You Gotta Eat is a great cookbook full of tips and easy recipes that are extremely helpful. Margaret Eby provides many strategies that can help make the process of feeding yourself less stressful and more budget-friendly.

I can already think of so many people who this cookbook would occasionally be a godsend for.

Myself for one.

For days where the mere thought of eating, never mind actually making the food, seems insurmountable. This book is absolutely filled with not just ideas, but gentle compassion and it is presented in a way that is accessible and in no way overwhelming.

Already ordered copies for myself, my bestie AND the library.

I was hooked by this title: “You Gotta Eat: Real-Life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossible”. When I get depressed, stressed out, and hopeless about the state of the world, I struggle HARD with feeding myself something other than take out and junk food. Margaret Eby has helpfully divided her book into these awesome categories: If you can open a package, If you can assemble a plate, If you can press a button, If you can wield a knife.

It’s simple, compassionate, and honest. Sometimes the only thing I can manage is opening a bag or a can. She’s got instructions on how to make a soup with just canned tomato sauce, she’ll show you how to dump a bag of frozen veggies onto a sheet pan to make something delicious and that has actual nutrition. What I loved the most was not the recipes (although they were GREAT and I immediately bought ingredients for the Greek-ish bean salad) but it was the sense of compassion extended to those of us who are struggling with things that the world tells us that should be easy.

Remember that the illusion of ‘having it all together’ is based in an outdated ideal of a two parent household where only one has to work and the other can stay home and deal with things like food and cleaning. I don’t think I know any one my age or younger (and I’m 40 something) who has that. So be sure to extend yourself some compassion when you’re struggling because you are definitely not alone!

I'm a huge fan of cookbooks presented in cutesy cartoony ways. It makes me feel like the recipes will be achievable.

This book was so very unique. Reading through the recipes I kept thinking 🤔
1. Who is eating this!?
2. Oh wait...that one looks good
3. This is prefect for pregnancy cravings
4. This is GREAT for those who celebrate 4/20
5. My broke college self could have used this all those years ago.

All this to say...get the book. It's fun, it's creative. It will help you create something new with the things you have.

This is one I may have to purchase for my personal library when it comes out. I too have days or weeks where I'm basically a fussy toddler who hates every food and will just not feed myself until I'm headachy or dizzy. We've all been there! This was very inspirational and ironically knocked me out of the one of those funks so now I have a fridge full of homecooked food again.

But I know that funk will return and the ideas in this book will be very handy for that time. This is "fed is best" for adults - open that can, make that box of macaroni, microwave that egg - do what you have to do to nourish yourself when the idea of slicing and dicing is just too much. I'll definitely embrace the jam and butter sandwich, a favorite of the queen, and think of myself of royalty when I do.

This is an excellent book for people who don't have time or energy to dedicate to cooking properly. The language of the book is concise and approachable, and you can literally feel the author empathising with you while reading it. Some recipes are a bit adventurous to put it mildly (sandwiches and casseroles specifically, certain ingredient combos were downright scary) but the general logic of the book is excellent.

However, there were a few downsides as well. First of all, some level of preparation is needed before actually using the book. Sure, the recipes are excellent for when you can't make yourself cook properly, but they all rely on a sufficiently well-stocked pantry to work. Unfortunately that's not always realistic: if I don't have energy to pull myself together and cook, my fridge will probably also only contain half an onion that still remembers Covid lockdowns, a half empty ketchup bottle and a pack of dumplings. So I'll definitely use the book's recommendations, but only after actually benefitting from one of my more high-functioning days and stocking up on non-perishables.

Finally, I understand that expecting full colour photos in a book that's all about making it up as you go isn't realistic. And yet it would've been nice to have some, because I can't cook to save my life and often can't visualise that the final result should/will look like either.

This book is so necessary! Practical and nonjudgmental. Truly a gift to those like me who are neurodivergent and maybe either forget to eat, don’t experience hunger cues normally, those who are busy with work/caregiving/life, and those who just don’t have the spoons to consider cooking.

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.