For breakfast I usually have two slices of toast with a thin coat of margarine on them. A couple of mornings each week I am having a Jimmy Dean frozen omelet heated in the microwave. For lunch I have a sandwich with a slice of cheese and some Pringles chips and a caffeine-free diet cola. For dinner I have a frozen TV dinner and a caffeine-free diet cola. For snacks between meals I have a few unsalted dry roasted peanuts or some crackers. And after dinner I usually have about half a package of microwaved popcorn. That is pretty much what I eat. Very little cleanup and I can tell exactly how many carbs I am consuming to help control my type 2 diabetes.

Fresh fruits and veggies are golden . . . however, difficult to find this time of year. Strawberry season is here . . fresh from Florida! I do a lot of salads, avocado, loaded baked potato (minus the bacon), chili is awesome during the cold winter months as well are soups.

Great to hear that you are at least focused on "eating" . . wonderful news. Happy and healthy shopping . . xo, D

My husband was a big eater so I found that I was fixing a little too much so I have lots of little containers in the freezer with single servings to pull out. Easy to do with casseroles. Not a big fan of frozen dinners. Just made some little pizzas, single serving size. You can buy the crusts in the single serving size, the same crusts I used to buy in the big size when my husband was alive. Eat one and freeze the other two. (Come 3 to a package)

I have hamburger already browned and in single servings in the freezer so I can use it when making my little pizzas, throw it in some spaghetti sauce, add it to some macaroni, etc. Did the same with chicken breasts. All I have to do is add it to more chicken broth and add noodles for home made chicken noodle soup.

Made a batch of cookie dough the other day. Get hungry for home made cookies but I know better than to make a full batch cause I would just sit and eat them all! Baked a dozen to satisfy my urge for a few days and then made the rest of the dough into little round cookie balls and put them in a bag in the freezer. That way I can just pull out what I want and bake them when I have company stop or the sweet tooth needs nourishment.

Oatmeal and juice for breakfast. A trip to the freezer for lunch or supper unless I had a cooking urge. It took me a while to get it figured out too. I didn't have much of an appetite right after my husband's death but (unfortunately) my appetite has come back.

Thanks for sharing, you have given me some ideas. I am trying to adjust as well. Not much appetite, but yesterday I felt hungry. I have not cooked or baked much since he has been gone. One of my hobbies was making desserts, but I think of the ones he liked and I just can't do it yet.

For many months after Capri died I didn't eat much or even want to. I survived on raw vegetables, chiken pot pies and the occasional sandwich. The sweet tooth I had all my life was completely gone. The only thing I actually cooked in 8 months was scrambled eggs. I always enjoyed cooking so I took some cooking classes to try to get my muse back. It took a few months to take hold but at a little over a year out I'm cooking some again. These days I generally have cereal for breakfast and fix an early supper. Lunch is a rare thing still. Two healthy meals a day are nearly always enough. I've lost a lot of weight, had it to lose, and feel much better physically. My sweet tooth has come back but not like it was. That's a good thing. One thing I've learned and youll read it here often is to keep up your fluid intake. Crying really can dehydrate you.
Hugs and healthy eating
John

Salad is a biggie for me, found a couple of cooked chicken breasts left over from a meal Ray and I had. I cried, heated one up in the microwave and had a salad topped with the chicken. Had some oranges left over from Ray and sliced them up, that was lunch for a few days. One thing I regret is that for his 60th Birthday Ray asked me to lose weight. Never lost the weight for him, I told myself, "Well you're no Slim Jim", now in the past 3 weeks I have lost weight and plan to keep it up and loose more. Wish now that I had done it for him to make him happy.

The slow cooker is a big help since I'm still working, Freeze some of it. Like Dayna, fresh stuff is best but have to rely on frozen veggies quite a bit this time of year. I've also learned there is no dishonor in an occasional supper of microwave popcorn and diet soda ;-)

When Morey retired in the mid 1990's he took up gourmet cooking and was a genius at it. On the evenings we didn't go out to eat, he would have the most amazing dinners waiting for me when I came home.

I didn't want to retire yet. I have a great job and I wanted to build-up my pension so we'd have two pension's to live a really good life on to take us on our future travels together.

Now, I shop at Trader Joe's get their pre-cooked, frozen turkey balls, a box of rice melody and make a dinner out of it. Or, chicken breasts & a salad.

For work, it's cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs, rice cakes, peanuts; oranges, bananas and "cuties" [tangerines.] Not all at one and not in that order!!!

