Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I have a suggestion that might sound odd but that has helped me in the past. Others have recommended eating whatever food is the simplest--consuming things that are nutritionally dense and also very low-effort. And there has been a suggestion that you get some new cookbooks and really get into cooking again. Here's my thought: depression often takes away not only appetite, but also curiosity. Why not teach yourself an entirely new-to-you cuisine? For instance, do you like Vietnamese food but don't know how to prepare it yourself? Learn. This kind of experiment could help both mentally and physically!

definitely dark (which seems to be winning in a landslide)

Lily,

Like so many others, I just wanted to wish you well and to let you know there are people who care and who understand what you are going through. I also suffer from depression and my advice is to try to do the complete opposite of whatever your inner voice is telling you to do. It took me a very long time to understand that the very thing I thought was making me feel better was actually making me more sick. At those darker moments, my instinct was to sleep, not eat, not get dressed, hide from the world and I thought that was "protecting" me, when in fact, it was doing the opposite. The simple act of getting showered, dressed, leaving the house (even if it's only for a walk) will usually change that chemical make up in your brain. Helping others and reaching out was my key to getting better. You will also be helping others by reaching out. It does wonders on both sides and I really want to cheer for you for reaching out to us here. It's a hard thing to do, but you did it and if you follow this way of thinking, you will get past this.
I also agree with trying to cook, even if you don't want to eat it at first. Make it simple and perhaps the act itself will start your appetite to perk up.
Also, try to do one thing a day that makes you happy. It doesn't have to be a big thing (my treat was to go to a book store and browse as long as I wanted to!) but treat yourself with kindness and keep reaching out.
I wish you all the best and hope this passes for you soon.

When I'm depressed, I eat like a pig. Nothing's safe from me. That said, total emotional devastation is another story entirely. I can barely get down an apple a day.

In one of MFK Fisher's books (can't remember which one), she wrote about how much she loved oranges, peeled and sectioned, and having sat out a bit on her windowsill in the sun so that the membrane over the sections developed a real bite when you bit into it. The way the juice burst in your mouth. She way she wrote about it made me want one so much, done just like her, sitting on the windowsill to rest. And that's what I did. And I had another, then another, and then moved on to real food. It's pretty amazing what such a bright clean flavor can do for you. @renzata, MFK Fisher was a great call. Anyhoo, that's pretty much my goto to food when I plumb major emotional depths. It's my kick-start and has, thus far, always worked for me.

Lilly, take care of yourself. I know that there are times that it feels as though the effort of eating just isn't worth it, but you honestly, really, truly will feel better if you do.

just made this and i have to say i'm disappointed. very bland -- had to add more than salt and pepper to make it palatable. good texture though... i will use this technique (the egg at the end) in the future, with more flavorful ingredients.

Hehehe. I made some carbonara this week too! I opted for something a little healthier than the original since it was a weeknight.

Dark chocolate is good for your heart.