7mo ago

Does anyone else cook a whole meal hungry and upon finishing, you don't want to eat it at all?

It happens to me fairly often. Usually, it's with food I find less than appetizing, but it's not bad by any means. I think the problem stems from the fact that I cooked for about 8 years for my job. There was a lot of standing and eating, tasting dishes as I went, cooking food that I was never going to eat while I was hungry, etc..

Does anyone else share this problem?

33 comments

I’ve read that smell fatigue is part of the reason for that, although I’m sure associating it with work doesn’t help! When I find food unappetizing after cooking it I try to step outside for around 5 minutes just to reset my nose. Not long enough for it to get cold. When I go back in it usually is much more appetizing.
- I'm really not associating the act of cooking with work, I really enjoy it actually, I think it's more of the smell fatigue you mention. I've already ordered my comfort food (yellow thai curry), but next time it happens, I'll give that a try. Because it's not like I'm not hungry, I just look at it, and I'm like damn I would rather starve than eat this.
  
  Try making food you like then?

What if you cooked meals that freeze well. Then you could cook some meals, and freeze into portions.
When you get hungry, heat and eat. Separate the cooking and eating stages?
- Meal prepping always has been something I would like to do. I'm getting to a point in life where I can work that into how I do things as well. I just have to figure out some dishes, that like you said freeze well. Any suggestions?
  
  I tend to find the saucier or sloppier a dish is, the better it freezes. I also avoid chicken as I don't think it comes out very nice after cooking, freezing, and reheating.
  Minced meats work well. Lasagne, moussaka, bolognese (cook the spaghetti at time of eating, don't freeze it).
  Also stews, pulled pork, or other slow cooked food. If you use a slow cooker, most of what you cook in there is probably good for freezing.
  In general I prefer to cook vegetables, pasta, rice, etc at the time of eating and then eat with the reheated food, because they don't really taste that nice after being frozen and reheated, but it should be pretty quick to do those and don't really need much work.

No, but I only start cooking when I'm hungry but then am too impatient to wait for it to be done so I'll start snacking while I wait and then I'm no longer hungry when it's done.
- I know the feeling all too well. Even my little Italian grandmother does it when she cooks a big meal for the family.

Rather the opposite. Every time I try to make larger quantities so that I don't have to cook so much in the weeks to come it tastes so good that I end up eating everything within a day.
- There are definitely a few foods I can do that with, you're playing a dangerous game lol. But there are also some foods I think I can't do it with, like gumbo and red beans and rice, and after the 3rd day I'm so over it even if I thought it was delicious the first two days.

I’ve got adhd, and I binge for the dopamine, so this has never happened to me

Varies for me. Sometimes I can't wait to dig in, other times I'm over it by the time it's done. I think the more complicated the recipe is and the longer it takes, the less appetizing it is. My wife is the same way.
It's like the marathon of anticaption kills it.
I think there's maybe a lesson in there. Don't look forward too much to good things, and don't dread too much the bad things.

I've heard smelling coffee beans can sometimes help when this happens; regarding the whole smell fatigue thing others have mentioned
- Sounds like a palatte cleanse for the nose lol. I planned on getting a coffee grinder soon so when I have some beans hanging around and it happens I'll give this a try as well.

Always cook with leftovers in mind. Especially if it's for 1.
- It is basically impossible for me to cook for one person unless it's a burger and fries type situation. I find it hard to cook for just myself as well.
  
  I guess I mean an option is to "cook for leftovers". IE accept the fact that you won't want to eat in the moment when it happens, and tub up another meal. Just make sure you have healthy snacks around!
  Kinda like the idea of removing the stress of not being able to fall asleep by recognizing that it is going to happen.

Not like you described, but some days I try so much of the food as I go that when I finish I'm already satisfied (though I would definitely not describe it as "not wanting to eat")
- Yea, I get that completely, I did it a loooooot on the line in the kitchen. Honestly I would rather eat like that most of the time, a Frenchman would be horrified lol.
  But being full from pecking at your dishes is totally different from not wanting to eat food you've just cooked for yourself like you said.
  
  Yup, the other comments helped me understand the idea better, I definitely cannot relate :/

Interesting, but I’m curious why you cook meals that aren’t appetizing to you.
- In my case it's not that. I like to eat slowly while relaxing or whatever. But since I got a rescue dog 6 months ago, that is out. So I sit at the table and after a couple of bites I'm just tired of the process of eating.
  But I've lost a good amount of weight without trying.
- It's not that I'm cooking food I don't like. It does happen more often when the food I make isn't exactly what I want at the moment, but it's what I have. It could happen with basically anything though, doesn't really matter the quality of food - after I've cooked it for however long I just might not want it anymore.

Let me answer your question with a question. Why would you purchase and prepare food you don't like? Buy stuff you do like!

Yes, that's a thing

You're a cook and don't know that this is a well known trope? Not trying to be a dick.. everyone knows this one

33 comments