If you have a crockpot, you could make good use of it! Just throw everything in and leave it. Buy a nice brisket, add french onion soup mix and about 1.5 cups water (preferably something without MSG....or else you can add a sliced onion and beef stock) and set on low for 6-8 hours. SO GOOD. And you'll have plenty of leftovers, especially if you're just cooking for you. It's great for a family too. There are a lot of Paleo crockpot meals out there! And keep up with the fat intake!

The crock pot and pressure cooker are my friends. I always make enough food for at least 1 extra meal when I cook. Frozen veggies are good, too, they're already chopped for you! Now that it's warmer out, I grill a lot more - hardly any clean-up to do, and I can cook up extra on the grill, too.

Wow, just wanted to say I admire the heroic efforts to stay paleo while depressed. I also hope that your depression lifts as you stay paleo/primal. Another good treatment for depression is exercise. It's the best motivator for me to do exercise...

Well done with staying with the paleo. I've found it has been a huge help in lifting my mood and motivation.
I can't see your diary but would suggest you also try and get plenty of fat into your diet. I can't locate the studies off the top of my head but research has shown low fat diets are often implicated in depression and increasing your fat intake (up to 60% of your daily calories) can help. Primal Body Primal Mind by Nora T Gedgaudas has some good info on this.
As suggested above the crockpot is a great idea. I also try and cook extra and freeze it or use as leftovers for the next couple of days. I also try and think ahead for times when I can't be bothered cooking and know I'll get tempted with takeaway. Cooking chicken breasts (grill, bbq, poach etc) then cutting in half and freezing makes it easy to defrost them for a chicken salad for lunch etc.

For what's it worth I thought I give you some supplements that I am taking for depression that's REALLY helped.
It's progress and I hear ya on this.

I didn't want to take a prescriptions so here is what the Dr. suggested:

5 HTP (take them at night because they can make you sleepy)
Omega's 3,6, 9 (1 a day)
SaMe..( This was the most important)
St. Johns Worth (Very important too)
All help stimulate positive mood and energy.

I have been primal now for 3 weeks too, taking my herbs for the last month and feel like I got a handle on life so much better. I hope these ideas might help you too.

Also, crockpot is a great idea and make a huge salad that can last a few days to ease the work.

Eat your FATS...that's what the brain needs. Salmon/Fish/Nuts/olives/avocados/CO are great options too...

Hang in there...

Although I'm not currently depressed, I've definitely had times in my life where, outside of work, the only task I DID manage was prepping food. Cleaning up afterwards.... we shall not talk of it. :blushing:

I just finished cooking some chicken breasts in my panini press, which was super low effort. I sprinkled on some prepared spice mix, and grilled them up. The flavor was awesome, and now I have extra chicken breast to eat alongside veggies or mix up into a chicken salad. If you don't have a panini press, you could plop them on a George Foreman grill, or in a skillet, or even in the oven.

I would also suggest precut veggies. More expensive, yes. But also takes out one more cooking step. I can imagine tossing some veg and some chicken breast into a pan and stir frying it up for a super easy, one pan meal.

I'm sorry you're dealing with depression. I remember that it helped to focus on one tiny task at a time and to try not to beat myself up about the larger issues. At least if I managed to do one small thing, I was that much closer to dealing with the bigger things. :flowerforyou:

I've never suffered with depression, but I have been sick before where couldn't face doing much, was sleeping 12-16 hours, so I think I understand. I wasn't eating paleo then, but really success was based on something that I could buy lots of, keep in fridge/freezer, and when cooking minimal washing (read between the lines here, anything more than a rinse wasn't going to happen). Tins of tuna + smoked fish (if you eat it) was a useful addition.

Some of my quick meals - bag of Salad / dressing (balsamic vinegar + olive oil) / protein (chicken/or something)/nuts or advocado. I make up dressing at the start of the week/month. This works with pre-cooked chicken - or see roasts below. Add any veg that I can eat raw.

Anything that can be roasted - chicken/turkey/pork/etc... Roasts you put in the oven and take out - no prep work. Take out of oven and then put in the fridge.

If I've a roast in the oven - I'll add in a butter nut squash. Just cut in half and take out seeds - very little prep. Might add beetroot for variation. But carrots need to be peeled, so don't bother.

Fish/chicken breasts can be baked in the oven in foil/parchment parcels. Put a fillet of fish with some onion/garlic/splash of stock - these are optional. Seal up and bake for about 20-30 min. Advantage is no washing up. what I put in to the parcel varies from what I have - sometimes lots of veg, other times I can't be bothered and don't.
Here's an example of a parcel - far more complex than what I do, but just to give a bit more explanation.
http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-breast-baked-in-a-bag-with-mushrooms-butter-white-wine-and-thyme-38880

When you're feeling well make up pots of chilli/bolognase/stews that can be frozen. These can go from frozen in to a pot - heated up in 3 min with minimal washing. I make up to 5-10 portions at a time. I eat from the freezer when I can't face cooking.

If you're more primal than paleo, I used to keep tinned/boxed lentils/beans. but don't know how these sit with you. Anything that can be eaten out of the packet. I've more or less cut these out, but would prefer to go back on these than toasted cheese sandwiches.