While all individuals grieve in different ways, cooking for one and eating a healthy, proper diet is a great opportunity to overcome feelings of loss, sadness, and depression. Adjusting to meal planning alone is hard at first, but the great news is we all have the power to change that mindset! Instead of avoiding these necessary tasks, lean into this experience and use cooking as a safe coping mechanism.

Cooking Therapy Explained

Cooking therapy is not a new phenomena -- in fact, it’s one of the oldest tricks in the books when it comes to dealing with loss. Cooking therapy allows you to express yourself in a healthy, creative way, and it also gives you a sense of control, which is something many struggle with when a loved one dies.

Cooking also acts as a great distraction since it requires constant focus and attention. Instead of viewing it as a chore or a depression trigger, use cooking to give your mind a break. Find some new recipes you’re really excited to try and then dive all in to meal planning and prepping. This will give you something to look forward to each day and help you sharpen your skill.

Staying Healthy While You Eat

While cooking therapy can be an incredibly healing mental and emotional experience, don’t use this as an opportunity to neglect your physical health. So many yummy dishes and dessert recipes are floating out there in cyberspace, but you need wholesome, nutritious recipes, too.

It’s absolutely okay to indulge in moderation, but those meals shouldn’t be an everyday thing. Do some research or talk to your physician about what your diet should look like, and then find recipes that reflect that.

A well-balanced daily meal plan may look like this:

Breakfast: Paleo Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash

Lunch: Leafy green salad with vinaigrette dressing, an orange, and a handful of almonds

Dinner: Hearty Vegetable Soup

Dessert: Golden Apple Oatmeal Cake

By taking care of your body’s physical needs, you can also improve your mind’s emotional wellbeing.

Have you recently experienced loss? If so, we highly recommend cooking therapy as a coping mechanism. If you need some recipes to get you started, check out our online cookbook here. We share all of our Roupp family favorites, as well as a few of our clients’. Let your healing experience be a delicious one!