What’s for Dinner? Eating Strategies for Individuals with ADHD
You wouldn’t know this, but neurodivergence is strongly represented in the Nutrition Hive team. Coincidence? No clue. But rest assured we are HERE for the many challenges of making food happen with ADHD. And it is a challenge for many reasons. Many clients I’ve worked with don’t like meal prep because by the time they are actually eating the meals they are so bored that they no longer want it. Others have challenges making grocery lists or shopping for meals. And 100% of my clients with ADHD lose food in the back of the fridge, have a vegetable hospice drawer, and have food that expired pre-Covid in the back of their pantry. Self-disclosure - that last one was also me.
So what’s a person with ADHD to do? Let’s dig in.
First, body doubling works. If you’re distracted trying to make a shopping list or create a meal plan, hit up one of Hive’s nutrition providers or a friend. Doing the work with someone there alongside makes things much simpler, and contrary to what your brain may be telling you, it is NOT a waste of a nutrition session to do this. In fact, an informal survey of Nutrition Hive providers reveals that this is one of the most common activities we support in session with clients with ADHD.
Next, make it visual. For those of us with ADHD, what we can’t see becomes wallpaper - something you don’t even notice. So if you’re trying to bring more fruit and veg into your life, you gotta find a way to make it visual. From personal experience, I can say that a vegetable hospice (aka the vegetable drawer in the bottom of the fridge) is not supportive to helping you figure out how to increase veg. Instead, think about putting condiments that you’d normally keep in the door into that veggie drawer - I promise you’ll go looking for them if you need, and instead put the veg and fruit in the door where you’ll see it every single time you open the fridge.
Making it visual doesn’t stop with the fridge, though. Hive nutritionist Tessa O’Toole notes that her clients LOVE using a visual meal planner - one client in particular loves to use the weekly planner layout on That Clean Life with Tessa in session to visually see at a glance what she’s planned out for the week.
Invest in your pantry. Universally, the Hive team notes that planning your pantry to include many options for quick meals is a must for people with ADHD. Tessa gives her clients “recipes” for the pre-made/convenience foods they have in their pantry, while Ashley Comparin plans out recipes and meal ideas that have ingredient swaps so her clients can just change an ingredient if they get sick of something.
Don’t forget lunch! One of the most common challenges our team hears about from clients with ADHD is lunch. Many clients are on stimulant medications, and they aren’t even aware of their hunger. Other clients are just “in the middle of something!” and it is hard to remember to stop to eat. I also frequently deal with clients with work schedules that make it rough to eat lunch. For Amber Pawula-Marcin, nutritionist AND chef, pre-prepping lunch options is critical, and she takes time to make big batches of rice, beans, etc, that can serve as the base to her lunches each week.
Finally - think about your dinner. I’m about to give you the secret sauce to meal planning. Are you ready? Here goes. You’re going to plan the type of meal you’ll make to match what time you have in the day or where you have the most focus. Feel more focused in the morning and can’t even at dinner time? Use crock pot meals and sheet pan meals you can prep in the morning, and shove in the oven at night. Feel excited to be off work and happy to be home? Then emphasize planning stir frys, air fryer meals, and other quick foods. Have time on the weekends? Then batch cooking for the week is going to be your friend.
Managing meals and nutrition with ADHD can be a daunting task, but you're not alone. As members of the Nutrition Hive team, many of us understand firsthand the struggles and challenges. From meal prep boredom to forgetting about food in the depths of the pantry, we've been there too.
Remember, everyone's journey is unique, so don't hesitate to seek personalized guidance from professionals. With these strategies, you can overcome the challenges of eating with ADHD and establish healthier eating habits that support your well-being.
XOXO, Meg