Too Tired to Cook? 10 Easy Meals for Low-Energy Days

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Some days, figuring out what to eat takes more energy than making it.

You're hungry. You're tired. You look in the fridge, close it, and somehow still don't know what's for dinner.

I've had plenty of those days. Living with chronic illness means I can want a proper meal and still not have much left for the chopping, cooking, and cleaning up afterward.

These are ten simple meal ideas for those days. Some are barely recipes, and that's fine with me. We're trying to get something to eat, not impress anybody.

Start with what feels doable

“Easy” depends on the day. Opening a can can be difficult when your hands hurt. Standing at the stove may be more than you have in you. Pick the option that fits, and ask for help with the parts you can't manage.

• No cooking: yogurt bowl, tuna and crackers, or chicken wrap.
• Microwave or kettle: potato, oatmeal, soup, or scrambled eggs.
• A little more equipment or attention: pasta, toast, or a smoothie.

Most amounts below are for one person. Adjust them to your appetite, dietary needs, and what you have. Times are estimates, and package directions take priority for the products you're using.

1. Microwave baked potato

Microwave · About 8–12 minutes, depending on the potato and microwave

What you need: 1 medium potato; butter, cheese, or toppings you have.

What to do: Scrub the potato and pierce it several times with a fork. Put it on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, turn carefully with an oven mitt, then cook in 1-minute bursts until tender all the way through. Let it stand for 2 minutes, then split carefully because steam is hot. Add toppings.

Make it easier: Leftover cooked vegetables, canned beans, or cheese can make it more filling. Heat any leftovers thoroughly before adding. No need to prepare five different toppings.

2. Instant oatmeal with something extra

Microwave or kettle · Follow the packet timing

What you need: 1 packet instant oatmeal; the amount of milk or water listed on the packet; optional peanut butter, banana, jam, or cinnamon.

What to do: Prepare the oatmeal according to its packet directions. Stir in a spoonful of peanut butter or jam, or add some banana if you want it.

Make it easier: Oatmeal doesn't have to be breakfast. If it's what you can manage for dinner, that's dinner.

3. Yogurt and granola bowl

No cooking · About 2–5 minutes

What you need: About 1 cup yogurt; a handful of granola; ready-to-eat fruit if you have it.

What to do: Put the yogurt in a bowl and add granola and fruit. Or add the toppings straight to an individual yogurt pot if there's room.

Make it easier: If frozen fruit needs cooking according to its packaging, cook it as directed and cool it before using. Otherwise choose fruit that's ready to eat. The easier version is yogurt and granola without any fruit.

4. Pasta with jarred sauce

Stovetop or microwave · Timing depends on the pasta

What you need: 1 serving dry pasta or a pouch of fully cooked pasta; about 1/2 cup jarred pasta sauce; optional grated cheese.

What to do: For dry pasta, boil in water and cook according to the package directions, then drain carefully. Heat the sauce separately according to its label and stir it through. If you're using fully cooked microwave pasta, follow the pouch instructions and combine with heated sauce.

Make it easier: This one means standing by the stove and handling a hot pan if you use dry pasta. On a harder day, the microwave pouch may be more manageable. I wouldn't call draining a heavy pot easy for everyone.

5. Canned soup with optional add-ins

Microwave or stovetop · Follow the label

What you need: 1 can of soup; any water or milk required on the label; optional canned beans, cheese, or cooked vegetables.

What to do: Prepare and heat the soup according to its label. If adding beans or vegetables, heat them through with the soup. Stir carefully and check the temperature before eating.

Make it easier: An easy-open can helps if your hands hurt. And the soup can stay just soup. You don't have to improve it.

If opening jars or cans is the part that wears your hands out, I've gathered some opening aids and other practical finds in my kitchen gadgets list on Benable. Pick what suits the lids you actually need to open.

For bowls and other soup-time finds, you can also browse my Soup Season Favorites. Use what you already have first.

6. Tuna salad and crackers

No cooking · About 5 minutes

What you need: 1 tuna pouch or drained can; 1–2 tablespoons mayonnaise or plain yogurt; crackers or bread.

What to do: Mix the tuna with enough mayonnaise or yogurt to suit you, then eat with crackers or put it on bread.

