The new year is a good time for aspirational media so you already know my contrarian ass is talking about lowering the bar. What do you eat on a zero-energy day?
I aspire for two crispy sunny side up eggs but if I break the yolk while cracking the egg, I'll be scrambling them. Garlic powder, a teaspon of water, and a teaspoon of powdered milk (yes) is how I make my scrambled eggs.
Soba noodles drenched in sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil, and some teriyaki 🤌🍜 takes literally 4 minutes 20 seconds to cook and while it’s not super nutritious it is food that I enjoy and find worth starting the stove for
Really appreciate down-to-earth style, feels very authentic. Even how the ad segments are done ("paid to be mentioned") makes you feel respected as a viewer
On the rare occasion I do visit a sponsored link, it’s because the product is presented by the TH-camr in a similar way. I at least feel less worried that it’s a total scam.
came back to re-watch this because I have fallen back into a severe depressive state and was contemplating only eating the same cheap, microwave meal over and over again until I feel better (spoiler alert: I will never feel better if I do that). I cried watching this because it just felt so good to finally see content that is so genuine and understanding. when my depression is at its worst, I feel weak and powerless, but this reminded me that I have power to do things to care for and love myself and that is powerful.
I cried when beer and Wendy’s became the norm for me because I couldn’t be bothered to make dinner or I would just eat ice cream and then go to bed after work. I gotta eat real food 😭
That ending really hit home, I noticed it in myself when I started getting way into coffee and had an out-of-body experience where I noticed it was actually making me hate coffee because I suddenly had sky-high standards for it despite previously being blissfully ignorant and loving Starbucks. I still love learning about it, but I realized firsthand how expectations can be the thieves of joy.
I've tried to be really careful with this, myself. Coffee interests me but I just wanna grab dunkin on the way to work, and I know the same thing would happen to me if it became a hobby
I've been trying to manage my coffee standards since I got into making my own. I can feel the expectation creep, but I hope I never stop loving the cheap bitter, over sweetned coffees that were my childhood
I think I have pretty good mindset about it. When I'm at home I can enjoy my speciality coffee, but when I'm going to average restaurant I just take cappuccino or flat white and I still can enjoy it. . . . . Still fuck starbucks. there's no point of going there
I love the transparency in how you present your paid sponsorship. "they've paid to be mentioned at the end". It's so honest and straight forward, and sadly rare on TH-cam. Thank you!
I think it's also rare for sponsors to allow themselves to be mentioned in this way. Sponsorship deals often have very explicit rules on how the ad must be presented.
@@LoveYourself-318 I'm not an expert, I've just watched youtubers talk about the kind of sponsorship offers they get and what's in the contracts. I don't have any data on what percentage of sponsorship offers have strict rules like this, I'm just saying that the creator doesn't *always* have a choice.
Thanks for saying that. I was looking at other "low effort" meals and all the commenters were complaining about how performative they still were, which is what led to this list plus the rant at the end
I really like congee when I'm down low. Toss a cup of rice or oats in my rice cooker, add water to the congee line on the rice cooker and mushroom or chicken stock powder and whatever fish or meat I got in the freezer and let the cooker do all the work. Sprinkle some spring onions on top if I got the energy to cut some, if not it's whatever.
As someone who's disabled and has chronic fatigue, the plague of "no effort" depression meal videos that involve a whole bunch of prepwork, and cooking, and afterwards *cleaning,* infuriates me to no end. Thank god for someone who's made an actual no-effort video.
"There's no need to overlook presentation just because you're making an emergency meal." I wasn't sold at first. A year later, yeah, i've started putting a little bit of effort in dressing up my thoughtless lunches and it's always a pop of happiness. I'd never have thought about it !
0:22 Glorified fish sticks 0:46 Yogurt with jam or candied nuts 1:08 Smoothie with (all frozen) banana, blueberries, spinach, chia seeds, peanut butter and almond milk. And dragon fruit 1:57 Toast, tomato, salt & pepper. Opt: Pesto, basil, ricotta, mozzarella, rice cakes 2:27 Nuke a tater. Add butter, salt and pepper. 2:58 Scrambled eggs 3:03 Chicken stock, add dumplings, opt: ginger, egg, udon noodles, miso paste, chili oil, soy sauce. 3:39 Hummus from chickpea can. With Pita, opt: chicken, cucumber, tomato. Also Chili oil and sprinkle
4:25 - 5:14 I’d bet my bottom dollar that this was the most sincere, honest, genuine, and down-to-earth thing that ANY content creator has ever said. EVER. I will never stop loving your content, friend.
Real Talk: depression can make it so you have to PUSH yourself to eat food, so stuff like this is incredibly helpful (especially in the dead of winter when season depression can be hardest). Thank you for making this vid!
Or it can make you absolutely ravenous but lacking any energy to cook. That's my case with life, and goddamn was it hard to eat something nutritious, I actually opted just for delivery of some stuff to make sandwiches with, or straight up snacks
@@atriyakoller136Protein shakes might help you out. I like Premier (chocolate or vanilla). They’ve got about 30g of protein and I can down one in about three minutes with my coffee. It’s an easy way to avoid having to think about what to eat.
Two words: bagged salad You can sometimes find them on sale for like, two bucks, and they come in kits that have little packets of nuts, seeds, dressing, croutons, etc. The best part is that you can eat it immediately. When you've got depression, even waiting ten minutes for the oven to preheat can seem like too much work, so this is a huge plus.
Agreed but its important to be informed about your choice of manufacturer for those bags of salad. There's a recall on them every other month for Hep C, listeria, or fuckin AIDS if we wait long enough. Some of those salads are god-tier but just aren't treated with proper safety standards whatsoever. Several companies just issued recalls due to listeria contamination in their bagged salads, and listeria is a FATAL bacteria that you should be very wary of.
they always have the shitty white parts of the lettuce in them too, better to buy the stuff, have it in the pantry and just chuck it in a bowl with some fresh greens
the detractors here do have a point but as someone who has stocked up on these for the bad bouts of depression, they are a super accessible way to feel like you're balancing out the bad stuff (like the frozen burritos, lean cuisine, easy mac, etc that's your average depression go-to. or at least, my average depression go-to, lmao). Not to mention you can just eat it out of the bag. Not cute but hey, that's being real!
My go-to when I’m lazy is to turn snacks into a meal by making a charcuterie-for-one. Some chunks of Cabot cheddar, apple slices, pepperoni, and ritz crackers all arranged on a plate are technically the equivalent of grabbing whatever you can get your hands on, but putting them all on one plate and calling it “charcuterie” makes it feel more like a meal. It’s also good if you’re just not in the “mood” for a legit meal. It’s basically a diy lunchable. But I’m an adult so it’s totally different.
Me too! The local whole foods sometimes has remnant cheese wedges for sale so I can get a single\ two person serving of a super fancy cheese and feel special
@@javagirl98 I looked up abendbrot bc I didn't know either, looks like a German tradition that is basically charcuterie for a family to make open faced sandwiches. Apparently along with "fried bread" and "stuffed noodle," "cheese and meat on plate" is also a universal human meal.
@@javagirl98 It's just a charcuterie but some Germans somehow feel like they're the only ones who do it for some reason, even though eating bread with meat, cheese and other stuff is some of the most common thing in European cuisines.
I don't have depression, but rather chronic fatigue, and my pregnancy nausea is making me FEEL depressed. Sucks all the joy out of food. My family is eating out WAY too much and this vid is downright inspiring. I don't have to get fancy or follow a special diet. I just have to do one step better than I'm doing today. And maybe soon I'll take another step.
I really felt that ending. Also, my family has embraced the German concept of Abendbrot for lazy dinners. Basically, just set out some bread, cheeses, meats, pickles and condiments and make your self a meal. The key is to have this stuff on hand ahead of time.
Urg, I'm German but my Mum always cooked at night growing up, so I can't really have Abendbrot (or anything cold) without my brain insisting it's not a meal. Bummer.
@@summersmith8581 "Charcuterie" style meals are unironically one of my favorite things and make a great meal. Cheese/meat also can be fairly macro/diet friendly if you don't need a ton of bread/crackers.
To add to your 'tomato on toast' meal, I was brought up eating 'pan con tomate.' 1. Take a couple of tomatoes and grate them until you are just left with the skin 2. Take your tomato guts and throw them in a jar 3. Add some olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, chili flakes. Low on options? Just some olive oil and garlic salt. I'm not judging. It's great to have ready to go in the fridge, you can spread it on toast, add avocado, or a side of eggs. Or if you have crippling depression like me, you feel a little better spreading it on day old baguette that you were gonna gnaw on for dinner.
