How to Eat Well for Adults with ADHD: A Practical, Non-Diet Guide to Feeding Your Body & Mind When You Have ADHD

by Rebecca King

“A must for anyone whose ADHD has negatively impacted their diet.”  —Publishers Weekly

From a registered dietitian living with ADHD, discover a comprehensive guide to cooking and eating as an adult ADHDer, packed with simple strategies, practical tools, and 40 ADHD-friendly recipes. 
 
Figuring out how to nourish your body and mind when you have ADHD can be overwhelming and exhausting. Challenges with executive function, impulsivity, dopamine regulation, and more can lead to a host of finding the motivation to cook a meal, remembering to eat, overeating for stimulation, getting adequate nutrition, and more. At their worst, these challenges can have serious consequences for your mental and physical health. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

How to Eat Well for Adults with ADHD is a complete guide to how to cook regularly, eat intuitively, and nourish yourself well when you have ADHD. Written by registered dietitian and ADHDer Rebecca King, the “ADHD Nutritionist” , this book is not a diet book, but rather a book of solutions to common problems ADHDers experience with food, cooking, and nutrition. Rooted in Rebecca’s weight-neutral, intuitive eating–based philosophy, this book breaks down how ADHD affects your relationship with food and gives you the tools to develop a better approach for your ADHD brain. The book

An overview of intuitive eating and why it works for the ADHD brain A primer on gentle nutrition for ADHD Strategies for coping with emotional eating, eating for stimulation, sensory issues, and other common ADHD challenges ADHD-friendly tips and hacks for shopping, meal-planning, food prep, cooking, cleaning, and more Simple formulas for creating easy meals and snacks Recommendations for how to approach your diet while you’re on medication And 40 delicious, easy, ADHD-friendly recipes
Practical, comprehensive, backed by science, but written with the understanding of someone who’s actually been there, How to Eat Well for Adults with ADHD helps ADHDers address their challenges with food without shame or pressure. It’s a must-read for any ADHDer who’s ever struggled in the kitchen and wants to learn how to thrive!

Genres: Nonfiction, Adhd, Self Help, Cookbooks, Food, Mental Health, Nutrition

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2025

About the author

I live in Leicestershire in the United Kingdom where I currently spend my time reading, anything and everything, but mostly books about Cornish smuggling, ghosts and mysteries (Mmmm, I think there is a story there somewhere!)

​My love for books has grown throughout my life, fed by my relentless daydreaming. As a child I was always told by my teachers that I daydreamed too much. As an adult, I frequently find myself reading and mentally re-writing the stories, when I read something and feel it could have been done better.

Several people have asked me what inspired me to start writing. Well, I was haunted! Literally. I had a story that just wouldn't leave me. It kept going around and around in my mind, being the first thing I thought of when I woke up, and the last thing I thought about before I went to sleep. I was driven to get the ideas down on paper, initially in a rough draft. But still the stories in my head wouldn't leave me and I soon found myself embellishing my notes and turning them into a book. Thus the Cavendish Mysteries was born. A​s a working mum, I spent my evenings when the children were tucked up in bed tapping away on my laptop. I still do, and find the 'muse' flows better at night without the constant interruptions of, 'mum, can I have', and 'mum, I'm hungry'.

​As soon as I started writing the words flew onto the screen, and I found I couldn't stop. More and more stories came forth and I knew I had to remain true to my dream and turn my passion for writing stories into a job.

​It has been a long and very bumpy road, but I do sincerely hope the stories I write bring people pleasure.

​I do believe everything in life is a learning journey, put before us to enrich us as we travel life's pathway. I try to learn from all feedback received, and fully appreciate that one cannot please everyone all of the time. There will be people who love my books; in turn there will be people who hate them, but I hope that the majority of people love them. ​

​If you have any comments/suggestions please feel free to use the 'Contact Me' page. I do try to reply to everyone but obviously if I am writing, it may take me a day or two, so please be patient. ​

​Alternatively you can Tweet me I do follow back), or you can check my blog or you can follow me on Facebook:

Website: rebeccaking-author.co.uk
Blog: rebeccaking-author.blogspot.co.uk
Twitter: rebeccaking123
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RebeccaKingHistorica...

​Whatever you decide to read, I hope you enjoy it and take a few moments to leave a review for other readers.

​
Thank you.

Reviews

[Bek (MoonyReadsByStarlight) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

I originally picked up How to Eat Well for Adults with ADHD by Rebecca King after flipping through and seeing the chapter on kitchen organization and groceries, but the majority of the book's focus on intuitive eating has been even more helpful.

