Navigating ADHD and Eating Habits with Compassion
I can’t believe no one told me this sooner.
For years, I thought my struggles with food were about “disordered eating.”
But the truth was much simpler (and honestly… a relief).
It was decision fatigue.
It was ADHD overwhelm.
And once I built a system that worked with my brain, everything changed.
Understanding ADHD and Eating Patterns
The diagnosis that changed how I see food
Last year I was diagnosed with ADHD.
I always knew I was different, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Decision-making paralysed me.
Choice felt heavy.
Avoidance became normal.
I work with eating disorders, disordered eating, and recovery , and yet I was missing something in my own life:
It wasn’t about food.
It was about how overwhelmed my brain was.
Morning Routines for Better Meal Management
The kitchen moment I nearly missed
The real penny-drop moment came randomly.
me and my daughter was standing in the kitchen, and she said:
“Mum… we waste so much food.”
And I froze, because I hadn’t noticed.
That’s the thing with overwhelm… You don’t always see it while you’re in it.
You just keep moving.
Running a busy life.
Working.
Socialising.
Supporting everyone else.
Food became the thing I didn’t realise I was avoiding.
Simple Meal Ideas
What decision fatigue looks like in real life
Some evenings I’d come in from work and my son-in-law would say:
“Becky, what do you want for dinner?”
And I’d just stand there… blank.
Not fussy.
Not controlling.
Not dramatic.
Just… paralysed.
Eventually he’d say:
“I’ve put something in the oven.”
And honestly? The relief was huge.
That isn’t disordered eating.
That’s a nervous system that’s had too many choices in one day.
Experiment with Meal Prep
The ADHD hyperfocus that saved me
To reduce food waste and make life easier, I started researching meal prep.
That’s when I found freezing food into portions (food cubes, tubs, silicone pods, everything).
And suddenly, ADHD hyperfocus kicked in.
I spent hours in the kitchen:
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chopping onions and garlic
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cooking batch meals
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freezing portions
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labelling bags with dates
The kitchen looked like chaos, like a toddler had demolished a playground.
But when it was done?
My whole week changed.
Understanding Food Overwhelm
The neuroscience bit (in simple English)
Here’s what I didn’t understand before:
ADHD brains often:
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run low on dopamine (so we seek stimulation)
-
burn through energy quickly
-
struggle with executive function (planning, organising, deciding)
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get hit hard by decision fatigue later in the day
So by evening, food becomes another decision.
And the brain says: nope.
That’s why ADHD can look like:
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skipping meals
-
grazing
-
forgetting to eat then overeating
Not because you’re broken.
Because your brain is overloaded.
Understanding Food Overwhelm
Morning me is a different person
-
I realised something important:
My best brain time is the morning.
So I started making decisions then.
Every morning:
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I take meals out of the freezer
-
they defrost while I work
-
food is ready before decision fatigue hits
That alone lifted a massive weight off my shoulders.
Less thinking.
Less stress.
Less shame.
More nourishment.
grazing
-
-
bingeing at night
-
forgetting to eat then overeating
-
feeling “out of control” around food
Not because you’re broken.
Because your brain is overloaded.
Morning me is a different person
I realised something important:
My best brain time is the morning.
So I started making decisions then.
Every morning:
-
I take meals out of the freezer
-
they defrost while I work
-
food is ready before decision fatigue hits
That alone lifted a massive weight off my shoulders.
Less thinking.
Less stress.
Less shame.
More nourishment.
Understanding ADHD and Eating Patterns
What I actually eat (simple + realistic)
This is not about being perfect.
It’s about structure that supports energy.
Breakfast (my go-to):
Black bean, egg & cottage cheese wraps ➔ frozen, pre-wrapped, ready to bake.
ADHD bodies often do better with:
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high protein
-
carbs for energy
-
fats for steady focus
Lunch ideas:
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lentil casseroles
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veggie curries with rice
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Frozen veg cubes added to meals
Tiny tip: add extra water when reheating rice or it turns to concrete.
Everything is already cooked.
The only thing I need to remember is taking it out the freezer.
Understanding Food Overwhelm
If you want to try it (start at 1%)
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This isn’t about controlling food.
It’s about removing the mental load.
Try it as an experiment:
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freeze chopped onions / garlic
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batch cook one meal a week
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freeze single portions
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label roughly (date + what it is)
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body double with someone while cooking
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put a podcast on so it feels less “effort”
Sometimes my grandson helps me wash up (and floods the kitchen).
It’s messy. It’s real. And it still works.
Start at 1%.
Not 100%.
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The real point (this is what I wish I’d known)
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If I could tell younger me one thing, it would be this:
It wasn’t disordered eating.
It was overwhelm.
It was decision fatigue.
It was ADHD doing what ADHD does.
Structure doesn’t take away your freedom.
It gives you space to breathe.
And when you work with your brain, not against it, food becomes calmer.
the kitchen.
It’s messy. It’s real. And it still works.
Start at 1%.
Not 100%.
Want support with ADHD + food overwhelm?
If food feels chaotic, it doesn’t mean you’re failing. It often means your nervous system is overloaded and you’ve been trying to cope alone. I support adults and teens with: ➔ ADHD and eating disorders ➔ disordered eating patterns ➔ binge/restrict cycles ➔ body image and self-worth ➔ decision fatigue and overwhelm
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