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Health and Wellness

Chicken Noodle Soup Plus An Easy Meal Plan For The Depressed Soul

Just a little something to comfort you

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Chicken Noodle Soup Plus An Easy Meal Plan For The Depressed Soul

Eating a proper diet or making meals for yourself is difficult when you have the burden of depression weighing you down. Apathy, a lack of interest in life, is one of the worst symptoms you can experience because life seems to lose its flair, and natural nothing seems to bring you joy. People seem to either lose their appetite and eat very little or begin to use food to cope with the emptiness they feel. And you know what- that is okay. I mean, obviously you want to get better, but it is okay to accept having depression because having it doesn't make you less human.

Below is a meal plan that is easy to follow and make at home even if you are battling depression. Starting to get back to a routine and eat balanced meals is going to help with mental healing.

Breakfast

Activia yogurt

To start, one Activia yogurt. Whether you know it or not, Activia yogurt is fortified with more probiotics than the average yogurt, so starting your day off with something that is going to aid your digestive system is important.

Alisha Hieb

Egg sandwich

This is the fun part. There are so many ways and tricks to make a minimal effort egg sandwich. You can customize your sandwich to include your favorite toppings and put it on virtually anything. Eggs are essential to the brain because they provide the body with protein and are loaded with vitamin D and B12, both of which combat depression.

These are my two favorite egg sandwiches:

The Basics

Whole Wheat Roll, 2 eggs, 1 slice of cheese, and ketchup (no high fructose corn syrup)

The Avodiablo

Everything bialy, 2 eggs, 1 slice of cheese, hot sauce, and avocado

Making an egg sandwich can be done in under three minutes even if you are using a pan. If you in a college dorm, or if you simply do not want the burden of using and cleaning a pan, you can make your two eggs in a microwave. Simply beat two eggs in a cup, add salt and pepper, and microwave it for two minutes (or until done). When it's finished, simply flip the cup onto a plate, cut the eggs in half, assemble the sandwich. The eggs will be so hot that the cheese will melt without having to go back into the microwave.

Snacks

Fiber One bar

Banana

Having a snack in between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels stable without any major spikes or drops. Fiber One bars are important to supplement our body's fiber intake. Fiber promotes healthy bowel health as well as fights hunger and cravings.

Eiliv Aceron

Lunch

Soup

One of the most grounding things that can help anyone battling depression or any mental illness is indulging in a cup of something warm every day (and I wish this applied to hot fudge). Having a cup of hot tea or hot soup helps calm us down in times of stress because it is refreshing and comforting. When we talk about the little things that make life worth living, having a moment of solace with something hot in our hands is exactly that little thing. You do not need to make soup from scratch, you can buy it from a can (Campbell's Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup is the Cadillac of canned soups) or from a restaurant.
So in two and a half minutes (the time required for your soup to heat up), you have a lunch meal that will keep you full, be good for you, provide you with two servings of vegetables, and promote feel-good neurotransmitter production.

Sandwich

A sandwich is like a food boat, so all aboard your meats, cheeses, and vegetables! Individuals dealing with anxiety should opt to get turkey sandwiches because turkey has tryptophan, which is an amino acid used in the synthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin. Add a few slices of provolone, some lettuce, a tomato, and a tablespoon or two of chipotle mayo and all of your food groups are met.


Anton Porsche

Dinner

Serving of chicken

Best tip for anyone doing food shopping or ordering their groceries online: get rotisserie chicken. The chicken is already seasoned, perfectly cooked, and ready to eat so preparation time is zero. An added bonus is that a whole chicken can last a few days so you will have chicken for the next three or so nights.

Zucchini noodles

And you can buy zucchini noodles in any supermarket! You can eat the "noodles" fresh (raw) or cook them. If you choose to eat them raw then your preparation time is zero once again. For a quick fix, toss in some olive oil, lemon pepper, and garnish with feta cheese. Or you can try tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. However, if you do not enjoy zucchini, you have a lot of options and can get spiralized sweet potatoes, squash, butternut, or eggplant to name a few.

It is so important to drink water as well. The average body requires sixty-four fluid ounces of water (or four regular-sized bottles of water) so drinking a bottle with every meal, including snack time will help the body remain hydrated and functioning properly.

You can see the calorie break down for each meal, as well as the percent of daily fats, carbohydrates, and protein.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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