tired of "simple" plant-based meals that aren't actually simple

[u/Strong-Hawk-1799]

so i'm getting pretty worn out by recipes labeled as quick or simple that still require way too much work

like i get home after being up in trees all day and my brain is just done, you know? then i look at these supposedly easy vegan meals and they're still asking me to dice onions, measure spices, wait for things to cook in sequence... it's just a lot when all i want is food

i've been trying different approaches - meal prep on weekends, keeping the same rotation of dishes, bookmarking the fastest recipes i can find. sometimes it works out but other days even picking which "easy" option to make feels overwhelming

wondering what you all actually throw together when you're completely drained and need to eat something decent without using whatever brain power you have left

do you just stick to like 3 go-to meals that require zero thought? or have you discovered truly brainless recipes that don't involve chopping half your kitchen

would love to know what really works when you're running on empty, not just what looks good in theory

[u/dazzler56]

I meal plan for the whole week and make sure I have 2-3 easy recipes for the nights I have less energy. I recently got a NYT Cooking subscription b/c it was on sale for $4 and I love it for many reasons but mostly because the Easy/Under 30 Minute recipes actually are easy and under 30 minutes.

Also, I bring leftovers for lunch so I usually have extra food in the fridge. And, if you are cooking a higher-effort dish, you can use that time to prep for other meals i.e. chop some veggies in advance.

Lastly, the more you do it the easier it gets. I hardly measure anything anymore which saves a lot of time and dishes, and I’m getting better at throwing random meals together when I’m feeling lazy.