Must Try Healthy Recipes For Depression
I know how tough it can be to do anything when you’re depressed. I’ve put together all of my favorite easy and healthy recipes that have helped me when I’ve been struggling with depression. It’s important to try and get good nutrition when you’re depressed even though you don’t feel like it. Eating good meals can help you recover faster and help manage your symptoms. I use a healthy diet and lots of regular exercises to manage my depression now that I am feeling better. I hope these recipes for depression help you start feeling better soon. Be sure to check out my depression survival guide if you’re struggling with managing depression.
Every Sunday I make food to have for the week. I’ve been on a big kick of making frozen burritos for breakfast but this morning I was feeling so low energy that even my go to easy breakfast seemed too hard to make. I ended up making these egg cups which are even easier than burritos. All you do is mix everything together and bake it in muffin tins in the oven. I snapped out a picture (follow me here) and a lot of people were asking for the recipe so here it is. It’s perfect for when you’re depressed, low energy or just don’t have enough damn time in the day. I made two dozen eggs and put half in the fridge for this week and froze the other half for another time.
Eggs – if you want to be extra healthy you can use egg whites instead but I just used the entire eggs
Toppings – I used spinach, cheddar cheese and green peppers. Usually I would buy fresh spinach and peppers and chop them but because I was feeling shitty I bought them pre-chopped in the frozen food section
Topping options
-Mushrooms diced
-Onions diced
-Green Peppers diced
-Feta cheese
-Parmesan Cheese
-Sausage diced
-Bacon diced
-Broccoli diced
-Tomatoes diced
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
-Crack the eggs in a measuring cup with a pouring spout or a large pitcher if you are making a lot
-Whisk the eggs
-Mix your toppings in with the eggs
-Pour the mixture into the muffin tins and bake for 10-15 minutes
Show Me The Yummy has a great video that shows how to make them
I am not a licensed therapist. If you are suffering from a major disorder and need treatment please seek the help of a professional. If you need help finding a mental health care provider call 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
My level of functioning is constantly in flux. One month I’m killing it, being crazy productive and spending lots of time with friends. The next month it can take significantly more energy to manage my depression. These months are a catch 22 because I know eating healthier will give me more energy but I don’t feel like I have the energy to eat healthier.
This is one of a handful of recipes I use when I need to eat healthy but don’t have a ton of strength to shop or cook. When I feel like my mental health needs a boost I always turn to salmon because studies have shown omega-3 fatty acids can help with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder (read an article about it here and here). If you don’t like salmon you can try other fish like mackerel or herring. I love salmon but it is expensive. I try to buy it when it is on sale and keep it in the freezer. If you don’t like fish you can try taking flax seed oil or fish oil capsules. I made a PDF of the recipe you can download for free here. Enjoy!
Ingredients
12 ounces salmon
1⁄4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1⁄2 teaspoon ginger
1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325
Mix the soy sauce, lemon juice and spices together
Put the salmon in a baking dish and pour the mixture over it
The next time you’re feeling anxious try this kick-ass lavender lemonade recipe. Lavender oil has been shown to help reduce symptoms of anxiety and lemons can give your immune system a boost. I love drinking this on hot days, this is an easy recipe that’s perfect for summer. Whenever my anxiety gets bad I whip up a batch of this to help get a little relief.
- 1 cup raw honey
- 12 cups pure water
- 1 drop lavender essential oil-Try one that is food grade
- The juice of six lemon
- Lavender sprigs for garnish
Refrigerate and enjoy
I’m obsessed with drinking turmeric. I get sick really easily and I always take it when I feel a cold coming on. Studies have shown that Turmeric can be effective in treating depression. Here is a healthy drink for depression you can make to get a dose of turmeric. I hope it makes you feel better.
4 cups cold filtered or sparkling water
2 tablespoons freshly grated or powdered turmeric
4 tablespoons 100% maple syrup or honey (you could even do half of each)
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
Optional: add the juice of 1 blood orange
When I’m depressed it’s so hard to do even the simplest things to take care of myself. The first step of recovery for me is always doing small acts of self-care. If you’re having a tough time do something to take care of yourself by making this anti-depression breakfast for the next tomorrow morning. This is a stupid simple recipe, all you do is mix everything in a jar and let it sit overnight then add fruit and toppings in the morning. Sign up for the mental health resource library to access the Kick-Ass Morning Routine worksheet. Here is the recipe:
ANTI DEPRESSION BREAKFAST
½ cup old-fashioned oats
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon maple syrup
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
fresh fruit, almonds or other nuts
Today has been one of those PMS days where I just want to curl up on the couch and eat a bunch of junk food. I’ve been really focused on getting in shape and becoming healthy (if you’re interested in doing the same check out my Transformation Tribe). I’m really proud of myself because instead of grabbing nachos from my favorite drive-through Mexican place I created these healthy nachos instead! These are tortilla chip free and a sneaky way to eat some veggies.
Ingredients
Mini Bell Peppers
Olive oil
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans
1 can of kidney beans
Cilantro
Green onions
Taco seasoning
Cauliflower rice
Shredded cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
The “Chips”
This is the first time I roasted the peppers in the oven before I made the nachos and let me tell you it was a game changer. Cut your baby bell peppers in half and clean out the inside and remove the seeds. Toss the bell peppers in olive oil and a little bit of the taco seasoning. Roast the bell peppers in the oven at 400 degrees until they start to lightly brown around the edges.
The Filling
Cook the cauliflower rice (I use the steamer bags found in the freezer department) and add some taco seasoning to the rice.
Chop up the cilantro and green onions.
Drain the corn and beans
Mix everything together in a large bowl.
Assemble
Once the peppers are roasted top them with the filling and then add some cheese on top. Put them in the oven until the cheese is completely melted. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa if desired.
I hope you loved this recipe as much as I did. If you’re looking to start living a healthy lifestyle check out my podcast episode about exercising and mental health.
This is a hearty and cheesy soup that is so easy to throw together. It’s both comforting and stupid simple to make which makes it a perfect dinner option even when you’re depressed or not feeling well. You can add avocado’s for toppings which has been shown to help with symptoms of depression.
Ingredients
2 lbs ground beef (I use a vegetarian substitute)
two 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
two 10-ounce cans of Rotel
2 Tablespoons of taco seasonings
4 cups of broth
Optional Toppings
Shredded Cheese
Jalapenos
Green Onions
Avocado
Directions
Brown the meat in pan on stove
Put cream cheese, Rotel, and taco seasoning in crockpot
Drain grease off of meat and add to crock pot
Stir ingredients and pour chicken broth over meat and cheese.
Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.
Add any toppings
I hope you love these recipes for depression. These are my favorite things to make when I’m depressed and feeling like crap. No matter how bad I feel I try to get at least one good meal every day. I know that eating something healthy will help me recover faster and keep my depression from getting worse. If you need more tips about managing depression check out my depression hacks and depression affirmations.
