Quick, low-effort food

Cooking for the can't be @rsed

For the lazy cook

A funny cookbook for people who can't cook, can't be bothered to cook, or just need quick, healthy-ish food after a long day.

Book cover for Cooking for the can't be @rsed
60quick food recipes
5-starAmazon reviews
1-6/10effort ratings
No fafflow-effort cooking

What to Eat When You Can't Be Bothered to Cook?

Something quick, low-effort, and vaguely decent. That's the entire point.

Low-Effort Recipes

Every recipe rated 1-6/10. No fancy techniques, no hour-long prep. Just food that works.

Healthy-ish

Nutrition info included. Not diet culture, just exposure to facts without judgement or spreadsheets.

A Funny Cookbook for People Who Can't Cook

Written by someone who gets it. Empowering, not preachy. Real kitchen, real life.

Recipe Sneak Peek

Three sample recipes from the book, complete with effort ratings, shortcuts, and nutrition notes.

Avocado smash on toast
Effort: 2/10

Avocado Smash on Toast

The laziest health food hack ever invented. Two minutes, one avocado, one slice of toast.

What You Need

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 slice toast
  • Salt & pepper
  • Optional: chilli flakes, lemon

What To Do

  1. Toast your bread
  2. Mash the avocado with a fork
  3. Spread, season, eat

Eat straight off the chopping board to dodge washing up.

Nutrition per serving

  • 330 kcal
  • 7g protein
  • 27g carbs
  • 23g fat
Mushrooms on toast with feta
Effort: 3/10

Mushrooms on Toast with Feta

This looks like something you'd pay £9.50 for in a café. It isn't. It's mushrooms, toast, and a bit of confidence.

What You Need

  • 2 large flat mushrooms
  • 1-2 slices of toast
  • Feta cheese
  • Olive oil
  • Salt & pepper
  • Optional: garlic, balsamic glaze, pesto

What To Do

  1. Place mushrooms upside down.
  2. Splash the insides with oil and crumble over the feta.
  3. Grill for 5-7 minutes.
  4. Put bread in the toaster or under the grill.
  5. Put mushrooms on toast and season.

Bake mushrooms 20-25min at 200°C instead, if standing babysitting the grill is an effort.

Ultra-lazy version

Scrap this idea and just whack normal cheese on the toast.

Nutrition per serving

  • 310 kcal
  • 13g protein
  • 28g carbs
  • 16g fat
Lettuce tacos with tuna filling
Effort: 2/10

Lettuce Tacos

Low-carb, high-effort look but isn't. Gets 2/10 because choice is effort.

What You Need

  • 1 tin tuna or cooked chicken
  • Dollop of light mayo
  • Lettuce leaves
  • Optional: black pepper, salad cream

What To Do

  1. Mix tuna or chicken with mayo.
  2. Scoop into lettuce leaves.
  3. Crunch away, satisfied you're a food artist.

Use any leafy thing you can find. Lettuce, spinach, cabbage if you're desperate. Lower your expectations.

Ultra-lazy version

Tuna from tin. Fork. Job done.

Nutrition per serving, tuna version

  • 170 kcal
  • 27g protein
  • 1g carbs
  • 5g fat

How It Works

Every recipe is rated on effort, not skill. Because thinking is effort.

1
Assembling food
2
Heat may be involved
3
A pan appears briefly
4
Cooking on your terms
5
You've committed
6
Upper limit. Calm down.

If that still sounds like too much effort, this book respectfully suggests toast.

What's Inside

A book that meets you where you actually are.

1-25Can't Be @rsed Recipes

The lazy legends. For when you're properly wiped.

26-50Can Be Slightly @rsed Recipes

For when you've scraped together a worrying amount of motivation.

51-60Desserts

Because you still deserve something sweet, even on your laziest days.

BonusNutrition & Psychology

Not preachy. Not diet culture. Just useful stuff if you want it.

What Readers Say

Real reviews from real lazy cooks.

"Cracking book... Lots of simple recipe ideas that take hardly any effort to make all presented with a good measure of humour. I found it empowering and uplifting."

Nigel

"Fantastic read so funny but so much detail, coming from someone that really doesn't like cooking the recipes are so easy to knock up with step by step guide."

Robbo

"A book full of tasty, quick and easy to make up meals... for those of us who just cannot be bothered."

Amazon Customer

Ready to Stop Pretending?

No glossy photos. No aspirational plating. Just real recipes for real life.

Get it on Amazon

Available on Amazon UK

Lazy Cook Questions

For the exact moment your stomach is asking questions and your motivation has left the building.

What should I eat when I can't be bothered to cook?

Start with something low-effort: toast-based meals, microwave potatoes, eggs, wraps, lettuce tacos, beans, pasta, or anything you can assemble without turning dinner into a project.

Is this a cookbook for people who can't cook?

Yes. It is written for beginners, tired people, busy people, and anyone who wants quick food recipes without faff, guilt, or fancy kitchen performance.

Are the recipes good for ADHD or low-motivation days?

The book is not medical advice, but it is designed around reducing friction: clear steps, low effort ratings, shortcuts, and ultra-lazy versions for days when cooking feels like too much.