That's adding so many steps just to do a simple pa amb tomàquet: 1- get juicy, overripe tomato from the back of the pantry 2- slice in half, rub all over dried out (or toasted) slice of bread until you're left with the skin. That's already good enough. Add salt and olive oil, bam! Properly finished. Extra good. Want it with garlic? Cut a clove in half and rub it on the bread to taste before rubbing the tomato, or on the other side of the slice if you forgot. Which happens a lot. "Garlic salt" is way more expensive than just garlic and less common an ingredient. Toppings? Whatever you want, if you have something to top it with. Cold, hot, anything goes. No need to reheat that 2 days old omelet, just do a pa amb tomàquet cold sandwich! The moist tomato bread will rehydrate dried out hams and hard cheeses. Pairs well with that half pepper or half onion you had on the back of your fridge for ages, with those sad, wilted lettuce leaves you forgot existed. Shredding tomato requires you to have a clean shredder, a clean bowl, a clean work area... And energy to clean it all again afterwards. Plus some kind of (clean) tupperware to store it in, with a lid that fits. It adds so many unnecessary steps, when the basic recipe is literally the simplest, easiest, most versatile thing ever.
About 90% of my meals are 10 mins or less due to working in a kitchen. When I get home the last thing I want to do is make a huge meal with multiple pans. Thank u for this Shaq u a real one
this reminds me of the poem 'the laugher' by Heinrich Böll, it basically talks about how your professional life impacts your personal life, a laugher is paid to laugh at comedy shows but solem at home, a carpenter has broken cabinets, etc
My serious recommendation for depression meals is tabbed canned food cold. Sometimes nothings gonna taste good, you're not gonna wanna eat but you need to.. keep a few cans and some spoons by your bed, computer, wherever you're most likely to wallow, and boom. Within three seconds you can pop open a can and start spoon feeding yourself some calories to get you through it. This strategy has carried me through some really rough patches and brings me a lot of comfort at this point. A small reminder that things don't always have to be good, you just need to get through them. If anyone is reading this you got this, you're gonna make it through
Those cheap cans of Spaghetti and Meatballs go RIDICULOUSLY hard when they're cold. Keep a shaker of parm nearby? Heaven. Just don't get the beefaroni cold, it gets like, some oily chunks on the top and it's not great. Campbell's chicken noodle soup also seriously good cold if a can opener is an option. Just shake it before opening cause it also gets the oily bits on top, but it's thin enough that shaking breaks them down
I keep a basket full of immediate calories (pop tarts, some sandwich crackers, etc) next to my desk in case of full-on ADHD paralysis where I can't even go to the opposite end of the room to dig something out of the mini freezer and microwave it (which, to be fair, is a _real_ game changer if you've got the cash and space for it)
my halfway point between "gnawing on my hand" and "actual cooking" meal is frozen dumplings. 🥟 I buy them at the Asian supermarket, 2-3 varieties at a time, and pan fry a handful of each variety in a little sesame oil before adding 1/4c water and steaming them the rest of the way. takes
dude same, and sometimes not even that - i'll just microwave them and have them with a bunch of sriracha, don't care if they're soggy, just want Food in Me
Thank you for this. It encouraged me to take out some bread and peanut butter. Maybe I'll be able to eat some more after getting energy from that. But this was so realistic and down to earth it cut through the depression garbage for a moment, and helped.
Also just cereal with milk, not the greatest meal, but it works in a pinch, makes no mess except a bowl and a spoon and is super fast: pour cereal, pour milk, done
A bunch of cereals come fortified with a bunch of vitamins since they’re made for kids so this is a pretty good idea! I honestly like getting iron from my cereal
This is my go-to snack. Normally when I need a "depression" meal it's because I have a lot of work to do and very little energy, so the big sugar kick from a bowl of cereal really comes in handy.
Bonus: if washing dishes feels like pulling teeth, and I know I'm about to be eating cereal more than once, I'll just quickly rinse my cereal bowl after I'm done eating and reuse the same bowl for cereal until I have the energy to wash it
Very refreshing to see a truly realistic cooking video for once. All of the other "quick and lazy" meals need 15 minutes of cooking, half an hour of prep time, and a whole host of fancy ingredients at hand. This video is really just the "eating something is always better than nothing, si microwave a potato" kind of video and i love it
Honestly dude I really appreciate your videos. I don’t always (or even often) actually follow your recipes but your content offers more than just that. It’s ethical, thoughtful, efficient and I learn way more than just how to cook X thing. Thanks for being you and sharing it with the rest of us!
Hey man, I've been watching for a while, both as somebody who has been trying to get into cooking, and as a depressed fucker who occasionally needs help. I wanted to say I've always appreciated the straightforward, down-to-earth shit you're known for, and that I hope to continue watching for as long as you continue to post. This particular video hit home, so cheers! Have a nice one
i will regularly eat a whole can of black beans microwaved with two slices of cheddar cheese. it's definitely helpful when i'm depressed, but i also genuinely enjoy it.
My most common no-effort meals are -Sliced apples + cheese -Roasted bag of frozen veggies (I really like brussel sprouts or broccoli + cauliflower) Good w/ leftover rice -Hummus on toast, ideally with some greens or a sliced tomato -Fried egg on toast or rice -Plain cheese quesadilla
as someone who loves cooking but also suffers from depression, this was much needed. i can’t count how many times i’ve just had eggs & toast for dinner because i’m feeling unmotivated to cook.
Really appreciate how non intrusive you made the sponsor, making a point of quickly mentioning that they paid to have a mention at the end of the video and not just throwing the ad into the middle of the video like a lot of people do.
as someone who got really into cooking a year ago i can say that i have thrown my expectations for making the perfect looking meal out of the window. I care how it tastes, how many pots and pans i have to use to make it and if i can afford it right now. So 4:25 really hit home Once i noticed that i can make very filling delicious food and it just looks like brown/white/red goop, life got a lot easier
This exactly. I'm currently super into cooking and trying to elevate all of my skills, but accepting I won't ever be a top chef (not my profession) is harder than you would think as my goal was "that home chef status." I'm now only worried about taste and how many dishes I used up, I may attempt to "plate" my moderately looking food if I'm feeling up to it, but my food has never tasted better! My wife used to hate when I made tacos for a taco night, but now she says my tacos are the best she's ever had, which is saying something! That makes it all worth it.
I appreciate this as someone with depression and ADHD. Sometimes I'm just... not in the mood to cook but I know I need to eat. So this gives some good ideas for those days where everything is just too hard.
I love cooking, but I don't do it as often as I'd like because I've always struggled with motivation. Practical videos like these are very much appreciated.
I used to love cooking and going all-out on making each meal, but since developing ulcerative colitis my energy levels are cut in half, and there's a ton of foods I feel less comfortable eating now. A bunch of the stuff on this list looks easy to prepare and easier to digest for me, so I really appreciate this! Thank you so much :)
Comparison is the thief of all joy... that quote ran through my head the whole video. Especially that bit about food influencers. I would be eating the most perfectly seasoned home cooked meal that I slaved away at for an hour or two and feel that something was missing bc it didn’t look exactly like babish’s. So glad foodtube is moving in the direction it’s going - you, ragusea, and cheblowski really challenged my “cook from recipe” style I had followed for so long and gave me guidelines instead of a rulebook. If my obsessively picky 16 year old self could see me now, he’d probably cry over his PB&J sandwich with the crust cut off 😅 what a difference 5 years can make. Happy new year Shaq!
At the end of the day its all plating, and I actually always take time to plate my food in a way that makes me feel like i'm having a restaurant experience. Mind you, I make food for an entire weeks worth, so I'm only slaving away 1 day every week and the rest of the week, I just have to go to the fridge and put food on a plate. But still, it keeps me from comparing my food to others and from going out to restaurants bc I am proud of what's on my plate every time.
You skip over scrambled eggs so I'd like to suggest boiled eggs. Takes no more than 10 minutes of waiting and no clean-up as all you're doing is filling a pot with boiling water. A lifesaver for me.
I like to boil up a a dozen or so a week - then I’ll always have some on hand when I’m tired and hungry. (Plus you can chop them up and add condiments and make egg salad for sandwiches or wraps if you’ve got more energy.)
There are egg cookers that have a little dome and they basically steam the eggs. The timer is the best feature because it buzzes when it's done. No work.
Your points about realistic cooking at the end were so great. Cooking really is just about self reliance for me so I gotta stop beating myself up about it. Thanks king.
This is such a great, no BS video. Microwaved potatoes for the win!! I loved what you said about not foregoing presentation, even when just cooking for oneself. I think it’s especially important to make a dish look nice when we are feeling low-energy, uninspired, or just flat out depressed. Creating beauty, even if just with a simple EVO garnish, is a form of self-love and self-care. Thanks for sharing this!
