Have you ever wanted to pick up cooking, but find it impossible to start? Cooking can be a challenging task for anyone, but it’s even more daunting for those with ADHD. It often comes with unique obstacles such as difficulty staying focused, managing time, and remembering steps. This can make an already tedious task insufferable and discourage learning how to cook. However, with a few practical strategies and adjustments, cooking can become a more enjoyable and manageable activity.
Start Small
A pretty common mistake that new cooks make is trying to jump into complicated recipes right off the bat. I’m sure there are plenty of delicious meals you want to learn how to make, but if you’re already struggling with cooking, you really shouldn’t attempt multi-step meals that’ll take over an hour. Instead, you should start with low-effort dishes and then work your way up to the more complicated recipes. They’ll seem much easier after you’ve built up endurance from the smaller meals.
Think of it like running! You wouldn’t run a marathon with no practice. Treat cooking the same. I’d recommend recipes that don’t use more than 10 ingredients (possibly even fewer than that if it’s still overwhelming). Also, aim for a short prep time. Fewer ingredients aren’t going to help you much if you’re having to stand at the stove for an hour. Choose meals that won’t force you to be working for over a half hour.
Think about looking into simple dishes that require minimal preparation and cooking time. For instance, try making one-dish meals, like pasta, stir-fry, or low-effort soup. Most of the time you can make these meals quickly with limited dishes, depending on how many add-ins you’re including.
These types of recipes not only reduce the complexity but also minimize cleanup. Gradually, as you become more comfortable and confident in the kitchen, you can start experimenting with more elaborate dishes. Remember, cooking should be enjoyable, not stressful. Taking it one step at a time will help you build the skills and confidence needed for more complex culinary adventures.
Clean Cooking
Something else that can make it hard to cook is a messy workspace. Cluttered counters and unorganized cabinets can increase your stress and make it difficult to focus on making food. If it’s really bad, you might be too distracted to start the process entirely.
Make sure to keep your counters clear and clean. If you have the space, try not to pile dishes or kitchen gadgets all over. It may seem like having these tools out and ready to go will make it easier to start cooking, but in reality, it’ll just overwhelm you before you’ve even pulled out the other ingredients. Keep these tools put away so that you’re not overwhelmed.
Along with keeping the counters clear, it also helps to have your cabinets and drawers organized. They don’t need to be perfectly tidy, but you should try to have a designated spot for your tools and dishes. It’ll make it easier to quickly grab what you need.
If you have a hard time keeping track of what ingredients you have, consider clear containers for storage! Oftentimes it’s easy to forget what you have on hand, which leads to you buying stuff you don’t need or just thinking that you don’t have enough food to cook a meal. Clear storage will make your life a lot easier.
Organization can make cooking a breeze, but we can’t forget about the importance of cleanliness! Make sure to wipe down your counters often so that you’re not too grossed out to use the stove.
I recommend cleaning up right after you’ve finished cooking. If you let those dirty dishes linger too long, it’ll start to seem like even more work than it is. If you walk out of the kitchen, you might forget about cleaning them up entirely. This will make it even harder to start your next dish when you walk back in to see dirty dishes in the sink or on the stove. Keep your space clean! Try to clean up either right after you cook or right after you eat.
Choose the Easy Route
I may sound like a broken record telling you this, but choose simple recipes! Cooking will sound far more appealing if you eliminate difficult steps.
Of course, it might be hard to think of some simple recipes. So, I’ve included some staple meals that are easy to make in a short amount of time. Your tastes will of course impact what you want to cook, so don’t feel like you have to adhere to this list. Choose what you’ll actually eat!
Here are some of my own favorite easy meals:
- Mac and Cheese: What I love about this one is that you can go boxed or from scratch, depending on your abilities/energy levels. It’s a great comfort food too!
- Scrambled egg sandwich: This sounds more complicated than it is! Eggs don’t take long to cook on the stove, and you can add cheese or vegetables pretty easily. Low prep time, and delicious!
- Spaghetti: Another classic comfort meal. Pasta is a lazy-day favorite for a reason. It doesn’t take long to boil noodles on the stove, and you can alternate between whatever sauces you like.
- Quesadillas: This is super easy! All you need are some flour tortillas and cheese. You can add meat or veggies if you like, but it’s up to you. You can make this pretty quickly on the stove and there’s no shame in pairing it with some store-bought salsa.
These are only a few easy meals, but I encourage you to look up some of your own. You’ll be surprised how many of your favorite foods aren’t as complicated as they seem.
Still Need Easy Cooking Inspo?
As much as I’d like to be, I’m nowhere near an expert on this subject. However, I have some great suggestions if you’d like to try and find more cooking tips:
- @thecenteredlifeco – This account has some tips for managing your kitchen with ADHD. I learned about having a doorless pantry from them, which makes it easy to focus on what foods you have on hand.
- @kellybaums – This creator markets herself as a friendly ADHD coach. She has tips for managing ADHD in both the kitchen and other aspects of your life as well
- @yousuckatcooking – a creator known for their goofy cooking videos on YouTube and TIkTok. He’s written a book that includes some easy-to-follow meals, with a bit of humor. It makes the process more fun and engaging.
- @jordan_the_stallion8 – This TikTok creator shares food recipes for beloved meals. Not all of them are simple, but it’s a great place to look if you want to start making some of your favorite fast-food items at home. I’ve found myself more motivated to practice cooking if it means I can make my favorite Olive Garden dish in the comfort of my own home.
I hope that this was a great starting point for you! Cooking is a useful skill to have and can save you some money. Don’t feel bad if you need to get takeout every now and then though. No shame in getting a ready-made meal on those low-energy days.
