Low-effort meals for when you're exhausted

Some days, cooking feels impossible. You're exhausted, stressed or just running on empty, and takeout feels like the only option. Having a list of genuinely low-effort meals makes those days easier.

Five-minute meals

• Eggs on toast with spinach and tomatoes
• Tinned soup with a slice of wholegrain bread and cheese
• Greek yoghurt with granola, fruit and nuts
• A wrap with hummus, ready-cooked chicken and bagged salad
• Microwave rice pouch with a tin of mixed beans and salsa

Assembly meals, no cooking needed

• A snack plate with crackers, cheese, hummus, vegetables and fruit
• Tuna, sweetcorn and mixed leaves with a squeeze of lemon
• Cottage cheese, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and wholegrain crackers

Stock up for low-energy days

• Microwave grain pouches
• Tins of beans, lentils, fish and soup
• Frozen vegetables and frozen ready-to-cook fish
• Eggs, wraps and bagged salad
• A few healthy ready meals in the freezer

Lower the bar

A simple meal of eggs and toast is still a better choice than skipping food or ordering a takeaway you don't really want. Paper plates and one-pan meals are fine when you're running low.

Let the plan carry you

On hard weeks, decision-making is often the hardest part. Mealful can generate a plan for you, sort recipes by quickest, and build the grocery list, so all that's left is the cooking, and sometimes not even much of that.

If exhaustion goes on for weeks, speak to your doctor.