Espinacas con garbanzos (spinach and chicks peas) is an easy and healthy depression meal, you can do it in like 5 mins. Also accidentally vegan. I like it with toast
My favourite super-lazy meals are chilli con carne from a can over rice, canned tuna mixed with mayo and soy sauce over rice, or super basic hot & sour soup (just heat up stock, chilli oil, sriracha, rice vinegar, freezer tofu, frozen fish balls, etc). Love the video! I always forget how filling hummus is
Honestly, the 'Sure I'll dress up this salmon most of the time, but sometimes I'll eat just this like a goblin, no sides' part of the video sold me on how real this is. Youve been where we've been. Much appreciated, man. Thanks for taking time to show some good foods that are good on their own, without having to make it a full plate. Sometimes thats all the energy gives. Side note, don't sleep on the scrambled eggs! One nonstick pot, little butter, throw some frozen hashbrown mix or frozen diced bell peppers in the pan to cook, then 2-3 eggs? Phenomenal. Great on a medium-low energy day
i do the wonton soup thing exactly like that ALL the time! it was a recipe on the back of a bag of mini Korean potstickers. they recommend baby bockchoi as well (which is great) but I've even subbed it out for cabbage, which I almost always have in my fridge! i also tend to cut up a clove of garlic. its so low effort for being so good.
Thank you. So much, seriously. Most "I can't cook" videos make me feel worse about myself. These seem like things I could actually do when I am REALLY going through it, (lowest of low moods, happens every few months for me). Thank you thank you thank you. I am bookmarking this video, and will be revisiting it plenty.
3:03 I do a variation on this that involves the minorest of cooking: frozen gyosa go in the air fryer at 360° for 8 minutes, then into the bowl. Chicken broth gets some soy sauce and a spoonful of sambal oelek, then gets poured over the air fried dumplings. And if I have some plain salted popcorn on hand (stove-popped maybe a day or so ago or from a store bag of this is a multi-day laziness), use that like oyster crackers in soup. It's my lazy comfort meal.
@@ashtree1917 Having hard boiled eggs in the fridge is a great way to have a snack or a breakfast ready in seconds. Salt and pepper is all I use on mine.
The dumplings and potatoes require no active cooking effort, just put them in a pot/microwave and wait til they’re hot. Making scrambled eggs requires cracking shells, whisking, actively stirring and flipping while they cook, and more cleanup due to multiple dishes and the fact that there will be egg residue and bits left behind in the pan.
@@ashtree1917frozen dumplings and potatoes are not more expensive than eggs, potatoes are actually much less expensive. And scrambled eggs are definitely more work than all of these.
"We can buy fancy ingredients as tax write-offs" I have never subscribed to a channel faster after hearing a single sentence. I adore your blunt honesty about what you do and how you do it. Excellent transparency and a genuinely helpful video too -- I'll probably start stocking ingredients used in this video for no-cook days.
I am also a patron of the tomato toast. Coffee and fresh fruit has become my meal when I dont want to cook 9/10 times. But I might need to go back to microwaved sweet potatoes, split and filled like a taco
Make cornbread --> cover individual slices in plastic wrap --> place those slices in a ziplock --> take one out as needed and heat in a 300F toaster oven covered in foil for 20 minutes
My depression meals is "whatever i can get on a toasted bread and heated in the microwave" I even sometimes toast an entire loaf to freeze it for later no-cook vibes, so far the top 3 would be; -Leftover almost-bas spaghetti sauce on toast (even made a version with leftover bit of chicken in a totally legit "uncrumbed Parmigiana chicken" on toast) -Ready-made chorizo ground tofu on a buttered toast -Using the toast, cut in strips to scrape up the sides of a jam jar Also; "Charcuterie board for one" Which means a bit of nuts, leftover cheese, deli meats if available, crackers from the very back of the cupboard, olives from a can, all nicely arranged on the cutting board i said I'd wash after the last time i used it which lends it a small taste of onion.
What I love about your channel is how you focus on self-care and Good Enough, and more about encouraging people to experiment and find things that work for them rather than having The Right Way To Do It (which usually involves too many steps and ingredients). And in this particular video, you being Super Real about having low-effort/depression days is just incredibly validating. I saw this particular video on a day that I especially needed it and I just wanted to thank you for being you.
taking some time to figure out the easiest recipes with the least prep time or ingredients was key to losing weight for me. I don't know how many times I ate microwaved black beans from the can with some salsa poured over top. seeing these recipes is great and will help me make some more emergency meals just incase I feel like binging sometimes. I never even thought about making hummus or roasting chickpeas before finding this channel but now it's my go-to on most days. thanks for helping me lose 30+ pounds and get in shape man 🤟🏻
I love plain unsweetened yogurt. I either add canned pumpkin, cinnamon and honey or maple syrup. For the savory I add cayenne, cumin, chopped chile peppers, cilantro, garlic and olive oil. It's really good with a poached egg on top.
I really like an easy egg salad on toast on the low energy days. Just boil 2 eggs for 6-7 minutes, add some grated parmesan, pepper, green onions and butter and then mush it with the fork. Serve on some toasted bread and voila!
my go to 'i have nothing' meal is an instant ramen hack i found from emmy made in japan. it requires an egg and some form of cheese which obviously may not be what everyone will have at this state, but it's very easy. you boil 300ml of water, add it to a bowl with the noodles and half the seasoning pack, cover in cling film and microwave for 1 min. crack an egg into the bowl, poke the yolk, cover again with cling film and poke holes, and microwave anywhere from 2-2 1/2 min (longer, more done egg). pull it out, add cheese on top, and mix everything together to make a nice sauce. if you have them, baby bok choy or mushrooms are a nice vegetable to pair with it, but i eat this even without those when i have very little in the fridge. it's super yummy and easy!
Youre one of the 4-5 creators that I can say ive been watching since "before they were popular" and its amazing how awesome and unique this channel is and always has been
I was skeptical because these "low-effort" videos almost never actually offer truly low-effort meals, but you did a great job. This is the first of your videos I've seen, but you've gained a subscriber! (And I don't normally do that after just one video.) Your presentation style is calming, clear, professional, approachable, and easy to follow. I'll have to check out some of your more recent work, as I'm sure you've only gotten better!
The microwave is not good for many things but one thing it does surprisingly well is make a "baked" potato. Don't thumb your nose until you try it. Close to the real deal.
My favorite no-cook meal is what I like to call "adult lunchables". It's basically little bites of cheese and crackers (and sometimes deli meat) interspersed with some combination of condiments, dips, fruits, nuts, chips, and cookies.
I love your "down-to-earth" honesty. My favorite line is when you said you'd be leaning over the coffee table eating. We can all relate to being in the situation you presented. That being said, thanks for some good "I'm too tired to cook and my food resources are low" kind of day senerio...we've all been there! 😊
I really appreciate this because these are DEFINITELY some of the meals I make. Had tomato toast yesterday. My dad always used to make me microwave potatoes (my boyfriend looked at me like I had two heads when I made it the first week we moved in together 😁) and a quick soup. I love a boiled egg, avo on toast ortoast with shredded cheese on broil. Takes a minute and done. A ten minute meal that takes a minute to prepare is pita bread oil on it some seasoning then prosciutto, fig jam, and parmesan. Place in a 400° oven for 7-9 minutes. I usually buy these ingredients in advance if I know I'm going to be busy with work or something.
- I make a bunch of rice when I have the energy, portion it, freeze it, keep plenty on hand. Reheats in 2 minutes in the microwave, very fresh nearly perfect taste & texture. Top with whatever I can (usually a scrambled egg + soy sauce) or just make a giant rice ball and choke it down while sobbing like Chihiro in Spirited Away. - Tuna salad. Or since I've stopped eating tuna, chickpea salad (drain beans, mash with a fork or potato masher). I add mayo, mustard, soy sauce, pepper, something acidic if I have it, crunchy veg if I have it. Serve on toast or with my reheated rice. - PB&J. It's got protein, starch, and fruit, hence a perfectly nutritious and complete meal... plus you can cut it in triangles - Cereal, frozen meals, canned soup, mac & cheese, ramen. Processed foods are not the best but they are better than hunger, frustration, and self-hatred.
Greek yogurt topped with frozen blueberries and granola is my favorite go-to. The frozen blueberries thicken up the yogurt and it feels like I'm eating froyo.
This is how I eat all the time because of 1) time mismanagement and 2) the sheer effort of shoving enough nutrients into my pregnant body spread out over 5-7 meals. I probably won’t eat any of your recipes, but this is giving me ideas to avoid monotony and less healthy snacking
Asides for depression, a lot of the recipes shaq shows us are also ones that are super ADHD friendly. They all manage to address the two main issues we run into where cooking ends up being super overwhelming and turns into a project for us rather than a means to feed ourself & also the sparsity of ingredients we have on hand from us forgetting to restock our fridges and pantries. Here are a couple of things I like to make/ eat at home: Anything on toast/sandwiches, fruit & cheese, raw veg & ranch dip, j kenji lopez alt's one-pot stovetop mac & cheese, instant rice & beans, hot pockets/frozen jamaican turnovers, smoothies, pasta, cheap af bag salad with w/e bottle dressing, kodiak protein waffles, krusteez's protein muffins, and indian potato stir fry with plain greek yogurt (before you say it's gross, tzatziki is just plain greek yogurt thinned down with cucumbers and salt 😂).