While the focus is on people with ADHD, this would be really helpful for anyone who struggles with executive function, interoception, or disordered eating. It walks you through what intuitive eating is, how to listen to your body, navigating dopamine and a variety of relationships one might have with food because of this, before getting into nutrition that is less nunbers-focused and then organization and planning.

This was very helpful for me, but I do have some critiques. While the author mentions studies around nutrition, only some are noted by name. While I like a lot of what she said in these parts, I would feel a lot better had there been an actual works cited page. Additionally, there is a small section in the meal/grocery planning section that mentions using AI for lists. Generally speaking, I don't like AI but there is also not a thorough enough warning about its shortcomings when it comes to food in particular. Thankfully it was a very small segment.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the content and the discussion of the barriers ADHD can bring to food. She spends a lot of time trying to take the shame out of food in general, which I found valuable. ADHD affects every part of a person's life, and it can be so hard to find work arounds for each problem. This is a great step towards taking control of your meals.

I think the structure of this book is specifically planned to make it easier to read for those whose ADHD makes reading large chunks of text difficult. As someone who does not have that specific issue, I found it distracting, and it took me a long time time to read it. That's okay; everything doesn't need to be geared for me. If you do better with small sections divided by large titles, it is perfect for you.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a helpful reference for understanding your brain and body better. I started with the Ebook and bought the physical copy to keep and reference. I learned so much!!

[Ticola · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was well done! It provides just the right amount of information and great ideas for addressing issues!

[Hollis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea of this book is a 10 but the execution is a 2. I understand why the layout was the way it was but it was quite visibly busy.
Suggest the original Intuitive Eating book she mentions instead.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did not read the recipe section (which is like 40% of the book), but I am counting it nonetheless.

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was not initially what I was expecting, but it was exactly what I needed. I was looking for books that helped address diet changes I could make to help support my mind and body, this book primarily addressed root cause behaviors, why they happen, and how to work with yourself to eat better, prep food better, change habits to work better with how an ADHD mind works, and overall change the voice in your head to speak to yourself more kindly as you navigate life, specifically eating, with ADHD.

Although I haven’t been formally diagnosed, I know I struggle with emotional eating and other habits that may fall into the ADHD category. This book addresses that and other triggers for eating and how to address the root cause with different habits and ways of thinking to work with yourself. I read this book via audiobook, but recommend reading the hard copy due to the charts and visuals used in the book.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the tips about convenience being worth it. Reassured me that food and cooking takes time, and it’s hard sometimes.

[MC Ertel · Rating 5 out of 5]

adhd book
- view recommendations as “for the most part” (ex. eat every 3-4 hours).
- adhd explained by dr edward hollowell — consistently inconsistent
- There may be times when a strategy or tool works and other times when that same approach stops working. This is not a failure. It just means it's time to adjust. In fact, you'll probably need to swap out different tools and strategies regularly, because ADHD brainsLike novelty.
- Differences in executive function (EF), or the cognitive skills that help you plan, focus, problem solve, and achieve your goals, are at the heart of ADHD. These differences make it challenging to start, work on, and finish tasks.When it comes to cooking and eating, we use executive function to decide what to eat, to plan meals, grocery shop, prepare food, cook, be aware of time, do the dishes, and keep our kitchen space semi-functional.
- alarms my clients have found the most helpful is an alarm labeled “what do i need”
- i don't like referring to sources of dopamine as "good vs. bad" or "healthy vs. unhealthy" for the same reasons I don't like to use these labels with food—it creates shame and judgment, which do not help with behavior change.Instead, I like to think of dopamine sources as helpful, less helpful, or unhelpful. This help you explore what you can do for stimulation from a place of curiosity. If you think that nothing but food will give you dopamine, then nothing will, so I encourage you to keep an open, curious mind when it comes to seeking other tools.
- Decreased appetite is a common side effect on ADHD meds. As previously discussed, dopamine plays a role in regulating food intake. When your brain gets enough dopamine from meds, it signals to your stomach that you are full-even if you haven't eaten. Alternatively, having enough dopamine means that you can get so focused that you forget to eat.
- One frustrating aspect of ADHD is forgetting what tools and strategies you have in the moment. This can lead to defaulting to less helpful tools and strategies, like eating or doomscrolling or getting stuck in ADHD paralysis. The Dopamenu helps avoid this.
- propose frozen fruit or pouches for more consistent taste
- How many meals can you realistically prepare or cook per week right now?
- Are there days of the week you know you will not have the energy or time to prepare meals
- What is your goal with meal planning

Steps to recommend for meal planning:
1. Set your time (day or deadline)
2. Identify how many meals you need - consider how many meals can you realistically cook? Eat leftovers? How many meals do you plan to eat out or get takeout? Any meals or snacks that will repeat?
3. Aim to include protein, carb, fat, fruit/vegetables, and satisfaction factor

Options that might resonate:
1. Day of planning: automate bkfast, lunch, snacks; plan dinner day of (always keep a well stocked pantry/freezer of go to foods)
2. “Pick three”: make enough of 3 meals to have leftovers or pair it with a meal delivery service to fill in rest of meals
3. Use AI
4. Automate meals (have frozen dinners on Thursday night because you do not have the energy; have predetermined daily snacks; have ready to go option)
5. Theme night framework
6. Meal kit services
7. Emergency meals

[Maddie Allard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and it has sent me on a mission to read a bunch of books about it so I can understand how my brain works.