Make it easier: A pouch saves draining. A ready-made tuna kit saves mixing. Choose what works for your budget and your hands.

7. Microwave scrambled eggs

Microwave · About 3–5 minutes including prep; cooking time varies

What you need: 2 large eggs; 2 tablespoons milk; optional salt, pepper, and grated cheese.

What to do: Beat the eggs and milk in a microwave-safe bowl with room for the mixture to expand. Microwave on high for 45 seconds, then stir. Continue in short bursts, stirring and checking, until cooked throughout with no liquid egg remaining. Egg dishes should reach 160°F. Use oven mitts to remove the bowl.

Make it easier: Microwaves vary, so a fixed one-minute total isn't a reliable instruction. Add cheese after cooking. This method is adapted from the American Egg Board; a source link is below.

For more tools that may make kitchen tasks easier, here's my kitchen gadgets list. Whatever bowl you use, check that it's microwave-safe and follow its instructions for lids and venting.

8. Avocado toast

Toaster · About 5 minutes

What you need: 1 slice of bread; about 1/2 ripe avocado or a portion of ready-made avocado spread; optional seasoning.

What to do: Toast the bread. Mash or spread the avocado onto it and season if you like.

Make it easier: Ready-made avocado spread skips cutting and mashing. If avocado isn't your thing, peanut butter or cream cheese on toast is an option too.

9. Rotisserie chicken wrap

No cooking with safely stored cooked chicken · About 5 minutes

What you need: 1 tortilla; a handful of cooked shredded chicken; optional cheese, prepared lettuce, and a little dressing.

What to do: Put the chicken and any extras on the tortilla, fold in the sides, and roll it up. Use chicken that has been handled and refrigerated safely.

Make it easier: If rolling it up is more trouble than it's worth, put it all on a plate and eat the tortilla alongside. It doesn't need to look like the photo.

10. Simple fruit smoothie or smoothie bowl

Blender · About 5–10 minutes, plus washing up

What you need: 1 cup frozen fruit suitable for use without cooking; start with 1/2 cup milk or juice; optional yogurt.

What to do: Check that the fruit is ready to use without cooking. Blend with the liquid, adding a little more as needed for your blender and preferred thickness. Drink from a cup or spoon a thicker version from a bowl.

Make it easier: This is only low effort if using and washing a blender is manageable for you that day. If not, pick the yogurt bowl. No prize for creating more dishes.

Have a little more energy or someone helping?

My Easy Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole is another option when you can manage some oven cooking. It's a different amount of effort than opening a yogurt, so save it for a day when that works for you.

Keep a few easy options for the days you need them

Having a few things on hand can save the whole “What are we going to eat?” conversation when nobody has the energy for it.

Oatmeal, soup, tuna pouches, crackers, pasta, and a jar of sauce are a place to start. Add a few fridge or freezer items you know you'll use. You don't need to buy everything on this list.

My printable grocery shopping list can help you keep track, or write a few backup meals on whatever paper is nearby.

If you already have containers, use those for portions of food you can refrigerate or freeze safely. If you need some, glass food-storage containers are one option. Check the manufacturer's directions for freezer and microwave use, including the lids. Glass can be heavy, so choose something you can comfortably lift.

It may help with spending, too

I'm working on paying off debt, and having something easy at home gives me another option when ordering food feels like the only thing I can manage.

That doesn't mean I never order food or that you should feel bad if you do. Sometimes paying for the convenience is what gets you fed. I'm just trying to make the less expensive choice easier when I can.

I share more in How I Save Money on Everyday Life While Living With Chronic Illness.

A quick note about leftovers and cooking

Refrigerate perishable food within two hours, or one hour when it's above 90°F. Use refrigerated leftovers within three to four days or freeze them sooner. Reheat leftovers to 165°F. Check storage dates and package instructions for the foods you use.

For more detail, see USDA guidance on leftovers and the American Egg Board's microwave scrambled egg method. Use ingredients that suit your allergies and any dietary advice you've been given.

Dinner doesn't have to be a project

A bowl of cereal, a sandwich, a freezer meal, or something someone else makes for you can be the answer too.

Some days you'll cook. Some days you'll put a few things on a plate and call it done. You still deserve to eat when you don't have the energy to make much.

What's your go-to meal when you're hungry but have very little energy left?

In this together,
Laura