The tomato toast made me want to cry for just missing tomatoes. This summer my grocery store had delicious heirloom tomatoes for the first time, which means they were probably the first enjoyable tomatoes I’ve bought from there in over ten years. The tomatoes coincided with the best peach season I think I’ve ever seen, so probably twice a week this summer I ate tomatoes and peaches on French bread for lunch or dinner. Sometimes with an olive oil and balsamic dressing, or fresh mozzarella, but mostly just with butter and salt and pepper, and it’s its kind of unbelievable how blissful this “meal” was every time lol literally some of the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life
One of your older videos is also a great instant low-effort meal: tamago gohan! Zap rice in the microwave for 2 minutes, crack eggs in, half a tbsp of soy sauce/tamari, stir, and throw some furikake on top of it. Done!
@@Khyrberos A litlle bit, but not really. The yolk is comletely raw and the whites are slightly cooked, but still liquid as they're there to make the rice wet. If you don't like raw eggs than I'd skip this dish.
Finally a video that is actually in the same realm as my desperation/depression cooking! Loved this. My additions: boiled eggs; canned soup: microwave rice + tinned meat; cheese (...just cheese); pre-cooked chicken pieces in a wrap with maybe a cupboard sauce/salt; entirely plain pasta to be eaten with your fingers.
My go to is a bowl of instant mashed potatoes and I dress it up like a baked potato. Butter, sour cream, cheese, salt, pepper, bacon bits, freeze dried chives, and hot sauce. Low effort and very filling and tasty enough that it doesn't make me feel guilty that I didn't have the energy to cook.
Thank you for being a dude who does cool things on youtube that reminds people not to judge themselves against the tiny bit we see of people who do cool things on youtube.
Love these videos! Definitely gonna try the dumpling soup sometime! My local Asian grocery store has pho stock cubes and dumplings would make that actually filling
WOW. Never seen this channel before but your words about self improvement and comparing oneself to youtube video standards were INCREDIBLE. instant sub, love to see someone so in touch with reality.
One of the most honest, realistic, and practical cooking channels out there. Glad I've been subbed for a while. Keep up yourngrear work if it makes you happy! Because it makes us happy! All the best.
Man, I love your videos. I recommend them to my friends all the time. Recently I’ve been pushing the thanksgiving preparation video to help people increase their personal hospitality skills, but I think this might be my new way to go. Cheers.
The voice of reason. Also, I often find myself eating 2 scrambled eggs plain as well and once you get the hang of it I think it’s about also close to not cooking as cooking can be. My tips which I think anyone who can cook would turn their nose up at: I make sure to whisk well enough, put enough oil in the pan and get the oil hot enough so I can keep the eggs separated from the pan and flip them with the pan mid way.. they definitely turn out a bit overcooked but the most offensive thing to me personally with plain eggs if they aren’t cooked through everywhere, especially if I’m just putting them on a piece of toast and calling it a day. I have no idea if this will help anyone I’m no chef but hopefully it does
Another great yogurt option is mixing in some protein powder. Especially if it's unsweetened Greek yogurt like Shaq's using in this vid (same brand as I eat as well, haha). Throw in some chopped up strawberries (I prefer frozen, it almost makes it feel like frozen yogurt) and you've got a super solid snack. Low carb, pretty solid protein as well
Cool. I watched your channel awhile ago and always appreciated the no fluff straight to business videos. A long time later and hey, still doing YT the right way. Concise, to the point, no smash like nonsense and a forewarned ad that you put at the end. Quality stuff.
I have two modes of depression cooking: Either “What sounds delicious to give myself some happy brain chemicals?” or “Protein bars and coffee. And even the protein bar sounds terrible.” Stay strong, friends! ❤️
I just made the wonton soup, adding in bok choy, some shiitake mushroom, and sesame oil and WOW 15 minutes 5 star meal. My new go to for a satisfying, quick meal
Dude you are really a fun and inspiring person to watch. I keep trying to type the right sentence to convey the way I feel after watching some of your videos but I’m too tired and high so I guess we’ll never know whatever profound silly hyperbole coulda bean
YES this video is so honest!! So many cooking vids/ recipes are like "heres my lazy meal, it takes 2 hours prep, uncommon ingredients that dont last long, and 5 pots, 2 pans and a potato ricer"
You're like a top 5 youtuber because while providing really informative, aspirational content, you don't place yourself above your audience at all. Plus you're funny and charismatic as hell. Thanks for the ideas!
My lazy meal is -- Soba Noodles, Tahini, Soy Sauce, Honey, Eggs (minimum). The soba noodles take 3 minutes to boil, comparable to cup ramen. Meanwhile, mix tahini, honey, and soy sauce to act as a sort of dressing. Fry up an egg if you can muster it. Drain water and mix noodles with the tahini dressing mix, add the fried egg. Easy, quick, and cheap
You make me enjoy cooking in way only Kenji otherwise can. You have some of the most appetizing, attainable and healthy "recipes" on here. Also I saw someone else mention it on a video, but I also appreciate the transparency of the advertisement with it at the end and the disclaimer that you are paid for it.
My favorite non cook meal is (german whole grain black) bread with cheese. Might eat some washed cherry tomatoes straight out the hand afterwards. Not having to actually assemble the ingredients to a sandwich makes it much easier to incorporate at least some veg.
my lazy meal is 3 beaten eggs (fried) seasoned with salt & pepper, a small bowl of rice, and plain yogurt, with some raw vegetables on the side and a fruit.
The new year is a good time for aspirational media so you already know my contrarian ass is talking about lowering the bar. What do you eat on a zero-energy day?
Sleep
I aspire for two crispy sunny side up eggs but if I break the yolk while cracking the egg, I'll be scrambling them. Garlic powder, a teaspon of water, and a teaspoon of powdered milk (yes) is how I make my scrambled eggs.
Soba noodles drenched in sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil, and some teriyaki 🤌🍜 takes literally 4 minutes 20 seconds to cook and while it’s not super nutritious it is food that I enjoy and find worth starting the stove for
Migas. Fry corn tortilla pieces until crispy add in a couple eggs and scramble. Eat with whatever condiments you like.
Pasta with butter and parmesan cheese
Really appreciate down-to-earth style, feels very authentic. Even how the ad segments are done ("paid to be mentioned") makes you feel respected as a viewer
homies one of the, if not the, best no-bullshit youtubers.
We’re all here cuz of daddy Shaq’s respect
i came here to say exactly the same about the "paid to be mentioned" part. Really like it, never skip netshaq's sponsorships.
Shaq is a real one. Much love
On the rare occasion I do visit a sponsored link, it’s because the product is presented by the TH-camr in a similar way. I at least feel less worried that it’s a total scam.
came back to re-watch this because I have fallen back into a severe depressive state and was contemplating only eating the same cheap, microwave meal over and over again until I feel better (spoiler alert: I will never feel better if I do that). I cried watching this because it just felt so good to finally see content that is so genuine and understanding. when my depression is at its worst, I feel weak and powerless, but this reminded me that I have power to do things to care for and love myself and that is powerful.
Carrots and peanut butter are added to the list.
I cried when beer and Wendy’s became the norm for me because I couldn’t be bothered to make dinner or I would just eat ice cream and then go to bed after work. I gotta eat real food 😭
Hope you are doing better now friend 💜
Only you know what you're going through. Take care of yourself.
That ending really hit home, I noticed it in myself when I started getting way into coffee and had an out-of-body experience where I noticed it was actually making me hate coffee because I suddenly had sky-high standards for it despite previously being blissfully ignorant and loving Starbucks. I still love learning about it, but I realized firsthand how expectations can be the thieves of joy.
Hyperfixation Homies 🤝
I've tried to be really careful with this, myself. Coffee interests me but I just wanna grab dunkin on the way to work, and I know the same thing would happen to me if it became a hobby
I've been trying to manage my coffee standards since I got into making my own. I can feel the expectation creep, but I hope I never stop loving the cheap bitter, over sweetned coffees that were my childhood
@@Crazetex Tbh, I've come to enjoy fine coffee, but nothing hits better than a large iced Dunkin'!
I think I have pretty good mindset about it. When I'm at home I can enjoy my speciality coffee, but when I'm going to average restaurant I just take cappuccino or flat white and I still can enjoy it.
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Still fuck starbucks. there's no point of going there
I love the transparency in how you present your paid sponsorship. "they've paid to be mentioned at the end". It's so honest and straight forward, and sadly rare on TH-cam. Thank you!
I think it's also rare for sponsors to allow themselves to be mentioned in this way. Sponsorship deals often have very explicit rules on how the ad must be presented.