This book was validating and helpful. I may buy my own copy I liked it so much. My entire adult life I have struggled with feeding myself. I spent a large portion of my 20s living off of ice cream. I have let many meal kits go to waste because I couldn't bring myself to cook them. My dishes pile so high in my sink that I have chosen to simply not eat rather than deal with the mess.

Reading this helped me feel less ashamed of myself and gave me some new tools so that I can nourish my body in a way that my brain can manage. I'm still probably going to have days where all I eat is a giant bag of popcorn, but it will be less often than before. I appreciated how the author was very clear that diets are not helpful, supplements are typically cash grabs, and warned readers to look into the actual studies that have been done around ADHD "cures".

My only issue: I will never make any of those recipes other than the ADHD Charcuterie. Just looking at them made me feel overwhelmed.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been fascinated by the intersection of ADHD and nutrition ever since my midlife diagnosis. A lot of the typical nutrition advice has never really worked for me. Like how "mindful eating" is usually described as sitting in silence and doing nothing else while eating. I have a visceral reaction thinking about that level of boredom.

I’ve been following this author on Instagram for a while, so I was excited to check out a more indepth analysis of ADHD through her perspective.

There are some really helpful tips in here. I kept texting a like-minded friend while reading, sending sentences and being like, mind blown.

Some of my favorite parts:
-The breakdown of different executive functions
-The concept of a “consistently inconsistent” mindset and how to work with it
-The emotional eating section and the emotions thermometer
-The Dopamenu! I’ve already made my own version of it.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm generally wary of cookbooks that promise to fix ADHD. This is not one of those, thankfully. It's common sense nutrition that actually sounds good. I've already added a few of the recipes to our rotation. One I've lovingly dubbed ADHD pasta. Her advice is doable and comes with explanations that don't make me want to hurl the book out the window.
It is admittedly still necessary to put some thought into meal prep and grocery shopping, but now I know what to focus on. I have to begrudgingly admit that her suggestions to add protein and to eat somewhat regularly have been helpful.
The content is well written, relatable and not preachy. I find myself returning to reread parts of it. Overall, I'm glad I read i!

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for folks with ADHD, but I think just about anyone (especially people with other disabilities) would benefit from this book. I did find it helpful to check out a copy of the book from the library to supplement my listening.

The author references spoon theory but doesn't explain it, so some references might be confusing. The author talks about doing things that "don't use up all your spoons" but in a cookbook, this could be perceived as not using utensils rather than the limited energy and bandwidth a person with chronic disabilities might have.

I received a free ALC for library employees from Libro.fm.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. The strategies really resonate.
As a dietetics student, I’m familiar with the majority of the introductory content.
I enjoyed specifying ADHD strategies and ways to make things even easier. Very helpful for myself or any figure MNT I may do!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and found it to be super encouraging and helpful! There are lots of practical tips that to make nourishing your body a little less overwhelming. Thanks to my sister, Bri, for this awesome gift! Next, I want a companion guide to for partners to read :)

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers the issues of eating and cooking that ADHD people have from lack of organization to food sensitivities. It really has some interesting suggestions for dealing with them. I recommend it.

[Anni d · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am still working through the recipes, but overall this was a very informative book. I feel like I learned a lot of ways to describe how I feel about food, but many of the solutions listed didn’t work for me. I am sure they are super helpful for others though!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid resource for anyone with ADHD!

[Stephanie Reece · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was more information to read rather than recipes, but it was helpful and practical. I’m excited to try some of the recipes!

[Alison]

Interesting book to listen to in an audiobook format. Gave some good ideas and recipes that I might have to check out with the physical copy!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable recipes and good tips for intuitive eating for those who are neurodiverse. Definitely recommend checking it out as an option tailored to you.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a digital advanced copy of this book for me to read!

[Laura O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what I’ve needed to read for a long time. I read it via the library but will be buying my own copy to have on hand, something I rarely do.

[B Zimp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are we sure they knew that their audience had ADHD? The complex meals with many ingredients, requiring pre-planning and the lengthy/wordy pre-descriptions were not ADHD friendly.

[Val Thbd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really helped me out a lot.