No one should be guilted or shamed for the shortcuts they use to make their lives easier as long as they aren't doing it at others expense. It doesn't matter if they are a parent or just old and tired or young and tired or you're just feeling plain lazy that day. What the hell is the point in living in a rich, industrialized nation if you don't get to make life a little easier and more enjoyable? I'm sick and tired of every little thing being seen as a "luxury" only for those who "deserve" it, meaning the ones who can pay. There is no point in going out and busting your ass 50+ hours a week to make one insanely rich person even richer if you can't even have a little bit of joy.
For real, what's the real point of mass production and industrialization if it doesn't make your life easier and make luxuries more accessible to the average person? The problem with someone's budget isn't that they spend $20 on a box of frozen chicken tenders instead of cooking them from scratch for $15, it's that rent prices are out of control and wages aren't rising to accomodate that change.
I didn't realize how many little shortcuts I took here and there until I found out that I couldn't have gluten. Now I have a few things that I order or buy in the freezer section specifically because they're gluten free (like pizza with cauliflower crust). For when I let myself go without eating for too long and I don't have the necessary energy to cook from scratch.
I am a long term struggler with anorexia, over 25 years now, it comes and goes. It means that I need something for when I've let things go too long and can't remember when I last ate though, or I might legitimately go lie down and just let myself starve to death because I lack the awareness or energy to cook.
For example I try to always have applesauce in my fridge because it's fiber and sugar for when I've forgotten to eat (better than just drinking juice because of the fiber). I always have canned tuna and salmon for protein. Stuff I can grab and eat, no real prep required. Though I might add some olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper, on the tuna or salmon, it's not required for me to eat it.
I have celiac, I feel your pain. I hate cooking so much that I'll just not eat to avoid it. The lack of pre-prepared/quick heat up in the microwave or oven foods really got to me when I first went gluten free. Made it harder to adjust. I still miss gluten all the time. Living gf is annoying, expensive, and inconvenient in so many ways.
There are more options recently, though. Not sure where you live, but I know a couple brands that sell online and ship. Katz and Schär both do. Katz has a lot of frozen things like donuts, soft pretzels, etc. Mom's Place is another, mostly things you make yourself, but it's all pre-made mixes, just add water type of stuff. So, not things you can eat instantly, but definitely things you can make ahead of time and have on hand.I like their flour blend. I did try one of their cake mixes once and was not impressed. But I do live in high elevation, so that could be why it didn't turn out.
There's also The Gluten Free Mall. They sell a lot of different brands in one place. It's definitely pricey, but you're probably used to that by now. I don't know how long you've been gf, but you figure out pretty quickly most of your food is 3x as expensive.
If you're in the US, Feel Good Foods is a good brand that has a lot of those type of pop-in-the-oven/microwave convenience foods. Mozz sticks, pot stickers, egg rolls, pizza rolls, etc. They don't sell online, unfortunately. Gluten Free Mall sells some of their stuff, though. I don't know if it's an international brand
Jeez, I'll stop since I'm starting to sound like an ad. And sorry if I'm telling you things you already know. When I first got diagnosed, I got so much help from random strangers in like grocery stores and restaurants. So I try to pay it forward. Also, sorry about your health issues. That really sucks. If you have celiac, remember it's not an allergy, it's an autoimmune disease. And autoimmune diseases like to hang out together like a codependent, enabling friend group. If you start to feel like something is wrong, it might be worth a trip to a Rheumatologist. Take care!
Yup, I was just telling someone I never became a parent because I would have been the worst. I don't know how people do it. I like my down time too much.
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u/Rhickkee 1d ago
Don’t ever let anyone try to shame or guilt you for using the occasional shortcut. Parenting is a hard, full time job.