@@LoveYourself-318 I'm not an expert, I've just watched youtubers talk about the kind of sponsorship offers they get and what's in the contracts. I don't have any data on what percentage of sponsorship offers have strict rules like this, I'm just saying that the creator doesn't *always* have a choice.
@@LoveYourself-318Why did you say this?
@@tarotaro6478lol og, he get knocked tf out he said that to me. Slapped hard as fuck
@@extremea7974 This confuses me
This is the first “depression meal” video I’ve ever seen that actually seems possible when in a depression pit. Amazing
Thanks for saying that. I was looking at other "low effort" meals and all the commenters were complaining about how performative they still were, which is what led to this list plus the rant at the end
My depression meal is whatever's closest on Uber Eats 😏
I really like congee when I'm down low. Toss a cup of rice or oats in my rice cooker, add water to the congee line on the rice cooker and mushroom or chicken stock powder and whatever fish or meat I got in the freezer and let the cooker do all the work. Sprinkle some spring onions on top if I got the energy to cut some, if not it's whatever.
@@johannesruf5903 sounds good
whattup nabeel
As someone who's disabled and has chronic fatigue, the plague of "no effort" depression meal videos that involve a whole bunch of prepwork, and cooking, and afterwards *cleaning,* infuriates me to no end. Thank god for someone who's made an actual no-effort video.
You could try to make a realistic version of what's shown in some Life of Boris videos
He's less than a god, more than a man, but still humble enough to microwave potatoes. Legend
That's maybe the best definition of legend.
God loves you!✝️🩸🕊️🙏
"There's no need to overlook presentation just because you're making an emergency meal."
I wasn't sold at first. A year later, yeah, i've started putting a little bit of effort in dressing up my thoughtless lunches and it's always a pop of happiness. I'd never have thought about it !
Good for you! Make it special. You ARE worth the effort.👍
It makes my food more appetizing when I'm in a deep depression and barely have one.
0:22 Glorified fish sticks
0:46 Yogurt with jam or candied nuts
1:08 Smoothie with (all frozen) banana, blueberries, spinach, chia seeds, peanut butter and almond milk. And dragon fruit
1:57 Toast, tomato, salt & pepper. Opt: Pesto, basil, ricotta, mozzarella, rice cakes
2:27 Nuke a tater. Add butter, salt and pepper.
2:58 Scrambled eggs
3:03 Chicken stock, add dumplings, opt: ginger, egg, udon noodles, miso paste, chili oil, soy sauce.
3:39 Hummus from chickpea can. With Pita, opt: chicken, cucumber, tomato. Also Chili oil and sprinkle
Wow bless you
I’ll be referring to microwaving a certain food item with “Nuking a …” from now on
Thank you!
@@doursen common saying in Canada!
@@cg1906 common in Ireland too!
4:25 - 5:14
I’d bet my bottom dollar that this was the most sincere, honest, genuine, and down-to-earth thing that ANY content creator has ever said. EVER.
I will never stop loving your content, friend.
Real Talk: depression can make it so you have to PUSH yourself to eat food, so stuff like this is incredibly helpful (especially in the dead of winter when season depression can be hardest). Thank you for making this vid!
exactly, so often just remembering to eat is a chore, so I always opt for pre-planned meals or easy meals like these
have you been taking your D vitamin supplement, brother?
@@rodrigodealencar323 Vitamin D is way over rated.......
Or it can make you absolutely ravenous but lacking any energy to cook. That's my case with life, and goddamn was it hard to eat something nutritious, I actually opted just for delivery of some stuff to make sandwiches with, or straight up snacks
@@atriyakoller136Protein shakes might help you out. I like Premier (chocolate or vanilla). They’ve got about 30g of protein and I can down one in about three minutes with my coffee. It’s an easy way to avoid having to think about what to eat.
“Paid to be mentioned” is a very transparent way to put it, very refreshing
Two words: bagged salad
You can sometimes find them on sale for like, two bucks, and they come in kits that have little packets of nuts, seeds, dressing, croutons, etc.
The best part is that you can eat it immediately. When you've got depression, even waiting ten minutes for the oven to preheat can seem like too much work, so this is a huge plus.
Agreed but its important to be informed about your choice of manufacturer for those bags of salad. There's a recall on them every other month for Hep C, listeria, or fuckin AIDS if we wait long enough. Some of those salads are god-tier but just aren't treated with proper safety standards whatsoever. Several companies just issued recalls due to listeria contamination in their bagged salads, and listeria is a FATAL bacteria that you should be very wary of.
Also lots of plastic packaging which sucks
they always have the shitty white parts of the lettuce in them too, better to buy the stuff, have it in the pantry and just chuck it in a bowl with some fresh greens
Those salad kits expire in like 3 days, not worth it unless you go grocery shopping every other day
the detractors here do have a point but as someone who has stocked up on these for the bad bouts of depression, they are a super accessible way to feel like you're balancing out the bad stuff (like the frozen burritos, lean cuisine, easy mac, etc that's your average depression go-to. or at least, my average depression go-to, lmao).
Not to mention you can just eat it out of the bag. Not cute but hey, that's being real!
My go-to when I’m lazy is to turn snacks into a meal by making a charcuterie-for-one. Some chunks of Cabot cheddar, apple slices, pepperoni, and ritz crackers all arranged on a plate are technically the equivalent of grabbing whatever you can get your hands on, but putting them all on one plate and calling it “charcuterie” makes it feel more like a meal. It’s also good if you’re just not in the “mood” for a legit meal. It’s basically a diy lunchable. But I’m an adult so it’s totally different.
Congratulations, you've discovered Abendbrot.
@@tissuepaper9962 I don’t know what that is
Me too! The local whole foods sometimes has remnant cheese wedges for sale so I can get a single\ two person serving of a super fancy cheese and feel special
@@javagirl98 I looked up abendbrot bc I didn't know either, looks like a German tradition that is basically charcuterie for a family to make open faced sandwiches. Apparently along with "fried bread" and "stuffed noodle," "cheese and meat on plate" is also a universal human meal.
@@javagirl98 It's just a charcuterie but some Germans somehow feel like they're the only ones who do it for some reason, even though eating bread with meat, cheese and other stuff is some of the most common thing in European cuisines.
It's not a Shaq vid if it doesn't start with a recipe and end with life advice.
How the heck is this comment 2 weeks old lmao
@@tylerpixel Video modification that caused the upload date to change? 🤷
I don't have depression, but rather chronic fatigue, and my pregnancy nausea is making me FEEL depressed. Sucks all the joy out of food. My family is eating out WAY too much and this vid is downright inspiring. I don't have to get fancy or follow a special diet. I just have to do one step better than I'm doing today. And maybe soon I'll take another step.
I really felt that ending. Also, my family has embraced the German concept of Abendbrot for lazy dinners. Basically, just set out some bread, cheeses, meats, pickles and condiments and make your self a meal. The key is to have this stuff on hand ahead of time.
If your Frühstück is basically the same as your Abendbrot you know you've mastered the German way of cooking
i made a charcuterie board as my "Friday night snack plate" for a solid three months during the panorama
Urg, I'm German but my Mum always cooked at night growing up, so I can't really have Abendbrot (or anything cold) without my brain insisting it's not a meal. Bummer.
@@summersmith8581 "Charcuterie" style meals are unironically one of my favorite things and make a great meal. Cheese/meat also can be fairly macro/diet friendly if you don't need a ton of bread/crackers.
To me that roughly translates to "what can I eat straight out of my fridge without so much as a plate"
To add to your 'tomato on toast' meal, I was brought up eating 'pan con tomate.'
1. Take a couple of tomatoes and grate them until you are just left with the skin
2. Take your tomato guts and throw them in a jar
3. Add some olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, chili flakes. Low on options? Just some olive oil and garlic salt. I'm not judging.
It's great to have ready to go in the fridge, you can spread it on toast, add avocado, or a side of eggs. Or if you have crippling depression like me, you feel a little better spreading it on day old baguette that you were gonna gnaw on for dinner.
Totally going to make this right now. Thank you!
I have to try this tomato recipe! So easy and it sounds delicious
That's adding so many steps just to do a simple pa amb tomàquet:
1- get juicy, overripe tomato from the back of the pantry
2- slice in half, rub all over dried out (or toasted) slice of bread until you're left with the skin.
That's already good enough.
Add salt and olive oil, bam! Properly finished. Extra good.
Want it with garlic? Cut a clove in half and rub it on the bread to taste before rubbing the tomato, or on the other side of the slice if you forgot. Which happens a lot.
"Garlic salt" is way more expensive than just garlic and less common an ingredient.
Toppings? Whatever you want, if you have something to top it with. Cold, hot, anything goes. No need to reheat that 2 days old omelet, just do a pa amb tomàquet cold sandwich! The moist tomato bread will rehydrate dried out hams and hard cheeses. Pairs well with that half pepper or half onion you had on the back of your fridge for ages, with those sad, wilted lettuce leaves you forgot existed.
