this is 100% a fantastic title for those who struggle with a variety of conditions that may make cooking a little extra difficult. eby's instructions were kind and in no way condescending the way that i sometimes find those "easy" cookbooks. i appreciated that while there were recipes here, it was primarily an explanatory text that could let folks make their own decisions through with thorough description. definitely going to be using some of this book's techniques on low spoons days!

This book inspired me to stop thinking of providing meals to be such a chore. I’ve often reminded my husband he could pitch in and cook, too. Since the bulk of the cooking still lands on me, Margaret Eby’s book helped me feel like cooking isn’t such a difficult activity after all.

This was so good and so practical! For anyone who works long days, or comes home to fix an entire meal for a meat eating family and then still needs something to feed their vegetarian self, or anyone who is just tired or overstressed, this is your book. Reviewing for my library, but I am definitely buying my own copy when it comes out. This is so much more practical and compassionate than similar titles I have read. So there are only a handful of specific "recipes" in this book, but there sure are many, many ways to come up with food when you need it! All the stars.

This was such a great book about how to navigate cooking! Especially so when you have bad days, low energy days, depression / bad mental health periods etc. So many useful tips and tricks to use, and love that it doesnt actually include a lot of actual recipes but rather works as a tool to be able to do what you can with what you have on hand + the energy level you have!

Will 100% buy this book for myself once it gets out!

I received a copy of this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

The book I didn't know I needed! This book has a TON of ideas on how to feed yourself when you don't want to cook or make a big mess. Salads, eggs, sandwiches, etc. with a ton of ideas in all the categories and many others. I really need a copy of this book to help keep my sanity!

I think this book is a great idea, a mix of general ideas with some specific recipes. It works then as a source of inspiration (flip to a page and scan until you find something appealing and achievable) and as a reminder to eat.

Margaret Eby's You Gotta Eat is a perfect book for days when you can't muster up your grand chef ambitions. It is an honest book about cooking an honest meal on days when you struggle to feed yourself. Categorized by effort level to produce the meal, this book provides ideas for satisfying dishes using pantry staples or the produce slowly wilting in the fridge. There are no pictures in the book, but Eby's descriptions of the dishes were perfect (and most people know what a tuna salad sandwich will look like). I loved this book and will recomend it to friends of all cooking levels. Because everyone has days where it is scrambled eggs and toast for dinner but Eby's book can help spruce up those days.

Stunning little book and exactly what everyone needs right now. I am queen of 'no mental spoons but need to eat' and this is perfect for those nights where I need to find a solution and quick, before apathy and choice paralysis sets in.

Eby is kind, thoughtful and creative throughout the book, with lots of ideas for substitutions and reminders that these recipes are not the be-all and end-all but a launching pad for what you could create. I'm really excited to dig through my cupboards next time I find myself wondering what to eat and looking forward to what I could create.

A marvelous balance of recipes, memoir and reassurance, You Gotta Eat is an original, open-hearted and entertaining look at life and the kitchen.

Thank you Quirk Books and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this awesome book. This is a great guide for college freshmen and people with chronic illnesses who need to prepare something fast. Great ideas that I’ll be returning to again and again. Highly recommend.

They should give these out to every college freshman and anyone starting antidepressants (there's definitely an overlap in those two groups too). This is the guide I needed about 5 years ago, but also still need today because burnout as an adult is so real. Cooking just sucks when you're tired and this is full of useful hacks and ideas to make it through dinner after a long day. What I appreciated most is that there's enough variety in here that it can be used time and time again without growing old. I would have appreciated a few more recipes, but the quick formula breakdowns are so useful I'll be referring to this often.

This book is accessible and the author is relatable. Ideas for simple things to 'cook'/ bring together to help you eat when life makes it hard. It would definitely help with inspiration when you don't have the mental capacity and it does so in an interested, compassionate way. Top book to encourage self care and removal of expectations around food. I'd love more pictures tho

I loved this book! Sometimes you can't be bothered to make an elaborate meal or order take out and this book shows you the perfect way to use up items in your cupboard. Easily accessible and with tons of variations, You Gotta Eat shows you the way to good food with minimal effort.

Perfect for caregivers with young children, new adults navigating a shared kitchen, chefs with disabilities or fraught relationships with food, and any person who needs permission to eat a jam and butter sandwich like a Queen, You Gotta Eat by Margaret Eby belongs in every library collection and on every kitchen counter.

Divided into sections based on the amount of effort required to produce the meal, this book provides ideas for filling and festive dishes that scale up for a crowd or down for a single serving. Since each meal option is presented with a list of possible components (and the suggestion that you roll a die and pick from the provided columns if decision fatigue has you in its grip) it is easy to customize the menu to address food allergies, sensitivities, and preferences in addition to "what you have on hand." While there are no images of the finished dishes, the bright colors and engaging font encourage and amuse the reader along the way, making the daily act of food preparation a little more fun and a great deal more accessible. Thank you to NetGalley for access to this fantastic arc!

This cookbook is a breath of fresh air. It makes the essential act of eating accessible to people with disabilities, depression, ADHD etc, who are grieving or having to work long hours. Highly recommend.

This book is a great help to anyone too tired to cook something fancy or even on a daily-homecooked-meal level.
It‘s perfect for those who can‘t be bothered to move too much in summer heat, habe low energy after work, are no talents whatsoever in the kitchen or are simply unable to make more than a few hand gestures in the kitchen because of (mental) illness or stress or simply are on low budget but want to not always eat things the same way every day.

In few but in depth chapters Eby shows how an egg or whether a bread is toasted or not can sometimes make the difference. How to use what you have in your kitchen. From canned goods to ramen noodle packages - she takes the shame off low-effort cooking (or assembling) and has many useful tipps (such as how to add extra protein or why mayonnaise and tomatos go together on bread or that miso paste is a great extra to have because it adds a unique salty flavor AND stays good in the fridge for a year).

This book full of recipes looks to simplify cooking, making, and eating food when it doesn't seem quite so simple. The ideas are mostly things that the general person might have around, and even some items that are a little more obscure.