or even use an oven. 

So, what’s a base? It’s a food item that you like, and want to build on top of.

Some examples of categories for bases include: carbs, proteins, fats, veggies, or fruits. It could be something like an avocado, rice, or a favorite cheese.

When it comes to using your bases, try to prep ahead of time in small ways! 

• Focused Space member Debra Greywold recommends cooking 2 dinners at a time to save some time — future you will thank you for cooking today’s and tomorrow’s dinner tonight. 
  
  

• Try chopping veggies or cooking rice ahead of time to make meal prep way less daunting throughout the rest of the week. The rice can be used many different ways for lunch and dinner and the veggies can be mixed into a stir fry or eaten raw as a snack.
  
  

• Find basic bases that freeze easily for when you’re short on time. 

And lastly, there’s 0 shame in opting for convenient purchases like pre-chopped, pre-cooked, canned, or frozen ingredients.

Salad kits, frozen/canned fruit and veggies and canned soups are delicious and wise ways to make up your home-made meals. 

Here are some ways to augment your bases:

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

🧂 Can I salt or season it?

🧈 What fat can I cook the main ingredient with or add as a flavor on its own? (ex: eggs + olive oil or butter)

🍯 Can I add a new flavor that I have on hand to make it taste even better? (ex: citrus, vinegar, cheese, honey)

🔥 How easy is this to cook and which methods can I use (ex: microwave, crockpot)? 

Macronutrients

🥖 Do I have a carb, fat, and protein with my meal? 

➕ How about a veggie or a fruit?

🥒 Even when snacking, see if you can mix and match macronutrients (ex: Greek yogurt and fruit, or veggies and hummus)

Make Your Kitchen Work for You

If you work all day, it can be hard to nourish yourself or others — so here are some kitchen hacks that will help you.

If your kitchen doesn’t work for you, rearrange it to your heart’s (or mouth’s) content so that it is laid out the way your brain thinks about making food. 

You can rearrange one step at a time, starting with tupperware, moving to the pantry, then the fridge, then look holistically at how things are arranged and where they might be made more conducive to the chef you are, or want to be, in your home. 

If you’re neurodivergent or identify as ADHDish, there are plenty of kitchen organization ideas — here are three of our favorites that work for our team.

What works for our team

👀  Make things visible! Whether it’s food in your fridge or pantry or the kitchen utensils you find yourself using a lot of the time, put them where you can see them. If something is tucked away, it’s bound to be forgotten. Storing items vertically or in clear containers helps.

☕  Organize kitchen utensils and appliances that go together (ex: muffin tin and stand mixer or coffee maker + mugs) in the same area to make them easier to access when you need them. Arrange things how they make sense in your own brain!

🫙  Get storage containers with interchangeable lids in case you lose a lid or container — no need to waste time looking for matching tops. 

Shelf Life

Let's talk about shelf life!.

This is a big challenge for many of us.

It is hard to keep track of when you opened what, or how long any given food item is supposed to last.

3 ways to combat food safety confusion and reduce waste:

😵‍💫 The more stuff you have, the harder it is to keep track of your food and its shelf life. Professional Organizer and psychologist Laura Coufal recommends keeping only the things you truly use — this goes for your pantry, fridge, and kitchen stuff. Next time you grocery shop — ask if you really are going to need or use this item in the near future. 

🖊️  Put a sharpie and duck tape within reach (magnetized on your fridge even!) to add labels on stored items in the fridge/freezer to help remind you what’s there and the date you made it.

📅  If you’re more digitally inclined, put a calendar reminder on your phone of when to throw something out.

🗒️ Try a meal planner (some stick to your fridge!) or put in your calendar what you plan to eat. So if you’ve made rice + beans Monday night and have leftovers the next day, put in your calendar “Rice + Beans Lunch” at 12pm so you know what you have to eat, and when to eat it. 

Remember to Eat and Treat Yourself

This week we’ve talked about cooking, kitchen organization, and food shelf life, and lastly, we want to cover how to eat regularly — and treat ourselves, too!

Nutritionists who specialize in ADHD recommend scheduling meals and snacks every 3-5 hours to avoid forgetting to eat. Getting some nourishment regularly can support your energy and focus throughout the day.

If you find you forget to eat throughout the day, set an alarm, calendar event, or put a sticky note to remind yourself. This will help if you get into deep focus mode and can’t pull away to nourish yourself unless prompted.

You can also stick to routines to make sure you eat throughout the day — put a couple snacks on or near your desk. Snacks can’t replace meals though, so be sure to find ways to truly nourish yourself with a couple meals during the day.

And for those meals or even for your snacks, see if you can “zhuzh” or spice them up from time to time.

Try a new seasoning (nutritional yeast or chili lime seasoning on popcorn!) or get fancier than normal with something simple (for example, grate a lemon over your pasta or veggie!) 

Strategies to Remember to Eat

⏲️  Set an alarm, calendar event, or put a sticky note for reminding yourself to eat.

😋  Put a couple of snacks on or near your desk — the more visible it is, the more likely you’ll nourish yourself throughout the day.

🍽️  Don’t forget about making meals! The simple act of putting food on a plate and eating provides a nice break and gives your eyes a break from your screen.

🍋 Make meals more special from time to time — try a new seasoning on a snack or get fancy with ingredients you already have.

I hope this week's theme resonated with you, and inspired you to try something new in the kitchen.

Looking forward to seeing you in some Community Sessions and Wake-Up Calls soon — and can't wait to hear some of your strategies for making cooking easier, more fun, and less stressful!

— Bec, focused space host