Meal Planning with ADHD

People with ADHD often live in the moment, which is delightful when working on a passion project or making memories. However, it is not so enjoyable when time escapes us, our medication wears off, we realize we are starving because we haven’t eaten since breakfast, and we still have to decide what to eat for supper and muster up the energy to prepare it. 

Sound familiar? Meal planning can help! 

Meal planning can provide structure and remove dreaded last-minute decision-making, impulsive food choices, and overwhelm. 

If you have already tried meal planning and haven’t been successful in the past – you are not alone. Planning and preparing meals in advance with ADHD is challenging. However, please hear me out: There are ways to make the process of meal planning more ADHD-friendly. 

In this article, we’ll explore what the meal planning process entails, its benefits, why it can be difficult for people with ADHD, and tips and strategies to make it less overwhelming and more sustainable for you and your lifestyle.

What Is Meal Planning? 

Meal planning refers to mapping out meals and snacks over a set period. The meal planning process typically involves searching for recipes, creating a menu, making a grocery list, grocery shopping, storing groceries, and preparing food in advance. 

How Does Meal Planning Benefit ADHDers? 

Meal planning and advanced preparation can benefit those with ADHD in many ways, including: 

• Reducing overwhelm – limits the time and energy spent thinking about food and deciding what to eat multiple times a day. 
• Providing structure and routine – set meal and snack times add structure to the day and a consistent routine helps with habit-building. Meal planning and advanced food preparation can also help reduce skipped meals due to decision overwhelm or not wanting to interrupt a task to prepare food. 
• Optimizing nutrition – aids in making informed food decisions before feeling hungry and depleted. This encourages the intake of more balanced and nutrient-dense meals and lessens impulsive food choices that may not be as nourishing. Eating consistently throughout the day at set meal and snack times can also prevent the undesirable effects of low blood sugar.
• Saving time – can lessen the time spent trying to make multiple food decisions a day, wandering the grocery store without a list, or running to the store multiple times for a forgotten ingredient. Preparing food in advance may use a large chunk of time upfront, but will ultimately save time in the long run – you will be thanking yourself when you have multiple grab-and-go options available on days when you are low on time or energy. 
• Reducing costs – planning around sales, coupons, and what is already in the household helps to stick within a budget. Money can also be saved with reduced takeout, impulse buys, and avoiding duplicate purchases. 
• Reduced food waste – having a plan for groceries can reduce the chance of it being forgotten and going bad. 

Why Is Meal Planning Challenging for People with ADHD? 

Ironically, the meal planning process itself requires several skills that people with ADHD often struggle with due to neurocognitive differences. These skills are referred to collectively as ‘executive functions’, a set of cognitive processes that enable us to organize thoughts and activities, prioritize tasks, manage time efficiently, and make decisions. 

A person’s executive functioning differences are unique and vary from person to person. Individuals with executive function differences may struggle with deciding what to eat, planning meals, budgeting, grocery shopping, organizing ingredients, following recipes with multiple steps, and keeping track of the cooking time. 

Other factors that can impact one’s capacity to nourish oneself are ADHD burnout from managing symptoms and ADHD medication side effects. ADHD burnout can make it more challenging than usual to initiate and complete tasks, maintain focus, and regulate emotions. Some ADHD medications can suppress appetite during the day and the effects of short-acting stimulants can wear off in the evening, leaving one to feel unmotivated, uninspired, and too tired to make food decisions or cook.

Strategies for Making Meal Planning ADHD-Friendly 

Encountering challenges and barriers to eating daily is discouraging and can complicate one’s relationship with food. However, discovering processes and strategies that work to your advantage and simplify mealtime can improve this relationship and optimize nourishment. Below are several tips and strategies that can help. 

Check Your Inventory 

Kitchen Tools and Appliances 

Observe what kitchen tools and appliances you have on hand. Make note of any items missing that may simplify the meal planning process for you and invest in these if you can. It can also be helpful to have more than one of your most frequently used kitchen tools, such as spatulas or measuring spoons/cups. Some kitchen appliances and tools that can make meal preparation easier include: 

• Microwave 
• Instapot/ Slow cooker 
• Airfryer 
• Blender
• Food processor 
• Vegetable chopper 
• Fruit peeler/corer 
• Garlic press 
• Quick reference magnets (internal meat temperatures, measurement conversions, etc.) ● Clear food storage containers and bins 

Food Audit 

Visit your pantry, cupboards, fridge, and freezer, and note what ingredients you have. Then, build your meals for the upcoming week around these ingredients. For example, say you stocked up on canned artichoke hearts and jarred sundried tomatoes when they were on sale and have a collection of spinach in the freezer because it couldn’t be used up before it spoiled. These ingredients can be combined with a package of quick-cooking meat or cheese tortellini pasta and a jar of pesto from the grocery store to create a quick Tuscan-inspired meal.

