Maximum Nutrition, Minimal Effort: A Guide to Eating Well Even on Low-Energy Days
- Sue Wharton
- Jul 4
- 5 min read
When you're living with chronic fatigue or fluctuating energy levels, nourishing your body can feel like a monumental task. Yet, it's precisely on those “bad” days—when motivation, strength, or clarity are lacking—that your body needs good food the most.
This guide is for anyone who wants to eat well without burning through their precious energy. It's full of real-life tips to help you plan, shop, prep, and cook—even when you feel like you can’t.
Why Eating Well Always Matters
Even on your worst days, food can be your ally or your enemy.
Poor choices—like high-sugar, low-nutrient foods—can:
Spike inflammation
Disrupt blood sugar levels
Drain your energy further
Better choices—like meals with protein, healthy fats, fibre, and micronutrients—can:
Help reduce inflammation
Stabilise your mood and energy
Support immune and brain function
The golden rule? Eat to support your future self. That might mean planning today so you can coast tomorrow.
How to Build a Nutritious Meal
A balanced plate doesn’t have to be complicated. Just make sure each meal contains:
✅ A source of protein
✅ A source of healthy fat
✅ Fibre, ideally from vegetables
✅ Low sugar
✅ A mix of vitamins and minerals
Simple combinations like eggs + spinach + olive oil or tinned fish + salad + seeds tick all the boxes.
Smart Planning for Low-Energy Living
Know your rhythm: Are you more functional in the morning? Use that window to prep. If your energy wanes by midday, prioritise sitting tasks like making a shopping list or batch-labelling freezer meals.
Listen to your body: If pushing through means crashing later, it’s okay to rest now and regroup tomorrow.
Cognitive and physical energy are connected—if your mind is fried, your body will follow. Sit, breathe, and reset before diving into tasks.
Kitchen Organisation That Works With You, Not Against You
Keep heavy pans at waist height—don’t bend and reach.
Use lightweight, ergonomic utensils.
Label everything—especially things that look alike (sugar vs. salt).
Use a kitchen stool to sit while you chop.
Install an anti-fatigue mat if you stand to cook.
My tip: Keep a “grab-and-go” shelf in your fridge or pantry with your go-to staples like tinned beans, eggs, cheese, and salad greens.
Shopping Without Wiping Yourself Out
Before you go:
Keep a running list and photograph it weekly.
Organise the list by store layout (produce, dairy, etc.).
Put the list straight into your bag or phone so you don’t forget it.
In the store:
Wear comfortable clothing and compression socks if needed.
Bring a friend to help lift, drive, or queue.
Avoid busy hours. The quietest times:
Before 10 am
After 5 pm Mon–Thurs
After 7 pm on Fridays
Before 11 am or after 4 pm on weekends
Or skip the shop entirely: Order online and have food delivered when it suits you.
Bonus tip: Earplugs or calming playlists can help avoid sensory overload in noisy supermarkets.
Stocking Up for Success
Having the right food on hand makes life easier:
Freezer
You can freeze most things:
Keep staples - think of keeping some staples such as bread, grated cheese, milk etc. in the freezer, so you don’t have to go shopping if you run out
Chopped-up vegetables - when you have more energy chop & freeze veg, so you have them ready when energy is low– e.g onions, peppers, celery. Label and freeze in bags
Batch cooking - make bigger quantities of stews, soups, meals, vegetables and batch freeze for future use freeze in suitable sized portions for usual meals.
Fridge
Plenty of eggs
Easy protein - cheese, yoghurt, sliced cooked meat, tofu
Vegetables
Salads - prewashed
Store cupboard – plenty of tins!
Tinned lentils and beans
Tinned fish – sardines, salmon, tuna, mackerel
Tinned tomatoes, passata
Nuts – walnuts, almonds etc
Nut butters – peanut, almond, tahini
Oils for cooking & salads
Spices and seasonings
Jars of pre-prepared chopped garlic and ginger
A range of spices and herbs
Salt and pepper
Mayonnaise
Soy sauce, oyster sauce
My tips:
Every time you cook, ask: “Can I double this and freeze half?” Future you will be so grateful.
Roast a chicken (or buy roasted) or gammon and eat cold over several days or freeze some portions
Minimal-Energy Meals That Still Nourish
EGGS: the ultimate low-effort superfood
Always have plenty of eggs in the house – they are a great source of protein & quick!
There are no limits placed on the number of eggs you can eat
FSA confirmed advice that British Lion marked eggs on can safely be eaten runny, or even raw, by vulnerable groups, e.g. pregnant women, elderly people etc.
There are many ways to cook eggs:
Scrambled with herbs
Omelettes with whatever’s in the fridge
Boiled for a protein-packed snack
Egg muffins (freeze and reheat)
No-cook meal ideas:
Sardines or mackerel on toast
Liver or taramasalata on crackers with salad
Hummus, boiled eggs, cucumber sticks, olives
Make-ahead snack packs: Boiled eggs + cheese cubes + cherry tomatoes = one-minute lunch.
Slow cookers
Why get a slow-cooker?
Cook’s food slowly over time – set and forget!
Slow cookers allows flavours to blend together - so you get rich, tasty broths and tender meats.
Makes a wide variety of dishes, you can even roast food
Good for cheaper cuts of meat - lamb shanks, beef brisket
Good for vegetarian dishes with beans & lentils – but soak dry beans overnight before using.
Just throw all the ingredients in the pot - you don’t have to brown the meat!
Choose the following:
Source of protein – meat, fish beans/lentils
Vegetables – whatever you have, chopped
Seasoning, spices etc.
Liquid - stock, tinned tomatoes, miso
Leave for 6-8 hours without taking lid off
Try:
Beef stew (beef, veg, tinned tomatoes, broth)
Veggie chilli (beans, veg, tinned tomatoes, spices)
Get more inspiration from these links:
One-Pot & Traybake Wonders
When you're running on fumes, one-pot or traybake meals save the day.
Traybakes
Toss veg, protein, and seasoning on a tray. Roast. Done.
Easy combos:
Salmon + courgettes + lemon + garlic
Sausages + carrots + potatoes
Halloumi + chickpeas + peppers
Soup Makers & Other Kitchen Helpers
Soup is comforting, nourishing, and easy.
Invest in a soup maker if you love it—it’s hands-off and quick. Or go old-school with:
Hand blender
Vegetable chopper
Jar opener
Coffee grinder (great for grinding flaxseed or spices)
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple and Kind
Always have easy food available.
Prep when energy is high.
Make peace with shortcuts.
Use tools and people to help you.
Nourish without guilt—your version of “healthy” might look different on tough days, and that’s okay.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s nourishment that fits into your real life.
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