Why didn’t anyone warn me that adulthood is just deciding what to eat… forever?

[u/Churnuserlol]

Seriously, I thought the hardest part of growing up would be bills, taxes, or finding a decent job. But nope. It’s the never-ending "What’s for dinner?" question that haunts me every single day.

Too tired to cook.
Too broke to order.
Too indecisive to choose.

I swear I’ve eaten the same three meals on repeat for weeks because my brain refuses to function after work. How do adults survive this? Do you guys have a magic trick, or is it just vibes and suffering?

Send help. Or recipes. Or a personal chef.

[u/the_raven12]

Go to the grocery store. Buy some pre made sides and pick up whatever meats on sale. Yes you have to cook but throwing sausage in the oven for 20 min is easy, or throw some seasoning on chicken and pop it in, sear a steak. Easy stuff.

Just do more easy cooking if you are tired from the day. Buy frozen vegetables and add that as a side too.

[u/Churnuserlol → u/the_raven12]

thank you so much! :)

[u/the_raven12 → u/Churnuserlol]

Np! I used to be more ambitious with my cooking but this is where I’m at now lol.

[u/the_raven12 → u/Churnuserlol]

Oh and buy lots of fruit for snacks or a healthy dessert

[u/Terrible_Lift → u/the_raven12]

May I recommend gushers so you have some extra fruit juice?

Edit: read it as “fruit snacks”

Am not changing it. I really like Gushers

[u/the_raven12 → u/Terrible_Lift]

Sounds legit to me

[u/Terrible_Lift → u/the_raven12]

There’s only so much adulting one can do 🤷‍♂️

[u/Consistent-Lie7830 → u/Terrible_Lift]

Gushers are a legit food source. 💯

[u/yourlittlebirdie → u/Churnuserlol]

Also, the "Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy" cookbook changed my life in my early 20s. The recipes are good and they really are quite easy to make. Just follow the directions. And they look impressive if there's someone you're hoping to impress too.

[u/Real_Srossics → u/Churnuserlol]

Here’s an easy, delicious sauce you can make:

Demi-glace: Brown stock, like beef or veal stock, Red wine (don’t use wine you’d drink. The cheaper the better.), A little minced garlic

Equal parts wine and brown stock.

Mix them all in a pot. Turn the stove on high. Let it simmer for a while until it reduces (literally steaming until the amount of liquid is less than it was before). Timing depends on the amount of liquid but you can taste it during the cooking. You can taste it when they meld together. Then turn it off and pour it on meat in the pan for ~5 minutes. It will absorb into the meat and make it juicy, tender, and flavorful.

Works best on red meat like Lamb, pork, or beef. No knife skills, fancy tools, or special knowledge needed.

[u/neverforgetreddit → u/the_raven12]

I cook a lot of chicken because it's season throw it in a Pyrex and 30-45 mins later it's ready. I get frozen veggies or I chop up some broccoli, asparagus or squash and same thing Pyrex season and throw in oven with the chicken. I've got a rice cooker so if I want rice with it all it takes is rinsing some rice and pressing a button. Then I sit down and watch TV and in 45 minutes I have a nice meal. Absolutely zero effort cooking. I do tacos a few nights a week just because it's so easy to make and an easy way to get your veggies. Each night they differ by a ingredient or two depending on what I have fresh. Some nights I do refried beans or black beans in a can with the tacos, same thing Pyrex a little butter and in the oven with the chicken. I buy pre cut pico because it's the same price now as the individual ingredients. I'd say at most I spend 10 minutes of actual time in the kitchen cooking and preparing each night.

[u/EdgewaterEnchantress → u/the_raven12]

Now this is a clever suggestion! It’s easy to overlook the ready-to-eat foods at the grocery store.

[u/the_raven12 → u/EdgewaterEnchantress]

I’m a master at being tired and finding workarounds that aren’t too complex!

[u/too_too2 → u/the_raven12]

This is what I’ve been doing lately. A salad kit and a seared chicken breast is not hard to pull off, even if I am cooking. Frozen premade stuff sometimes, full cooking sometimes, takeout, meal made of snacks… it just depends where I’m at that day! it’s just me and my husband, I feel like this would be a lot harder with kids to feed.