Plan 

Make a Master List of Recipes 

Once you know what you are working with, create a master list of recipes that can be prepared using these items. Keep this step simple with 5 breakfast and 10 lunch/supper recipes you can rotate through. Recipes can be go-to favorites or you can use cookbooks, blogs, or websites, such as Pinterest for inspiration. 

Keep It Simple and Fun 

Keep meals simple with a ‘Balanced Plate’ visual. Picture a dinner plate and divide it into three sections; one 1/2 and two 1/4 compartments. Choose 1-2 vegetables or a fruit to fill half of the plate, an animal or plant-based protein to fill one of the quarter sections, and a high-fiber starch to fill the other quarter of the plate. Then add your flavor enhancers, such as cheese, sauce, condiments, etc. Here are some examples: 

• Broccoli Florets and Sliced Carrots + Diced Chicken + Rice + Stir-Fry Sauce ● Diced Bell Peppers and Zucchini + Canned Lentils + Pasta + Pasta Sauce ● Asparagus + Cherry Tomatoes + Pork Chop + Roasted Potatoes + BBQ sauce ● Berries + Greek Yogurt + Granola 
• Banana + Peanut Butter + Whole Grain Toast 

Another fun tactic is to assign each day of the week a theme and choose a meal that fits within that theme. For example, ‘Meatless Monday’, ‘Taco Tuesday’, ‘Worldly Wednesday’ (international dishes), ‘Throwback Thursday’ (comfort dishes), ‘Fun Food Friday’ (takeout, DIY pizza, homemade burger bar, etc.). 

Don’t Overlook Convenience Foods 

Convenience foods often get a bad reputation because they are associated with ultra-processed and packaged ready-to-eat meals or snack foods. However, the word ‘convenient’ can have several meanings and there are many foods available that are conveniently packaged, nourishing, and can significantly simplify meal preparation. Here are some examples: 

• Pre-cut fruit and vegetables 
• Frozen fruit and vegetables 
• Bagged salad kits or coleslaw mixes 
• Canned beans, lentils, and chickpeas 
• Canned diced and crushed tomatoes 
• Canned fish 
• Pre-cooked frozen shrimp 
• Cooked rotisserie chicken 
• Jarred pasta sauce, stir-fry sauce, or pesto 
• Jarred pre-minced garlic and ginger (for cooking) 
• Fast-cooking rice or egg noodles
• Fast-cooking (usually refrigerated) pasta, such as tortellini, gnocchi, ravioli, etc. ● Microwaveable rice cups or packages 
• High-fiber cereal 
• Instant oatmeal packets or cups 
• Single-serving cheese sticks, yogurt cups, or applesauce pouches 
• Single-serving hummus, guacamole, or nut butter cups 
• Single-serving packages of trail mix 
• Store-bought oat and nut snack bars 

Map Out Your Menu 

Create a Rough Draft 

Roughly map out your menu for the upcoming week on paper, including breakfast, lunch, supper, and a couple of snack options for each day. 

Check your Schedule 

Check your calendar of events for the upcoming week and compare it against your draft menu to determine if the meals/snacks you have planned are realistic. For example, if you have a full day of client meetings at work on Wednesday and know your energy levels will be depleted by the time you get home for dinner; plan for leftovers, simple finger foods, or takeout for that 

evening.

Make it Visual 

Use a pre-made meal plan template, or one you’ve created, to write out your finalized menu. This can be in a digital format, handwritten, or scrawled across a dry-erase or chalkboard – have fun with it! The key is to make your menu stand out and display it where you will see it often. 

Make a Grocery List 

Find a list-making strategy that works for you to maximize efficiency. Some may prefer to list food items in a single column on paper or to group them into categories. Others may like to sketch a visual representation of the grocery store sections/aisles and group items into their designated areas. Another option is to use a smartphone application for creating shopping lists so you always have it at your fingertips. Whatever your preferred list-making method, it can be helpful to keep a running checklist of ingredients, check your inventory before shopping, and add to your grocery list whenever you use up an ingredient.

Shopping 

Shopping In-Person 

Visiting the grocery store can be tricky for ADHDers. The eye-catching displays, attractive product packaging, and variety of food choices are a recipe for impulsive purchasing and decision overwhelm. The environment can also be overstimulating, from the bright lights and crowded aisles to the jumble of sounds from overhead music, beeping tills, and shopping carts. 