I try to eat healthy because whose going to take care of me? It's Horton and me and he doesn't have thumbs!!!!!

Roz

Oh, Triq - your answer made me laugh! When I was single (dinosaurs still roamed the earth then...) I often lived on those 3 minute Ramen noodles. And an occasional dinner of microwave popcorn and a soda!
Now, with teen eating machines at home, I have to cook almost every night, but I do find having an occasional 'cooking weekend' helps - I go to town and make about 4-5 different meals, like lasagnas, shepherd's pies, roasts, pork or chicken stews, then pack and freeze them in foil containers. I have the kids pop one in the oven as soon as they're home from school, my son makes a salad or another green veggie, and voila! dinner is done.
I also make sure to have a glass of wine for myself at least once on the weekend, as a treat.

If your meaning Supper time, I sometimes make hot open face sandwiches with gravy and mashed potatoes & veg. I love Philly cheese stakes, & subs . Fish tenders, hot dogs, chicken, hamburgers, meatloaf, spaghetti..... and more. I also make some things in the crock pot. I will usually freeze part of it or eat it the next day. I run out of ideas a lot but you can look on Pinterest for ideas, look under meals for 1 or 2. If you use your crock pot just cut the recipe in 1/2. I do buy the frozen meals when I find I'm running late that day. I don't really like them though. I even just started making my own pot pies. Hey, what else do we have to do now, it helps to kill time.

Oh, speaking of roasts.... I buy the Hormel beef roast in the package, its about $5. and lasts me 2-3 meals. You can't get a roast that cheap! good like, try Pinterset.

There are 3 words in my food vocabulary. Pasta, pizza and chicken. I do not really cook. I burn things. I have mastered pasta with help from my dad. The pizza place is near by, and so is the KFC. I am a picky eater and my kids are even worse. I eat whatever looks good for breakfast such as leftover pizza. I can not stand cereal or eggs. I don't have time for lunch and dinner is what I bring home from the market. I do not eat deserts but I have been known to eat fresh fruit and a salad once in a while. So far none of this has hurt me. I think I will just keep doing what I usually do....seems to be working just fine. Tonight is fish stick night!

Maggie

Ramar, after my husband passed away 16 months ago, I did not eat or cook and lost almost 25 pounds. Dinner time was always our time to catch up and I always cooked a big dinner even after my two boys moved out. I would eat if I was out or at a friend's for dinner. The best thing that happened to me was all the snow storms in Boston. I always loved to cook during snow storms and decided I needed to begin smelling food cooking in my house again.

I make a lot of soups and italian dishes. I even cooked an entire roast beef dinner for myself last week with mashed potatoes, fresh squash and gravy. It tasted so good and felt so normal.

Please try to eat. Go to the store and by a roasted chicken that you can make a few meals out of. Invite friends over. It will give you a reason to cook.

Can't believe I saw this thread this evening - I had just ordered a couple of medium pizzas for dinner, and it's just me! I had pizza on the brain so decided to splurge. It's cheaper to get two medium pizzas, especially if they are delivered. I ate my fill, which wasn't as much as I thought it would be, put a couple pieces in the fridge to eat this weekend and froze the rest. Have no idea if it will taste good after being frozen but guess I'll find out!

It took months for me to cook again after my husband died. I just didn't care. Now I'm eating fresh produce and protein, with the occasional sinful pizza thrown in! And I have to watch the sweets - once I start it's hard for me to stop.

I have oatmeal with fresh fruit for breakfast and a salad and fruit for lunch. Dinner is usually pretty healthy. My big problem is snacking during the evening.

Each week I buy a "Meal Deal" at the supermarket. I can get an entree and two sides for a very reasonable price, and I get two meals out of one meal deal.

It's been 5 years and I still don't cook, just for me. Sure, I'll scramble an egg every now and then, but usually for breakfast, it's cereal, a breakfast bar, bagel or peanut butter and banana sandwich. Lunch I have at work, usually chicken, with veggies. Dinner can be a Lean Cuisine, grilled cheese, baked potato or an apple with a hunk of cheese. I buy salads, eat a serving and then forget it, until it's expired. I threw a lot of fruit and vegetables away after my husband died. He loved them, and I kept buying them. Now I just buy apples and bananas.

Paula

I used to love to cook and took cooking classes. It has been hit or miss for 11 months now. Breakfast either oatmeal, eggs or cereal. Not a big lunch person - dinner... Fish, chicken or salads...Eat out with a neighbor who also is a widow. we should share some recipes...