Lost all motivation to cook meals at home

l3mmmy

I'm not sure what's happened but over the last year all of my motivation to cook meals at home has completely disappeared

I used to LOVE cooking! People would buy me cook books as gifts and I'd spend ages looking up recipes online and buying kitchen equipment! Now I can't stand the thought of cooking, I just can't be bothered and I've piled on the pounds.

Instead I've been eating microwave meals or simple stuff like beans on toast or jacket potatoes, or takeaways.

How do I get my mojo back in the kitchen? Has anyone else been through this? It all just seems like so much effort...

Terytha

When I'm really depressed, everything seems impossible and things I love make me feel tired and annoyed.

Just gonna throw that out there. If there are major stresses in your life, or if you find the world seems duller and harder to face, a doctor or counselor can help you.

hixa30

I haven't cooked a meal in 5+ years. I absolutely hate cooking. But it's possible to eat healthy and never cook. I have a phrase "if it doesn't happen in 180 seconds (excluding microwave time) it isn't gonna happen".

My suggestion: buy
some bags of mixed vegetables and put them in the freezer
cans of tuna, salmon (if you have the money), sardines (if you can tolerate them)
bread, freeze it
a toasted sandwich maker
apples, bananas and possibly other inexpensive fruit
tins of corn, cheese, tins of tomatoes for the toasted sandwiches
roasted almonds
peanuts (raw since salted will probably stimulate your appetite)
2 minute noodle packs

With this, you can eat a variety of healthy, inexpensive food. Add one item of food you enjoy each week.

tulips_and_tea

Can you pinpoint when and/or why you started disliking cooking? I love to cook as well, however, in the heat of the summer I cook as little as possible. Grilling outside is the best option.

Maybe change up your meals or cooking methods?

LyndaBSS

Is it perhaps the weight gain that makes you not want to cook? Are you afraid of gaining more?

I've recently gotten reacquainted with my wok and am excited about stir frying. Sounds a little nutty but it's true. 😳

Maybe try a new cooking method with healthy ingredients.

wallflower_17

I'm not sure what triggered your change of heart....knowing if it is stress, lack of time, burnout, etc. would help in giving a better answer, but I've also gone through seasons like this as well.

What has worked best for me is not to take an all-or-nothing approach. I've learned to give myself "permission" in those seasons to back off and just focus on simple meals or healthy ready-made or takeout options.

I may just have an easy protein (sometimes as easy as a rotisserie chicken already cooked) with easy veggies (frozen bags that can be steamed in the microwave). I get bored with these meals after a while which typically gets me reinvigorated to cook here and there, but I never force myself to be a gourmet cook right away. Just take steps to focus on NUTRITION rather than how impressive or elaborate the meals are until your interest perks up again in the future to explore.

Aelie1963

What everyone else has said. I, too, tend to "not wanna" cook, and I know that for me it happens when I have a bajillion things to do and just. can't. face one more thing. I want to reach in and eat something, and call it good, with minimal cleanup and mess.

One thing that has seriously helped me (besides my ability to have convenience trump variety, and eat the same thing every day for a while), is my Instant Pot. I can make a casserole or stew or burrito bowl or pretty much anything in that, and can start it when I think about dinner, not as another chore in the morning as one would with a slow cooker. It also helps when it is hot and I just don't want to heat up the kitchen. Frankly, it has been a game changer for me.

Sometimes even the Instant Pot is Too Much. That's when I do what others have said; an easy protein with veggies (rotisserie chicken, tuna, canned chicken), or even pre-prepared frozen meals. If I know a time like that is coming and I have the energy, I cook ahead and freeze things. Just finished cooking and freezing quinoa in one-cup amounts (it is such a pain to rinse and rinse and RINSE it to make it edible without the petroleum distillate smell it has unrinsed) that I won't use it unless I already have it made or I have found a good pre-rinsed variety on sale.

I also keep cans of beans plus packaged grains in the cupboard. When life is just Too Much, I can microwave a quinoa / rice blend and dump beans on top -- rice and beans and a salad makes a complete protein. And yes, I buy salad greens in the expensive plastic containers, because I will let the lettuce or spring greens sit and rot if I have to wash and tear them. Yes, I have a first world problem!

lcatalan93

Have youve tried a meal prep company just until you get back to the swing of things? At least all your meals will be prepared and you wont have to eat out or reach for fast foods.

KattyOk

alexabrown252 wrote: »

I've had the same story since I went to work and there's nothing I can do about it. I don't have enough time and energy to cook. When I wasn't working and taking care of the kids, of course, I was cooking. As soon as I go to work, someone else in the family cooks, but not me. To be honest, I don't want to cook, I don't want to stand at the stove anymore. But I love watching cooking shows. And recently I saw an ad for knives made of German steel on TV (you can visit website) and thought, maybe this will be the first step to success in resuming my cooking. I especially liked the knife with the shark on it. Well, I thought that buying new kitchen supplies might awaken my desire to cook. And maybe I will please my family with my culinary delights at least on the weekend.

I also love cooking shows. And I can't believe that I saw the master class of the Royal chef Alan Coxon in France. He published about 9 cookbooks and has been working for BBC for a long time. It was unforgettable.

AnnPT77

Have you been losing weight, maybe over-restricting? Poor sleep? More stress? Any possible source of subtle fatigue can trigger reduced inclination to do things like cooking.