Executive Functioning Hacks: Feeding Your Body

Feeding yourself can be hard

This is especially true if you’ve got anything interfering with your executive functioning abilities, whether it’s due to a diagnosis like ADHD or Autism to just because you’re going through a rough season in life. Between planning out a menu, finding time to go shopping, and then forcing yourself to actually cook, it can feel almost impossible on a more difficult day. I’ve found some good workarounds that can help you nourish your body even when it seems like the task is monumental. Here are a few good tips to go by.

Try a morning shake

Not a fan of eating in the morning? A smoothie might be right up your alley. It’ll get you some nourishment without too much work. There are a million recipes online that you can look up. You can always add supplements of one kind or another to boost whatever nutrients you personally need, too. For example, a lot of ADHDers find that extra protein is a really good thing for their system. So find a protein powder you like and plop that in there. Or even some peanut butter for an extra thick smoothie.

I’ve been incorporating this hack myself lately, and it’s so much nicer than trying to convince my brain that morning eating is good for me. For myself and my family, I combine a little over 1 cup of milk (oat for us), 1/2 cup of yogurt, and around a cup of frozen fruit and spinach plus whatever add-ins we’re trying at the time (currently flax meal and protein powder). It gets me some extra fiber, and it’s pretty delicious honestly.

Bake and freeze

This is another one that I’ve tried and enjoyed myself. I have a small child into whom I am constantly trying to shove nutrients as well, and any kind of baked nutrient-dense treat has really been a hit. I’ve done baked French toast sticks cobbled together from various internet recipes, lentil banana muffins from the Kids Eat in Color Real Easy Weekdays cookbook, and black bean chocolate chip muffins from the same cookbook. All went over really well with the whole family, and it’s an afternoon’s worth of effort for a really great payoff that lasts a few weeks.

While I linked my personal favorite source for nutrient-dense recipes that can be frozen, many baked recipes can be. And when you work yourself up to an afternoon of baking, follow through with it, and see a great result, that is often enough to kind of trick our ADHD brains into doing it again and again. There’s an immediate dopamine hit involved with a warm treat immediately AND a delayed bonus dopamine hit when you realize you can open the freezer and grab something easy and filling later. I’m all for tips and tricks that pull double duty.

Think additive, not restrictive

Diet culture really works its nasty way into everything. When you want a snack, you might end up judging yourself for what you choose. That’s going to really mess with the whole executive functioning of it all. The more negative feelings you attach to eating, the greater startup cost goes into everything related to eating. Before you know it, you’re not nourishing your body at all, let along nourishing it well.

As my own kid started eating, I began worrying about the best ways to go about nutrition for kids, so I started following dietitians and nutritionists on social media. And one of the best things I’ve learned from following them on social media is to think about what I can add, rather than what I should restrict. This applies well to adults, too. You want some pretzels? Ok. Grab a spoonful of peanut butter too so you’re more satiated due to all the fat and protein. Really craving mac and cheese for dinner? Think about adding a veggie side for extra fiber. Or even go the extra mile and find a recipe for hidden veggie mac and cheese. It’ll still be creamy and cheesy and delicious, but with a little fiber kick that helps your body.

Girl dinner to the rescue

You know the kind of dinner I’m talking about. You basically make a charcuterie board of your favorite stuff and call it a meal. And I’m here to tell you, that’s ok. Sometimes a plate of cheese and crackers is all you have energy or time for. But guess what? Cheese has fat and protein that your body needs. And a lot of crackers have a pretty decent amount of fiber. Add a few cherry tomatoes and carrot sticks in a bunch of pretty colors and maybe even a few olives, and you’ve got some fresh components to add even more fiber and some vitamins too.

To me, girl dinner is the ultimate ADHD hack. It’s low startup cost with big reward. Because somehow despite the lack of prep, it often manages to feel fancy. So I say embrace the girl dinner and let it become a regular part of your repertoire. Think about it throughout the week, plan it out, maybe even buy a special plate for it. You’ll love girl dinner night and get better at incorporating things that work for your body and your brain.

Fed is best

Yes, this is traditionally what we say about babies, but I apply this to adults as well. If you fed yourself today, drank water, and took your medication, you did great. If all you could manage was reheating something delicious and frozen from Trader Joe’s, then that’s amazing. Your body deserves nourishment. If that needs to be fast and easy nourishment during some seasons of life, then so be it.

The goal of any hack to make your life better should be working with your brain, not against it. If that means girl dinner every night because it feels fancy and takes minimal work, go for it! If it means every breakfast is a smoothie because that’s the best way to get in your fruits and veggies in the morning, that’s amazing! The more you champion yourself, the better poised you are to make even better decisions for your body tomorrow.