Shredding tomato requires you to have a clean shredder, a clean bowl, a clean work area... And energy to clean it all again afterwards. Plus some kind of (clean) tupperware to store it in, with a lid that fits. It adds so many unnecessary steps, when the basic recipe is literally the simplest, easiest, most versatile thing ever.
About 90% of my meals are 10 mins or less due to working in a kitchen. When I get home the last thing I want to do is make a huge meal with multiple pans. Thank u for this Shaq u a real one
this reminds me of the poem 'the laugher' by Heinrich Böll, it basically talks about how your professional life impacts your personal life, a laugher is paid to laugh at comedy shows but solem at home, a carpenter has broken cabinets, etc
My serious recommendation for depression meals is tabbed canned food cold. Sometimes nothings gonna taste good, you're not gonna wanna eat but you need to.. keep a few cans and some spoons by your bed, computer, wherever you're most likely to wallow, and boom. Within three seconds you can pop open a can and start spoon feeding yourself some calories to get you through it. This strategy has carried me through some really rough patches and brings me a lot of comfort at this point. A small reminder that things don't always have to be good, you just need to get through them. If anyone is reading this you got this, you're gonna make it through
Canned Baked beans is always a fantastic option!
Warm or cold, I love me some baked beans!
Those cheap cans of Spaghetti and Meatballs go RIDICULOUSLY hard when they're cold. Keep a shaker of parm nearby? Heaven. Just don't get the beefaroni cold, it gets like, some oily chunks on the top and it's not great.
Campbell's chicken noodle soup also seriously good cold if a can opener is an option. Just shake it before opening cause it also gets the oily bits on top, but it's thin enough that shaking breaks them down
creamed rice !
I keep a basket full of immediate calories (pop tarts, some sandwich crackers, etc) next to my desk in case of full-on ADHD paralysis where I can't even go to the opposite end of the room to dig something out of the mini freezer and microwave it (which, to be fair, is a _real_ game changer if you've got the cash and space for it)
my halfway point between "gnawing on my hand" and "actual cooking" meal is frozen dumplings. 🥟
I buy them at the Asian supermarket, 2-3 varieties at a time, and pan fry a handful of each variety in a little sesame oil before adding 1/4c water and steaming them the rest of the way. takes
hahahaha I am chinese and I did the same thing 3-4 times every time~ Sometimes i just boil them. Even easier~lol
dude same, and sometimes not even that - i'll just microwave them and have them with a bunch of sriracha, don't care if they're soggy, just want Food in Me
so glad someone mentioned lao gan ma- that stuff is a godsend
@@pissclown the John Cena advertisement for it is also great
Yep frozen dumplings is my last resort baby, classic move. Those and frozen pirogies.
Thank you for this. It encouraged me to take out some bread and peanut butter. Maybe I'll be able to eat some more after getting energy from that. But this was so realistic and down to earth it cut through the depression garbage for a moment, and helped.
Also just cereal with milk, not the greatest meal, but it works in a pinch, makes no mess except a bowl and a spoon and is super fast: pour cereal, pour milk, done
i just had that for lunch! (Kashi go)
A bunch of cereals come fortified with a bunch of vitamins since they’re made for kids so this is a pretty good idea! I honestly like getting iron from my cereal
This is my go-to snack. Normally when I need a "depression" meal it's because I have a lot of work to do and very little energy, so the big sugar kick from a bowl of cereal really comes in handy.
Not filling at all
Bonus: if washing dishes feels like pulling teeth, and I know I'm about to be eating cereal more than once, I'll just quickly rinse my cereal bowl after I'm done eating and reuse the same bowl for cereal until I have the energy to wash it
Very refreshing to see a truly realistic cooking video for once. All of the other "quick and lazy" meals need 15 minutes of cooking, half an hour of prep time, and a whole host of fancy ingredients at hand.
This video is really just the "eating something is always better than nothing, si microwave a potato" kind of video and i love it
Honestly dude I really appreciate your videos. I don’t always (or even often) actually follow your recipes but your content offers more than just that. It’s ethical, thoughtful, efficient and I learn way more than just how to cook X thing. Thanks for being you and sharing it with the rest of us!
Hey man, I've been watching for a while, both as somebody who has been trying to get into cooking, and as a depressed fucker who occasionally needs help. I wanted to say I've always appreciated the straightforward, down-to-earth shit you're known for, and that I hope to continue watching for as long as you continue to post. This particular video hit home, so cheers! Have a nice one
The BDE of pairing a recipe sharing app sponsorship with a no-cook recipe video is exactly what I love and respect about this channel.
We couldn't agree more.
i will regularly eat a whole can of black beans microwaved with two slices of cheddar cheese. it's definitely helpful when i'm depressed, but i also genuinely enjoy it.
I can’t eat beans anymore because my guts are dumb and BOY do I miss vegetarian slop 😭
Man this is perfect for my current depression state, thank you so much!
new year depression hit hard
January weather: the coldest and darkest it ever gets
January media: wake da fuk up it’s time to exercise and diet and invest and plan and
❤
@@internetshaquille This is why I love your content, always spot-on.
My most common no-effort meals are
-Sliced apples + cheese
-Roasted bag of frozen veggies (I really like brussel sprouts or broccoli + cauliflower) Good w/ leftover rice
-Hummus on toast, ideally with some greens or a sliced tomato
-Fried egg on toast or rice
-Plain cheese quesadilla
oh man I almost forgot sliced apples and cheese, thank you
cheese quesadilla is a good one, can confirm. if you want to feel even more depressed afterward you can nuke them as well
Canned (microwaved) beans with toast is a classic
as someone who loves cooking but also suffers from depression, this was much needed. i can’t count how many times i’ve just had eggs & toast for dinner because i’m feeling unmotivated to cook.
Really appreciate how non intrusive you made the sponsor, making a point of quickly mentioning that they paid to have a mention at the end of the video and not just throwing the ad into the middle of the video like a lot of people do.
as someone who got really into cooking a year ago i can say that i have thrown my expectations for making the perfect looking meal out of the window. I care how it tastes, how many pots and pans i have to use to make it and if i can afford it right now. So 4:25 really hit home
Once i noticed that i can make very filling delicious food and it just looks like brown/white/red goop, life got a lot easier
Someone should make a channel called Good Goops
This exactly. I'm currently super into cooking and trying to elevate all of my skills, but accepting I won't ever be a top chef (not my profession) is harder than you would think as my goal was "that home chef status." I'm now only worried about taste and how many dishes I used up, I may attempt to "plate" my moderately looking food if I'm feeling up to it, but my food has never tasted better! My wife used to hate when I made tacos for a taco night, but now she says my tacos are the best she's ever had, which is saying something! That makes it all worth it.
ALL my tastiest meals are a brown goopy texture lol
I appreciate this as someone with depression and ADHD. Sometimes I'm just... not in the mood to cook but I know I need to eat. So this gives some good ideas for those days where everything is just too hard.
I love cooking, but I don't do it as often as I'd like because I've always struggled with motivation. Practical videos like these are very much appreciated.
I used to love cooking and going all-out on making each meal, but since developing ulcerative colitis my energy levels are cut in half, and there's a ton of foods I feel less comfortable eating now. A bunch of the stuff on this list looks easy to prepare and easier to digest for me, so I really appreciate this! Thank you so much :)
Fellow UC sufferer here, and I completely agree! The struggle is so real.
Comparison is the thief of all joy... that quote ran through my head the whole video. Especially that bit about food influencers. I would be eating the most perfectly seasoned home cooked meal that I slaved away at for an hour or two and feel that something was missing bc it didn’t look exactly like babish’s. So glad foodtube is moving in the direction it’s going - you, ragusea, and cheblowski really challenged my “cook from recipe” style I had followed for so long and gave me guidelines instead of a rulebook. If my obsessively picky 16 year old self could see me now, he’d probably cry over his PB&J sandwich with the crust cut off 😅 what a difference 5 years can make. Happy new year Shaq!
At the end of the day its all plating, and I actually always take time to plate my food in a way that makes me feel like i'm having a restaurant experience. Mind you, I make food for an entire weeks worth, so I'm only slaving away 1 day every week and the rest of the week, I just have to go to the fridge and put food on a plate. But still, it keeps me from comparing my food to others and from going out to restaurants bc I am proud of what's on my plate every time.
I'd cry over a crustless PBnJ if you handed me one right now, before devouring it like a wild animal.
You skip over scrambled eggs so I'd like to suggest boiled eggs. Takes no more than 10 minutes of waiting and no clean-up as all you're doing is filling a pot with boiling water. A lifesaver for me.
😮thankyou!!!
I like to boil up a a dozen or so a week - then I’ll always have some on hand when I’m tired and hungry. (Plus you can chop them up and add condiments and make egg salad for sandwiches or wraps if you’ve got more energy.)