Fortunately, there are ways to make navigating the grocery store a more comfortable, efficient, and affordable experience, such as: 

• Shopping weekly, on the same day, at the same store. This creates structure, routine, and familiarity, which can help limit procrastination and increase shopping efficiency. ● Shopping on a weekday, early morning, late evening, or during designated ‘sensory-friendly’ hours to avoid crowds and overstimulation. 
• Listening to music or wearing noise-cancelling earplugs while shopping. ● Arriving with a plan and sticking to the grocery list. 
• Asking for help if unsure where to find an item – the less time spent roaming, the more closely the list will be followed.

Curbside Pick-Up or Delivery 

If the thought of walking into a grocery store makes your skin crawl or you find it to be a complete time-suck, then you are in luck! Since the COVID-19 pandemic, you can now order groceries online from almost any grocery store and arrange for contactless pick-up or delivery right to your front door. There is also the option to use food delivery services such as Instacart and Uber Eats. 

Prepare Ingredients or Meals in Advance 

Meal preparation can consist of many different tasks that range in difficulty level – from smaller tasks, such as dividing up family-sized packages of meat and poultry or washing and cutting fruits and vegetables before storing to larger tasks, including making a large batch of chili, meatballs, or muffins and freezing them for future meals. It can be helpful to work around your schedule and identify times during the week when you will have the time and energy for food preparation. Here are a few tips to simplify the process: 

• Clear the workspace and empty the dishwasher before getting started. ● Gather the kitchen tools and appliances needed for the task(s). 
• Round up all required ingredients. 
• Place a bowl or brown bag nearby to dispose of compostables while working.
• Put a TV show on in the background, tune into a podcast, or listen to an audiobook while working if you lose interest easily. 
• Tidy while waiting for food to cook rather than cleaning as you go. 
• Ask for support. Share the responsibility of meals with other family members or a roommate 
• Body double. Get together with a friend, or group of friends and meal prep together. Store Groceries and Leftovers 

Plan for Leftovers 

Having a plan for your leftovers or food items that are nearing their expiration (but are still viable) can help save money, eliminate food waste, and be handy on nights when you are busy or feeling depleted. Here are some ideas to consider: 

• Freeze leafy greens that are starting to wilt and use them in future meals such as soups, casseroles, sauces, or smoothies. 
• Freeze fresh herbs in ice cube trays with cooking oil to flavor dishes later on. ● Blend fruit with yogurt until smooth and freeze in popsicle molds for a refreshing treat or a post-workout snack.
• Make a vegetable pasta sauce and freeze it for later use. Carrots, celery, onions, zucchini, bell peppers, and butternut squash work great for this. 
• Transfer freezer-friendly food items, such as soups, chili, casseroles, pasta, muffins, etc. to the freezer immediately after cooking for future meals. 
• Repurpose leftovers if you don’t like having the same meal twice. For example, use leftover taco meat in a breakfast wrap or burrito bowl the following day or leftover chicken breast in a Caesar wrap or stir-fry. 

Keep Food Visible and Labeled 

Instead of playing Tetris and stuffing your groceries or leftovers wherever they fit in the fridge, try placing them in clear containers or bins where you can easily see them, grouping similar items, and having designated spots for specific food items so you always know where to find them. It can also be helpful to keep masking tape and markers nearby to label what is in the containers and what date they were packaged. This way you can avoid the sniff test and time spent wondering if what is in the container might still be viable. 

Another tactic that has been trending recently is to transfer your condiments to the crisper (also known as the produce graveyard) and move your produce to the fridge door where you can see them every time you peer into the fridge. 

These same strategies work for food items in the pantry and cupboards. Placing tiered racks inside your dry food storage area can also help maximize space and make it more likely food won’t get pushed to the back and forgotten about.

Practice Self-Compassion 

I’m not going to sugar coat it – meal planning and preparing food in advance will be challenging at first; it will require commitment and consistency, but in the end, meal planning will ultimately save you time and energy once you have processes and systems in place that work for you. Remember that all ADHDers are unique, have varying motivators, and require different supports. 

Most importantly – be KIND and give yourself some grace. There is no shame in ordering take-out when you need it – we all have days when we require a break. This is a great option for long, exhausting days and helps reduce decision paralysis. Eating something is ALWAYS better than nothing.

 

Terri Rutledge is a registered dietitian located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She provides nutrition counselling on digestive health, eating disorders, intuitive eating, mindful eating, vegan & vegetarian, and weight-inclusivity. Terri can be found at https://www.dailygrindnutrition.com/ for more information.

 

Connect with More Dietitians in Nova Scotia

• Hammonds Plain 
• Bedford
• Waverley
• Halifax
• Sydney River

 

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