Welcome — However You Found Your Way Here
No microwave. Low energy. Still eating. Learn how simple rice cooker meals support mental health, low energy, and survival in the midst of burnout and self-discovery.
Preparing Meals With Minimal Ingredients, Highly Filling
Let me be real with you:
I’m not here meal-prepping like a fitness influencer.
I’m not eating six clean meals a day, timed with a stopwatch.
I’m building a life from scratch—out of pure stubbornness, exhaustion, and a bit of controlled rage.
So, my eating habits?
They’re not glamorous. They’re functional.
And most days, they’re the only reason I’m still upright.
My Go-To Meal: Survival in a Rice Cooker
I don’t have a microwave.
I don’t have a personal chef.
I try not to make extra unnecessary dishes to warm up food as I possibly can.
Instead, I do have bills, chronic fatigue, and a tiny bit of flexibility when it comes to making food.
The thing that I make this in my rice cooker because it takes zero extra brainpower, and has been a huge help when I finish super late at work with no time to cook:
White rice + Lentils + Canned chicken + Cut green beans + 2-3 spoonfuls of powdered chicken bouillon for flavor.
Boom! That’s it. A one-pot meal that cooks itself while I decompress on the floor after work, before my body starts screaming again. I eat it a little at a time—because I feel as though I’m losing appetite, but I know I need something in my stomach.
This typically lasts me all work week because I don’t take home lunch anymore. Not enough fridge space at work, or microwaves, though I could stand to try bringing food I could keep in a good cooler and eat it cold.
Hi-chews, Ritz crackers, chocolate muffins, and other goodies aren’t helping me stay fed long enough to make it through the workday.
Snacks Are Signals
Speaking of which, some days, I end up crashing.
I’ll go from rage-fueled productivity to complete shutdown as quick as you can blink. That’s when the sweet and salty snacks creep in—out of habit, comfort, low blood sugar, or just needing a break.
I used to beat myself up for it.
Now? I see it as data.
A bag of chips, gummy candies, or some cookies doesn’t mean I’m lazy or failing—it means my body is waving a white flag. I try to listen, I don’t always do, but I’m getting better.
It’s not my best strategy, but it’s what I’ve got at the moment.
This Isn’t A Meal Plan. It’s A Reality.
I’m not here to tell you what to eat.
I’m here to say: this is what’s been keeping me alive while I claw my way toward the life I actually want.
I’m not strong because of this.
I’m strong in spite of how hard it’s been.
Some of us aren’t counting macros—we’re counting minutes of energy left in the day.
Although, this is just another learning curve for me to overcome regardless. I can’t survive only on snacks throughout the day and wait until I finish work to eat something filling, right? I’m not trying to do intermittent fasting while working a physical job. No thank you.
Meal Ideas For Small Apartments
I’m not saying that my rice meal is the only meal that I eat, I’ve just been super low energy most days, so I could improve my meals. While I do have to go shopping, I think I have a decent amount of food to work with.
For my proteins, I have:
- Steak
- Chicken
- Kalua pig
- Portuguese sausage
- Bacon
- Spam (canned)
- Tuna (canned — in water and oil)
- Black beans & lentils (dry)
- Whey protein (GNC tub — still good!)
Below are the carbs I have:
- White rice (main staple — check)
- Pasta (Barilla)
- Bread (frozen, sliced)
- 30 packs of Sapporo shrimp flavored saimen
- Some snack foods (Oreo/Reese’s/etc.)
While it’s not much, I do have some veggies in stock:
- Frozen green beans
- Frozen California mix (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower)
I have a few miscellaneous spices and seasonings, but it’s enough for my picky appetite:
- Avocado oil
- White miso paste
- Hawaiian salt
- Cayenne pepper
- Regular pepper
- Onion salt
My shopping list is going to need a few things to complement what I do have. So, I’ll need to keep being stubborn and make a variety of meals to eat to help fuel my body from working and from working out. Even if it’s another meal I can cook in my rice cooker, it’s better than not eating at all.
How Do I Plan Out Meals?
I don’t plan my meals out. More often, I’ll see what I have that I could defrost the night before (like a tray of steak), have that ready when I get home, and cook out of pure spite so that: 1)I’m not waiting to cook when I get home; 2) I have something I can eat regardless of what time I finish work, so that I have the food ready and I took the time out of my, becoming more hectic, schedule and adjusting as I go.
What About You?
Have you ever found yourself relying on one strange, comforting meal to get through your days?
Or eaten snacks in silence because your body needed a quick win, even if it wasn’t the “right” one?
I’d love to hear it. No shame. No judgment. Just honesty.
A Note To Fellow Archivists
An Invitation to You
If any part of this piece resonates, I’d love to invite you to pause for a moment and reflect on your own journey.
- What part of your story feels messy, uncertain, or unfinished right now?
- Where are you weary, wondering, or wandering?
- What small reminder do you need today that you don’t have to fit neatly into anyone’s expectations?
You don’t have to share your reflections out loud — sometimes it’s enough just to notice them for yourself. But if you’d like, you’re always welcome to write them in the comments, or even send them my way privately. This space is here so that we can remind ourselves and each other: you’re not alone in this.
If you’ve found something meaningful here, liking, sharing, or subscribing helps fellow wanderers find this little pocket of the internet too. And if you subscribe, you’ll also receive Letters from the Void, my newsletter where I share more quiet reflections, behind-the-scenes projects, and updates before they appear anywhere else.
However you choose to engage — silently reading, reflecting privately, or joining in the conversation — you’re part of this archive. Thank you for being here.
Stay stubborn. Be adaptable. Stay fed.
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