@jenovella70 lifesaver tips thank you for sharing
There are egg cookers that have a little dome and they basically steam the eggs. The timer is the best feature because it buzzes when it's done. No work.
Your points about realistic cooking at the end were so great. Cooking really is just about self reliance for me so I gotta stop beating myself up about it. Thanks king.
This is such a great, no BS video. Microwaved potatoes for the win!! I loved what you said about not foregoing presentation, even when just cooking for oneself. I think it’s especially important to make a dish look nice when we are feeling low-energy, uninspired, or just flat out depressed. Creating beauty, even if just with a simple EVO garnish, is a form of self-love and self-care. Thanks for sharing this!
Espinacas con garbanzos (spinach and chicks peas) is an easy and healthy depression meal, you can do it in like 5 mins. Also accidentally vegan. I like it with toast
I didnt think about putting it on toast, thats so smart
He already made a video about that lol
greetings Julien
A can of chickpeas and a can of tuna with some olive oil and red wine vinegar is good too, but not vegan.
@@ChrisGallacher hi Chris lol
My favourite super-lazy meals are chilli con carne from a can over rice, canned tuna mixed with mayo and soy sauce over rice, or super basic hot & sour soup (just heat up stock, chilli oil, sriracha, rice vinegar, freezer tofu, frozen fish balls, etc).
Love the video! I always forget how filling hummus is
I know we've never met, but I appreciate that you made this video just for me
What do you mean Jason I’m right behind you
Honestly, the 'Sure I'll dress up this salmon most of the time, but sometimes I'll eat just this like a goblin, no sides' part of the video sold me on how real this is. Youve been where we've been. Much appreciated, man. Thanks for taking time to show some good foods that are good on their own, without having to make it a full plate. Sometimes thats all the energy gives.
Side note, don't sleep on the scrambled eggs! One nonstick pot, little butter, throw some frozen hashbrown mix or frozen diced bell peppers in the pan to cook, then 2-3 eggs? Phenomenal. Great on a medium-low energy day
i do the wonton soup thing exactly like that ALL the time! it was a recipe on the back of a bag of mini Korean potstickers. they recommend baby bockchoi as well (which is great) but I've even subbed it out for cabbage, which I almost always have in my fridge! i also tend to cut up a clove of garlic. its so low effort for being so good.
Thank you. So much, seriously. Most "I can't cook" videos make me feel worse about myself. These seem like things I could actually do when I am REALLY going through it, (lowest of low moods, happens every few months for me). Thank you thank you thank you. I am bookmarking this video, and will be revisiting it plenty.
3:03 I do a variation on this that involves the minorest of cooking: frozen gyosa go in the air fryer at 360° for 8 minutes, then into the bowl. Chicken broth gets some soy sauce and a spoonful of sambal oelek, then gets poured over the air fried dumplings. And if I have some plain salted popcorn on hand (stove-popped maybe a day or so ago or from a store bag of this is a multi-day laziness), use that like oyster crackers in soup.
It's my lazy comfort meal.
Shaquille: we’re not going to do eggs because that involves cooking
Also Shaquille: cooks fish, dumplings and potato
Hardboiled or scrambled eggs are easier and way more affordable than most of these.
@@ashtree1917 where the hell do you live where eggs are cheaper than a potato?? lmfao
@@ashtree1917 Having hard boiled eggs in the fridge is a great way to have a snack or a breakfast ready in seconds. Salt and pepper is all I use on mine.
The dumplings and potatoes require no active cooking effort, just put them in a pot/microwave and wait til they’re hot. Making scrambled eggs requires cracking shells, whisking, actively stirring and flipping while they cook, and more cleanup due to multiple dishes and the fact that there will be egg residue and bits left behind in the pan.
@@ashtree1917frozen dumplings and potatoes are not more expensive than eggs, potatoes are actually much less expensive. And scrambled eggs are definitely more work than all of these.
"We can buy fancy ingredients as tax write-offs"
I have never subscribed to a channel faster after hearing a single sentence. I adore your blunt honesty about what you do and how you do it. Excellent transparency and a genuinely helpful video too -- I'll probably start stocking ingredients used in this video for no-cook days.
I am also a patron of the tomato toast. Coffee and fresh fruit has become my meal when I dont want to cook 9/10 times. But I might need to go back to microwaved sweet potatoes, split and filled like a taco
Make cornbread --> cover individual slices in plastic wrap --> place those slices in a ziplock --> take one out as needed and heat in a 300F toaster oven covered in foil for 20 minutes
My depression meals is "whatever i can get on a toasted bread and heated in the microwave" I even sometimes toast an entire loaf to freeze it for later no-cook vibes, so far the top 3 would be;
-Leftover almost-bas spaghetti sauce on toast (even made a version with leftover bit of chicken in a totally legit "uncrumbed Parmigiana chicken" on toast)
-Ready-made chorizo ground tofu on a buttered toast
-Using the toast, cut in strips to scrape up the sides of a jam jar
Also; "Charcuterie board for one" Which means a bit of nuts, leftover cheese, deli meats if available, crackers from the very back of the cupboard, olives from a can, all nicely arranged on the cutting board i said I'd wash after the last time i used it which lends it a small taste of onion.
What I love about your channel is how you focus on self-care and Good Enough, and more about encouraging people to experiment and find things that work for them rather than having The Right Way To Do It (which usually involves too many steps and ingredients). And in this particular video, you being Super Real about having low-effort/depression days is just incredibly validating.
I saw this particular video on a day that I especially needed it and I just wanted to thank you for being you.
taking some time to figure out the easiest recipes with the least prep time or ingredients was key to losing weight for me. I don't know how many times I ate microwaved black beans from the can with some salsa poured over top. seeing these recipes is great and will help me make some more emergency meals just incase I feel like binging sometimes.
I never even thought about making hummus or roasting chickpeas before finding this channel but now it's my go-to on most days. thanks for helping me lose 30+ pounds and get in shape man 🤟🏻
How is your comment 3 days old when this vid was released 6 mins ago
@@Qwerty-fy6fx patreon access I assume :)
microwaved beans and salsa? do you have tastebuds?
@@JafacaksWasTaken Probably the worst video for a comment like this (even tho it's stupid under every video imaginable)
@@flobeck832 why eat slop
I love plain unsweetened yogurt. I either add canned pumpkin, cinnamon and honey or maple syrup. For the savory I add cayenne, cumin, chopped chile peppers, cilantro, garlic and olive oil. It's really good with a poached egg on top.
oooo pumpkin maple sounds excellent
@@internetshaquille Wow! You responding lets me know the future holds nothing but good, lol!
I really like an easy egg salad on toast on the low energy days. Just boil 2 eggs for 6-7 minutes, add some grated parmesan, pepper, green onions and butter and then mush it with the fork. Serve on some toasted bread and voila!
my go to 'i have nothing' meal is an instant ramen hack i found from emmy made in japan. it requires an egg and some form of cheese which obviously may not be what everyone will have at this state, but it's very easy. you boil 300ml of water, add it to a bowl with the noodles and half the seasoning pack, cover in cling film and microwave for 1 min. crack an egg into the bowl, poke the yolk, cover again with cling film and poke holes, and microwave anywhere from 2-2 1/2 min (longer, more done egg). pull it out, add cheese on top, and mix everything together to make a nice sauce. if you have them, baby bok choy or mushrooms are a nice vegetable to pair with it, but i eat this even without those when i have very little in the fridge. it's super yummy and easy!
Youre one of the 4-5 creators that I can say ive been watching since "before they were popular" and its amazing how awesome and unique this channel is and always has been
I was skeptical because these "low-effort" videos almost never actually offer truly low-effort meals, but you did a great job. This is the first of your videos I've seen, but you've gained a subscriber! (And I don't normally do that after just one video.) Your presentation style is calming, clear, professional, approachable, and easy to follow. I'll have to check out some of your more recent work, as I'm sure you've only gotten better!
The microwave is not good for many things but one thing it does surprisingly well is make a "baked" potato. Don't thumb your nose until you try it. Close to the real deal.
My favorite no-cook meal is what I like to call "adult lunchables". It's basically little bites of cheese and crackers (and sometimes deli meat) interspersed with some combination of condiments, dips, fruits, nuts, chips, and cookies.
Frozen veggie spring rolls ovened until crispy and dipped in a bit of soy sauce/sriracha is my current go to
I love your "down-to-earth" honesty. My favorite line is when you said you'd be leaning over the coffee table eating. We can all relate to being in the situation you presented. That being said, thanks for some good "I'm too tired to cook and my food resources are low" kind of day senerio...we've all been there! 😊
I really appreciate this because these are DEFINITELY some of the meals I make. Had tomato toast yesterday.
My dad always used to make me microwave potatoes (my boyfriend looked at me like I had two heads when I made it the first week we moved in together 😁) and a quick soup.
