Hey here's the food that I've figured out his the right combo of cheap, easy to make, tolerably tasty, and relatively nutritionally sound for when my brain is bad:
2c rice (2c is dry, prepare as you usually do. Whatever kind of rice you have is good, brown rice works well)
2 cans of pinto or black beans, drained (or one can of each. Whatever.)
12oz frozen broccoli
1c chunky salsa
Optional: .5c sour cream, .5c shredded cheese.
Also optional: salt, garlic powder, and cumin to taste (to season the rice)
Cook the rice in one pot (with the seasoning if you want to). Put the frozen broccoli, drained beans, and salsa in another pot and bring to a boil. When the rice is done and the bean broccoli salsa stuff is hot, mix the rice into the beans (if adding cheese or sour cream, stir into the beans before adding the rice).
Now you have a food. It's got protein and carbs and fiber and a vegetable (and fat if you add the cheese and sour cream).
The amount described above is a lot. You can portion half of it into single servings to freeze and still have like four meals.
It's not the kind of thing I'd serve to anyone else, but it's a better option than eating instant oatmeal for dinner for another week.