I love a boiled egg, avo on toast ortoast with shredded cheese on broil. Takes a minute and done. A ten minute meal that takes a minute to prepare is pita bread oil on it some seasoning then prosciutto, fig jam, and parmesan. Place in a 400° oven for 7-9 minutes. I usually buy these ingredients in advance if I know I'm going to be busy with work or something.
- I make a bunch of rice when I have the energy, portion it, freeze it, keep plenty on hand. Reheats in 2 minutes in the microwave, very fresh nearly perfect taste & texture. Top with whatever I can (usually a scrambled egg + soy sauce) or just make a giant rice ball and choke it down while sobbing like Chihiro in Spirited Away.
- Tuna salad. Or since I've stopped eating tuna, chickpea salad (drain beans, mash with a fork or potato masher). I add mayo, mustard, soy sauce, pepper, something acidic if I have it, crunchy veg if I have it. Serve on toast or with my reheated rice.
- PB&J. It's got protein, starch, and fruit, hence a perfectly nutritious and complete meal... plus you can cut it in triangles
- Cereal, frozen meals, canned soup, mac & cheese, ramen. Processed foods are not the best but they are better than hunger, frustration, and self-hatred.
Greek yogurt topped with frozen blueberries and granola is my favorite go-to. The frozen blueberries thicken up the yogurt and it feels like I'm eating froyo.
This is how I eat all the time because of 1) time mismanagement and 2) the sheer effort of shoving enough nutrients into my pregnant body spread out over 5-7 meals. I probably won’t eat any of your recipes, but this is giving me ideas to avoid monotony and less healthy snacking
“…has paid to be mentioned.” I enjoy this phrasing.
We do, too!
Asides for depression, a lot of the recipes shaq shows us are also ones that are super ADHD friendly. They all manage to address the two main issues we run into where cooking ends up being super overwhelming and turns into a project for us rather than a means to feed ourself & also the sparsity of ingredients we have on hand from us forgetting to restock our fridges and pantries. Here are a couple of things I like to make/ eat at home: Anything on toast/sandwiches, fruit & cheese, raw veg & ranch dip, j kenji lopez alt's one-pot stovetop mac & cheese, instant rice & beans, hot pockets/frozen jamaican turnovers, smoothies, pasta, cheap af bag salad with w/e bottle dressing, kodiak protein waffles, krusteez's protein muffins, and indian potato stir fry with plain greek yogurt (before you say it's gross, tzatziki is just plain greek yogurt thinned down with cucumbers and salt 😂).
The tomato toast made me want to cry for just missing tomatoes. This summer my grocery store had delicious heirloom tomatoes for the first time, which means they were probably the first enjoyable tomatoes I’ve bought from there in over ten years. The tomatoes coincided with the best peach season I think I’ve ever seen, so probably twice a week this summer I ate tomatoes and peaches on French bread for lunch or dinner. Sometimes with an olive oil and balsamic dressing, or fresh mozzarella, but mostly just with butter and salt and pepper, and it’s its kind of unbelievable how blissful this “meal” was every time lol literally some of the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life
No why is he so good literally some of the only videos I don’t get bored of switch out of
One of your older videos is also a great instant low-effort meal: tamago gohan!
Zap rice in the microwave for 2 minutes, crack eggs in, half a tbsp of soy sauce/tamari, stir, and throw some furikake on top of it. Done!
Does this cook the eggs?
@@Khyrberos A litlle bit, but not really. The yolk is comletely raw and the whites are slightly cooked, but still liquid as they're there to make the rice wet. If you don't like raw eggs than I'd skip this dish.
You have been like my main role model these past 7 years thanks for being you brother
5:18 I had three potatoes as a midnight snack (read: very late insomniac dinner) once. No shame.
Finally a video that is actually in the same realm as my desperation/depression cooking! Loved this. My additions: boiled eggs; canned soup: microwave rice + tinned meat; cheese (...just cheese); pre-cooked chicken pieces in a wrap with maybe a cupboard sauce/salt; entirely plain pasta to be eaten with your fingers.
My go to is a bowl of instant mashed potatoes and I dress it up like a baked potato. Butter, sour cream, cheese, salt, pepper, bacon bits, freeze dried chives, and hot sauce. Low effort and very filling and tasty enough that it doesn't make me feel guilty that I didn't have the energy to cook.
I’ve had frozen mashed potato sitting in my freezer for a month that I just haven’t “felt like” eating
thank you
Thank you for being a dude who does cool things on youtube that reminds people not to judge themselves against the tiny bit we see of people who do cool things on youtube.
Love these videos! Definitely gonna try the dumpling soup sometime! My local Asian grocery store has pho stock cubes and dumplings would make that actually filling
Pho stock cubes 🤯
WOW. Never seen this channel before but your words about self improvement and comparing oneself to youtube video standards were INCREDIBLE. instant sub, love to see someone so in touch with reality.
Let me know when you turn this concept into a cookbook. I'd buy it, and I actually mean that.
One of the most honest, realistic, and practical cooking channels out there. Glad I've been subbed for a while. Keep up yourngrear work if it makes you happy! Because it makes us happy! All the best.
One of the only channels where I watch the sponsored content. Love ya Shaq, here's to a 2022 filled with growth for us all.
Man, I love your videos. I recommend them to my friends all the time. Recently I’ve been pushing the thanksgiving preparation video to help people increase their personal hospitality skills, but I think this might be my new way to go. Cheers.
thank you for advocating for my work :)
The voice of reason. Also, I often find myself eating 2 scrambled eggs plain as well and once you get the hang of it I think it’s about also close to not cooking as cooking can be. My tips which I think anyone who can cook would turn their nose up at: I make sure to whisk well enough, put enough oil in the pan and get the oil hot enough so I can keep the eggs separated from the pan and flip them with the pan mid way.. they definitely turn out a bit overcooked but the most offensive thing to me personally with plain eggs if they aren’t cooked through everywhere, especially if I’m just putting them on a piece of toast and calling it a day. I have no idea if this will help anyone I’m no chef but hopefully it does
Im listening to the end of the commercial because I like this channel.
Another great yogurt option is mixing in some protein powder. Especially if it's unsweetened Greek yogurt like Shaq's using in this vid (same brand as I eat as well, haha). Throw in some chopped up strawberries (I prefer frozen, it almost makes it feel like frozen yogurt) and you've got a super solid snack. Low carb, pretty solid protein as well
Great idea
Cool. I watched your channel awhile ago and always appreciated the no fluff straight to business videos. A long time later and hey, still doing YT the right way. Concise, to the point, no smash like nonsense and a forewarned ad that you put at the end. Quality stuff.
I have two modes of depression cooking: Either “What sounds delicious to give myself some happy brain chemicals?” or “Protein bars and coffee. And even the protein bar sounds terrible.” Stay strong, friends! ❤️
I just made the wonton soup, adding in bok choy, some shiitake mushroom, and sesame oil and WOW 15 minutes 5 star meal. My new go to for a satisfying, quick meal
Dude you are really a fun and inspiring person to watch. I keep trying to type the right sentence to convey the way I feel after watching some of your videos but I’m too tired and high so I guess we’ll never know whatever profound silly hyperbole coulda bean
What a fuckin comment lol this sounds exactly like something I’d say when I’m high
lol. Gummies will do that to you 😊
YES this video is so honest!! So many cooking vids/ recipes are like "heres my lazy meal, it takes 2 hours prep, uncommon ingredients that dont last long, and 5 pots, 2 pans and a potato ricer"
Filipino salted eggs, onions, lemon/lime, tomatoes and stale rice thats the ultimate food right there
You're like a top 5 youtuber because while providing really informative, aspirational content, you don't place yourself above your audience at all. Plus you're funny and charismatic as hell. Thanks for the ideas!
I'm glad 'eating fish fillet straight no chaser over a coffee table' doesn't leave with age
My lazy meal is -- Soba Noodles, Tahini, Soy Sauce, Honey, Eggs (minimum). The soba noodles take 3 minutes to boil, comparable to cup ramen. Meanwhile, mix tahini, honey, and soy sauce to act as a sort of dressing. Fry up an egg if you can muster it. Drain water and mix noodles with the tahini dressing mix, add the fried egg. Easy, quick, and cheap
You make me enjoy cooking in way only Kenji otherwise can. You have some of the most appetizing, attainable and healthy "recipes" on here. Also I saw someone else mention it on a video, but I also appreciate the transparency of the advertisement with it at the end and the disclaimer that you are paid for it.
i think this might be one of the best videos on youtube, thanks
My favorite non cook meal is (german whole grain black) bread with cheese. Might eat some washed cherry tomatoes straight out the hand afterwards. Not having to actually assemble the ingredients to a sandwich makes it much easier to incorporate at least some veg.
This is almost exactly what I do:)
my lazy meal is 3 beaten eggs (fried) seasoned with salt & pepper, a small bowl of rice, and plain yogurt, with some raw vegetables on the side and a fruit.